‘I didn’t exactly live in squalor,’ he said.
‘No, not after I moved in and did all your housework for you,’ she bit out resentfully. ‘How delightfully convenient for you, a housekeeper and lover all rolled into one.’
Ashleigh felt his continued silence as if it were crawling all the way up her spine to lift the fine hairs on the back of her neck.
She knew she was cornered. Her back was already up against the closed door behind her and his tall frame in front of her blocked any other chance of escape.
She could feel the air separating them pulsing with banked up emotions. Dangerous emotions, emotions that hadn’t been unleashed in a very long time…
CHAPTER FIVE
ASHLEIGH could feel the weight of his dark gaze on her mouth, the sensitive skin of her lips lifting, swelling as if in search of the hard pressure of his, her heart fluttering behind her ribcage as his head came even closer.
‘Don’t even think about it…’ she cautioned him, her voice a cracked whisper of sound as it passed through her tight throat.
His lips curved just above hers, hovering tantalisingly close, near enough to feel the brush of his warm breath as he asked, ‘Is that to be another one of your little rules?’
She moistened her lips nervously. ‘Yes…’ She cleared her throat. ‘Rule number four: don’t think about me in that way.’
‘How do you know what way I’m thinking about you?’ His dark eyes gleamed with mystery.
‘You’re still a full-blooded man, aren’t you?’ she asked with considerable tartness. ‘Or is that another one of those changes you insist you’ve undergone in the last four and a half years?’
He had timed silences down to a science, Ashleigh thought. He used them so tactically. She had forgotten just how tactically.
She held her breath, waiting for him to say something, her head getting lighter and lighter as each pulsing second passed.
‘Want to check for yourself?’ he finally asked.
‘What?’ Her indrawn breath half-inflated her lungs and her head swam alarmingly as his meaning gradually dawned on her.
He pointed to his groin, her eyes following the movement of his hand as if they had a mind of their own.
‘You’re the expert assessor. Why don’t you head south to check out if the crown jewels are still in mint condition?’
Her eyes flew back to his in a flash of anger. ‘This is all a big game to you, isn’t it, Jake? You think this is so funny with your stupid double meanings and sexual hints.’ She sucked in a much needed breath and continued, ‘I’m not interested. Got that? Not in-ter-est-ed. Do I have to spell it out for you? Why can’t you hear what I’m telling you?’
‘There seems to be some interference from the transmission centre,’ he said.
‘Transmiss…’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, for God’s sake! Is your ego so gargantuan that you can’t accept that what we had is over?’
‘It would be a whole lot easier to accept if you didn’t look at me with those hungry eyes of yours,’ he said.
‘Hungry eyes?’ She gaped at him in affront. ‘You’re the one with the wandering eyes!’
‘I said hungry, not wandering.’
‘Don’t split hairs with me!’ she spat back. ‘And back off a bit, will you?’ She leant back even further against the door behind her until the door handle began to dig into the tender flesh of her lower back. ‘I can practically see what you had for breakfast.’
‘I didn’t have breakfast.’
‘Do you think I care?’ she asked.
He gave her one of his lengthy contemplative looks. Ashleigh could feel herself dissolving under his scrutiny. She felt as if he could see through her skin to where her heart was beating erratically in response to his closeness.
‘See?’ He held up his hands as if he’d just read her mind. ‘I’m not touching you.’
‘You don’t have to; just being close to you is enough to—’ She clamped her wayward mouth shut and sent him another furious glare.
‘Is enough to what, Ashleigh?’ he asked, his deep voice like a length of sun-warmed silk being passed over too sensitive skin.
She refused to answer, tightening her mouth even further.
‘Tempt you?’ he prompted.
‘I’m not the least bit tempted,’ she said, wishing to God it was true.
‘That’s what the rules are for, aren’t they, Ashleigh?’ he taunted her softly. ‘They’re not for me at all. They’re for you, to remind you of your commitment to dear old Howard.’
‘He is not old!’ she put in defensively. ‘He’s younger than you. He’s thirty and you’re thirty-three.’