"You here together?"
"Jackson's just being neighborly. I don't have a pickup truck yet. There are so many things I need to get. I'm sure I will be in here constantly."
She was deliberately flirting with poor Pete, who looked like he'd just won first prize at the county fair. Unfortunately for him, he had no idea what was about to hit him.
Me.
"No need for that, I'd be happy to drop them off myself later. After work, if you can wait that long."
She glanced at me triumphantly, a malicious smile on her luscious lips.
"That is so kind of you Pete. I am amazed at how kind everyone has been."
My hand slid up her back, gripping her hair. Then I tugged it. Just hard enough to make sure I had her attention. She let out a soft squeal. Pete turned around from what he was doing to look at us. We both smiled at him beatifically.
"Almost everyone."
My hand was around her neck now, stroking her soft skin with my fingertips. But each time she sassed me, I pinched her. I leaned down and whispered in her pretty little ear.
"I am warning you Angie..."
Pete came back to write up her order. When he was done he smiled at her and offered to take her out tonight. After he personally dropped off her supplies.
"No charge of course."
"No charge for what? The date or the delivery?"
She gave a throaty chuckle. Damn her, she was definitely flirting. A hot surge of rage surged through me. Pete grinned at her stupidly.
"Either."
"Well in that case, I will see you tonight."
Pete looked like he'd won the Goddamn lottery. He had. He just didn't realize it yet.
It was the 'about to get your ass beat by Jackson Delancey' lottery.
Angie paid for her stuff and walked out of the store. She stood by the side of my truck, waiting patiently for me. I was walking slowly, still in shock that she'd dared to defy me like that.
Not just that either.
I was jealous.
Very, very jealous.
I'd never been jealous before. I didn't like it. Not one bit.
We rode home in silence. Several times I almost told her how upset I was. I was tempted to tell her she was going to regret this. That two could play at that game. I could have any woman I wanted in this town, and I would dammit!
That's when I remembered she had called me a man whore.
I cringed and said nothing, not wanting to prove her right. I was silent until I pulled into her driveway. As soon as the truck stopped she was climbing out, not even giving me a chance to walk around and open the door for her.
"Angie-"
She turned to face me, her face hard as stone.
"Don't go tonight."
She slammed the truck door behind her.
Angelina
I felt a strange sense of dread as I applied a thin layer of eyeliner to my top lid. I grimaced. I didn't want to look too seductive.
In fact, I was tempted to throw on a burlap sack and eat garlic to keep him at arm's length. This was not the way you were supposed to feel before a date. I shook my head, telling myself I was only going to please Casey.
I'd promised I would go out with someone, and I was. Afterwards I could go back to keeping my head down and taking care of what was important. I'd done as she asked, even if my heart wasn't in it.
The truth was, I had no interest in dating Pete. He was nice enough, even good looking. But he wasn't Jackson.
I was lying if I said anyone could really compare to the big, hulking, blue-eyed, persistent son of a bitch.
Maybe he'd give up now. I had a terrible feeling that he would. I felt my insides twist when I thought about the look in his eyes when he asked me not to go out with Pete tonight.
He'd meant it.
He'd actually looked... hurt.
The idea that I could hurt an enormous, thick-headed bastard like Jackson... well, it was disconcerting to say the least.
I felt guilty. It made no sense at all but there it was. I felt guilty for hurting Jackson Delancey's feelings. In a strange way, it felt like I was being unfaithful.
But you had to be in a relationship to be unfaithful. We weren't together. He'd been very specific about what he wanted. Just sex. So what did I have to feel guilty about?
Nothing!
Still, it didn't stop the strange, uneasy feeling in my gut. I forced myself to shake it off. I had no choice but to go through with the date now. I'd be polite but not encourage Pete one bit.
As for Jackson, well, I could always text him back and say I'd considered his offer.
And accept it.
It was crazy, but I was seriously considering having casual sex with the man. He was arrogant, pushy and thick-headed. But I wanted him all the same.
There, I said it.
I wanted him.
The man had started sending me suggestive texts a few days ago. I'd ignored them, not writing back to even one. Or at least I'd tried to ignore them.
Each note had gotten more specific about what he wanted to do to me. He'd described in detail how he was going to take my clothes off, where he would touch me, how long he would spend making me squirm before he screwed my brains out.