Page 24 of Dirty Deeds

She purses her lips.

“Why?”

I smile at her. “Diving right into the deep end, are we?”

She stares at me expectantly and I consider the question. I tell everyone, including myself, that I’m a love ‘em and leave ‘em type of guy, but it’s more of a defense mechanism than anything else. I want a relationship. I want to get married and I really want a big family—four kids would be ideal, three would be settling. I rather not follow in my dad’s footsteps, though. I’m not looking to get married and divorced. That’s why I’m not eager to jump into a relationship.

Releasing a breath, I start, “Okay, well, I’m single because I’ve been around enough people, mainly my old man, to know that relationships require work—hard fucking work. Now, I ain’t afraid to get my hands dirty, I do it every day, but I ain’t doing it for just anyone. The woman I eventually commit to needs to be on the same page. She’s gotta be willing to put the work in too. She can’t run every time things get hard. So, I choose to be single because I haven’t found the one who is going to stick yet. Maybe I never will. I’m cool with it, what I’m not cool with is being in a relationship just for the sake of being in one.”

I stare at her thoughtfully. Danica is a runner. She ran from my bed, and she ran the night I was arrested, but the fact that she is here now—well, let’s just say that isn’t lost to me either.

“Makes sense.” She looks away, a frown ticking the corners of her mouth. “Sounds lonely, but it makes perfect sense. I don’t think Brent ever worked for anything. Not his career, not his campaign, and certainly not me and our marriage.”

“Hmm,” I murmur.

I knew the second I stepped foot on Brent’s boat he was a douchebag, and it was confirmed on Christmas Eve when I got a taste of what he let go. But you know what they say…one man’s trash is another’s treasure.

Her gaze snaps back to me. “What?”

I shrug. “That sounds a whole lot lonelier to me.”

She lets that sit for a minute.

“I suppose you’re right.”

I smile. “I’m always right.”

“Your ego isn’t big at all,” she returns, her tone full of sarcasm. Her eyes light and playful. Just like they were when I got her in bed and released all the tension coiling inside of her. Keeping my smile intact, I remove my hands from my pockets and lift one to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. I held out for as long as I could, now my restraint is gone. My touch lingers, my knuckles grazing the shell of her ear as she takes in a sharp breath.

“If you didn’t come here to stroke my ego, then whyareyou here, Danica?”

I know why I was attempting to seek her out the second I was released. I also know those reasons don’t seem to matter since I found her here. The only thing I want now is to rip her clothes off. Fuck everything else.

“I think it’s best if we have this conversation somewhere a little more private.”

I lower my hand, dragging in a deep breath. I get the sense that she and I are on two different pages, so I decide to lay it all out for her.

“You got two options. One, we go back to your sister-in-law’s car, and talk there, or two, we go upstairs to one of the apartments. I’d choose option one because if we go upstairs, I’m not going to listen to a fucking word that comes out of your mouth, I’ll be too busy reminiscing how good it looked when it was wrapped around my cock.”

Her cheeks flame a pretty shade of pink.

“You can’t say things like that to me.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s distracting, and you and I are way overdue for a talk.”

“We’re way overdue for a lot of things, but I suppose we should talk before anything else.” I hold out my hand. “Keys.”

She drops them into my palm, and I lead her down the steps, hooking a right into the side parking lot. We make our way to the back of Big Nose Kate’s and head straight toward Ro’s car. Once we’re inside, I adjust the driver’s seat and turn the ignition, pumping the A.C.

“I don’t know where to begin,” she says, breaking the silence between us. “I wasn’t expecting to see you. I had this whole speech prepared to say to your father—”

I cut her off.

“My father?”

“Well, yes. He already thinks the worst of me. I don’t want him thinking I set you up that night. I mean, I didn’t even know you were there until you stepped between me and Brent and by then things were already too far gone to ask any questions. What the hell were you even doing there? Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for what you did but if Wolf has the wrong impression, then I’m fearful he’ll make good on his threat.”

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