“It’s too early.”
“It’s almost ten o’clock,” she replied.
“Too early.” I draped my arm over her hips and turned my head so I was facing her. “You didn’t respond back last night.”
“I fell asleep and I…figured you were busy.”
I arched a brow. “I wasn’t busy.”
“I stopped over last night to see you, and I waited for a little while.” She fiddled with the edge of the sheet, twisting it around her fingers. “You stayed out late.”
I pried an eye open. “So you did get my text and had time to respond.” I sighed. “Why did you ignore me, Kitten? My feelings are hurt.”
“I’m sure Ash soothed them for you.” Her cheeks flushed.
Staring at her for a moment, I then smiled. “You’re jealous.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Kitten…”
She rolled her eyes and then opened her mouth. A rush of words came out. “I was worried about the Elder being here, and we were supposed to talk last night. You never showed up. Instead you went out with Andrew, Dee, and Ash. Ash, as in the ex-girlfriend Ash, and how do I find out? Your brother. And how did those seating arrangements work out? Did Dee and Andrew sit on one side and you and Ash on the other? I bet that was real comfy.”
I struggled to keep from smiling. “Kitten…”
“Don’t ‘Kitten’ me.” She scowled, on a roll now. “You left around five or so and didn’t get back till when? Past two in the morning? What were you guys doing? And get that stupid smile off your face. This isn’t funny.”
There was no way I was keeping the smile off my face. “I love when your claws come out.”
“Oh, shut up.” She pushed at the arm I had around her hips. “Let me up. You can call up Ash and see if she’ll make you some eggs and bacon. I’m out of here.”
I shifted on her, not off her. Bracing my hands on either side of her head, I grinned down at her. “I just want to hear you say it: I’m jealous.”
Her lips pursed. “I already said it, butt-face. I’m jealous. Why wouldn’t I be?”
I cocked my head to the side. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because I never wanted Ash, and I wanted you from the first moment I saw you—and before you get started, I know I had a bad way of showing it, but you know I wanted you. Only you. You’re insane to be jealous.”
“I am?” she questioned. “You guys were together.”
“Were together now.”
“She probably still wants you.”
“I don’t want her, so it doesn’t matter.”
Her lower lip trembled. “She’s model beautiful.”
“And you’re more beautiful,” I told her, and that was the God’s honest truth.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t try to sweet-talk me.”
“I’m not.”
Kat bit down on her lower lip, and it made me want to do the same. “You know, at first I thought I kind of deserved last night. Now I know how you felt when I went out with Blake. Like I was getting schooled by karma, but it’s not the same. You and I weren’t together then, and Blake and I didn’t have that kind of history.”
Damn, hearing her put it like that finally knocked the smile off my face. I rolled my shoulders, feeling like shit. “You’re right. It’s not the same thing. I didn’t go out with Ash on a date. Andrew stopped by and we got to talking about Ethan. Andrew was hungry, so we decided to get something to eat. Dee tagged along, and Ash was there because, you know, she’s his sister.”
She raised one shoulder.
“And we didn’t go out to eat. We ended up ordering pizza, went back to Andrew’s house, and we talked about Sunday. Ash is scared to death that she’s going to lose Andrew, too. Dee still wants to murder Blake. I spent hours talking them through this. It wasn’t a party you weren’t invited to.”
“Why didn’t you tell me at least? You could’ve said something,” she said. “Then my imagination wouldn’t have run circles around me.”
I pushed up and sat beside her. “I meant to stop by when I got home, but it was late. Look, I didn’t think about it.”
“Apparently,” she muttered.
Rubbing at my chest, I closed my eyes briefly. A part of me still didn’t understand how she could be jealous of Ash, but I did get where she was coming from. “I honestly didn’t think you’d get this upset. I figured you’d know better.”
Kat stared up at me. “Know better?”
“Yeah, that you’d know if Ash pranced into my bedroom right now naked, I’d still send her packing. That you didn’t have anything to worry about.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Thanks for that image you implanted into my brain forever.”
Shaking my head, I laughed drily. “This insecurity thing ticks me off, Kat.”
Her mouth dropped open, and then a second later, she sat up on her knees, and I knew what I said had not gone over well. “Excuse me? Are you the only one who’s allowed to be insecure?”