Page 65 of Forever and Other Lies

“Give us four pounds, Ivy,” Jayna told the woman. “We’ll see how well Dare Brennan fares.”

He shook his head, and another smile lifted his lips. Jayna was one of a kind. Just when he thought he had her figured out, she went and did something unpredictable. She was unlike any woman he’d ever dated.

Fake dated, he corrected himself. This was not real. But damn, if he ever did decide to date for real, he’d want a woman exactly like her. That thought caused the smile to dissolve. He didn’t want to be in a relationship with any woman.

But wing roulette, now that was cool. Jayna was a cool chick.

So, why did Jayna have to go and turn into every other woman in this town and suddenly want a serious relationship? She was fake dating him to win over the paramedic, he reminded himself. She was manipulative, just like so many women he’s dated. Maybe she wasn’t cool, after all.

And why the paramedic? Why weren’t her sights set on him instead, like the other women in town? He was a good catch. He had a great job that paid well. He had just built a beautiful house. And he was damn good-looking.

“Why do you hate me so much?”

Jayna looked just as surprised by his question as he was. Why had he just blurted that out?

Her face hardened for a moment. “You really don’t remember?” Her voice hardened as well.

He closed his eyes as the memory from long ago took hold. That time in high school when he’d been stupid enough to think that asking out the best friend of his little sister was a good idea. However, Jayna, at fifteen, had turned into a knockout. And he’d been a typical seventeen-year-old, whose hormones had overridden common sense.

“I tell you that I’m a virgin and then you panic. You acted like I just told you that I had a contagious disease.”

He had panicked. He had no intention of being the guy who took her virginity. He never wanted to be that guy. It held too much responsibility. He should never have touched her in the first place.

“Yeah, I wasn’t a nice guy back then.”

“Just back then?” She held his stare for a long moment, which was thankfully broken when Ivy set down the basket of wings.

“Water under the bridge,” she told him and picked up a wing. She shoved it in her mouth and sucked off all the meat, pulling out a clean bone.

Wing lovers everywhere would be impressed. If Connor had been sitting with them, the young man would be a puddle on the floor. It took all of Derek’s willpower not to moan at the sight. Jayna was not playing fair.

“That was a mild one,” Jayna told him. “Your turn.”

This woman was an enigma. She called him out for being a jerk, then just as quickly let him off the hook. She truly was one of a kind. Lance would be one lucky guy. That was once the paramedic finally got his head out of his ass and figured out how great a catch Jayna was.

Then, Derek could go back to life as normal. And he’d have a nicely decorated house. Reaching into the basket, he chose a wing and shoved it into his mouth.

Chapter 31

Between mouthfuls of wings and wiping off her sticky fingers, Jayna swiped through the online catalog. They picked out a large sectional, a coffee table, and matching end tables, along with chairs for the harvest table. It was an understatement to say that the house Derek was building had surprised her. She hadn’t expected to love it so much.

It was beautiful and homey. Her eyes had immediately traveled to the cathedral ceilings and exposed wood beams. The foyer led to an open concept space with wide plank oak flooring. It was devoid of furniture, but she had an immediate vision of how to furnish it. A floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace called for a very unique mantle. To define the living room, a large vintage area rug and an overstuffed sectional would be needed. She’d immediately pictured the Persian carpet that Jamie had bought at an estate sale.

An antique chandelier, which she was sure could be found in Jamie’s storage room, would hang from the wooden beam next to the large kitchen island, establishing the dining area. They had found a large harvest table at Jamie’s, too, that would fit the space perfectly.

The kitchen was a chef’s dream, expertly laid out with soft green cupboards, thinly veined marble, and a white shiplap backsplash. French doors led to a back deck that overlooked the valley below. The house was spectacular, but the view was jaw-dropping. He had chosen a piece of land that sat high and kept watch on his parents’ farm below. He hadn’t just built a house; he’d built a home.

She hadn’t expected to enjoy spending time with him, either. But then he went and ruined it. Opened his big, stupid mouth.

Why was she mad at him?

It had only been one of the most humiliating moments of her entire life. Because of him! And he sat there like he had no memory of it. Maybe he didn’t.

Being a self-absorbed asshole was a daily occurrence for Derek.

That one night, so long ago, had cost her so much. She’d lost herself for a while after it. Her self-worth had taken a hard hit, and she’d searched for it in all the wrong places. Like she could find it in a man’s approval. That had just devalued her more. Finally, she took control and stopped letting men use her. She used them instead.

“Sorry about that. I wasn’t a nice guy back then.” Was that all he had to say about that night?

---