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“I’m not.Once you’ve had the best, why mess with the rest?”
Her lips quirk.“You’re so full of it.”
“I’m not.You need to work on your self-esteem, baby girl.You gotta believe in yourself.I know I do.That thing you did with your mouth and my left ball will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
She points a firm finger my way as she pulls into her subdivision.“I’m serious, Aaron.I will turn this car around right now and take you back to your gram’s.I’m not interested in flirting with you or fornicating with you or anything else.That was one night.Yes, it was a fun night, but it’s over, and I have way too much on my plate to mess around with a guy who’s only here for a good time, not a long time.”
“I don’t think it’s going to be a good time, what with all the pain and blood and physical therapy, but…” I sigh, feeling sadder than I would have expected.I mean, I knew this was how she felt.I should have known better than to think anything had changed.Must be the painkillers, making me even more stupidly optimistic than usual.“But I get it,” I say in a softer voice.“I will respect all the rules of your home.”
She nods, but she’s still frowning.“Good.”
“Good,” I echo, forcing a smile.“Do I still get steak, old buddy bro pal?Or have I pissed you off too much for you to want to share a meal with me?”
Her forehead relaxes as she exhales.“You still get steak.But now you have to try roasted turnips with me instead of grilled broccolini.”
I groan theatrically.“No, not turnips.Anything but turnips!They taste like sour dirt.”
She grins.“Not the way I cook them.My turnips are delicious.You’re going to eat your words and ask for seconds.”
“I probably will,” I admit as she pulls into her driveway.
When it comes to Melissa McGuire, I’ll always want seconds.And thirds and fourths and her sweet, sassy ass waiting to give me shit when I get home every night.
But that clearly isn’t meant to be, so I have to respect her rules…for now.
At least until I’m strong enough to pin her against the wall with one hand while I remind her clitoris how much it likes me with the other…
A better man would not still be daydreaming about getting his hands down Mel’s pants, but I can’t help myself.I’m going to keep trying to win her over until she marries another man, or they put me in the ground—whichever comes first.
Chapter 9
Melissa
Idon’t like Aaron Boudreaux.
I don’t like himat all—even as a friend—but I especially don’t like him as anything more.The fact that we had an amazing dinner last night, filled with easy-flowing conversation and more laughter than I’ve enjoyed in a single hour in longer than I can remember is due to two things: empathy and drugs.
After seeing him in such a vulnerable state in the hospital, my heart is still soft and squishy when it comes to the man, and he’s way more enjoyable when he’s high.The painkillers seem to soften his more aggressive and annoying tendencies.
But he can’t stay on drugs forever, and he’s only here for a month or so before he’ll be back on the road again—both very good reasons to keep my emotional distance.
And my physical distance, when possible.
Halfway through serving at the banquet, I accept an invitation from my brother Wesley to have dinner at his house tonight.He’s a comically terrible cook, but he’s been lonely since he and his ex broke things off over the holidays.Darcy wanted to move in with him—and bring her troublemaking twin sister along for the ride—but Wes wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment.
He’s bummed, but deep down, he knows it was the right decision.Darcy was sweet, but they had nothing in common aside from having excellent manners, and that isn’t enough to make love last.I’m sure he’ll be back on his feet and in the dating game soon.In the meantime, I’m happy to keep him companyandspare myself exposure to Aaron in his strangely attractive invalid form at the same time.
As soon as the last of the dishes are rounded up and loaded into the catering van for Tessa to whisk them back to our office, I wave and shout, “See you tomorrow.Gotta get home to the kiddo.”
Tessa nods, barely glancing up from her checklist as she shouts back, “Say hi to the kiddo and the hottie for me.And please do things to the hottie that I wouldn’t do because I’m on a sex cleanse until I meet a guy who isn’t awful.”
I laugh and head for the bug, refusing to dignify her remark with an actual response.Words would only encourage the teasing.The more I ignore her, the faster the fact that Aaron’s staying with me will become yesterday’s news.
It takes a few minutes to get the windshield clear—it snowed while we were inside—but I’m on the road in a timely fashion and arrive home just after six, only a few minutes after I told Aaron I’d be back.
So why is Ben’s car in the driveway?
I gave Aaron Ben’s number in case there was an emergency, and he wasn’t able to get in touch with me at the banquet, but I don’t have any texts or missed calls from Aaron.
