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"And you think James is that guy? He wouldn't even go sledding with Alice because he was afraid of wrecking his dental work."
She smiles fondly. "He does have a fantastic smile."
"That's all it takes?" I don't know why I can't let this go, I've just never had a woman dismiss me so cavalierly.
She narrows her eyes, and I'm happy to finally get a reaction out of her. I want her as annoyed as I am. "He's a good man, Xavier. He's the kind of man who's looking to settle down and have a family. He wants the same things I want."
"A fantastic smile and similar life goals, then. That's all it takes to win Cherry Beckstone's love? Never mind that he's an asshole to anyone who can't benefit him and he won't stand up to the people who can."
She winces and looks away, but when her eyes meet mine again, there's a fire in them. "He can sometimes be brash when he's having a rough day. I was with him once when he'd had an incredibly stressful day at work and he took it out on a server. He called the restaurant the next day, apologized, and gave the server an additional tip. No one's perfect, but at least he tries."
I scoff.
She scowls. "Why do you even care? You're in love with someone else. Is your ego really so fragile that you can't handle one woman you don't even want telling you she wouldn't pick you first?"
I drop my arms and gape at her. "Fragile?" I wave a hand over my body. "What about any of this looks fragile to you?"
She rolls her eyes. "Wow. You really are toxic masculinity at its finest."
And I've had enough. I march across the small room and step into my boots. I don't bother lacing them up. I don't even put on my coat, I just grab it and put a hand on the doorknob.
"As impressive as your man fit is," Cherry says. "You can't leave."
"Watch me."
"Xavier Shaw, if you step out of this condo, I… Well, I… Just don't go, okay?"
I spin, ready for her apology. "I'm not mad and I'm not having a man fit." I'm not mad, I'm offended. "Space is a good idea before we say something we regret."
"I say things I regret all the time. It's not that big a deal unless you're the type who holds grudges. And you have to stay so people can see you leaving my condo in the morning."
I stare at her. Every time I think I've got a handle on this woman, she shocks the hell out of me. "You want me to spend the night?"
"I love sex. RJ's never going to believe we're a couple if we aren't shacking up on the regular."
Her expression when she mentions loving sex is so close to orgasmic that my dick wakes up and takes notice. I swallow hard and focus. "Who's going to see me leaving this condo in the morning?"
"This condo is right on the main drag into town. If we walk out of the building hand-in-hand just as everyone's heading to work, someone's bound to see us. We'll walk to that adorable diner three blocks down and have breakfast together, all romantic-like. You've already been spotted here. If the rumor mill is as good as you claim, everyone will be talking about us as a couple by snack time tomorrow."
"Snack time?" Keeping up is not a problem I typically have in conversations, but she's lost me.
"Ten in the morning. I eat like seven times a day because no one likes me when I'm hangry."
"Where the hell am I supposed to sleep?" I gesture at her tiny rental.
"In my bed, obviously." She raises her eyebrows. "Or will that be too much for you? Will your feelings get involved if we share a mattress?"
I growl and toss my coat on the floor.
She just laughs as I step out of my boots and wonder what the hell I've gotten myself into.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Cherry
Iwake, cozy and warm, my weighted blanket a heavy band around my waist, a hard, warm protrusion pressing into my ass… My eyes pop open as I realize that's not my weighted blanket around my waist. It's an arm. The arm of a surly grumpapotamus.
And if that's Xavier's arm, then that's his very hard cock pressed right up between my cheeks. My core clenches and what I want to do is roll my hips to give him a happy morning.
