Page 39 of Junkyard Dog

“Who? Alex?”

She lay back and tossed her arm over her eyes. “Of course Alex. What did he say before we left?”

Max hummed for a moment, annoying her with his false contemplation. “First tell me what the deal is between you two and then I’ll tell you what he said.”

“Friends with limited benefits,” she muttered, booting her leg out when Max laughed. “Shut it. That’s as close as I’m getting to the hunk of beautiful man-whore.” When Max continued to snicker, she lifted her arm off her face. “I froze him out earlier because he suggested we head back to his place and it just seemed like too much and too often for what we’re supposed to be. And I may have wanted to go with him so bad I could taste it.” She groaned. “Why is something that’s supposed to be uncomplicated and uninvolved so damn involved and complicated?”

He shook his head and patted her leg in the most condescending way he could muster without her smacking him. “I’ve obviously failed to teach you proper booty-call protocol. The key to keeping it casual is to, I don’t know, go with the flowcasually. Don’t want to hang out? Hit him with a ‘sorry, babe, I’ve got plans.’ He doesn’t need to know your plans involve dying alone surrounded by your horde of cats.”

She rolled her eyes. “I have one cat, Max. One.”

“It’s a start.” He adjusted his position as his expression morphed into total seriousness. “Freezing a guy out implies you’re attached in some way. And that, Chuck, ain’t casual. You’ve seen how players play up close and personal. Channel that and you’ll be good to go.”

“So I should bang some guy against Alex’s SUV to show him just how casual we are?” she grumbled, cringing when the memory of her last breakup zipped across her mind.

He shrugged. “Maybe don’t take it that far. Start with responding to his texts a few hours after he sends them and build up.”

With a huff, she tucked her blanket tight under her chin. “Games are just cruel. And he’s a smart guy. No way he’d put up with that kind of crap.” She wrinkled her nose. “And he’s too hot to have to put up with it.”

“Yeah, well, so are you,” he stated. “But there’s a big difference between dating and a fling when it comes to boundaries, Chuck. You need to change how you think and act around Alex if you want to keep it chill.”

Burrowing her head under the comforter, she groaned. “What if my heart doesn’t want to keep it chill?”

“Hearts have no business in the fling game, Chuck. Remember that, and you’ll be golden.”

Chapter Fourteen

Charlotte stared atthe lone SUV in the tavern lot.

Drive away. Get another cat.

She smiled despite herself, Max’s ridiculous, and unsolicited, relationship advice ringing in her ears.

It’s okay to test-drive a Ferrari, Chuck. Even if you know you won’t be buying it, you can enjoy the ride until the salesman tackles you, rips the keys from your hand, and calls the cops.

Killing the engine, she exited her car and walked into the deserted lounge.

“Alex?” she called, her eyes struggling to adapt to the dark interior after a long afternoon in the bright sun guiding FBI agents through Sheep’s Pass.

He rose up from behind the bar, a pen between his teeth. “Ch…” He spat the pen into his hand. “Hey, Miss Charlotte.”

She pulled up a stool and folded her hands on the counter, rehearsing the first line from her apology speech in her head before she spoke. “So, I’m kind of new to this friends-with-limited-benefits thing.”

He eyed her warily, keeping his distance. “Same here.” He tossed the pen onto the counter and washed his hands out in the sink. “Was it the friends or the benefits that sent you running?”

“I don’t even know,” she huffed, her practiced speech no longer sounding right in the moment. She took a deep breath. “I freaked out, and I’m sorry.”

“No,” he replied slowly, easing his hands into his back pockets and scrutinizing her. “Freaking out usually involves yelling. And gives a lot more info about the reason. You froze.” He slid his phone toward her, his messenger app open. “If you’re second-guessing this, I get it. If it’s too much, I get it. But this radio silence…”

She looked down at the unanswered texts sent to her and breathed out. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “You’re right. Wow, this is dumb. You’re going to be leaving. Which is good.”

Scooping his phone back up, he retreated to the back of the bar again. “I will be, yeah.”

“Soon?”

His jaw tensed as his gaze moved past her face to the door opening behind her. “Probably.”

She rose up on her seat, tucking her foot under her while she debated the stupidity of her next question. “Logically, friends with benefits sh—”

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