“Will you sit?”

“No, damn you to hell and back, I won’t sit.”

He shrugged, leaned back against the counter. “We’ll stand then. You’ve something on your mind?”

His mild tone only fanned the fires. “How dare you? How dare you call your family and tell them to come look me over, like I was one of your horses going up for auction.”

His face relaxed. “You’re mistaken about that. I asked if they’d come meet you. That’s entirely different.”

“It is not different. And you’re having them come on false pretenses. You told them you were courting me.”

“So I am courting you, Shannon.”

“We’ve been through that, and I’m not going through it again.”

“That’s fine then. Can I offer you tea?”

She was surprised she had any teeth left, as hard as she was grinding them. “No, you can’t offer me tea.”

“I do have something else for you.” He reached behind him on the counter and picked up a box. “I was in Ennis a day or so ago and bought this for you. I forgot to give it to you yesterday.”

In a gesture she recognized as childish, she put her hands behind her back. “No, absolutely no. I’m not taking gifts from you. This isn’t even remotely amusing anymore, Murphy.”

He simply opened the box himself. “You like to wear pretty things. These caught my eye.”

Despite her best intentions, she looked down at the open box. They were pretty—foolishly pretty earrings of exactly the type she might have chosen herself. Citrine and amethyst hearts were nestled, one atop the other.

“Murphy, those are expensive. Take them back.”

“I’m not a pauper, Shannon, if it’s my wallet you’re worrying about.”

“That’s a consideration, but it’s secondary.” She forced herself to look away from the lovely stones. “I’m not taking gifts from you. It’ll only encourage you.”

He walked toward her until she found herself backed up against the refrigerator. “Don’t you dare.”

“You’re not wearing any today,” he observed. “So we’ll try them on. Hold still, darling, I don’t know if I’ve the knack of it.”

She batted at his hands as he started to fasten the first earring, then yelped when he poked the post into her lobe.

“You asked for it,” he muttered, giving the job his full concentration.

“I’m going to hit you,” she said between her teeth.

“Wait till I’m done. This is clumsy work for a man. Why do they make these little clasp things so bloody small? There.” Like a man satisfied with the completion of a pesky chore, he stepped back and studied the result. “They suit you.”

“You can’t reason with the unreasonable,” she reminded herself. “Murphy, I want you to call your family and tell them not to come.”

“I can’t do that. They’re looking forward to the ceili, and meeting you.”

She bunched her hands into fists. “All right, then call and tell them you made a mistake, changed your mind, whatever, and that you and I are not an item.”