Page 187 of Crossed Wires: The Complete Series

The significance of the realization wasn’t lost on her.

Nor, it seemed, was it lost on Ronnie.

At the mention of their names, his amiable smile turned to a scowl. His eyes narrowed, his top lip curling. “So the rumors are true then, are they?”

Harper frowned, the question—and its tone—wrapping a rope of tight disquiet around her chest. “Rumors?”

Ronnie didn’t answer. Instead, he turned back toward the door.

Oh thank God. He’s leaving.

The sound of the lock sliding into place chilled Harper’s blood. “Ronnie?” Her pulse pounding, she took a step back. “What are you doing?”

Ronnie swung to face her again. With a slow rake of his stare over her body, he placed his hat on the stand beside the now closed door. “Told you.” His voice was low. Steady. “Thought I’d see how you’re going.”

He took a step toward her. A step she mirrored backward. “I’m well.” She tried like hell to keep the apprehension out of the words. “Enjoying my time here. Looking forward to going into Cobar tonight. I’ve heard the bar, I mean pub, gets a little crazy at night. Annie says the hot weather will bring out the yobbos. She’s obviously been here too long because she’s using Aussie terms I don’t understand. I guess that’s what happens when you live in the Outback and are surrounded by Australians, don’t you think?”

Harper was babbling. She knew that. But she was scared. She didn’t like the way Ronnie was looking at her, as if he were slowly stripping her dress off with his stare. She didn’t think he’d be stupid enough to hurt her, but she sure as shit didn’t like the way he’d locked the door before walking closer.

She shot a quick look around her, seeking a weapon. Christ, even a vase or candlestick.

Nothing.

“How was work today?” She was desperate to keep the illusion of control and confidence. Andy always told her when you looked scared you became a victim.Be strong, sis. Be confident. Let your eyes tell them to fuck off or they’ll be in a world of pain.

Whenever she’d asked him—as a painfully shy girl of eleven, then a shy teen—how she was going to put them in a world of pain, he’d always given the same answer.I’ll put them in it for you, sis.

But Andrew wasn’t here now. And she had no doubt her eyes weren’t telling Ronnie to fuck off. Her eyes were telling him that she was scared.

Scared like she used to feel when her stepfather came into her room.

Scared like she used to feel when he?—

“Work was interesting.” Ronnie’s voice, so smooth it was almost a purr, made her already frantic heart slam faster in her throat. She took another step backward, all too aware of the fact she was running out of room to retreat.

His gaze flicked over her again, lingering on her cleavage. Cleavage only half an hour ago she’d imagined Marc and Keith admiring.

“Especially,” he went on, his stare lifting to her face, “when I heard about you and Thomo and Blue.”

Harper’s mouth went dry. Her lips tingled. “W-what…what did you hear?”

He stopped moving. Harper realized it was because she couldn’t go any farther without bumping into the back of the sofa.

“I heard you and Thomo and Blue are fucking each other all over Farpoint.” The statement left him on a flat snarl.

She stared at him, unable to move. Unable to draw breath.

“So I figured,” Ronnie closed the minute space between them, his hot breath fanning her face, his legs pressing to hers, “seeing as you’re already giving it out to two Aussie men at the same time, you’d have no problem giving it out to a third. I promise, my dick is bigger than?—”

Her palm smacked against Ronnie’s cheek.

A second before the door to her cottage slammed open with a splintering crash.

Ronnie stumbled away from her, part backward, part sideways, his head swinging toward the black thundercloud charging at him.

No, not a thundercloud. Keith, his blue eyes colder than winter ice, his face etched with deadly menace.

Ronnie’s stumble turned to a scurry, his hands held up, head shaking. “Fucking hit me, Munroe, and I’ll make sure you?—”