Page 7 of Hard Rain Coming

“I don’t want you in my bed.”

“I guess we’re in agreement on that count.” She picked up her coffee mug. “So why am I a distraction?”

“You’re opinionated and pigheaded. You like to fight about shit you know nothing about, and you never know when to give up.”

“Excuse—”

“Or shut up,” he interrupted her.

She was mad, and he kinda liked it. What in hell did that say about him?

“Who says?” she shot back.

“Pretty much everyone who knows you.”

Janelle came over just then with a large take-out cup full of steaming hot coffee. He accepted it and got to his feet.

“I gave up on you,” she said, voice so low he barely caught it. She looked up at him. “Best thing I ever did.”

A peculiar feeling rifled through Dallas. Some kind of notion that he was on the edge of something big and dark and maybe exhilarating. He pushed all of it aside. He was, if anything, a master at compartmentalizing.

He decided to ignore her comment. “I’m leaving now, so if you want a ride back to the ranch, this is your chance.”

“How long until the truck is fixed?”

She was stubborn as hell. He’d give her that.

“Monday afternoon, earliest, maybe Tuesday if they need to send out for parts.”

“Jesus,” she muttered roughly.

“You that scared to ride back with me?” He watched her closely. Saw the flinch and the way she cupped the coffee mug so tightly, her knuckles were white. She set it down carefully. Then tossed a bill onto the counter and got to her feet. She took a few steps, then paused. “You don’t scare me, Dallas.”

Her color was high, her eyes shiny, and her long dark hair tumbled over her shoulders, the waves silky and soft. Every single man in the place was watching her. Wishing she was heading out the door with them. He couldn’t blame the poor bastards. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Beautiful kryptonite, that is. With a side order of poison.

“Prove it.” He pointed to the exit.

If looks could kill, he’d be a dead man. “You infuriate the hell out of me.” She practically spat the words.

He smiled and watched her push open the door.

“You two have some history, that much is sure.” Janelle appeared beside him with a small paper bag. At his questioning look, she smiled. “A couple of donuts for the road. She needs to eat something.”

“Thanks.”

Janelle chuckled. “I’d say safe travels back to wherever you two are headed, but that might be asking too much.”

He cracked a grin as he moved toward the door. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Dallas headed into the early morning sunshine, his steps lighter than they should be considering the circumstance. Vivian stood beside his truck, arms pulled around her body tight, as if she were cold. She avoided looking his way by studying the horizon, which gave him the opportunity to watch her covertly.

She was tired and yet, still sexy as hell. It wasn’t just the permanent pout to her mouth, or the way her eyes tilted up. Or the long legs, rounded hips and silky dark tangles that begged to be pulled. It was her state of being. The way she moved. It made a guy take notice, and a man could be forgiven for overlooking the obvious.

She was spoiling for a fight, and that was going to make things interesting because Vivian got under his skin in a way no other human on the planet could.

If Dallas could get through the next two hours without wanting to kill her or screw her into tomorrow, he’d be fine.

It was like asking for the moon, but man, he was going to have to try.