I snorted. “Don’t get a big head, Ian. It was incredible, don’t get me wrong but I’m having an off morning.”
You are a total basket case.
“Okay, so if this isn’t about the other night, then what’s going on? Are you having a moment?”
I looked at him, crossly. “A moment? No, Ian, I’m not having a moment,” I grit out.
Well, not that kind of moment.
“This is not an attack, then?” I hated how proper he sounded with his distant tongue and exceptional manners.
“Yes, I’m in hysterics, can’t you tell?” I deadpanned.
“Well, you’re acting strangely.”
His face darkened slightly as he looked back at my house. “What’s with the blush? Did you entertain last night?”
His jaw ticked as he glanced my way with prodding eyes. I had to suppress the slight satisfaction I got from his question.
“No, why would you think that?”
“I’m at a loss here,” he said, resigned. “Have a good day.”
He was only feet away when I barked at his back. “Hey, you, you know what assuming makes you, right?”
He belted out a laugh as he turned back to stand in front of me. “An asshole?”
“Exactly. And for your information, I’ve only had a few attacks since I got here, and I don’t sleep around.”
He winced. “I’m sorry. That was horrible of me.”
“Yeah, well, I’m handling it.”
“I was just concerned. We are friends now. I think it’s safe to assume that, right?”
Feeling humiliated and remorse for my bite, I nodded. “Yes, we’re friends.”
I hated that he saw my weakness. I hated that was his first assumption. Even if it was an innocent question or asked out of concern, it stung.
More so, I hated that he would even think I could be intimate with anyone else.
“See you later?” he asked, pushing the hair off my forehead.
I met his gaze and saw nothing but warmth. “I’m sorry I’m on edge. Maybe I do feel a little weird about us sleeping together. It’s been a long time for me. And when I’ve done the casual hookup thing, I usually don’t see the person after.”
“No friends with benefits?” He grinned.
I grinned back. “You’re my first.”
He leaned in on a whisper. “You’re mine too. I was married forever, remember?”
“Really?”
“Really,” he said leaning in. “And I promise to make sure you benefit.”
Goosebumps trailed over my skin and I shrugged. “I don’t think I would hate it.”
He chuckled. “Are you free tonight? I’ll cook.”
I nodded, and he leaned in and pressed a promising kiss to my lips. “I look forward to it.”
I drove away cursing my stupidity.
Way to keep him on his side of the fence, Koti.
“YOU WHAT!?”
Glaring at her, I put my purse in my desk drawer. “This is exactly why I didn’t tell you. Are those tears?” I laughed. “You are such an idiot.”
“I’m just so happy. You finally got laid.” She pulled me into her, pressing her huge boobs against my neck.
“Would you stop! I can’t believe you’re getting emotional because I had sex.”
“Come on, I’m taking you to breakfast.”
“No way, we have a full load today.”
“And I’ll take care of it. You’re getting the day off.”
“Jasmine, it’s Saturday. We have a shitload of houses to flip.”
“I’ve got them. Believe it or not, I did this all by myself before you came into the picture. I’m still the boss. Now get your purse and come on.”
“God, you act like I graduated college or something monumental. This is not a special occasion.”
“Did you orgasm?”
My face flushed.
“Oh, God. The man gave you multiples, didn’t he?”
Grinning, I nodded.
“Oh, my God!”
“Would you chill out. The therapist down the hall is going to file another complaint.”
“If you ask me, she could use some multiples. She has resting bitch face. Not only that, she made her own reserved sign for her car. Like she actually went to Lowe’s and bought the shit and made a sign. That’s pathetic. Come on, we’re going to celebrate.”
“You’re nuts.”
“And you’re glowing.”
“You’ve seen me the last four days of work and haven’t said a word about my glow.” We piled into her convertible and buckled up.
“Better late than never. I’m hungry anyway, okay. Just stop being a killjoy and start from the beginning.”
Jasmine grinned from ear to ear as I got most of the details out of the way before we pulled up to Pungy’s Bistro. Their banana waffles with brown sugar syrup were my favorite and she knew it.
“I love you,” I sighed with a mouthful of waffle.
“So tonight, he’s cooking?”
“Yep.” Swallowing half a glass of orange juice, I hesitated while she studied me.
“You really are glowing. Not that you’ll believe me.”
“Can I ask you something without you getting offended?”
“Sure,” she said with a frown. “You can ask me anything.”
“When you are done with a man or dating one, how do you keep your feelings out of it? I mean you do date some of these guys.”
She sat back and grabbed her coffee cup. “You know I’m in love with someone else.”
“That’s the trick?”
“It is for me. I know that doesn’t help you.”
“I just… There’s so much about him that I like. Aside from his beastly entrance, the man is truly worth a damn. I just don’t know if I can separate the two.”
“You might not be able to with him.”
“I don’t want to analyze. I’m acting like I’ve never done this before, but with him, it feels like I haven’t. Does that make any sense?”
“Perfect.”
“It feels so different with him.”
“You may need to face the fact that you might already be in love with him.”
“No, I’m not, not yet, but if I spend more time with him, I will be. I know it. So, I guess the question is, do I go in and break my own heart or ax it now? He can’t stay. He has a daughter back in the States.”
“Then you know there’s a time limit and you work with what you have.”
“Even with the risk?”
“Is he worth it?”
“Yeah, yeah, he is.”
“I can’t tell you what to do, but I will tell you even though I hate Steven, I don’t regret falling in love with him. I never felt that way before or after. He’s probably ruined me, but I would do it all over again.”
“Why are we so damned stupid?”
She shrugged. “Built that way? But I look at it this way. Some people go their whole lives without that type of connection. Wouldn’t you rather have it? And with a man like him?”
“Hell yes.”
“Multiples.”
“Sign me up.”
“You can do this, Koti. Try to do what you said you were going to and use him right back.”
“You never told me the good stuff,” Jasmine scorned as I gathered my clipboard to turn one house I refused to compromise on. I’d been waiting to meet the renter for months.
“The good stuff?”
“Yeah, how did you orgasm?”
“First, it was his tongue and then from inside. I didn’t even know that was possible.”
“You poor thing, you got blasted.”
“What?”
“Blasted. You can come both ways. He rubs your G inside with his penis or stimulates the clit outside. You can have both at the same time too.”
Fire spread through my lower half as I imagined the possibilities.
“And I see today we’re getting educational,” Toby chimed in from the door of our office before he chuckled and looked over at me. “And I guess congratulations are in order?”
“God,” I buried my head in my hands and muffled a “Hi, Toby.”
“Happy Saturday, ladies,” he said carrying his water bottle in and making the switch.
“See you later, Jasmine,” I said in an attempt to make a quick exit. “Call me if you need anything.”
She waved me off as she drank Toby in with a crocodile smile. God bless the poor man, it was only a matter of time.