Irritation prickled her insides. “No, I’m not. I simply have different priorities than you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means my life doesn’t revolve around fun. I have a job, I have goals, I have responsibilities. Unlike you, I don’t have time to gallivant around, not if I want to pay my bills.” Her jaw tightened. “I’m not as lucky as you, Ben. Ten million dollars doesn’t just fall out of the sky and into my lap.”
He made an exasperated sound. “I wasn’t asking you to quit your job, Maggie. Only to let loose and enjoy your day off.”
“Sorry, but I don’t have that luxury. In my life there’s no such thing as a day off.”
Shaking his head, he edged away from the doorway. “Wow. Sounds like you lead a mighty fulfilling life,” he cracked before disappearing into the hall.
“Ben,” she called after him.
His footsteps stopped. “Yeah?”
She swallowed. “You should probably look for a hotel in the morning.”
Chapter Six
Ben strode into the bedroom he’d slept in last night and let his towel drop to the floor. He was aggravated as hell, a reaction that came out in a string of mumbled expletives. Who could blame him? He’d just received an incredible blow job from an incredible woman who’d then turned around and told him to get lost. If that didn’t merit a few four-letter words, what did?
You should probably look for a hotel.
Like hell he would.
He grabbed his T-shirt from the foot of the bed and put it on, then slid into his jeans without bothering with his boxers. Tomorrow he’d buy some new clothes. Until then he was going commando.
Maggie probably wouldn’t even blink if she knew he wasn’t wearing anything underneath his jeans. Why would she? It seemed like nothing he did would be enough to impress her.
It seriously pissed him off.
What the hell would it take to get under her skin? He’d thought the orgasm in the living room might do it. Or maybe the hot sex they could’ve shared if she hadn’t run out of the shower like a frightened rabbit.
How was it possible that the one woman who’d intrigued him in a long time was also the one woman who wanted nothing to do with him? The chemistry between them was combustible enough to make anything it encountered burst into flames, but apparently chemistry didn’t impress Maggie Reilly either. They’d barely had sex and already she was shooing him off the stage.
Of course, being the seasoned performer that he was, Ben had no intention of being shooed away.
Maybe it was the challenge, maybe infatuation, or maybe she simply represented some level of normalcy that had been missing from his life since he’d become famous. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t walk away.
You should probably look for a hotel in the morning.
With those ten words, she’d thrown down the gauntlet, and no way would he come out the loser in this battle.
Running his fingers through his wet hair, he smothered a grin and left the bedroom.
When Maggie strode into the living room after she’d dressed and brushed her hair, she found it empty. The only signs of life came from the television Ben had left on, and Entertainment Tonight silently flashed across the screen.
He’d obviously gone without saying goodbye.
It shouldn’t bother her, but it did.
“You’re the one who told him to find a hotel,” she muttered to herself, stretching out her legs and resting them on the coffee table.
She had, hadn’t she? Right about now, every female in America would be screaming vile things at her if they knew she’d sent Ben Barrett away, but to hell with them.
Growing up, Maggie never felt like she belonged. At school, she’d been a loner. At home, she’d been invisible. It wasn’t until she’d started volunteering at the Broger Center that she’d finally found a place where she fit in. She’d found her identity there, discovered that unwavering hunger to help the children and ensure they grew up feeling like they mattered.
As a kid, she’d been passed up for adoption so many times she’d given up on ever finding someone who truly cared about her. It was like being the last person picked for a game of softball. Standing there as everyone around you got picked one by one, feeling humiliated and unloved, as useless as a piece of trash on the sidewalk.
Only the stakes were higher than a silly sports game. It was about a child not being good enough to have parents.
It had taken her years to get past that pain and resentment, and she didn’t want any of the kids she worked with to ever feel as alone as she had.
So what if it meant putting relationships on hold for a while? She wouldn’t be single forever, just until she earned her degree. Then she’d go out and do what other women her age did. She’d date and flirt and maybe even get married. Other Ben Barretts would come along. It wasn’t like saying goodbye to this one would have life-altering effects or anything, right?