Page 45 of Bad Boy Done Wrong
“Unlikely,” Hailey returned.
Josh grinned. “Earthquake?”
Hailey lifted her palms. “When was the last time Connecticut had an earthquake?”
Carrie felt Zach chuckle under her. They were pretty funny. She was glad they’d gone back to their usual banter. She’d been a little worried there about hurt feelings.
Josh kept going, looking thoroughly entertained. “Tsunami?”
Hailey crossed her arms. “Now you’re being ridiculous. We’re too far inland for that.”
Josh gave her hair a tug. “I’ll get you your favorite drink.” He walked back behind the bar while Hailey morphed from surprised to extraordinarily pleased.
Ally got up from her bar stool. “Here, Hailey, take my seat and enjoy your drink. You’ve more than earned it.”
“Thanks so much!” Hailey exclaimed. “I really appreciate it.” She took the offered seat and watched as Josh prepared her favorite drink, a mojito.
He served it up with a flourish. “Bottoms up, princess.”
Hailey grabbed the glass and paused, taking a moment to announce to anyone who happened to be listening, which was all of them, that she and Josh were officially at peace. She lifted the glass to her lips and then added with a small smirk, “No more fighting because we’re no longer speaking.”
“Even during emergency weather situations,” Josh quipped.
Everyone laughed.
Hailey finished taking a long drink before lifting a finger to her lips in a gesture of shushing at Josh.
“Ri-i-i-ght,” Josh said. “Not speaking.” Then he gave her a big wink.
The women tittered. This was a callback to when Hailey had announced he wasn’t impotent and then gave a big wink to indicate she was joking (which, of course, had the effect of sounding like he actuallywasimpotent). These two. Really. Out of control.
Hailey let out a long dramatic sigh. “Okay. You may speak to me in emergency situations.” She took another sip of mojito and let out a happy sigh.
Josh snapped a picture with his phone. “Mojito orgasm face. That’s definitely going online.”
“Go for it,” Hailey said and took another blissful sip of her long-denied drink.
Josh put his phone away and scanned the group. “Aw, come on. Who’s the rat?”
Zach spoke up, taking the fall for Carrie. He must’ve figured out Carrie’s texting was spilling the beans to Hailey that Josh didn’t actually do social media. “Hailey probably noticed you didn’t have a Facebook account or whatever. Nice subterfuge, though.”
“Subterfuge,” Josh muttered, scowling at Zach. “Big word. Thanks a lot, Professor.”
Carrie looked back at Zach. “Professor?”
Zach just shook his head and then whispered in her ear, “Let’s get out of here. I’ve got plans for you.” He set her back on her feet and rested his hand on the small of her back like he often did when they walked together. He waited, probably to see if she was on board. She was more than ready. Her libido was tuned in to his frequency and she wouldn’t refuse him anything. Except her heart.
“Bye!” she told her friends.
“Have fun!” Ally hollered.
“Bring him by next Thursday after book club!” Hailey called.
Carrie just waved, some part of her sinking at the cheerful sentiment, knowing that next Thursday was never going to happen. But she had tonight and she fully intended to make the most of it.
“Why did Josh call you professor?” she asked Zach once they were outside.
“Because I’m smart. Just like he calls Hailey princess because she’s beautiful.”
“That’s why he calls her princess? I thought he was saying she was snooty.”
“It always comes back to biology,” he said matter-of-factly.
That struck her as an odd way to look at it. But before she could comment on that, he leaned down and kissed her. All thoughts flew from her mind once her body got the message it was time for her bad boy. Maybe everything did come back to biology.
