His gaze was so penetrating, it felt like a caress. When his thumb gently stroked the back of her hand, her heart started racing, her breath quick in her throat the way it had been the night before when she thought he might kiss her. The feeling was intense. Too intense for a Christmas store with his mother only a few feet away.
Tori jerked away suddenly, hoping Molly didn’t notice the invisible sparks as she rubbed her palm on her jeans to deaden the lingering sensation from his touch. Wade’s eyes didn’t stray from hers for a few moments, intently searching her as though he were looking into her soul. He turned away only when Molly spoke.
“Tori, I’m going to get this wreath boxed up for you. Do you have a hook to hang it?”
“No,” she admitted, sounding oddly out of breath for someone standing still. “Pick whatever one you think will look the nicest with it, and I’ll take that, too.”
Molly grinned and dashed off to the other side of the store, leaving Wade and Tori alone.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone unquestionably accusatory, yet low enough for his mother not to hear them.
Tori crossed her arms under her breasts, burying her still-burning hand. “Shopping, obviously.”
This time, when his green gaze raked over her, there was no heat behind it. Just irritation and suspicion. “Did you come here to get back at me for last night?”
“Get back at you for what? You claimed you were just hanging out with some friends. Do you think I came here to tattle on you to your mama?”
“No,” he said, although the deep lines of the wary expression on his face gave away his lie.
Tori cracked a wicked grin, knowing she’d easily discovered an Achilles’ heel. Of course, any son of a decent family had a soft spot where his mother was concerned. Even the pushy, arrogant sons. She opted to rub it in by parroting the line he’d used on her last night. “I’m here buying some Christmas decorations. If your mama just happens to supply me with some information about you, then great. I like to be well-informed. Especially when going up against a worthy adversary.”
“Touché,” he said drily before casting a quick glance over his shoulder to see where Molly was.
“I take it Ken and Molly don’t know what you’re trying to do to me?”
His head snapped back to look at her. “Do to you?” he whispered with a touch of incredulity in his voice. “Offering to pay you four times your property value is hardly twisting your arm. But no, they don’t know about it, and I’d like to keep it that way. They don’t need any more stress.”
“If they don’t care, why are you so determined to get it back? I don’t understand.”
A barrier went up inside Wade. Tori could almost feel the steel walls slamming into place. She’d obviously trodden into dangerous territory with him.
“I don’t have to explain to you why this land is important to me. All you need to know is that I intend to get it back one way or another.”
“So you seem to think.”
Tori watched as Wade’s hands curled into controlled fists at his side. She couldn’t tell whether he wanted to kiss her senseless or bludgeon her with a nearby reindeer statue. But he couldn’t do any of those things. Not with Molly nearby. Tori had no doubt he’d give her a piece of his mind the minute he could. She was kind of looking forward to it.
“Wade?” His mother’s voice called over the cheerful carols playing in the store.
They both turned to look at his mother, and Tori noticed a curious expression on Molly’s face. She seemed…intrigued by their quiet discussion. Tori hoped she hadn’t mistaken their subdued animosity for real attraction. Tori wouldn’t put it past her to try to fix them up. Yes, there was a current running beneath the surface, but it was pointless to consider what that meant. Fortunately, Wade’s living in New York would easily put a damper on anything Molly tried to start up.
“Coming,” Wade said before he shot Tori a heated warning glance and turned away. She watched him talk to Molly for a minute, then nod and walk out of the store without another word to her.
Tori let out a deep breath and realized she’d been holding it long enough for her lungs to start burning. Her whole body was tense from bickering with him and—if she was honest with herself—anxious with the need he built inside her with a simple touch. It was an extremely confusing combination.