“I don’t know about that,” he sneered. “You lose control pretty quick. A few minutes I could have had you right here in my mother’s backyard.”

“You’re right,” she cried, trying desperately to hold back tears. “You’re not a gentleman. You just pretend to be one at parties. How could I be so stupid? You’re a crude, sneaky, lying, oversexed—”

He laughed at her. “Why, Strawberry, you do have a way with words. I’d say that description fits well enough. But I still think you’re interested in some of that last part. I have a feeling you wouldn’t disappoint me the way you did Bobby Joe. I wouldn’t allow it.”

Instinctively moving in retaliation, her open palm took aim at his face.

His warning voice stopped her immediately. “Uh-uh, Strawberry. Remember what I just said.”

“You—you—I hate you! And I’m running out of bad things to call you!”

“Doesn’t matter,” he jeered, grabbing her around the waist. “Just don’t lie to yourself about what you really want. You and I both know what it’s like when I touch you.” He deliberately pressed himself against her, not stopped by her braced hands. “You’re practically on fire for me right now.”

Mary Beth was so agitated she was panting. What did she have to do to get him to back off? Bite? In a frenzy, she opened her mouth, half ready to do just that, and he shut her up with another spectacular kiss. Why did it have to feel so good?

Hell and damn.

She pushed him away with all her strength but she was still inside the circle of his arms, breathing hard, trying to think. What was happening here? She hated herself for being so deluded in the first place. She must have temporarily lost her mind the night before—or been so emotionally overwhelmed that she’d imagined he was Mr. Perfect.

“I can’t believe I thought you . . .” Her voice quivered and broke.

“What did you think?” he goaded her. “That you were something special? That I heard wedding bells and the patter of little feet when I looked at you?”

“Don’t . . .” she pleaded.

“I’d like to get you into bed, honey. Nothing more, nothing less. I guess I went a little overboard myself. Seemed like it was worth it at the time. I never expected you to take me that seriously. You didn’t know me from Adam.”

Smirking bastard. She had to put an end to this. How exactly, she didn’t know. She couldn’t tell Alma and break her heart. Let the woman find out for herself someday what her oldest son was all about. She wouldn’t hear it from Mary Beth.

She pushed at him again. This time he let her go.