Page 22 of Simply Yours

Her breath caught, her heart slamming against her ribs.This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.

“Why are you doing this to me?” she demanded, voice rawer than she intended. “You have barely tolerated me for years…”

“These calls are recorded,” he chuckled, the low sound sending an unexpected shiver down her spine. He was enjoying this, playing with her reactions like a cat with a cornered mouse. “Maybe we should talk sometime over coffee or dinner—but not pizza.”

“Oh, very funny,” she bit out, rolling her eyes even though he couldn’t see her.

“I can be just as funny as Matthew – if you give me a chance.”

She doubted that. Matthew was effortless in his humor, lighthearted, and easygoing. Jason was sharper, more calculated, like he picked his moments carefully.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked, the casualness of his tone making her pulse jump again.

“I’ll be busy.”

A slow inhale on the other end of the line. “Doing what?”

“Breathing.”

He laughed, a deep, rich sound that made her stomach tighten. “Are you playing hard to get?”

“Who’s playing?” she shot back, her voice smoother now, more confident.If he was going to throw out challenges, she wasn’t going to back down.

“I like it,” Jason murmured, his voice dropping just enough to make her skin prickle. “And I’ll get your number from Matthew.”

And then—just like that—he hung up.

Caitlin stared at the phone, her heartbeat a frantic staccato against her ribs. Did that just happen?Jason—aloof, impossible, maddening, grumpy, snippy Jason—had justflirtedwith her.

And he was going to get her number.

Her fingers tightened around the receiver as realization crashed over her. She wasn’t sure what she wanted anymore.

Jason wasn’t just noticing her.

He waspursuingher.

Six

JASON

“Give it to me.”

“No.”

“Matthew…”

“What?” Matthew pouted and put his boots up on the hay bale next to him, looking at Jason with a petulant pout. “She’s my friend first, and I don’t know if I want you making things weird. I’m protecting Caitlin.”

“From me?”

“Yes, you grumpy buttwad… you aren’t exactly nice sometimes. Next time you bite my head off or start huffing angrily at me, I’ll point it out –oh wait– how ‘bout now?!”Matthew yelled at him, flinging his arms wide and giving him a pointed look. “Hmm? Hmm?”

“I’m not being ‘mean.’ It’s called being ‘firm’ with you because I need you to give me Caitlin’s cell phone number.”

“No,” Matthew said simply, shutting his eyes like he was going to take a nap – and Jason could feel his frustration vibrating through him. He stood up, threw down the pitchfork that he was using to put fresh hay into the stalls and took steps toward his brother who obviously thought he had the high ground – and kicked his boots off the hay bale.

“Oooow?!”

---