Page 19 of Crazy Thing

She puts her hand on her hip, indignation and attitude flashing like neon lamps in her eyes. “So basically, you want me to betray my friends. Foryou?”

She smells like flowers and vanilla and incense smoke, a unique combination I’ve never smelled on any woman before. It weakens and disorients me.

“Geez. We used to be friends, too, Ziggy.”

Her tough exterior wobbles. She looks away from me, refusing to meet my eyes. “Friends no one knew about. Look how wellthatturned out.”

I step forward. “What was that?”

“Nothing…” she mumbles, before pressing her glossy pink lips together.

Shit. I don’t get my ego bruised all that often, but ever since Ziggy strutted back into my life, she’s been using it as her personal punching bag. If only she knew how much I’ve beaten myself up over the years for the fact that I ever hurt her.

I stare at her for a moment. “Come on, Ziggy…”

My eyes hook on her lips again. They look like rose petals.

And they’re spitting fire at me.

“Look, I didn’t ask you to pay my rent, Darius.” She sighs, her blue irises turning up toward the darkening sky. “Now I’m indebted to you, and I don’t have a way to pay you back.”

I could think of a few ways. They’ll involve you on your knees with your mouth open though. But I’m not a masochist. So, I don’t dare voice my fantasies aloud. Because that’s just all they’ll ever be. Fantasies. That’s right. Because Ziggy Beaumont hates my guts.

“Don’t worry about it,” I say, feeling drained from this five-minute encounter.

“Trust me, I plan on paying you back every single penny.” She grinds the toe of her chunky leather sandal into the gravel at our feet. “But I’m going through a few small financial…challengesat the moment.” She peeks up at me. “So, it might take me a while.”

I don’t want her money. When I decided to help her out, it definitely wasn’t meant to be a loan. It was a…gift, I guess.

But I know I’m going to have to pick my battles with this woman. So on this one? I give up.

“Fine…” I grumble out.

She eyeballs me for a moment before nodding. “Fine…”

Then she turns to leave. She doesn’t make it far before she stops.

She glances over her shoulder and clears her throat. “And…thank you,” she rasps reluctantly.She settles her hat back on her head.

Then I watch as she stomps off toward her ugly bus.God—I love the sensual way her hips sway. Even as they’re marching away from me.

“Just think about one thing,” I shout, calling after her. “If we don’t team up on this, Edison wins. The whole town of Starlight Falls loses.”

She keeps walking but I see the wobble in her steps.

I continue, pressing my luck. “Andeverybodyin this town has memories at that waterfall. I knowwedo.”

That gets her attention.

She swivels around, leveling me with those fiery blue eyes. “Don’t you dare bring that up, you asshole—”

“Come on. It’s not about us, Ziggy,” I say, closing the gap between us in a few long strides. “It’s about saving the waterfall. All you have to do is convince the locals that I’m not the bad guy here.”

Her nostrils flare as her eyes blaze with determination. “But that’s the thing—you are…”

Fuck. I take on difficult negotiations on a regular basis. But it’s clear that I’m not going to win this battle. No matter how hard I try.

It’s too personal. The wounds are too deep.

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