Audrey giggled. “You probably think I’m a psychotic slut.”
Tate’s smile fell as his eyebrows drew together. “I don’t think that at all.”
She waved him off, rolling her eyes. “I just set fire to a couch and a mattress, and other things. I’m pretty sure that gets me a one-way ticket to Crazyville.”
Tate shook his head. “Obviously, you are upset.”
“Upset is a good word for it, but I think psychotic is better.”
“I think you are being too hard on yourself,” he scoffed.
She looked up, surprised. They shared a long look before she nodded. “I’m always too hard on myself.”
“See, even you know that you aren’t a psychotic slut.”
“Oh, I don’t think I am. I said you probably think I am.”
Tate shook his head, confused. “I don’t think that at all. Why would I?”
Audrey looked down shyly. “Like I said, I burned up some furniture, but before that I slept with you after only knowing you for five minutes.”
Ah, okay. That was where the slut part came from.
“Audrey, I just think that you had the same passion I had and we acted on it. What’s wrong with that?”
She smiled as she shrugged her shoulders. “I had never done that before.”
Tate grinned as he nodded. “Well, I’m glad I was your first.”
She looked away again. “I’m sorry for the way I acted at the wedding, I was a bitch.”
He shrugged his shoulders, a small smile pulling at his lips. “Don’t think twice about it.”
She gave him a bright grin before moving her hand through her long wet hair. Tate took a deep breath as he kicked at the grass with his bare feet. He had this need to know everything about her. Knowing that it was she who lived next door still made his pulse kick up. He hoped she would get to know him and that something would develop between them. He was intrigued by her, and more than a little attracted to her. He wanted her. Bad.
“You want to tell me what happened to cause you to set your furniture on fire?”
Audrey shrugged before looking up at him, her eyes cloudy with tears. It tugged at his heart to see her like that. He wanted to gobble her up in his arms again and kiss away the pain, but knew that would be rude. She obviously needed time, so for now he would keep his hands to himself.
“Like always,” she said, “I fell prey to another wicked scheme.”
“What do you mean? Wait,” he said before she could answer. “Why don’t we sit down. I’ll get us some hot chocolate and we’ll talk.”
Audrey nodded slowly. “That would be nice.”
She settled herself on the porch while Tate went inside to prepare hot chocolate. He had finally finished getting the condo decorated with his things and probably should have invited her inside, but she seemed happy to sit on the porch. It was chilly, but it was still a bright, beautiful morning.
When he came back outside, Audrey was sitting on the top step, wrapped in a blanket and wearing a coat too. In short shorts and a tank top, he had thought she would be cold, but guessed that with her adrenaline still running on high, she didn’t feel the chill. He handed her a bright purple Assassins mug before settling in beside her.
Audrey took a sip and smiled over at him. “This is good.”
Tate smiled widely. It was his mom’s hot chocolate recipe from back home. He loved it, and loved it even more that she liked it. He continued to grin, his body filling with warmth from the girl beside him. For some reason, he wasn’t shy about his smile around her. Maybe it was the way she would smile when he did. It made him feel good, like he didn’t need to hide the gap between his teeth.
“So, wicked scheme?” He knew he said scheme wrong. It sounded more like schewe when he said it. Oh well, she must have gotten the point because she nodded.
“Yup, like always. I always take shit from idiots.”
“So, in other words you haven’t found the right guy?”
She laughed. “Nope, but I’ve found every wrong one on the way.”