Page 107 of First Bride to Fall
He snagged the dish towel by its edge. “Oh no, you won’t. I’ve got this.”
She tugged back harder on her end, yanking him toward her. “And I saidIdid.”
Grant set the wet frying pan down on the counter. “Let me have the towel, Nell.”
Her eyes flashed defiantly. “No.”
She was one infuriating woman. But that infuriating part also made her a little sexy. “Why not?”
“Because you said the dishes were my job.”
He scowled at her. “Well, maybe I’ve changed my mind.”
“Why’s that, Grant? You can’t possibly be feeling guilty?”
“Guilty? Me?” He scoffed and tugged at the dish towel, but she tugged back. He gave her credit for being a lot stronger than she looked.
“Yes, you.” Her eyes flashed. “For every little thing you’ve put me through.”
Grant’s jaw clenched. “What about thebig thingsyou’ve put me through?”
She shook out her hair. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Nell.” The word was a growl. “Give me that dish towel.”
She stubbornly set her chin. “Make me.”
“All right.” He pulled the dish towel toward him in one smooth move, and she scooted across the kitchen floor, trying to hang on to it with both hands. But he was bigger and stronger than she was, and she nearly slid into him.
“Stop that!” she charged.
He raised the dish towel above his head, trying to shake it free from her grasp, but the bullheaded woman clung to it with all her might. She had both arms extended, rising up on her tiptoes and gritting her teeth. “Grant!” Suddenly she was right in front of him, breathing hard. “Let. Go.”Yank. “Of that. Towel.”Yank. Yank.Each time she yanked, she bounced on her feet, moving closer and closer to him until—
Her gorgeous face was just below his with her incredible golden-brown eyes big and wide.
Grant’s pulse pounded.
Then she licked those sensuous lips, and warmth flooded his body.
It tookeverything he hadnot to forget about that dish towel and tug her luscious body up against his, taking her in his arms.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
What was he thinking?
He let go of the dish towel, and she dropped back on her heels. “Whew!” She set her chin in a smug way, but her forehead glistened with moisture, and her cheeks were flushed. “Thanks.”
She began buffing and buffing that frying pan so hard it shone. Her eyes were locked on his as her hair tumbled into her face and those sweet, sweet freckles became swept up in a ruby red blush that grew wider and wider, encompassing her whole face. Maybe she was thinking what he was. About the unbearable chemical attraction that crackled and sizzled between them every time they got too close.
He had to stop this.
“Thank you for doing such a great drying job.” He went to his cooler and picked it up, needing to get out of there. That moment with Nell had been too dangerously combustible. He’d nearly forgotten himself and lost his head.
“No problem.” Her voice was breathy. She latched onto a door handle, like she needed to hang on to something. “This goes”—she asked, still panting a bit—“in here?”
“Nell.”
“Huh?”
