He couldn’t get his breath. If someone had held a gun to his head, he wouldn’t have moved. But the no stopped him. He managed to lift his head, and the reckless light in his eyes had her fighting against a shudder. “Why?”

“Because this is insane.” God, she could still taste him on her lips, and the churning for more of him was making her crazy. “Get off me.”

He could have strangled her for making him want to beg. “Your call, lady.” Because his hands were unsteady, he balled them into fists. “I thought you said you didn’t play games.”

She was humiliated, furious, and frustrated beyond belief. As she saw it, the best disguise was full-blown anger. “I don’t. You’re the one who pushed yourself on me. The simple fact is, I’m not interested.”

“I guess that’s why you were kissing me so hard my teeth are loose.”

“You kissed me.” She jabbed a finger at him. “And you’re so damn big I couldn’t stop you.”

“A simple no did,” he reminded her, and lit a cigarette. “Let’s keep it honest, Counselor. I wanted to kiss you. I’ve been wanting to do that, and more, ever since I saw you sitting like a queen in that grubby station house. Now, maybe you didn’t feel the same way, but when I kissed you, you kissed me right back.”

Sometimes retreat was the best defense. Rachel snatched up her purse and jacket. “It’s done, so there’s nothing more to discuss.”

“Wrong.” He was up and blocking her path. “We can finish discussing it while I take you home.”

“I don’t want you to take me home. I’m not having you take me home.” Eyes blazing, she swung her jacket over her shoulders. “And if you insist on following me there, I’ll have you arrested for harassment.”

He merely grabbed her by the arm. “Try it.”

She did something she wished she’d done the first time she laid eyes on him. She punched him in the stomach. He let out a little whoosh of air, and his eyes narrowed.

“First one’s free. Now, we can walk to the subway, or I can carry you there.”

“What’s wrong with you?” she shouted. “Can’t you take no for an answer?”

His response was to shove her back against the door and kiss the breath out of her. “If I didn’t,” he said between his teeth, “we wouldn’t be walking out of here right now when you’ve got me so wound up I’m going to have to live in a cold shower for the next week.” He yanked open the door. “Now…are you going to walk, or are you going to ride over my shoulder?”

She stuck out her chin and sailed past him.