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He shrugged. “That’s it. First, I offered to, uh, clean her pipes, and she laughed. Said I can’t be serious. But I think she might be coming around.” They’d definitely left it on a promising note.
“Okay, first of all—clean her pipes? Did you say that?”
“I overheard her and Kennedy talking about Ashley needing to get laid. So I said I’d be open to that. I was just using her words.” Or maybe Kennedy’s.
When he put it like that, it sounded less than sexy. What woman could fail to be seduced by those stellar lines?
Tara rolled in her lips, obviously biting back what she really wanted to say. Instead she snipped some hair from the back of his head. He was starting to think that maybe having his hair cut while Tara was in this mood might not be such a good idea.
She took a breath. “Why would she say you can’t be serious?”
“I don’t think she believes I’m attracted to her. Or she thinks I’m a total fuckboy. The kind of guy who messes women around.”
“Did she say that?”
“She didn’t have to. So now I’m just trying to be a good guy, not such a user. Someone a woman could trust.”
He hadn’t been thinking that at all, but talking to Tara often raised these lightbulb moments.
She squeezed his shoulder. “I think you’re being really hard on yourself. You’re not a fuckboy or at least, not at the level you think you are. So you’ve hooked up a lot in the past and it sounds like you want that to change. Which is great. But …”
“But what?”
“Ashley’s a mom, with responsibilities and I’m guessing, a life that isn’t going to stand for any nonsense.”
“Like mine?”
“Like anyone’s. So she might let you in for great sex—which I’ve no doubt you can give her—but if you’re hoping she’ll let you in for something more, that might be tough. Not because of you, but because a woman in that situation has probably had her heart broken. Maybe even by inconsiderate men who care only about getting their dicks wet.” She held up a hand. “I know that’s not you, or at least not anymore, but you’re still kind of young to be claiming your new personality, Mr. Responsibility. Expecting Ashley to take you seriously might take time.”
He knew that, especially after what he’d overheard about her ex. How he left her for a younger woman and made Ashley feel unattractive. Hell, she was dating guys without seeing their photos, which probably had more to do with not wanting people to see her photos. Absurd, considering how hot she was, but we all had hang-ups. Hearing Tara lay it out was sobering.
“But she might want some hot sex anyway?”
Tara smiled at him, seeing right through his effort to deflect. “Sure. And then you can reel her in with your charms. What’s important is to treat her well, Dex. Treat her like the queen she is, and she might open up that armor by a sliver.”
Snip. There went another chunk of hair along with some of his doubts.
Treat her like the queen she is.
He planned to do exactly that.
17
The Rebels have announced that Dex O’Malley is off injury reserve and will likely be on the roster for this evening’s game against the LA Quake. This will be O’Malley’s first game since his arrest for assaulting Kyle Hughes three weeks ago. Will that weigh on him or spur him to new heights? — @RebelsInsider
“Mom, where’s my pink scarf? The one with the butterflies?”
Ashley looked in the mirror, pulled a face that made her look like a gargoyle, then applied a lipstick she hadn’t worn since Vera had given it to her two years ago for Christmas. She was more of a Chapstick girl, yet here she was contemplating something that would dry out her lips because she worried she might not look attractive enough.
But he’s already kissed you.
And there was no guarantee that would happen again. This was for Willa, who loved hockey and couldn’t go to games because it was so expensive. Under no circumstances should Ashley be looking at this as a treat for herself.
“Mom!”
“Did you check the laundry hamper?”
Thumping around ensued, then “Nooooo!” and a second later, a resigned “I’ll wear the purple one.”
