Page 21 of Hot for the Jerk

“We?”I asked.“I seem to remember you telling Lenora you were checking out.I’mpaying for tonight becauseI’mthe only occupant in this room.Gonna consummate this honeymoon suite with my hand.”

Her mouth dropped open because she was either scandalized, or terrified that I might actually boot her tight ass to the soaking wet curb, or both.

I let the silence pound between us for a few heartbeats.She could at the very leastaskme if she could stay, considering I’d been nothing but cordial to her this morning.

“Y-you’re going to kick me out of our room?”she asked.

“It was our room last night.It’s my room tonight,” I corrected, getting a sick satisfaction watching her sweat a little.It shouldn’t be this easy to push her buttons.However, the rush of color up her neck and staining her cheeks made me want to keep pushing them and push them harder.

“Jagger,” she breathed.A hardness came over her eyes and she tightened her mouth.“Fine.And now, I won’t go with you to get socks.You can get trench foot for all I care.”With a huff and another cute little stomp, she took off to the bathroom, making sure to slam the door.

Rolling my eyes, I went to the door.“Raina, come on.I was kidding.Fine, you can stay here another night.You want to throw your pukey, wet clothes into the laundry with mine?Then we can go get some socks and groceries.”

“Go away, Jagger,” she said, clearly now crying on the other side of the door.

Fuck.

I pushed her buttons so hard I broke her.I should have been showing her some compassion.She was away from her kid—which had to suck—and trapped in a honeymoon suite with her nemesis.She was also hungover.

I tried the doorknob, and surprisingly, it turned.“I’m coming in,” I said, shielding my eyes.“Are you decent?”

The eye roll in her voice was as clear as a tidepool.“Yes, I’m decent, you Neanderthal.”She sniffed.

I brought down my hand to find her sitting on the closed lid of the toilet, a wad of Kleenex crumpled in her fist.“First time you’ve ever been away from your kid, huh?”

She blinked teary eyes at me.“How’d you know?”

“Dom got super emotional the first night he had to be away from Silas.”I scratched my beard.“Come to think of it, all my brothers did.”

“It’s not just that—” but she stopped herself from saying any more, then shook her head.“Never mind.”

I didn’t push.

“I could do one night, and two was tough, but three?Maybe four or more?I’ve never done this.He’s never been away from me this long either.”She let out a brittle laugh.“I’m sure he’s totally fine.Probably doesn’t even miss me.”

“I’m sure he does.Doesn’t matter how old they get, boys always miss their mamas.”

Her gaze found mine and held it.A thousand questions burned behind the golden-green shades that seemed to swirl and move the longer I stared.

“I was just playing you the whole time.You know that, right?I might be a jerk, but I’m not an asshole.I wouldn’t cast you out into the winter storm, even if you do drive me absolutely bonkers.”I nudged her shin with my toe, which made her hiccup a laugh.

“Pot, kettle.McEvoy,” she said, her chin stuttering rapidly as she sucked in a breath.“I would like to go to the store.”Lifting her gaze, she blinked at me, and I don’t know what the fuck compelled me to crouch down in front of her, take the wad of Kleenex from her hand and dab away her tears, but I fucking did it.She glanced down at my feet.“You have nice feet.”

That made me smile and follow her gaze to where she also had bare feet.Her toes were painted a bright, almost-neon shade of pinky-orange.“You have nice feet too.”

She swallowed, and I offered her a hand.Then we both stood up, and with our bare feet in our matching, wet Blundstones, our jackets and knit caps on, we ventured outside to go explore Wayman Island.

And hopefully, find me some socks.

CHAPTER SIX

Raina

Youhavenicefeet?

You have nice feet!

Please, Earth, just open up and swallow me whole.Because as my words came crashing back on me, all I wanted to do was put a pillow over my face, scream, and then pass out.Hopefully waking up in a dark, empty room, or at the bottom of a well.Anywhere other than here.Anywhere there wasn’t Jagger McEvoy and his nice feet.Even a pit full of hungry Komodo dragons and vipers would be better than having to share a space with Jagger for a second longer after I complimented his feet.

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