AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah, well, overseeing the failure of a business will do that.” The bitter words flew from her lips on their own accord.
“Sorry.” His single-word apology was quiet and caught her off guard.
She lifted her eyes, then returned to her work. “So you said.”
“You’re still upset.”
“No,” she emphasized. “I’m still bitter, but not toward you. No one else understands how important that gallery was to me. I get it, my dream was a long shot, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want it. Moving here after everything that happened just solidified what a failure I’ve become.”
“You’re not a failure.” There was a bite to his tone, one that drew her focus from her work.
“You have no idea what I am or not,” she snapped. “By definition, a failure is someone who tries to do something and fails. You should understand that. We’re both outsiders here. We’ve both come here to lick our wounds and learn how to survive.”
Mike scowled at her. She’d struck a nerve with that one, but she couldn’t tell if he was upset by what she’d said about him or what she’d said about herself. He scooted closer—close enough that his face was inches from hers. His voice lowered to something more menacing.
“You don’t know what failure is.” His hot breath fanned her cheek. “I guarantee you would be singing a different tune if you actually knew what you were talking about. You had a bump in the road. You fell off the horse. So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again.”
Flustered, Rose couldn’t think of a retort. He was close enough she could smell the shampoo he’d used. The warmth from his body emanated toward her, and there was something enticing about the way his dark eyes seemed to pin her to her place, refusing to let her react. How could he be so quiet and alluring one second and maddeningly arrogant the next?
“Will you just pick a lane already?”
His brows lifted, but his proximity didn’t change.
Wait, did she say that out loud?
Mike’s eyes narrowed. “What is that supposed to mean?”
She squirmed beneath his stare. “You don’t know me. Stop pretending you do.”
“I know you better than you might think.”
Rose moistened her dry lips, dragging her tongue across the bottom one but feeling like it did nothing. “Oh yeah? Prove it.”
His eyes dipped at the motion before bouncing back to hers. “You think you know better than everyone because you suffered a loss. Well, guess what, sweetheart, you don’t know anything. You’re still young. You’re inexperienced. I would wager you’ve never taken a real risk in your whole life.”
She gasped. “My art gallery?—”
“A real risk. One that can’t be fixed. You can always come back from a failed business.”
Rose shifted, fidgeting as his voice continued to grow huskier. “Then, what, pray tell, is a real risk?”
His gaze dipped to her mouth once more and goosebumps rose all over her arms. Before she knew what he was planning to do, he’d captured her chin with his finger and thumb. His touch was firm and yet gentle at the same time. There was power behind it, a power she hadn’t expected.
Mike moved closer, inching at a painstakingly slow pace. Then again, time might have literally slowed down and she couldn’t keep up.
At some point, she’d closed her eyes, allowing her other senses to take over. His lips grazed over hers, brushing them so lightly she wasn’t even sure he’d kissed her. By the time she opened her eyes to look at him, he had left the room.
Rose lifted her fingers to touch where her skin tingled and burned at the same time. Mike Anderson had actually kissed her, and she couldn’t decide if she was furious or thrilled.
Perhaps a little bit of both.
CHAPTER TEN
He was an idiot.
Mike had known that fact from an early age. He’d just been too much of an idiot to accept it. Two weeks had come and gone, and he’d realized he was just as much a coward as he was lacking in the brains department.
Two weeks!
