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I’d worked too hard to feel this way again, to let the old careless words of a hollow man affect me now. I’d reinvented myself. I wasn’t the poor trailer park girl with a drunk father anymore. I was Andra Lang, Luxury Real Estate Broker, and set to make six figures this year.
It had taken years of work. On myself and my mindset, unlearning the wrongs I was taught, making business connections, cultivating the skills needed to put me at the top of my game.
Now, I was finally where I wanted to be.
Ha, I guess I’d made my own lemonade.
No matter what, I couldn’t let Baker Madison make me doubt everything again.
I straightened my shoulders, steeled my expression, and dragged my gaze to his. The blue of his eyes was as alarming as ever, but I pressed my lips together, determined not to pant like a dog in heat. Why did he have to be so gorgeous? Why did the small scar on his upper lip make me want to kiss it?
“He’s right,” I said flatly. “He took the brunt of the fall. If anyone’s hurt, it’s him.”
Baker frowned, opening his mouth to speak, but a crowd of my friends was already forming, and Haley turned her concern on him.
“Areyouokay then?” she asked. “It sounded like the Jolly Green Giant hitting the ground.”
“Nice, Hales,” I muttered, my cheeks burning even hotter.
“Not you,” she said quickly, “Him. I was talking abouthimhitting the ground.”
“Us,” I corrected.
She blinked and I looked away. Shit, I was just making it worse.
Baker cleared his throat. “I’m perfectly fine, ladies. Had rougher tumbles than that before.” Like the one that messed up his knee? I didn’t miss the irony in his tone.
Brooks slapped him on the shoulder. “Yeah, my man here is far from delicate. They don’t call him Beast Mode Madison for nothing.”
“I don’t know…” The goading voice belonged to Konner, Kimmie's husband. “... he went down pretty easy. Beast Mode my ass.” Konner laughed. “I say, he wanted it.”
“Konner, hush,” Kimmie scolded.
“What? What’d I say?”
Ignoring them all, I went to get my bag, relieved to feel no pain myself. It was true, between the two of us, nothing was hurt but my pride.
I didn’t stop as I threw the bag over my shoulder and headed for the door.
“Andi?” Haley called. “Where are you going?”
Home? Comfort food? Jackal’s—where I could drown my embarrassment in an ice cream sundae?
“Anywhere but here.”
And maybe this was a sign from the universe to stay away for a while.
Chapter Three
Baker
I watched as Andi walked back into the rain. The urge to follow her rode me hard. If Konner McBaine’s teasing ruined my chances with her, I’d show him beast mode all right.
My eyes landed on a set of keys on the floor by the entrance. They must’ve fallen out of Andi’s bag. Which meant she’d be backtracking when she realized it. Going by the dark pink color that had flooded her pretty cheeks, she’d probably rather walk all the way home in the rain than face this scene again.
I grinned to myself.
Two birds, one stone.
