Page 177 of Crazy for this Girl

“It was really nice to meet you,” I offer to Tristan, feeling like a pathetic pushover. “Have a really good rest of your night.”

Tristan’s face kinks, clearly put off by my decision and how weak I appear, but I’m doing this for his face and his brother’s wedding. Cal Harper is a wrecking ball waiting to swing if I don’t just get what he wants over with.

Cal extends his arm for me, but I brush by it, heading to the well-acquainted bar for my fourth shot of tequila for the night.

The bartender notices me, giving me a light smile and a wave with his towel. “Back again?”

“Yep.” I raise two fingers. “Make it two this time.”

“Two?” he repeats, then opens his mouth to say something else when his smile disappears from his face.

It’s Cal.

“One, two,” Cal says from behind me. “Need help? I don’t mind—” I thrust my elbow into any piece of his body, connecting with a hard mass of muscle, and cease his next smart-ass comment.

“Thank you,” I tell the bartender with a sweet smile. He gives me a curt nod and goes to pour our two drinks in plastic shot glasses.

“I’m gonna make you kiss that better later,” Cal mutters into my ear, causing a swell of goosebumps line my skin. “And how many times do I need to tell you, Tone Deaf, that I’m here for the long haul? Do you think I’m going to allow men to put their hands on you during that time?”

I whirl around on him, bumping into his body and evoking him to straighten his spine and give me a little space. “Allow? Cal, we’re not together. If anything, you were my best friend.”

“Same rules apply.”

I frown with narrowed brows. “Are you fucking stupid?”

“Not yet. Wanna go somewhere?”

“Why are you here? You weren’t invited.”

“How do you know?”

“Because Marie was just complaining about how much of an asshole you were the other night.”

“Why, because I wouldn’t take her any of stupid suckers that she offers me every fucking day?” Cal reaches from behind me and shows up with the two shots I ordered. I take one, immediately down it, then seize his before it makes it to his lips and off that one too.

Stacking the cups together, I wipe my lips with my thumb and meet Cal’s steely gaze. “Yes?”

“If you think I’m going to let you ignore me for days, Laynee, you got me extremely fucked up.”

“I’m sorry, but we’re not on your time.”

“Aren’t we? I pay you.”

I wag a finger at him, the warm liquid from the shots already going to my head. “Keep it up. I’ll call your bluff on suing me.”

“I don’t mind taking everything you have, Laynee, and providing for you.” I hate how his face doesn’t falter. How he has no problem doing all that for me. Even though he knows I’ll hate it, he’ll do it, anyway.

“You’re getting crazy now, Cal, stop.”

He scoffs and pries his eyes from me, looking at the bartender or something else. The sharp edges of his jaw are tight and trying with the next words that leave his mouth. “I’ll stop when you stop coming up with bullshit about how you want me to forget that I made you come and that I have to wipe it from my brain. I want you to stop downplaying how I feel about you. I crave so many things that you don’t do, however, I understand how it’ll take time.” His parious greens fall back to me. “But you’ve only heard half my truths. You only allow me so much. You want me…but you quickly recant it. Don’t make me get super crazy, Laynee, and lock you up somewhere. I have the power to call off a few days for you and fuck you into my mattress to get my point across.”

“You can’t force me to listen and be ready.”

“No, I can’t. However, you keep bringing up that we need to keep it professional when we’re not fucking around at the office, I’m going to lose my shit. I don’t need to be when I’m with you. We’re way before then. We are way before I got handed down a shit hand and a company I didn’t want. And if you keep denying me the opportunity, I’m not sure all of what I’m capable of, but when it comes to you, I know for a fact it’s not going to be sweet and easy.”

“Stop threatening me.”

“I’m promising you, baby.” He erases some of the space between us and my next breath catches in my chest. “I love you. I’ve loved you for a really large portion of my life. And I’ve never stopped. You believe I abandoned you, and that’s it. You don’t know shit of what I’ve done and what I’ve been through.”

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