Darcy Branwyn

Danielle broke free, stumbling and catching herself on the wall. She grabbed her bag and walked off, leaving the door open.

“Wait.” He came down the stairs after her. “Let me drive you home.”

“Forget it.” She rushed through the kitchen, missing one of the cooks by a hair. Nick tailed her onto the street. It was raining.

“There’s no way I’m letting you walk in the rain.”

“Lothar might be back. I’ll call him. He’ll come get me.”

Of course he would. Nick resisted the urge to punch a wall. “And then what?” he asked. “You wait out here until he comes? Just let me take you home.”

“It doesn’t take very long to get here from the cabin.” Water was running down her face and soaking into her sweater. Her bra was unlined. Perfect. Now there was no way he was leaving her alone. She peeled her hair back and glared at him.

He held his ground against her. “I’m taking you home, so deal with it.”

“You’re so annoying.” She marched in the direction of his truck, scrambled into the cab, and slammed the door.

Nick slid into the driver’s seat. He stuck the key in the ignition and turned it over, then blasted the hot air as they pulled onto the street.

All this because she’d almost kissed him? He wondered what she was hiding from.

“I still owe you a meal,” he said.

“Not anymore, you don’t. I only asked one thing of you, and you can’t do it.”

“I’d do a lot of things for you, baby. But not that.”…