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He frowned. “I’m not insulting you. You have come a long way. You’re doing well.”
If I thought Stone insulting me was bad, Stone being… nice… threatened to totally undo me. I pushed at his chest, trying to heave his weight off me, to get some distance between us. I could lose my mind when I was looking up at him like this, able to see the faint scar on his temple, the first few laugh lines at the corner of his intense eyes. I never saw him laugh, not for real; I just got those hard, bitter laughs. But then, I paid him back with the same.
His gaze dipped to my lips, and for just a second, he seemed as tense and wanting as I felt. The next second, he scrambled off me.
“Why Teresa?” I sat up as Stone offered me a hand up. I took his hand, reluctantly; sparks seemed to pass between us when I gripped his warm, calloused palm, and I was afraid he’d realize what being close to him did to me. “Cole’s been a good teacher.”
“Mm. You two seem to be getting cozy.” He pulled me easily to my feet. The movement brought us uncomfortably close, so that I was eye-level with his broad, powerful chest. I lifted my gaze to those icy blue eyes, the beautiful hard planes of his face, and that wasn’t any better.
“Are you jealous?”
He laughed. “No. Cole has nothing that I want. But I would hate for him to forget where his loyalties lie.”
It pissed me off that he was insulting Cole. “Cole’s always got your back. Even if you’re too dumb to realize it.”
Stone folded his arms over his chest. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” I said. I stormed off toward the empty house, but Stone easily kept up with me. He was right on my heels as I crossed the front porch and stepped into the foyer.
“I’m not stupid,” Stone warned me, shutting the door behind us both. He grabbed my shoulders and spun me around, before pausing to press me—gently—against the door. He caged me in again.
I grabbed his wrists. “Is this the only way you’re comfortable having a conversation?”
“It’s the only way to make sure you don’t insult me and then run away from the consequences.”
“And what are the consequences?”
“Having to explain yourself.”
“It’s not that deep, Stone. You don’t seem to realize how much those men love you and look after you. You should appreciate them.”
“I do.”
“Do they know that?”
“If they’re not idiots themselves.”
“God, you are insufferable.”
“I’m insufferable?” he repeated, looking shocked. “You make me crazy. Nothing you say makes any damn sense. Somehow you think you’ve gotten to know Cole and Shaw, better than--”
“It’s not that hard to get to know people, Stone, if you actually talk to them.”
“Is that why you’re always running away from me?”
“Maybe. Maybe I don’t want to get to know you.” But my heart was hammering in my throat, because the truth was I felt incredibly attracted to Stone despite him being so…. Stone.
“Bullshit,” he shot back.
“Do you have any other lines?”
“Maybe I would if you didn’t make it such a habit to lie to me, and to yourself.”
“Leave me alone.” I ducked under his arm, knowing it would probably be ineffective, and sure enough, he just pulled me back against the door.
“I’m not done with you.”
“I’m done with you.” I kneed him in the crotch—one of the softening blows that Cole had taught me to make it easier to bring someone down before starting to throw them—but he blocked me with his thigh.
