“I don’t know. You were pretty ungrateful.”
She pouts. “You were also uninvited.”
Staring at her, I know I won’t win. “Fine. But you better saythank you.”
Happily taking out the bunch of bananas, she hops up off the chair and runs inside to drop them on the counter before coming back out.
“You can keep the rest. I really just wanted the bananas. And I suggest you buy some more protein. You’re pretty low for someone who has that many muscles to maintain.” Her eyes wander down my biceps on display in the tank top I’m wearing.
“You checking out my muscles?” I wink.
“I mean. I’m not blind. Just wary of red flags flying.” She shrugs.
“Right. Well, glad you can appreciate my body despite all the red flags in your face.”What the hell are you doing? This is dangerous territory.
I reach out to flex my muscles, and in the movement, I knock over a potted plant to my left.
She smiles before tucking her chin and looking away to hide her laughter. “Are you always like this?”
“Like what?”
“Smooth, but at the same time, completely inept?”
My eyes widen. “I amnotinept!”
“You kind of are. You have that whole golden retriever, small town guy thing going, but also, like, you have no idea what talking to a woman is like unless your dick is inside her.”
She’s not wrong.
“I’ve not heard any complaints, thank you very much. Plenty of women would be happy to have my dick inside them.”
“Right. I’ve heard. I can see how this,”—she motions toward my body—“would entice them. But you have to keep them, right? Is this how you do it? By bringing bananas and protein and scaring the shit out of them.”
“I don’t keep them past one night. So I wouldn’t have an answer for you.” I cross my arms over my chest like I’ve won, but when I think about it for a second after speaking, I don’t think I have.
“Ah. Right. That makes a lot of sense actually.” She nods.
“Okay, this wassomuch fun. But I’m going to head home. I just wanted to say welcome to Balsam Cliffs.” I stand.
“Are you sure? Or was this an attempt to get in my pants again? If it was, the beef jerky was a nice touch. It almost got me to agree.”
I’d think she was mad if the porch light didn’t shine a spotlight on the smile playing at the corner of her lips.
Rolling my eyes, I walk down the porch steps and start down the road back to my house. “Goodnight, Sophia. Make sure to sleep with your shovel to get all the murderers.”
“Goodnight, Officer Keaton!” She yells after me, waving from her porch.
What the hell have I gotten into letting her stay here? Shit, she’s a knock to a man’s ego. That woman is going to give me a run for my money, and the only way I see to make it out alive is to avoid her.
Forever.
How many times can I clean five hundred square feet?
Three times a day seems to be the answer.
I’m so fucking bored and have conned Aubrey into hanging out with me the last few days, but today, she has to work. She told me I could tag along, but the last thing I want to do is be around anything related to a wedding.
Your fiancé trying to kill you really sucks the joy out of all things wedding.
