Page 25 of Crazy Love

I close my eyes for a brief second.Keep walking. Maybe he’ll be the one to disappear this time.

“Addy,” Penn says again, his footsteps heavy as he catches up to me.

Dammit.

I whirl around, arms crossed. “What?”

He hesitates for half a second, like he wasn’t expecting me to actually turn around. “I—uh—” He exhales roughly, raking a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, okay?”

I narrow my eyes. “Sorry for what, exactly?”

His jaw ticks. “For being a jerk.”

I lift an eyebrow.

“A total ridiculous jerk,” he adds.

I tap my chin. “I don’t know. Jerk feels a little…soft. Maybe go withasshat?”

His lips twitch, but he fights it. “Fine. I’m sorry for being an asshat.”

“Good. Because youwerean asshat.”

“Right.” He nods, like he’s determined to be mature about this. “Glad we agree.”

“Great. Now that we’ve established that, I’ll be going.”

I turn back to look at my phone.

“Wait a minute. You were kind of an asshat, too.”

I freeze before turning back slowly. “Excuseme?”

Penn folds his arms over his broad chest, and he looks so stinking hot right now, it’s completely unfair. “You heard me.”

Oh, I don’t care how hot he is, this attitude is not working for me.

I scoff. “How do you figure?”

His eyes flash. “Oh, I don’t know. You showed up, hugged the chef like he hung the damn moon, then waltzed over to our table all,oh wow, what a surprise!, like you were totally fine pretending I don’t exist.”

I gape at him. “Are you seriously mad that I hugged Camden?”

“Mad?” He snorts. “No. Just very aware that you have a type.”

I blink. “A type.”

“Yeah.” He tilts his head, counting off his fingers. “Tall, good-looking, mega-successful.”

“Oh my God,” I groan. “You are too much. Get over your dumb, jealous self and go back inside.”

He looks momentarily stunned. “I wasn’t jealous.” His cheeks turn pink when he says it, and I smirk.

We stare at each other until he shifts on his feet. He runs his hand through his hair and exhales like he’s defeated.

“Okay, I was totally jealous,” he says quietly.

My heart soars at that, but it drops in the next second when he says, “But I’ll get over myself. I’m really sorry I’m being so rude. I…I’m not used to…uh, that was crazy in the Bahamas, right? The instant connection between us. At least for me. But I know we’d never work out. Fuck. I’m not even the boyfriend type—what am I saying?” He shakes his head, and I feel the loss when his eyes drift away from mine. “I want us to be comfortable since we’ll be around each other all the time with work.”

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