The expression on her face fades just as quickly as it appeared as she catches me shaking my head because I’m disgusted with myself. “Dad likes you. I hope you’re a good guy and do right by him and this place.”

Great. She probably thinks I was being a jackass or something. If I told her the truth about why I was shaking my head, it would be ten times worse. I need to keep myself in check and remind myself to stay focused. Seeing Holly Pearson naked, moaning my name below me can never happen.

Rude Boy

HOLLY

The metal keys feel like lead in my hand as I pull them from my pocket to let us into the house. The idea of sleeping under the same roof as this sexy man makes me feel a little uneasy. Even though I would never allow anything to happen between us, it doesn’t stop my eyes from lingering on him longer than they should—I’m only human and I’m not blind. I’m going to admire the view even though I know his breed of asshole is bad news. I’ve seen the way he is with women and I will not allow myself to be some conquest to him.

“This is a nice place,” Trip says from behind me as I twist the key and push the door open.

“Thanks. It’s not much, but it’s home,” I answer politely and glance over my shoulder at him, knowing he’s only saying that to be nice.

Trip stares up, studying the rafters in our unfinished porch. The idea that he’s judging us on the looks of the place makes me stiffen. Like most things around here, Dad never had the time or money to get around to actually completing it. Not that he doesn’t want to, but things cost money, and that’s one thing we haven’t had very much of in a while. At the rate we’ve been going, we’re lucky to keep the electricity on.

I open the door wide and step back. “Welcome.”

He smirks and shakes his head before sweeping his hand out in front of him. “Ladies first.”

I roll my eyes and shrug. I flip on the light in the small foyer as Trip closes the door. Even though it’s two in the afternoon, we still have to waste electricity running the lights all day because of how dark it stays in this old farmhouse. I was just a baby when Grace, and Dad bought this place. It had been a fixer-upper, but had all the potential for my dad to realize his dream of opening a dirt-bike track. Twenty years later it still needs a lot of fixing.

As a kid, the condition of this place used to embarrass me, but now that I’m older and understand the concept of money, I’m just glad we have a roof over our head. I don’t care what people think about me anymore.

“How long have you lived here?” Trip asks as he walks around, peeking his head in the living room and the kitchen to inspect the place.

“All my life.” My feet find the first step on the staircase. “Your room is up here.”

His eyes follow the staircase to the second level. “I was thinking, why not start with a tour of your room instead?”

I shake my head as he follows me up the stairs. “That’s never going to happen.”

He laughs behind me. “If denying how much you want me makes you sleep better at night, have at it.”

At the top of the landing I turn around and Trip stops one step below me, so our eyes are level. I’m about two seconds from ripping into him and telling him how disgusted I am that he doesn’t even remember me, but I decide if he’s going to play dumb, than so am I. “There are two bedrooms up here. The door to your right is mine, and the door on the left is yours. The door at the end is the bathroom. We’ll have to share it.”

His green eyes dart from one side of the hall to the other, checking out the tan walls and white doors with caution. “So it’s just the two of us up here alone?”

I tilt my head and narrow my eyes. “Is that going to be a problem for you?”

He sets his foot on the top step and leans into me a bit, closing the gap between us. “Not for me, but can’t say the same for you.”

I fold my arms under my boobs, drawing his attention to my chest again. I could kick myself right now for not putting my uniform top back on. “Why would that be a problem for me?”

Trip smirks. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you giving me the old fuck-eye. I’d say in a week or so I’ll have to keep my door bolted shut to keep you from sneaking in and having your way with me.”

I let out a bitter laugh. What a self-centered jerk.  “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not my type.”

He studies my face. After a few seconds he raises his eyebrows as it appears he’s had a flash of memory, because a gleam of recognition flashes in his eyes. “You sure about that? It didn’t seem that way last night.”

The blood drains from my face. Shit. He does remember. “That was a drunken mistake. I wasn’t myself last night. Trust me that won’t be happening again anytime soon.”

“I told you, sweetness, I can read people. It’s sort of my thing. Sooner or later you’re going to have to admit to yourself that you’re into me. I drank a lot at the bar and I thought you looked like the girl from last night, but I wasn’t sure. Not until just now, that is. In this dark hallway, you look just the same as you did last night. You wanted me too. I know you did. I could feel it in your kiss.”

“Like I said. You’ve got no chance in hell with me.”

“Really?” He laughs heartily and steps onto the landing in front of me and his face is suddenly serious. “I’d say you were pretty damn close to allowing me to have my way with you last night. If your boyfriend hadn’t dragged you away, we would’ve had a great time. Where is he now, anyway?”

“My love life isn’t your concern.” He steps closer to me and I shake my head and take a step backwards. He’s trying to bait me into playing his game by closing the distance. “This isn’t going to work on me, you know.”

Trip scrunches his brow. “What isn’t?”

I wave my hands in front of me, directing attention to his body. “This…your whole bad-boy charm. I’m immune to it. I don’t sleep with guys I don’t know.”

He traces a line down my arm with his finger. “Sweetheart, I haven’t even begun to charm you yet. When I do, I promise I won’t have to ask twice to get you naked. You’ll be begging for me to take you and make your body feel good, just like you were last night.”

I roll my eyes and try to pretend my heart isn’t pounding fifty miles an hour. “You are so full of shit.”

He licks his lip, and stares into my eyes so intensely I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from making any noise while under his powerful gaze. “I know you’re trying real hard to make yourself believe what you’re saying. Honestly, I find your self-preservation charming. But I happen to know women are defenseless when I set out to seduce them.”

I lift my chin. “I highly doubt you can get any woman you want. I hope that’s not what you’re trying to do with me, because if it is, I can assure you, you’re failing miserably.”

“When I decide I want something, I get it. Always. Failure isn’t in my vocabulary.”

The determination in his eyes makes my legs weak. There’s no doubt in my mind he can get most women to do whatever he wants when there’s pure alpha male radiating from him. But I’m not most women, and he won’t be making me another notch on his undeniably sexy bedpost any time soon.

He takes another step. “Admit that you like me.”

I shake my head as he takes another step, followed by another until my back is pinned against the wall. “No.”

Trip bites his lip and leans into me and places two fingers against my neck like he’s checking my pulse. “Then tell me, sweetness. Why is your heart racing? You can deny it all you want, but you’ll only be able to fight what your body wants for so long.”

My breath catches. He makes me nervous and I don’t like the effect he’s having on me. I wish he was wrong about my stupid body wanting him.