The Wedding Party And Holiday Escapes Ultimate Collection. Кейт Хьюит

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СКАЧАТЬ Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you go check.”

      Ignoring the razor-sharp edge of irritation in her voice, he propped both hands on the railing and made himself comfortable. “No, sir, you don’t see stars like this in Dallas.” He sucked in a long, deep breath and blew it out. “No smog, either.”

      She wasn’t quite sure of the point of the “aw, shucks” routine, but it was getting really annoying. “Dillon, I want you to leave.”

      He turned to her, his face partially doused in shadow, wearing that crooked grin. “No, you don’t.”

      Damn him. He still knew exactly which buttons to push. But she wasn’t going to take the bait. She wasn’t the young, emotionally adolescent girl he remembered. She was going to stay calm. “Yes, I do.”

      “It’s been ten years. We have a lot of catching up to do.” His eyes strayed to the front of the threadbare, oversize shirt and the grin went from amused to carnal.

      Exactly what kind of catching up did he think they would be doing? And was he familiar with the phrase, when hell freezes over?

      “You always did wear T-shirts to bed. Usually mine.” He hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans and something dangerously hot flickered in his eyes.

      “You said you liked ’em ’ cause they smelled like me.”

      She crossed her arms and shot him a chilling look.

      Undaunted, his eyes wandered over her. “And I see that you still wait until your hair is dry to brush it.”

      She hated that he still knew her so well. That he’d bothered to remember anything about her at all. And the only reason he had was to use it against her. To make her uncomfortable. To knock her off balance and lower her defenses so he could go in for the kill.

      She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

      “I’ll bet you do all those things subconsciously,” he mused. “Because deep down you still love me and you want me back.”

      The mercury on her temper began a steady climb, and she clamped her teeth over the sarcastic reply that was trying like hell to jump out of her mouth.

      You will not show this man how angry he’s making you, she chanted to herself. You will not let him get the best of you.

      “Isn’t there a technical term for that?” he asked.

      Yeah, there was a term for it.

      Nuts.

      Which he was if he honestly believed she had any feelings left for him. Favorable ones, that is.

      “Don’t we have a high opinion of ourselves,” she said.

      He grinned. “May be, but you can’t say that I’m not consistent.”

      No, she definitely couldn’t say that. He’d never once failed to let her down.

      And this conversation was going nowhere.

      “Look, I appreciate the way you defended Deidre against the Tweedles at dinner, but let’s not pretend that I don’t know exactly what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.”

      Amusement quirked up the corner of his mouth. “Tweedles?”

      Ivy slapped a hand over her mouth. Oh, jeez. Had she really said that out loud?

      “Like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum?” A deep rumble of infectious laughter rolled from his chest and had a grin tugging at the corners of her own mouth.

      And just as quickly it fizzled away.

      Ugh!

      He was doing it again. Softening her up. Lowering the ick factor of just being near him.

      “You need to leave,” she said. “I have work to finish.”

      He didn’t move. “I guess you got that e-mail from your editor, huh?”

      “That’s right,” she fibbed. “I’m incredibly busy right now.”

      “Why don’t I believe you?” He eased away from the ledge, and she resisted the urge to step back. “You know, I could always tell when you were lying.”

      “I guess it takes one to know one,” she snapped.

      The humor slipped from his face, and she could see that she’d hit a nerve. Well, good. He had it coming.

      Then why did she feel like such a louse?

      He took another step closer. “Did I ever lie to you, Ivy?”

      “I am not doing this.” She turned and walked to the closet. She flung the door open and snatched her robe from the hanger. “I refuse to get sucked into a conversation about a relationship that has been over for ten years.”

      She thrust her arms through the sleeves and bound the belt securely at her waist. She swung around and nearly plowed into him. He was right behind her.

      “The truth, Ivy.” Every trace of playful cockiness had disappeared from his voice. “Did I ever once lie to you?”

      Her heart rattled around in her chest. She remembered this man. The quiet, serious, alter ego. His appearances had been rare, but they had always intimidated the hell out of her. And Dillon knew it.

      Had he been hiding in the background all this time, waiting for just the right moment to pounce?

      “I don’t owe you a thing.”

      He stepped closer, his eyes locked on her face, and every cell in her body went on full alert, every neuron in her brain lit off like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

      “Did I ever lie to you?”

      Don’t do it, she warned her traitorous subconscious. Don’t you dare say what you’re thinking. It doesn’t matter anymore. It will only make things worse.

      Don’t say a word.

      He stepped closer, until he was only inches away. His hair was a little windblown from his walk along the beach, and she could smell the scent of the ocean on his skin and clothes. Steel-blue eyes bore through her, stripping her bare, and her feet felt cemented to the floor.

      She couldn’t move.

      “Ivy?”

      “No!” she shrieked, no longer able to contain the anger and frustration and hurt that had been festering for far too long. “You never lied to me, Dillon. In fact, you made it distinctly clear just how little our marriage meant to you.”

      She regretted the words the instant they left her mouth, but it was too late to take them back. She was still bitter and hurt by the divorce and now he knew it. And she didn’t doubt he would use it against her.

      For several long seconds he just stared at her, his expression impossible to decipher. Finally, his voice СКАЧАТЬ