Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Ouch,” he replied, more than likely remembering all too well. How I’d been duped after I’d already fallen for the guy. Which made it ten times worse. And afterward, I was a fucking wreck. He added, “I don’t think you should blame yourself for being taken advantage of. You were a victim.”
I arched an eyebrow. “And I don’t want to be one again.”
“But…help me out here. How does he remind you of Steve? You think he might have a gambling problem too?”
“No, that’s not it,” I replied, frustrated. “He lives in an expensive apartment and doesn’t seem to have a care in the world. He’s outgoing and confident. He has the same kind of charming personality Steve did, and we know how that ended. I got sucked in and didn’t read any of the warning signs until it was too late.”
Steve would also get little digs in during plenty of arguments—that always ended in hot makeup sex—about me not coming from money or ever having two nickels to rub together when we met, and in the end, he was the one who’d squandered everything. Fucking asshole.
I made a fist, thinking about Jesse’s flirty tone, his sarcasm, his perfect ass and lips and just…everything. He even put a spell on my niece, for Christ’s sake.
Craig leaned forward. “Hey, I know Steve screwed you over. But that doesn’t mean every guy with a similar personality is going to be like him.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “I know that. It’s just… I don’t want to be drawn to Jesse and be hurt again, you know?”
He winced. “Yeah, I get it. It was pretty awful.” My stomach hurt just thinking about how completely devastated I’d been, sitting on the floor in that empty apartment, hugging my knees, trying desperately to hold back the humiliating tears and failing miserably. It’d been almost two years, and it still stung like it happened yesterday.
Right then the kids returned to the table, giggly and sweaty, and it was time to hit the road and get Hailey home so I could get ready for my shift.
By the time we said our goodbyes, my mind was made up. Tonight I planned to be clear with Jesse that me fucking him was a one-off. Not that I could read his mind, but it sure sounded like he’d enjoyed himself as much as I did. Even hinted about doing it again. Besides, it was for the best, since we had to work together. Doing anything further could end in disaster. In more ways than one.
13
Jesse
I was nervous as shit.
I didn’t know what it was about today that made me so tense. It was Friday, and yeah, I’d be working with Dane. Honestly, I was maybe looking forward to it. After how our night ended last week, I was maybe—okay, totally—hoping for a repeat performance.
Sex with Dane might be exactly what I needed to get my nerves to chill the fuck out.
Somehow, I wasn’t sure even that would help.
Tomorrow I would be working my first day in the Underground, which meant working with Dane all night again…and singing…and a slower, calmer pace…and singing…and something new…and did I mention singing?
I was good. I could do it. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I could. I’d been learning the songs and spent the last week practicing with the piano player at the bar, or with Seth when I was at home. Still, it would be weird putting myself out there in front of people like that. Singing had always been something I did behind closed doors, something that was kind of just mine, and now I’d be cutting myself open and letting people see a different side of me.
Letting Dane see a different side of me.
Ugh, why had I thought this was a good idea again?
But I had over twenty-four hours to worry about that, so why in the hell I was stressing out today, I had no idea.
“So…tell me about it again?” Seth said, coming into my room and falling on the bed. I was sitting at my vanity, doing my makeup.
“You, my little innocent friend, are obviously horny and ready to lose your virginity. Why do you want to hear about my growly storage-room sex with Dane again?”
“Because it was hot? And I’ll likely never have growly storage-room sex.”
“Why? Why can’t you have growly storage-room sex?” I asked him, and he shrugged. “Is it because of that guy who got handsy with you?” I pressed, not for the first time.
“No.” He shook his head. “I’ve always been like this.”
My poor sweet friend. I had no idea what I was going to do with him. So I went through the story again about our dances and then seeing Dane in the storage room. How I’d gotten on my knees for him and then how he’d taken me from behind.