His fingers slid down her arms in a tingling caress as he relinquished the embrace. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft and husky.
"I love you."
She stiffened. Had she heard him right? Love? Wasn't there supposed to be something between "nice to meet you" and "I love you" - like six months of courtship? People didn't fall in love that fast. Was he gold digging, or was it simply a ruse to spend the night? In spite of an agonizing pulse, she tried to make her response flippant.
"I bet you say that to all the girls."
She couldn't see his expression, but she felt the tension mount between them. When he answered, his tone was terse.
"Outside of my sister and mother, you're the only woman who has ever heard me say those words."
Then it was the money. She moved away from him, searching in her purse for the door key. She was afraid to speak. Afraid he would hear the disappointment in her voice. She fumbled with the key and finally unlocked the door. Tears were spilling down her cheeks as she pushed the door open and turned on the light. She kept her face averted when she felt his strong warm fingers grip her arm.
"Megan, I didn't mean to..." He cursed. "I never know what to say to you. Just when I think the light is green, you hit the breaks and sling out a caution sign. What do you want me to do?"
With each word his voice rose and his fingers bit more deeply into her arm. Like Denton, he wasn't going to give up without a fight. Would there ever be a man who would love her for what she was, not who she was?
She winced. "You're hurting my arm." To her horror the statement ended in a sob.
Instantly he released her arm and his voice was laden with concern.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was hurting you."
He thought physical pain was the source of her tears. Good. He was rubbing the back of his neck, watching her with concern. Was it possible that he actually cared for her? She cleared her throat.
"It's late and I'm tired. Thank you for a nice evening. It's been a long time since I had that much fun."
"Then you'd consider going out with me again?"
She wiped an escaped tear from her cheek. "Of course." Did her voice sound empty to him? If he noticed, he gave no indication. If he found her so frustrating, why did he want to go out with her again? What did he want her to do, jump into bed with him? No way. If that was all he wanted, he was rattling the wrong cage.