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Instead of telling her she was pretty and that I wanted to peel off every bit of prim clothing and get her filthy dirty and begging for my dick, I accused her of stupid shit. For what? Because she wanted help in paying for vet bills?
I flopped my head back onto the cushion of my leather lounger and stared at the vaulted ceiling of my great room. There was nothing to do to release this frustration except growl. So I did.
“AaaaaaahhhhhHHHHHHHHHH!”
Earl opened one eye at the sound, then closed it. Unlike me, he didn’t have any problems with the ladies.
Earlier, when Melly got out of her car, she was… fuck, even prettier than I remembered. Everything about her was precise and perfect. Soft. Pretty.
So fucking pretty.
Did I tell her that she was pretty? No. Instead, I opened my mouth and told her I wanted a dog paternity test.
While I waited on her stoop, I did a search on my cell to make sure Deek hadn’t been fucking with me. Fortunately, he wasn’t, and some people really did want to know pet lineage. I knew nothing about… animal husbandry or whatever dog sex was officially called. Nothing, and it clearly showed.
I ran a hand over my beard.
“Dog paternity?” I muttered. “I want a dog paternity test.I can’t believe I said that.”
I could get drunk, but that would solve nothing. I’d only be twice as stupid in the morning because Melly Harwood would still think I was an asshole and an idiotplusI’d be hungover.
No. I blew this one. Epically.
Then… then! I made it worse. What had I said that made all the light dim in her eyes? Oh yeah,then I saw you and changed my mind.She must’ve thought I took one look at her and knew there was no way in hell I’d get my dick anywhere near her.
“Wrong. WRONG!” I shouted, my voice echoing off the beamed ceiling. One look and I knew she wasn’t the kind of woman who did drama or wanted to stir up shit. Except she’d misinterpreted and thought I meant I didn’t wanther. I’d put that droop in her shoulders, wiped the smile from her face and she lost that little bit of sass. I was an asshole and an idiot.
“Guess it’s a good thing you’re leaving the country for a few months,” I muttered to myself. I wasn’t staying in Hunter Valley. I was out of here Saturday, ready to move away from home. See the world. Live the life I’d always wanted.
Except instead of being excited about my future, I felt like shit. I didn’t like how I’d made her, for one second, think less of herself. Per Ang, Melly Harwood got along with everyone. Except me. And it was all my fault.
I wasn’t leaving town until I made this right.
7
MELLY
“He saidwhat?”Mallory asked. I wasn’t sure if she sounded more amused or appalled.
I covered my face with my hand, my elbow propped on the high-top table. “Do I have to say it again? Once was painful enough.”
“Yes, you do,” Bridget countered, stabbing a mozzarella stick into a dish of marinara sauce.
I knew Bridget through Mallory and at the weekly high school tutor sessions. The two of them had been best friends since forever and kind of came as a package. I liked Bridget. She wore glasses like I did and if it was possible, she was even nerdier than me. She went to MIT and now taught Physics at the high school. I was smart, but not like that. If there was someone who needed to figure out how much tip to leave, it was her.
I liked her and didn’t mind that she now knew about my crazy day.
I opened my fingers and peeked at them. They stared and waited.
And waited.
Fred and I left Daniel on my front yard, not even waiting for him to get a horny Earl off his leg. I stalled inside until he left to retrieve my groceries from my car.
While getting ready to go out–which involved me pacing my bedroom with a glass of wine in my hand–I teetered between being sorry for myself and stunned by the man’s gall.
I wasted an hour fuming and never did change clothes. All I’d done was put my contacts in, then call a ride share to pick me up.
I groaned. “Fine. He wanted a paternity test for Earl.”
