Page 55 of Blue Collar Hotties

Mixed feelings? Yeah. Tell me about it.

Those were the best few minutes of my goddamn life, and I’ve regretted them ever since.

“Read the listing,” I say flatly. “Make any changes you want. Then I’m posting it, Jenny, because I can’t handle you being afraid of me like this. You were doing so well, being so brave for a few days there, and now you’re back to tiptoeing and hiding in your bedroom. You can’t live with a man you’re scared of.”

I don’t mean to be harsh with her, but it’s the truth. One of us needs to say it. The refrigerator rumbles to life beside us, buzzing for no apparent reason, and I dig the heel of my palm into my eye.

Fuck. Is falling in love always this rough? Thirty years old, and I had no idea. I feel like I’ve gone ten rounds in a boxing ring.

“Lincoln…”

All the air leaves me in a rush. Jenny sounds so heartbroken, and now I have no clue what to do. I just want to make her happy. Why is that such a goddamn riddle?

“Sweetheart.” Something painful flashes through her eyes at the nickname. I swallow, shoving my hands in my pockets. I’m so close to her in this cramped kitchen, but she feels so far away. “Whatever you want is fine. That’s what we’ll do. But you need tobe honest with me, okay? So tell me, Jenny: what do you want? Really?”

I expect more grumbles.

Maybe a reluctant confession that yes, she would rather that I leave.

What I don’t expect is for her jaw to firm, her shoulders to straighten, and for her fluffy-socked feet to march across the space toward me. Jenny stops right in front of me, meets my eye, inhales sharply—

Then drops to her knees.

Jenny

“Jesus Christ!”

Lincoln jolts back against the kitchen counter, thumping against a drawer, his gray eyes wide with alarm. He’s got those stick-em-up hands again, his toned stomach pressing against his shirt with each harsh breath. It’s like he spotted a venomous snake by his feet, not an awkward girl trying to give her stupid crush a blow job.

I flatten my palms against my leggings.

Honestly. I’m not going to maul the big jerk.

“You asked me what I wanted.” I lift one shoulder, acting far more casual than I feel. If I put myself out there like this and he rejects me… well, let’s just say there’s not enough bourbon-soaked ice cream in the world. “This is what I want. If you’re up for it.”

“If I’mupfor it?”

I’ve never heard Lincoln sound so strangled. It’d be pretty funny if my chest weren’t flayed wide open right now. Being brave is the worst.

“Yeah, I mean. I might suck at it. Pun intended.”

“Jenny.”

“What? Come on, this can’t be a huge surprise for you. Every time I look at you, I have dumb little cartoon hearts floating in my eyes.”

My words are sweet but my tone is grouchy as hell. Already, my knees ache from the hard kitchen floor, and Lincoln’slooming over me, so tall and muscly and baffled. How long is he gonna leave me hanging down here? Is he just going to step over me and walk away?

I would die. I would flop over, roll under the fridge, and make a new life with the dust bunnies.

The digital clock on the oven flickers, a minute passing. Then two.

My bones creak as I push to my feet. I feel one thousand years old.

“Forget it. The ad is fine.”

Squeezing past, I can’t meet his eye. May never look at Lincoln properly again. And my cheeks are hot, my stomach hurts, and I can’t believe I did that. Can’t believe I ever thought my gorgeous roommate would want that from me.

Because heknowsI have no experience, knows it would be clumsy and awkward as hell—and more than that, he surely knows it wouldn’t be a meaningless encounter to me.

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