Page 27 of Wicked Flirt
“Thanks, I really appreciate it.” She gathered up their trash and dumped it inside the take-out bag. “Figured I should be prepared right from the start. It’s kind of nerve-racking being your own boss. I mean, everything is on me.”
“Being your own boss is awesome. Sure, there’s a learning curve, but you’ll get it.”
“Thanks.” She took the trash to the kitchen, a little more optimistic about her future career.
She returned to the living room, and he flashed a smile that made her heart kick up a rapid beat. He looked happy to see her, happy to be with her, and damn if she wasn’t just as happy about the situation. This was not good.Boundaries.
She flopped on the sofa and propped her feet on the coffee table. He did the same, his arms spreading along the back of the sofa, one of them right over her head. She straightened and shoved at his arm. “You can’t man-spread across my entire sofa. Respect the personal space.”
“Sorry. Didn’t realize I was man-spreading.” He put his arms at his sides. “I was just relaxing.”
She stared at the game, irritation building in her. She didn’t want to want him, but here he was looking all bad-boy sexy, bringing her a delicious dinner, being all accommodating. His musky sexy scent mixed with hot sauce was driving her insane with lust. That wasit. She had to know the truth about him, so she did what no woman in her right mind would do to the sexy bad boy in her apartment, call him on his shit.
She grabbed the remote and hit pause on the game. “I heard you don’t believe in monogamy.” That was her polite reference to his cheating. “So why did you get married, then?”
He stared at her, his expression somewhere between surprised and annoyed. Probably because she’d interrupted the game.
“Well?” she asked.
His expression closed, his voice tight. “I believed in monogamy all the way up until my marriage fell apart.”
“So then you cheated?”
He frowned. “I never cheated. She cheated on me with multiple men.”
Her stomach rolled, realization sinking in. He’d been hurt just like her. She could only imagine how hurt he must’ve been by someone he’d loved enough to marry. That must be why he didn’t believe in monogamy. “I’m sorry. That sucks.”
“Yeah, it did, and I’m over it. That was four years ago. Can you put the game back on?”
She wasn’t quite done. “That’s why you became a cheater, dating three women at the same time. It was because of your ex-wife.”
He snatched the remote from her hand, but he didn’t press play immediately. Instead he glared at her. “I said I’m not a cheater. After my divorce, I was in a tailspin. I wasn’t ready to be exclusive with anyone, and I told that to every woman I dated. Everything was aboveboard. They could see whoever they wanted while I did the same. And that was also a while ago. I haven’t been with anyone in months.”
She worked hard to hide her surprise. A virile sexy man like Marcus hadn’t been with anyone in months? She suddenly wanted to hug him. She was so relieved to hear there were completely reasonable explanations for his behavior. Still, she’d feel better if she just put it all out there, really get to the bottom of his bad reputation and find out he was the good guy she wanted him to be all along. “Why haven’t you been with anyone?”
He spoke through his teeth. “Because.”
Not much of an answer. “Why would you ever need to see three women at the same time?”
He clenched his jaw. “Because it was fun.”
“And then it stopped being fun?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Yes.”
She puzzled over his obvious irritation. Was she not supposed to ask completely relevant questions? “What about Ellie?”
“What about her?”
“You gave her the key to your apartment.”
“Not where I live. My rental. Now can we watch the game?”
She wanted to soothe him, but she didn’t know how. All she knew was that he had a tender side that must’ve been deeply hurt for him to act the way he did. And if he really was over his ex now, maybe that meant he was going back to his normal way of being. Problem was, she didn’t know him well enough to know what was really him and what was Marcus in a tailspin.
She scooted closer, nudging his arm with her shoulder in a soothing gesture. “I was just curious because…you’re here and you smell good and you brought me food.”
He set the remote down and gazed at her steadily. “I believe in monogamy again. I want that. I’ve seen all my friends find their partners, women they adore, and…I’m tired of feeling empty. Tired of playing games. Just so damn tired of the whole scene.”
