Mr. Big Jerk: A Forbidden Second Chance Romance (Kinda Cocky Series Book 3), стр. 3
“But, what about the rest of the list?”
He held out his free hand. “I’ll take care of it. It’ll get done faster that way, anyway.”
I wanted to throat punch him until he coughed up blood. I jammed my hand into my pocket to pull out the list and slapped it against his palm. But, once our hands connected, I felt a jolt of something rush up my arm. It stood the hairs on the nape of my neck on end and forced my eyes down Clint’s body.
While the man was a resounding jerk-off as a boss, he sure as hell was hot.
His arms, teeming with muscles. His shoulders, broad and strong. His suits, screaming for help as his muscles press against the seams, begging to be set free. His long legs made me shiver in my boots, and his piercing, stoic gaze made me wonder if I could ever make the man smile. I’d seen Clint smile once when he was incredibly drunk.
And his smile softened his eyes.
While also showcasing his chiseled jawline.
“Is there anything else you need?” Clint asked.
I blinked. “I should be asking you that question.”
“I’m good, thanks. You enjoy the rest of your day.”
I nodded mindlessly. “Yeah. You, too.”
He walked back into his office and closed the door, leaving me standing in the carpeted hallway. Alone. I turned my back and started walking towards the elevator, but not before taking one more peek over my shoulder. Just to see if I could catch another glimpse of Clint in that suit.
Come on, Roxy. You know he’s off-limits.
I sighed as I made my way back downstairs. I gathered my things and set up my phone so that all calls forwarded straight to Clint. Maybe then, he’d get an idea of just how many phone calls I had taken today. Sometimes, I wasn’t sure he understood just how much he dropped on my shoulders daily. So, maybe a good extra-hard-working half day might show him just how much he relied on me.
Maybe then, he wouldn't be such an ass.
Walking into my apartment wasn’t an experience I enjoyed any longer, though. Especially with Kelly being gone. Don’t get me wrong. I was happy for my sister. I was happy that she and Brenden finally worked things out. I was happy to help with wedding planning and to be the eventual maid of honor on her big day. But, now that Kelly had moved out--again--I was forced to do things like water the plants and suck down my own awful cooking. Including leftovers.
And the plants had long since died.
“I might die if I keep eating this shit,” I murmured.
I stared into the Tupperware container and grimaced at the sight of the food and sniffed it before recoiling. Then I walked it over to the sink. I washed it down the garbage disposal before flipping the switch, listening to the gurgling and the grinding as that damn thing sucked my disgusting cooking down the hole.
Chips and ice cream, it is.
After pulling my favorite snacks out, I reached for a bottle of green tea and flopped down onto the couch. I pulled out my phone and started mindlessly scrolling through Instagram while reaching for the remote. Then I turned on the television and started up Golden Girls right from where I left off last night. And as the television played in the background, I scrolled across pictures of Karina and Kelly.
Who looked to be at a beach of some sort.
“What the…?”
I cast my food off to the side and clicked on the folder of pictures. There were plenty of pictures with Kelly and Brenden. Karina and Zane. Brenden and Zane. Kelly and Karina. There were dozens of pictures from a beach trip I had no idea about, and I felt my heart break just a smidge. My two best friends, out on a beach trip they hadn’t invited me to. That was becoming more and more commonplace over the past year, and I knew the reason why.
Because they’re no longer single.
I mean, who wants to hang out with the single girl who likes to drink and party when they’ve got someone to spend their time with already? Kelly and Karina don’t need drinks anymore. They’ve got their guys. They don’t need to go out to clubs anymore. They’ve got built-in hook-ups. They don’t need to hang around me anymore. They’ve got their men to entertain and, well, love them.
“All I need is fifteen cats, and I’ll be set,” I whispered.
I tossed my phone onto the couch and pulled a blanket over my lap. I jammed my hand into the chips and dug my spoon into my ice cream as I focused solely on the television. My life hadn’t gotten boring or less important. I was just in a different place than they were now. I was still having fun, and they were rotting away next to one man for the rest of their lives. I had the world at my feet, and they were fighting with their loved ones. I had my pick of men every weekend, and they were stuck with the same boring sex day in and day out.
My life hadn’t gotten boring at all.
I just don’t have anyone to share it with anymore.
2
Clint
I felt the plastic of the pen break in my hand, and I grumbled to myself. I tossed it into the trash can before plucking another one from the plastic cup on the edge of my desk. But, I didn’t get two more sentences in before that pen broke off in my hand as well.
I was leaving an ink stain that would take days to fade.
“Fucking hell,” I murmured.
I leaned back in my chair and sighed. I ran my clean hand down my face before my eyes fell closed, and I drew in a few deep breaths through my nose. I needed to calm myself. I needed to focus.
I needed to