She slammed the door.
He blinked and rang the doorbell again.“Jamie, please, let me explain.”
“I don’t want to talk to you!”
He stood there, his heart racing, not surewhat to do.
To his surprise, she flung open the dooragain. A flicker of hope lit something within.
“Actually, I do have a few things I want tosay to you.”
Hope snuffed out with her acerbic tone.
“Like, what the hell are you doing here? Ithought I made it perfectly clear I’m not for sale.” Her eyesflashed like a tropical storm.
Cujo ran to him, putting his tiny paws onhis ankle, begging for attention as he wagged hisstubby tail. He wantedto pick her dog up and make a fuss of him, but he thought better ofit. “I can’t even begin to explain why I offered to pay you to goout with me, but—”
“Then don’t. Cujo, come here.”
Her dog ignored her.
“I’m so sorry. When you saidno, I…” I got annoyed and aroused at the sametime. He swallowed. “Ididn’t know what else to do.”
“Why, has no one ever said no to the bigbad wolf before?” Jamie glanced behind him to the apartment dooropposite. She lowered her voice and spoke throughgritted teeth. “Youcould be alpha to the whole of England for all I care—you’re stilla lowlife, despicable, show-off who thinks money can buy youwhatever you want.”
There he was, letting her insult himagain. He must be a sucker for punishment, but itwasn’t as if he hadn’tcalled himself worse. “You’re right. The way I behaved was out oforder, inexcusable, in fact, but I’m here to try to make amends.What can I do to convince you it was a one-off? I’m not the bad guyyou think I am.”
Jamie didn’t answer. She gripped the door frame, herknuckles white, her breathing laboured.
“I like you, Jamie. I know this is forward,but I can’t get you out of my head, and I haven’t felt like thisabout anyone in a long time.”
Her jaw tightened.
“I’ll beg if you want me to.” He got down on one knee. “Onedate? Let me prove to you I’m not a total dork.”
She looked down at him. “You’re looking kindof dorky right now.”
Did he catch a ghost of a smile on herlips? For a split second, a glimmer of forgiveness showed inher beautifuleyes.
His knee pressed on the cold tiled floor.Cujo yapped excitedly, trying to jump on his other leg. Graysonreached inside his jacket for the jewellery box and held it out toher. “I bought this for you. I hope you like it.” He opened it.
Her gaze flitted to the Tiffany bracelet encrusted withdiamonds, then her eyes narrowed. “Perhaps you should give it tothat long-legged leech I had the misfortune to meetyesterday.”
She wasn’t wrong about Imogen. Hesuppressed a smirk. “Imogen and I are over, but she—”
Jamie vented a frustrated grunt and slammedthe door on him for the second time, leaving her dog in thecorridor.
Grayson snapped the jewellery box shut.Her dog yapped. He tickled Cujo under his chin. “Any idea what I’vedone wrong now, littlefellow?” he asked as if her dog would know because, for the life ofhim, he had no idea why Jamie was so furious.
Scooping Cujo up with one hand, he stood andrung Jamie’s doorbell.
The door didn’t open.
Grayson banged on her door.
Nothing.
He banged again. A melting pot offrustration, confusion and fury bubbled inside his stomach. She wasthe most infuriating, stubborn, sexy woman he had ever met. Hiswolf agreed. “Jamie! Open the door. You’ve left yourdog out here.”
Silence.
Grayson thumped the door with his fist. “Openthe bloody door, or I’ll break it down!” he yelled. “You know Ican.” He readied the beast within.
“Hey, doofus,” a woman’s voice shouted frombehind him. “What the hell’s all that banging? You might be built like a gorilla, but ifyou break anything, I’m calling the police.”
Grayson forced his wolf into submission andspun around. A gorilla? She had to be joking.
A woman in her mid-twenties stood, handson her hips, in the doorway of the apartment opposite. She seemed vaguelyfamiliar.
“Sorry about the noise. There’s no need tocall the police. Once I give your neighbour back her dog, I’ll go.”What else could he do? Jamie seemed hell-bent on not listening tohim.
The woman frowned. “You’re Grayson, aren’t you?” Her handsdropped to her sides.
“Yes.” He walked across the wide corridortowards her. “You look familiar.” Grayson discreetly breathed inher scent. Human, or at least he assumed she was—his sensitivewolfie nose stung as he caught her overpowering floral perfume and a multitude ofbeauty product scents. “Have we met before?”
“No, but Jamie showed me the photos she tookof you on her phone. You’re kind of difficult to forget.” Hercheeks turned pink.
His chest swelled. “Jamiekept thephotos?”
“Kept as in past tense. I think she’s deletedthem now.”
Grayson blew out a breath. “She’s really madat me, isn’t she?”
“You think?” Her tone was sarcastic. “Can youblame her after what you did?”
“She told you?”
“We’re best friends.”
“Your face really does look familiar. I’msure I’ve seen you before somewhere.”
“I’m on YouTube,” she told him. “Although Idoubt you would have seen my videos.”
Then it hit him. “Yes, that’s it! You’reWillow Graham. My daughter watches your makeuptutorials all the time.You’re very good, but I keep telling Luna she’s too young formakeup yet.”
A look of surprise and amusement sweptacross her face. “Jamie mentioned you had a daughter. She said sheliked her.” She held her arms out. “Give Cujo to me. Itdoesn’t look likeJamie’s coming out of her apartment, even for her dog.”
Grayson handed him to Willow.
“Can I see?” she asked, gesturing to theTiffany box still in his hand.
“Sure.” He opened the box.
Her eyes widened. “Holy shit, that musthave cost a fortune.Sorry, didn’t mean to swear, but there’s your problem.”
“I know. Jamie didn’t like it. She shut thedoor in my face when I showed it to her.”
Willow shook her head and sighed. Sheglanced at Jamie’s door. “Look, I’m only telling you this because Icare about Jamie and Iknow she likes you, but buying her expensive gifts won’t get youanywhere.”
She likes me. Jamie likesme? His heart skipped abeat. Actually skipped a beat, maybe two. How was that evenpossible? He hardly knew her.
Willow lowered her voice. “Jamie hatesunnecessary displays of
