The Proposal & Solid Soul - Brenda Jackson [106]
The words Chance had spoken earlier that day woke Kylie up more than once that night. This time she knew she had to deal with them before trying to go back to sleep.
Taking the pillow from the other side of the bed, she wrapped her arms around it and hugged it to her chest, wondering how in the world one man could be so utterly self-confident, so damn arrogant. The nerve of him making such a statement as if it was a foregone conclusion they’d go to bed together. Well, she had news for him, she thought bitterly.
After this camping trip was over she would put rules into place where their relationship was concerned. The only thing between them would be Marcus and Tiffany. As parents they would have some connection in order to keep their offspring on the right path, but that would be as far as things went. It wouldn’t bother her in the least if she never saw the infuriating man again.
Turning over on her side, Kylie gazed despondently at the digital clock on the nightstand. It was almost midnight, way too late to be having this sort of conversation with herself. She should be resting peacefully in a sound sleep, but thanks to Chance she was wide-awake.
He had upset her so badly that afternoon that it had been a good ten minutes before she’d been able to pull herself together to drive away from that dealership. And twice during dinner Tiffany had asked her if anything was wrong.
And to think she would be spending an entire weekend in Chance’s presence. If there were any way she could cancel their plans without disappointing Tiffany she would, but she knew better than anyone how much her daughter looked forward to this trip.
The phone on her nightstand rang and not for the first time she wished that like the phone in the living room this one had caller ID. But somehow she knew it was Chance and reached out and picked it up. “Hello?”
“I need to apologize, Kylie.”
It was his deep, rich, husky voice, more than the words he had spoken, that sent a sensuous shiver through her. “Do you?”
“Not for everything—just for getting upset with you. I won’t apologize for our kisses. But your words caught me off guard. Never in my wildest dream did I assume you’d think I would want to use you that way.”
“Okay, Chance, maybe it was a bad choice of words, but what I was trying to say was that I’m being logical here. I don’t see things as you see them, and when it comes to a lot of man-woman stuff, you’re right, I’m way out of my league. You aren’t. So I have to protect myself.”
“You’ll never have to protect yourself from me, Kylie. I’d never hurt you, take advantage of you or use you. I give you my word.”
“Thank you.”
“But I won’t give you my word that I’ll stop pursuing you, stop trying to make you want me as much as I want you, stop trying to—”
“Get me in your bed?”
“No, I won’t stop trying to get you in my bed, Kylie, because I think that’s where you belong. And once I get you there I intend to keep you there for a long time. But it will be for all the right reasons.”
“When is an affair good for any reason?”
“When the two individuals agree that it is. You and I have a long way to go, Kylie. We haven’t even gone on what I consider a real date. I want that but you don’t.”
She sighed deeply. “It’s not that I don’t want it, Chance, it’s just that I don’t think it’s wise, considering the kids.”
“So you prefer that we do things behind their backs?”
“No, I prefer that we don’t do anything at all. Why is that so hard for you to understand?”
“And just what is it that you’re afraid of?”
She was taken aback by his question. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
“I think you are.”
“Then think whatever you want.”
“I will, and right now I think it’s time that I show you something, Kylie Hagan.”
She didn’t like the way that sounded. “Show me what?”
“What this man-woman thing is all about. Like I said earlier today, you’ve been out of the game for so long you don’t know what’s acceptable between couples and what’s not. Maybe it’s time that I start teaching you a few things and—”
“Teach