Tough Love

Though she didn’t look at him, his attention consumed her, and finally, unable to help herself, she glanced up and got caught.

He kept his tone soft, which somehow made it more unyielding. “What have you omitted?”

She wouldn’t compound things by saying, Nothing. That’d just be another lie. “Given the nature of our...liaison, there are many things you don’t yet know about me.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Like the fact you don’t cry?”

“Right.” Then she amended, “At least not without really good reason.” A fresh breath helped get her back on track. “Mostly I was worried about you telling me to butt out.”

“If I did, would you?”

Well, shoot. Time to be serious. Stepping in front of him, she got him to stop. “I know I can be pushy. I’m upfront about that. But I try really hard not to pry, and I promise I’m not a gossipy woman. I hope I’m not too nosy, just...interested. And I am a good listener, so if you ever want to talk...” She let that hang out there.

“That’s a hell of a list of accolades. No flaws at all, huh?”

She blushed.

He touched the wild pulse beating in her throat. “No need to sell yourself. Remember, I already bought in.”

How did he make that sound so sexy? “Good. So you’ll explain your conflict with Phil?”

“Forget Phil.” Stack leaned down and brushed his nose over her cheek, teasing a path to her ear. Once there, he whispered, “I want to fuck, not talk.”

Oh. Well... Yes to that. She cleared her throat, but it didn’t help loosen the sudden restriction of carnal need. “I want that, too, of course.”

“Of course.” He smiled lazily, and that smile further distracted her to the point she couldn’t think beyond the image of Stack naked and over her.

To help her along, he prompted, “You have something to add?”

Right, she did. But what was it? To give her brain cells a chance to regroup, she avoided Stack’s consuming gaze and instead stared at his chest. He’d left the snowy white dress shirt open enough that she could see his collarbone, and a hint of chest hair.

He tipped up her face. “Exhaustion is catching up to you.”

“No.” She released a tight breath. “I’m not tired.” Far from it.

“You keep losing your thoughts.”

Her mouth twitched. “Not really.” Going for total honesty, she admitted, “It’s just that I’m having a hard time thinking of anything other than you naked.”

“Ahem.”

They both turned to see Tabitha standing there, her grin enormous.

“I can’t believe I just heard that. And, oh, God, no, no.” She lightly pummeled her own forehead. “That image needs to go away right now.”

Stack laughed. “Did you want something, Tabby? Other than to cause a scene?”

True, passersby were giving her very odd looks, as if she might be a psych patient who escaped her confines.

Tabby glared at the curious people, but when she faced Vanity again, her cheek-splitting grin was back in place. “Not to break up this fascinating love-fest, but Mom is ready to go.”

“Right.” Stack swung an arm around Vanity, edging her back to his side. “Sorry about that. We got distracted.”

“Ha! You, brother dearest, stopped thinking with your head and started thinking with your—”

Planting a palm in her face, Stack quieted her.

Tabitha laughed and stepped out of reach. “Where’s Phil?”

“Gone,” Vanity said, trying to recover from being caught in the hospital hallway seducing Tabitha’s brother while his injured mother waited on them. Oh, Lord, that was bad. Bad-bad.

What kind of impression would she make on them? “I told him I’d let you know.”

Tabitha started back to her mother, assuming they’d follow. “That’s weird. Where was he going?”

Oh, crap. Vanity had no idea what to say to that. “Uh...”

Stack filled in. “He left because I told him to, and you know it.”

“Yeah.” Tabitha glared at Stack over her shoulder. “You’re always so mean to him.”

“He’s lucky I don’t—”

“I know, I know. You want to tear him limb from limb.” Tabitha waved off the possibility of such a dire consequence. “One of these days you two will get along.”

“No,” Stack assured her. “We won’t. But hopefully you’ll wise up and dump his sorry—”