Page 77 of Rough Around the Hedges

Isa glared at me. “Don’t start with me, sluttypants. Do youwantme to tell everyone what you’ve been up to?”

I froze.

Shit.

She had me.

She was going to blackmail the hell out of me with that.

I cleared my throat into my fist before scooping the cat out of my basket and removing the blanket he’d been sleeping on. “I would prefer if you didn’t discuss my private business with other people.”

Susan wrinkled up her face. “Then don’t discuss your private business in public, dear.”

She made a very good point.

Either way, that put the conversation to bed. There was no way we could continue discussing my little mistake with Susan around. If anyone found out I’d slept with Oliver, it was no exaggeration to say that my life would implode.

But it wasn’t my fault.

I couldn’t help it. My base desires took over, and I’d been powerless to fight against myself. No—I hadn’t wanted to.

I knew full well that I could have pushed him away and said no. If I’d done it, he would have respected my wishes withoutquestion. I could have ended things at any time, and he would have done exactly what I wanted.

I’d simply been unable to, especially when he’d said he’d fuck me so hard I’d hate him all over again. It’d sounded just like a challenge, and I couldn’t back down where he was concerned. I had an innate need to fight and argue every little point with him. I had nobody to blame but myself, and now, I was kicking myself for my weakness.

Especially because I was wondering if I really did hatehim.

If I truly, honestly despised that man the way I claimed to, there was no way on Earth I’d allow myself to be swept along with his whims. I wouldn’t have ended up leaving the police station with him, much less going back to Hanbury House and taking a bath like it was some kind of hotel room.

I had no idea how I’d look him in the eye ever again.

Good Lord—the things I’dsaidto that man!

There was no way he didn’t think of me as some kind of wanton woman with a hate-fuck fetish.

Well.

It wouldn’t be an entirely incorrect assumption. My behaviour had been kind of wanton, and at the time, I’d most definitely wanted to sample such sex.

If only I’d been drunk, and it hadn’t been the middle of the afternoon in his office.

Where his mother stumbled upon us right after.

That was nothing short of humiliating. Perhaps more so than the way I’d spoken to Oliver when I was in the undeniable throes of lust.

Ugh.

Undeniable throes of lust?

Where did I get off talking like I was in some raunchy historical romance novel?

Had sex taken over my brain? Was I now… Isadora?

Gasp.

The thought was too much to bear.

“Hello?” Isa’s voice cut through my mental reverie. “Of course she’s not answering her phone. She’s tit-deep in chickens right now, Paula.”

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