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“That’s not what I said, Ellie. I didn’t call you poison.” He shifted forward in his chair, elbows on his knees. “I said you were sweet like poison, and that had more to do with me than you. You’re so fucking tempting, like a piece of candy laced with arsenic. Bad for me, but I want to pick it up and suck it down anyway. I won’t, though.”
I kept my facade icy calm. “You’re not invited to suck on any part of me, Lachlan, so don’t worry. I won’t poison you again.” I rose from my rocking chair, deciding to abandon my newspaper to the cause, and took two steps to stand in front of him. “Though I’m worried it might be too late for you. My poison may have already infected your blood since you can’t seem to stay away from me.”
Hands on his armrests, I leaned over him, giving him a clear view down my loose camisole. It was a power position if there ever was one. He could look all he wanted, weep at the perfection of my tits, but he didn’t get to touch. Poor guy.
Unfortunately, this power position also gave those who were walking by on the sidewalk an even more clear shot of my ass. My misstep became clear when a cavalcade of male testosterone started launching a hundred bombs at my backside.
“Fuck, look at that! Daddy likes.”
“Yeah, shake it, baby.”
“No shame in that ass game. Fucking nice!”
It sounded like the entire fraternity population of Savage U chose that very moment to saunter down the sidewalk. It was early enough, I could believe they were just getting home from some cheesy, raucous party, and at least half were probably still drunk.
I started to whirl around, possibly grab the closest blunt object and brain a few of them—which, in this case, would be a misnomer since they’re clearly lacking gray matter—but I was caught around the middle and hauled into Lachlan’s arms before I could act. He had me off my feet and inside my house in another blink. The door slammed, and I was pressed against it, Lachlan’s forearms caging my head, his warm breath ghosting over my lips.
“What did I tell you, Elsa? What the hell did I tell you?” he growled at me.
Remembering exactly what he said, I lifted my chin. He was so close, looming over me, our lips nearly brushed. “You want to be my keeper, Lachlan?”
He jerked his head back, adding inches between us, enough room for him to deliver a fierce scowl.
“I want you to give a shit about yourself. I want you to be smart enough to know you can’t sit on your porch wearing almost nothing.” His hand balled into a fist next to my head. “Use your damn brain, girl.”
I shook my head, enraged he thought he could have any say over what I wore. He had no idea what he was talking about. None. And he definitely didn’t have any right to open his big mouth.
“Do you think what I wear or don’t wear will keep me safe? I could have been in a baggy sweat suit and those assholes would have catcalled me. Ask me how I know.” I jabbed at the wall of his chest with my finger. “Layers and layers of clothing won’t keep me safe. A cute summer dress and my ugliest underwear won’t keep me safe. Ask. Me. How. I. Know.”
He ground his jaw back and forth, leaning into me so his chest flattened mine. I expected him to bite back, to growl and command. The softness he gave me nearly knocked my knees out from under me.
“How do you know, Ellie?” Knuckles trailed down my cheek. “How the hell do you know?”
I shoved at his oversized chest. “Enough. You’ve proven your point.” And I’d said way too much. “Go home now. You’re forgiven. Don’t worry. I’ll tell everyone you were properly apologetic and all that.”
At first, he didn’t budge. And it alarmed me that I wasn’t even tempted to knee him in the balls to get him out of my personal space. I just…waited. His rough fingertips skated over my cheek and jaw as he peered down at me.
“I built you a really nice deck. Nice and private. Why don’t you sit out there? Wear your pretty little pajamas. Hell, go out there naked. You’ll be safe.” His scowl was so deep, he’d have permanent lines before he was thirty if he kept it up.
They’d probably look good on him too, the rat bastard.
“I’ll put that in the suggestion box,” I deadpanned.
Except it wasn’t quite as dead as intended. His nearness clogged my throat in a way that made everything come out sounding like his big hand was wrapped around my neck.
With a heavy sigh, Lachlan threw up his hands and backed away from me. “I don’t want to fight with you anymore. I said my piece. You know where I stand. I’d like for us to be civil to each other, and yeah, I’m including myself in that.”
His fingers curled around my shoulders. They were warm and rough on my bare skin. A memory flashed behind my eyes. Of him dragging his fingertips down the length of my spine, tracing my hip bones, pressing his thumb between my lips.
Nothing was the same as it was before, though. Instead of twisting his fingers in the straps of my cami, Lachlan used his hold to move me aside and open the door for his quick escape.
He glanced back at me over his shoulder. “I want you to be safe. No one should be looking at you or talking to you the way those assholes did.”
“Including you?”
He grunted, bowing his head. “Especially me.”
He pulled the door shut behind him, his heavy, retreating steps on the porch stairs loud in the quiet early morning. Once his footsteps faded, I leaned against the front door.
My fluttering heart refused to calm for several more minutes. Fists flexing, one at my side, the other on my chest, I tipped my head back and sighed.
No man had ever made me feel like Lachlan did.
And I wasn’t sure that was a good thing.
