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Both women started asking questions at the same time and Roni went to one of the two chairs across from her desk and dropped into it. “I don’t know what I was thinking. He’s just so damn sexy. One minute he’s making my computer purr like a kitten, the next he’s making me purr.”
“Good with his hands, was he?” Jeanette said, wagging her eyebrows.
“His hands, mouth, cock. My God, the man knows how to please a woman.” Roni’s body revved to life at the thought of how well he’d strummed her. He’d taken so much time to play, as if content to spend an eternity licking and petting. Roni had had enough of
men who seemed intent on getting to the finish line. Jake had taken the long route and she was ready to do it all again. An addict, that’s what she was. And he held the key to her fix in the palm of his large, strong hand.
“Dang, look at her, Jeanette. She has that glassy-eyed look. The one she gets when you bring her one of your homemade brownies.”
Jeanette laughed. Roni had heard enough. “I’m not glassy-eyed. It was great sex, but that’s all it was.” Liar, liar pants on fire! Any moment now she expected to be struck by lightning.
Lydia smoothed her hand over her tan skirt but kept her intelligent gaze on her, which made Roni want to squirm like a little kid in the principal’s office. “Sounds to me like he was sort of your fantasy guy. The blue-collar worker you craved.”
Roni saw an opening to drag her friends past the topic of Jake and she snagged it with both hands. “Exactly. I wanted a guy who wouldn’t treat me to a night at the opera. A man who would keep it real. Jake fit the bill perfectly. We went out for hamburgers then did it like rabbits. Which means I’ve fulfilled my part of the bet.”
“A bet, huh? That’s all it was? Hot sex with a regular Joe?”
Roni froze. Oh God, she knew that deep tone. Shutting her eyes, Roni sent up a quick prayer. When she stood and turned, her stomach bottomed out. Jake filled the doorway, his dark, furious gaze pinning her in place. His black case clutched in one hand, cell phone in the other. Roni shivered and took an instinctive step back when he moved toward her. How much had he heard? Damn.
“Jake.” Her voice shook as she watched him coming toward her. “I didn’t know you were coming over.”
He wagged his phone in the air. “You tried to call. Dumbass that I am, I was worried. I thought maybe your perv had decided to do something more than jack off to porn.” His angry gaze shot to Jeanette and Lydia, then back to her. “Imagine my surprise to find you here talking about slumming it with me.”
“It wasn’t like that. I didn’t mean—”
“That you fucked the help?” He winked and said, “Don’t worry, princess, I get it just fine.”
“Jake, you misunderstood.” The remote tone in his voice had her scrambling to explain. “It wasn’t like that, I swear.”
“And all for a bet?” he asked, his voice rough. He pushed his cell phone back in the holder attached to his belt. “Fuck it. I should’ve guessed.”
“Guessed what?”
“That there had to be a catch.” He bent and spoke into her ear. “A real shame. I was really looking forward to kneeling for you, princess.”
Despite the gravity of the situation, Roni’s pussy flooded with liquid heat at the image his words evoked. “Damn it, Jake. Will you just listen for a second?”
He stroked her cheek with his fingers. “I think you’ve said enough.” He turned and stalked out, but not before she saw the hurt etched into the hard planes of his face.
Roni’s feet wouldn’t move. She ached to run after him, to explain. She needed to set things straight. But her damn feet wouldn’t move. Her shoulders began to shake as emotion swamped her. “What have I done?”
Lydia placed her hand at the small of her back. “Sit down, honey.”
Jeanette patted her arm. They were both talking softly, trying to soothe her. Roni heard only the anger in Jake’s voice. “Oh, God,” she moaned as she collapsed into the nearest chair. Lydia handed her a tissue and leaned against the desk, while Jeanette sat in the chair next to her.
“Want to talk about it?” Lydia’s voice was gentle.
Roni had the insane urge to laugh. She was supposed to be the one giving advice. “Some psychologist I am. I can’t even have a normal relationship without completely screwing it up.” She slumped. “I’m such a damn fraud.”
“Stop it,” Lydia ordered. “You aren’t a fraud, merely human. It’s okay to be human, Roni. You messed up. We all do.”
“I hurt him, Lydia.” The raw ache she’d witnessed would forever haunt her. “I’m not sure I can fix this one.”
“Yes, you can. You may need to lose the pride though. Can you do that?”
Roni stiffened at Lydia’s words. “I’m not that bad. You act as if I’ve never apologized or humbled myself. I’m not so hardheaded.”
Lydia and Jeanette looked at each other, then back at her. Jeanette spoke first. “With Lydia and me, yeah. We couldn’t ask for a better friend. But when it comes to men you have a difficult time compromising. You tend to keep them at a distance.”
