Free About That Kiss by Jayne Addison Page B

clasp of her bra and released it. “I love you, Joy.”
    His words broke through the fog that was Joy’s mind.
    “Really?” Joy asked sarcastically, knowing the truth. He was trying to do exactly what Eddie had suggested. He wanted to use her to make Diana jealous.
    “Yes,” Nick said simply, stock-still now, trying to understand the inflection of her voice.
    Joy yanked her blouse out of his hand. She couldn’t even blame him for what had been going on. It was her own fault that she’d allowed him to take advantage of her vulnerability.
    “What’s wrong?” Nick asked, bewildered. Wasn’t the declaration he’d given her the declaration every woman wanted to hear? Was she thinking he just bandied the words around?
    Giving no response at all, except to glare at him, Joy finished backing herself up against the passenger door.
    “Don’t you believe me?” He was able to make out that she was trying futilely to hook her bra. “I really do love you.”
    Joy grimaced. She’d have to be even more stupid than she already was to fall for that. God! He even had the right tone of voice!
    She was all disheveled. Her coat was in her way. She couldn’t hook her bra. “‘You can fool some of the people…’”
    At that, Nick cut her off. “Could we leave famous quotes out of this? What do you want me to do? Write it in blood?”
    “That’s a thought,” Joy said furiously, then used an expletive under her breath when she still couldn’tget her bra clasped. Joy angrily pulled her coat up from under her and tried again to fasten her bra.
    Nick pulled in a breath that covered the range from impatience to frustration. “Turn around and I’ll do it for you.” He had a knee rammed hard against the gearshift. You can fool some of the people, Nick repeated antagonistically in his head.
    “I can do it myself,” Joy retorted.
    “Fine.” Nick sucked in another frustrated breath.
    Joy finally got the clasp hooked and began vehemently pushing her pink silk blouse into the band of her black wool skirt. “Should I find someplace to call for a taxi? Or are you planning to drive?”
    Her voice snapped at him like a rubber band.
    Biting down on his lip, Nick started the car and slid the heater level to its highest setting. He was almost tempted to take her up on her dare. She had him that nuts!
    Nick opened his door and slammed out of the car. Joy saw his face again a second later as the arm of his leather jacket swept through the snow across the front window. The winery was lit up outdoors.
    For the fraction of a moment, blatantly irritated blue eyes met conspicuously angry gray-green eyes.
    Joy opened her door and got one foot out. Her high heel sank into the snow.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” Nick blocked her way in a flash.
    “I’m going to help clear the windows,” Joy answered acerbically.
    “No, you’re not!”
    “Yes, I am!” Joy got her other foot out of the car nearly kicking Nick in the shin as she did so.
    “And you’ve called me obstinate!” He put his hands to her hips to get her seated again.
    “Believe me, you are!” Joy fired back. “Will you let go of me?”
    “If you don’t sit back down, I’m going to pick you up and sit you down!”
    You and who else? was the retort that came into her head, but Joy had just enough sense left to keep from saying it out loud.
    “I’m going to give you to the count of three. One…” Nick began.
    Joy sat back down just as he reached three. She stamped her high heels to the carpet under her feet and bent forward to rub circulation back into her ankles and insteps.
    “Turn the wipers on,” Nick requested tersely, when she straightened up.
    Joy reached out and flippantly turned the wipers on. Nick closed her door, not all that gently.
    When Nick got in behind the wheel, his hands were almost frostbitten. He steepled his fingers together in front of his face and blew into his palms, then he held his hands to the blower of the heater.
    “I could