Page 82 of Forking the Billionaire

“Stealthier? If you crawl out of this bathroom on hands and knees, that’s much more likely to attract attention than if you just walk out like a normal person.”

His smile didn’t reach his eyes. It didn’t crinkle his nose. It was fake.

I didn’t have the bandwidth to untangle that either.

Still, his point was probably true. Chester had already shown up and banged on the door. Who would be next? Everyone could be looking around, waiting for the two of us to come out.

I scanned the small space, wishing I could flush myself down the toilet. That would solve the problem. I’d just ride down like a turd and crawl out of the sewer to freedom.

Too bad the hole was so small.

But then I spotted a tiny window above the toilet. Bingo.

I pointed. “I’m going through there.”

“No.”

No? Seriously?“I’m not asking permission. You can help me, or you can get out of my way.”

Jasper sighed. “Same old Bramble.”

Something inside of me snapped. I knew the exact words he’d said, they registered, but what I heard wasyou’re still that stupid kid making stupid choices you didn’t think through.And that hit way too close to home.

“You seemed to likesame old Bramblejust fine a minute ago,” I said, “while your dick was in me.”

I watched his pretty green eyes go wide asmywords registered. He had no right to judge me when webothjust did what we did.

He put his hands up in defense. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out like I intended.”

Come out, ha.

“Yeah, you came in.” And as soon as the words left my lips, I regretted them.

It wasn’t the words that were harsh and belittled what we’d shared. It was my tone. It was the way I continued to attack while he was trying to apologize. Honestly, I’d gotten exactly what I’d needed in the moment even if I couldn’t admit that out loud now.

I’d been proving a point, that he was mine from the beginning. I’d been chasing the same stress relief and distraction he’d offered me on the beach. And while we were actually having sex, I’d felt a sense that this is what friendship between us could be. It felt full of promise and possibility.

And then he had to go and make a promise he would break. It was easier and safer to pretend all of it meant nothing.

He was giving me this weird, disturbed look, then he just laughed. “All right. You go through the window. But I can’t come after you. There’s no way I’ll fit.”

The look in his eyes suggested he was worried, like I was some fragile thing, like I should be treated differently because there was a tiny pecan-sized baby inside of me. He hadn’t seemed to think I was fragile a few minutes ago.

“And what about the landing?” he asked. “If you fall?—”

And there it was. “If you say something about my condition, I swear I will?—”

“Murder me?”

This time his smile crinkled at the top of his nose and the corners of his eyes.

I’d said that I would murder him if he stopped, while we were having sex. And now he was going to make sure I didn’t forget it. It was like the dude was taking a play from my playbook.

“Sure,” I said, unaffected. “Let’s go with that.”

His smile faded into sincerity. “I don’t want you to fall and get hurt.”

“I’m like a cat,” I told him, as I climbed up on the toilet and fought the window’s lock.

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