Page 62 of Pick Me

“No, I’m not.” His arms were vibrating, his jaw clenching. I’d gotten to him, and even though he refused to take a drink, and Britt suggested otherwise, I knew he’d slept with Grace. “How about this for you, never have I ever been the subject of my brother’s best friend’s wet dream?”

Jackson glared at my drink, making my fingers twitch. I scrunched my nose. “Jackson, you don’t have a—” I paused. His words finally sinking in, and I felt like I might be sick.

“If you take a sip, it’ll be a lie.”

“I can’t believe you said that.” He was making a joke about me again. I was so damn tired of it.

“Why not? If you’re playing with honor, then so am I.”

I shook my head and called him a jackass under my breath.

Jackson cupped his ear. “What’s that? I can’t hear you from over there. Why don’t you come closer so we can really talk?”

“Losing your hearing already, old man?” I figured I’d tease him a little. Pushing the blanket off me, I sauntered over and dropped onto the other end of the leather couch. He frowned, looking almost offended. What did he think I would do? Sit on his lap?

“Never have I ever talked so much shit I wondered which end was my asshole.”

Jackson ignored my remark and rubbed his thigh. “Still can’t hear you, Pyro. Why don’t you come here?” I looked between his face and his thigh, waiting for him to howl out in laughter, but he didn’t. “I’m waiting.”

“Are you being serious?!”

“Are you chicken?”

“No. Of course not.” I jutted my chin out, closing my eyes.

“You sure? I really think I’m getting to you.”

“And I think you need to check how tight that baseball cap is because you’re acting ridiculous.”

“And you’re not acting at all. Well, except scared, of course.”

“Oh, you think I’m scared?” He nodded. He was goading me, I knew that, but I needed to prove him wrong.

“I know it.”

With my teeth clamped together, the only emotion I felt was anger.

Screw him.

Pushing off the couch, I strutted over to him. His hand moved off his thigh as I got closer, and instead of sitting on his knee like he requested, I decided to show him just how confident I was. I flung a leg over his body and straddled him before he could protest.

Wide, thick thighs held mine open, and in this moment, I wished I had my onesie on. That way I wouldn’t feel my shorts riding up my crotch. I smiled through the pain, refusing to show Jackson how uncomfortable I felt.

Planting my hands on his hard chest, I leaned over so my lips were only a few inches away from his head. “Can you hear me now, old man?”

“Perfectly,” he purred out. If it were anyone but Jackson, I’d say this would go somewhere. Sitting on his lap, rubbing his hard chest… It was nice, and Jackson was hot. Too bad his personality sucked.

“Wanna try again?” he asked, forcing me to look at him. Deep, dark eyes gazed at me eagerly. Wait. Why was he acting like this?

I averted my gaze to his cap so I didn’t have to look at his face. “Never have I ever worn a baseball cap backward.”

He laughed. “Has anyone ever told you how good you are at this?” He smirked, taking a long, slow swig of his beer, and I watched his throat move as he swallowed.

When did Jackson’s neck get so… muscular? I didn’t realize you could even develop muscle there.

“You do know flipping it around will make you infinitely more attractive, don’t you?”

“Show me.”

---