Beatrice and Douglas Read Online Free Page B

notebooks into the back
seat of the Jeep.  She was simmering.  The day could not end too
soon.  Douglas had other ideas.
    “Hey, Bumble Bee, you in a hurry?”
    “To get away from you, absolutely.”
    He leaned against the Jeep door as if Beatrice wasn’t trying
to leave.
    “So, Charles didn’t show.”  It wasn’t a question.
    “No, he didn’t.  Though once again, it really isn’t any
of your business.”  She shoved him out of the way and pulled open the
door.
    Douglas was studying her closely, too closely.
    “Yeah, I seem to remember you saying that before.”
    Beatrice slammed her door back closed and stomped up to him
until her toes were almost tromping his.
    “You have something to say?  Say it.  You’ve been
making suggestive little comments all day and I’m sick of it.”
    “Fine,” he said, mad now himself; he stood up straight,
bringing them much closer together.  Beatrice was too mad to think of
backing down. 
    “I don’t know what you think happened last night but I would
love to discuss it,” she said instead.
    “What I think happened was we got down and dirty and
you’re pissed about it.”
    “Down and . . .” she couldn’t even say it.  “How
romantic.  However, it didn’t quite happen that way.”
    “Come on, Bumble Bee, no one else is here, you can be
honest.”
    “Fine, I’ll be honest,” she said gritting her teeth. 
“You got drunk, barged into my room, and passed out.”
    “That’s not how I remember it.”
    “Yeah, well, you were a trifle indisposed.”
    “Nothing wrong with my memory.”
    “And what exactly do you think happened?”
    Douglas was close enough to see the dark ring around her
blue eyes.  And he could smell her.  He was fighting a need to taste,
too.
    “I think I barged into your room, and made a pass at
you.  I’m a little hazy about the particulars, but you weren’t exactly
fighting me off.”
    Beatrice’s eyes narrowed at his smirk.  “I was humoring
you until you did pass out.  That’s all there was to it, and I would
appreciate it if you left off on the digs about it.”
    “Humoring me?”  His look was incredulous.  “Is that
what you call it?”
    “Exactly.”
    “I see, now it’s all clear to me.  All the moaning and
clinging was just your way of humoring me.  Thanks, I appreciate that.”
    “Moaning and . . . why, you…”
    “Now, now,” he said.  Catching her hand before she
could do any damage.  She was unceremoniously and quickly pulled up so
that her heaving chest was pressed against his.
    “Let me go, you jackass.”
    “What?  Aren’t you going to humor me?  I really
like how you do that.”
    “I’m warning you, Bruce, I’m really getting sick of you man
handling me.  It was bad enough to have to take it last night when you
were stupid drunk, but today I am really not in the mood to play.”
    “Ah, well, that’s what’s really got your panties in a twist,
isn’t it.  Last night, you did want to play.  With me.”
    “Don’t flatter yourself.”
    He still had her wrist in his hand and he could feel her
pulse speeding.  He squeezed her wrist lightly, even as he leaned closer
so that her lips were right under his.  His eyes on her.
    “If I was flattering myself, I would say your lack of breath
and high pulse right now would be because you want to play some more.”
    Beatrice looked at his mouth and then back up into his hot
green eyes.  Her breath was coming fast and there wasn’t anything she
could do about it.  The problem was she wasn’t sure she really wanted
to.  She kept remembering what his lips had felt like on her skin. 
She brazened it out.
    “Is the word ‘no’ a new concept for you?”
    “You haven’t said ‘no’.”
    Beatrice took a deep calming breath and squared her chin.
 “No.”
    Douglas stared into her determined eyes briefly, and then
let her go to lean back ever so casually on the car.
    “All right,” he said.  She didn’t move.  “If
that’s the