Page 15 of Hot for the Jerk

Fine.The only man I’d ever been with was my husband—who is now dead—and I’d never even been on a date.You were too freaking good looking, and I got scared.I chickened out.I’m a yellow-bellied coward.

I didn’t say that though.

“Then, when I tried to ask you what happened in our chat, you blocked me.”

I shrugged.“Not a crime.”

“No, but it’s rude.”

I shrugged again and took another sip of my wine.

“Then, you rock up to the island two months later, step into my world, into my book club, into the farmer’s market, my running trails, and seem to be absolutely everywhere I am.And when I try to talk to you, you just turn into this massive …”

I pivot my gaze back to him, the alcohol in my system making me scrappy and eager to get into another fight.Fighting was easier than the thing Iactuallywanted to do to him.It was our norm.It was safe.“A massive what?”I challenged.“A massive bitch?”

“Ice queen,” he finished, slowly.“Then you started slinging insults at me—entirely unprovoked, I might add—and copying my social media posts about the brewery, just changing the verbiage to suit the winery.You piggybacked on all our campaigns and promotions, and even tried to persuade tourists to choose you over us.”

“I did not,” I argued.His dismissive headshake unearthed a drunk fury inside of me and I bunched my empty fist, my body getting hot.

“We’re not your competition, Raina.We don’t sell the same things.Why can’t we work together?Compliment each other’s businesses?Offer vouchers for each other’s places?I mean, we carry your wine in our pub.Gabrielle and Clint want to collaborate more.Hell, even I’m open to it.It just seems like you’re the one putting up all the roadblocks for a successful partnership.”

Clenching my molars, I glanced away again.He wasn’t wrong.Not about any of it.

“Look at me, Raina.”

Before I knew what I was doing, I snapped my gaze up to his face, meeting his confused stare.It pulled at every one of my frigid and frayed heartstrings.

“I’d like an answer.Why did you leave the café that day?And more importantly, why are you hell-bent on keeping us so adversarial?”

“You’re not my type.Okay?”I gave another shrug, but this one was feeble.A coward’s shrug.“I handled it poorly.I’m sorry.It’s just, a lot of guys don’t know how to take no for an answer and can’t deal with rejection, and you just seemed like one of those guys.So I figured being mean to you was the best way to get you to back off.I’m sorry if I was wrong.If Iassumed.”

His eyes bore into me like two midnight-blue laser beams, probing and seeking the truth at any cost.A small, sexy muscle on either side of his jaw worked back and forth, like he was squeezing his molars together.I stared at them, where they hid beneath the perfectly trimmed beard, since it was easier to count the movements in his jaw than it was to stare at his feet, or at his face.Those were danger zones.So was the front of his pajama pants, but so far, I’d done a decent job of keeping my eyes away from there.

Oh shit.Now I was thinking about the front of his pajama pants and like heat-seeking missiles, my eyes slid down his torso, landing right there.

Ugh!

My eyes languidly made their way back up to his face.“You started dishing it back though.You’re not innocent in this.”

Shut up!Shut up!Shut up!

I thought for sure he was going to say something like, “You started it.”

But he didn’t.

He nodded.“You’re right.I did.I could have taken the high road, and I didn’t.I figured out your buttons and how to push them any chance I get.To be honest, my ego was a little bruised after you ghosted me like that.”He tilted his head to the side and the faintest of playful smiles lifted one corner of his mouth.“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.”

“We’re probably not going to remember any of this tomorrow,” he said with a chuckle in his voice.

“Probably not.I’m pretty drunk.”

“I normally wouldn’t be, but I’ve had like nothing to eat all day, then barfed it all up on the ferry.”

I snorted.“Me too.”

His eyes lit up like twin, blue flames and he pried his big body off the bed again, moving to the spot on the floor where I’d carelessly dropped his bag.The crinkling sound of a bag echoed through the room, then he hauled out an enormous Costco-brand bag of mixed nuts.“I’m willing to share.Seeing as you’re already a little nuts.”He set the open bag down in the middle of the bed and scooped a handful out for himself.

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