Mr. Big Jerk: A Forbidden Second Chance Romance (Kinda Cocky Series Book 3), стр. 27
“And anyway, I see how you look at him. I see how he looks at you. I think you should go for it.”
“Wait, how he looks at me?”
“Oh, yeah. Karina and I talk about it all the time.”
“You do not tell Karina any of this.”
“I promised you I wouldn’t, and I won’t. But, still, I knew it would happen eventually. The two of you are drawn to one another. Everyone sees it.”
I swallowed hard. “Everyone?”
She snickered. “And so what if he’s your boss? If the two of you are happy and okay with things, screw everyone else.”
I shook my head. “I can’t. It can’t ever happen again.”
“Why not?”
“He’s my boss. He holds my future in my hands.”
“Since when have you ever let any man hold anything but your ass in his hands?”
I paused. “Good point. But this is different.”
“Because… you like him?”
My eye twitched. “Because he’s my damn boss, Kelly. Keep up. Plus, he’s been through his own shit with women. I’m sure he’s not looking for anything but a fun romp every now and again.”
“Sorry, but did you stop looking for fun romps, and I didn’t know it?”
I scoffed. “I swear, sometimes you make me sound like a slut.”
“I mean, if the shoe fits.”
I dropped my nail file. “Hey!”
She giggled. “Kidding, kidding. But, really, Roxy. You hooking up with a guy isn’t news to anyone. The news is the fact that this is the first time I’ve ever known you to get flustered after the fact. You really like Clint, don’t you?”
“Does that even matter if we can’t have anything?”
“Yes, it does.”
I closed my eyes. “How I feel doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is how quickly he pulled away from me after we were done. We hooked up, we got dressed, and neither of us have spoken so much as a sentence to one another since. I mean, he can’t even look me in the eyes, Kelly. I know he views me as a mistake, and it sucks.”
“I mean, he was probably feeding off your awkwardness.”
I smirked. “I’m not awkward.”
“Roxy, you’re one of the most awkward people I know.”
I clicked my tongue. “Name one time I’ve been the most awkward person in the room.”
“Does the entity of your birthday ring a bell?”
“Hey, I agreed to put that behind me if you did, too. It’s obvious we agree to disagree, and the last thing we need is to keep fighting about it.”
“Okay, okay, I hear you loud and clear. But, seriously, if you were making things awkward, then he was definitely feeding off that.”
I lowered my voice. “I’m not awkward.”
She barked with laughter. “Suit yourself.”
I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, what’s new on your--?”
“When did this hook-up occur, anyway?”
I blinked. “What?”
“This thing with you and Clint. When did it happen?”
I paused. “Uh… two days ago?”
“So, Wednesday?”
“Yep.”
“And it’s Friday evening.”
“Duh.”
“And you’re not dragging me out to the club to go dancing?”
I shrugged. “And?”
“You mean to tell me it’s a coincidence that you hook up with Clint, you’re feeling vulnerable, and now you’re not going out on a Friday night? You always go out on Friday nights. That’s your night, Roxy. Your night to ‘seize life,’ as you always put it. Why are you sitting at home at eight in the evening with a mask on your face and filing your nails.”
I gripped my file. “I’m not filing my nails.”
“I can hear you sandpapering those claws of yours over this phone, Roxy.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I hate you sometimes.”
She laughed. “Love you, too. But, I think you’re so blown away from hooking up with him that you don’t want to go out because you know other guys won’t measure up.”
“Or, maybe you’re reading way too much into things, and I’m exhausted from my new position.”
“Your position beneath Clint?”
I narrowed my eyes. “I know what you’re doing, and you can stop.”
She smirked. “You mean your new job position. Yes, I know. I’m just teasing you a bit.”
“Well, you can stop that now, thanks.”
She sighed. “He’s really got you all in knots, doesn’t he?”
I groaned. “Is it that obvious?”
“I think you’re finally growing out of your hook-up phase.”
“What do you mean, ‘finally’? Did you really think I’d live my entire life like that? I’m just having some fun while I can, that’s all.”
She fake sniffled. “Ah, my beautiful sister. She’s growing up so fast.”
“Hey, I’m going to get in my car with this nasty mask on and drip-drive my way to you just to slap you across the face and get guac on your carpets if you don’t cut the shit.”
“I don’t think Brenden would like the green. It doesn’t go with our walls.”
I smiled. “That’s what I thought.”
“Can I ask you something, though?”
“Hit me with it.”
“You have to promise to answer honestly.”
I got up from the couch. “Yes, I’ll answer honestly. Now, what’s the question?”
“Do you want more than just one night with Clint?”
I came to a full stop at her question as the answer battered itself against my head.
Yes. Yes, I do. I want more of him. All of him. As much of him as he’ll let me have.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“You promised you’d answer honestly.”
I walked into my bathroom. “And I did.”
“I don’t think you did.”
I closed the door behind me. “Kelly, even if I wanted more, he’s not capable of giving me more. The man’s been through a divorce. And it sounded like a messy one, at that. No man’s going to want to have anything to do with women for the long-term--.”
“I never said anything about long term.”
I set the phone down. “Can we find another topic, please?”
“Here’s what I think: I think you want more than a simple one-night stand with Clint, and it’s messing with your head.”
I splashed water in my face. “Or, maybe this guacamole mask is messing with my spirits.”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“If you don’t change it, I will.”
She sighed. “Roxy, you really have to get used to talking about--.”
A knock came at my