“I can tell.”
He mustered his strength. “Give me a break. Your sister is marrying my brother.”
She pinned him with a glare. “Is this some archaic chivalry thing?”
“Yes.” For want of a better term, it was.
She leaned into him, the tip of her breast brushing his arm. “Well, you might want to get over that.”
“Katrina,” he warned on a growl.
“Because I want you, too, Reed. Very, very badly.”
His hand went lax at her frank admission. It gave her a moment to escape, and she took it.
Five
Katrina couldn’t believe the way she’d taunted Reed. She’d never said anything remotely that bold to a man.
She made beeline back to the Jacobs’ table, her emotions vacillating between rattled, embarrassed and just plain annoyed.
She was a grown woman. Where did he get off protecting her from herself? As though she wasn’t capable of making up her own mind? She knew her sister was marrying his brother. So what? She and Reed were adults.
From the empty round table she caught a glimpse of him far across the ballroom. His gaze scanned the cavernous room, stopped on her and he immediately headed her way. She took a bracing sip of her champagne.
Annoyed. She was definitely going with annoyed.
Her brother Travis dropped down in the chair beside her. “What’s this I hear about you being afraid of horses?” he asked.
“What’s this I hear about you riding bulls again?”
“Who told you that?”
“Mandy said you did the rodeo down in Pine Lake.”
“At least I’m not afraid of them.”
“You ought to be. You’re not eighteen anymore.”
“Nice deflection,” Mandy put in as she took the chair on the opposite side of Katrina. Caleb pulled out the one next to her.
“Music’s nice,” Katrina observed, turning her attention to Mandy.
“I could teach you to ride in under a week,” said Travis.