Page 6 of Expiry Dating

“You wanna know what I’m feeling, Ali? Really?” Anger started to boil. “I feel that I’m about sick and tired of you giving me those goddamn pitiful looks and talking to me like I’m made of fucking glass.”

Pushing aside the pain, he brought himself up and off the mat.

Any pity he thought he’d seen on Alice’s face had quickly been replaced with anger. “That’s what this is about ... your precious male ego?”

He ignored her motion to scramble up and made a beeline for the door.

“Don’t you dare walk out that door, Brady Mitchell,” she roared after him.

But it was too late. He’d tried. He really had.

CHAPTER THREE

Perched on the bar stool at Mickey’s, Alice took another sip of her celebratory gin and tonic. Sure, her new job was temporary, but it felt good to be doing what she loved again. She had finished her first week at the VA Clinic, and with the exception of Brady showing up on her first day, it had gone well.

Brady Mitchell. There he was clouding her thoughts again. Why did he have to be so pig-headed?

Because he’s an arsehole.

Yes, he was. And she needed to remember that. In fact, she needed to repeat the words pig-headed arsehole over and over again in her head the next time she dared touch him.

Her head was in charge now. Especially now she knew her body was clearly full of crap and couldn’t be trusted. It had no business making any kind of decisions on her behalf. Not after Rob. No, she could not and would not let another man have any kind of power over her ever, ever again.

Bring on the cats.

“Mind if I join you?” A husky voice jolted her out of her thoughts.

She looked up, surprised to find Ryan, the chef at Jake and Lily’s ranch. Decent-looking guy. He had the whole tall, dark, and handsome thing going on. From what she could tell, he seemed nice enough. Not that she was a great judge of character or anything.

“Hey, sure, take a seat. I’m celebrating.”

One corner of his mouth picked up. “Is that so? By yourself?”

“Yep. Me, myself, and I.”

That lopsided smile slowly turned into a fully-fledged grin, and she didn’t quite know what to make of it. She didn’t know Ryan that well, but she had a strong feeling that a grin like the one currently aimed her way would bring a lot of women to their knees. Maybe even literally.

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