Page 51 of Make Her Mine

I look at the guy that I was such a fool for at one time in my life. I feel nothing for him. Except a true desire to make sure he knows that. “If you’re such a big deal, so successful, so good looking and amazing, how come you're back here, digging through your past? Why not find some hot new girl, who will appreciate the city life?”

“I’ve never stopped thinking about you.”

“It’s because I’m the one that got away. It’s because I’m the one who broke up with you. Am I the only one?” I study him. “Oh my God, is that it? Am I the only girl who’s ever broken up with you?”

He doesn’t confirm or deny. “I just miss you.”

“Well, let me tell you something,” I say. “Jefferson Riley has something that you never had and I very much doubt you’ve developed in the past ten years. Integrity.

“He is generous, kind, self-sacrificing, funny, And, so much hotter than you. The orgasms are…” I take a deep breath and make myself concentrate on what I’m saying instead of thinking about Jefferson and orgasms. “I can’t even describe them. So… I absolutely am not settling. I’m lucky he was still available.”

I am really trying hard not to pay attention to the way my stomach is flipping as I say these words. I’m just trying to piss Zach off. That’s all. I’m trying to take him down a peg.

But…dammit, they’re all true.

I don’t know about the orgasms but there’s no way Jefferson isn’t good at that too. There’s no way the guy is good at literally everything else he does and he’s not good in bed.

Having his hand on the back of my neck, having his finger dragging over my upper back, having him just say the word ‘kissing’ made my body temperature rise.

There is no way Jefferson Riley couldn’t make me very hot and bothered if he tried.

And while Jefferson Riley is also a know-it-all, cocky, and frustrating as hell, I can criticize him, and talk about what a pain in the ass he is. Zach Nelson can not.

I don’t know the women that Jefferson has dated very well. He’s only had a couple of girlfriends from Sapphire Falls, and they are both enough older than me that I’ve never heard them spill anything about him, good or bad.

But while Jefferson is a lot of things, a lying, cheating scumbag is not one of them.

And as I think about it, it is kind of amazing that he’s still single. And it’s maybe even more amazing that he’s willing to pretend to date me. Because I am a pain in his ass too.

“How’s everything going over here?”

I am a little appalled by the relief that sweeps through me at the sound of Jefferson’s voice and the feel of his big body behind me. He moves in close and rather than flinching away as I did at the house, now I’m tempted to lean into him.

Not because I’m afraid of Zach. I’m not intimidated by my ex.

It’s more that I just feel comforted by Jefferson. And all of these realizations that I’ve finally let really sink in.

Jefferson is a good guy and would make a great boyfriend.

There, I said it.

And thought it.

Gave it actual conscious thought and let myself acknowledge it without any qualifiers.

It’s not that any of this is a huge shocking revelation. If anyone had criticized Jefferson to me in the past, there’s a chance I would have defended him the way I just did. The thing is…no one would’ve criticized Jefferson. Everyone truly likes the guy. He’s fucking likable. He is a good person.

“Actually, Zach and I were just realizing that we have nothing to talk about,” I say, meeting Zach’s gaze.

I feel Jefferson’s hand on my hip, and I reach for it, linking our fingers and pulling his hand around and over my stomach. He moves closer, spreading his fingers so that even more of his hand is covering me. It is a very possessive gesture and I fucking like it. Probably because it makes Zach’s eyes narrow. That has to be why.

“Well, you’ve been gone a little bit, and I was missing you,” Jefferson tells me as he presses a kiss to the top of my head.

That’s sweet. I know, in truth, he was watching and came over because Zach was talking to me. He’s here to help.

See? Good guy.

“Here, you said you were hungry,” Jefferson says. “I brought you some appetizers, so you weren’t drinking on an empty stomach. Don’t want you getting sick.”

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