Page 36 of Teach Me to Laugh

I stiffened to alertness. “No! I do not!”

The words sounded on a surprisingly audible snap and Beckett laughed a full-throated laugh.

“That’s what I thought. Come on, I’ve already paid the driver.”

He opened the door and my teeth instantly started chattering. I cursed Raina for her wicked manipulations as I thought about the little tank top I was wearing under the little thin jacket. It didn’t matter to Raina that there were thick flakes of snow falling from the sky, or that the temperature was way past freezing, “This is the cutest jacket ever!” was way more important than the possibility of me saying “Hello” to hypothermia.

Beckett opened the door to the foyer of our condo and I stepped inside. Warm air blasted over me, but I was still chilled. “Raina’s a horrible friend.”

“Why is that?”

“She convinced me to wear this . . .” I huffed. “I feel like a frozen pixy stick.”

“Pink looks good on you.”

I snorted; the man really was colorblind! “This is not pink. It’s army green.”

“I’m talking about the little tank top you’ve got on under the jacket.”

“You’re defending Raina?” I raised a brow, hoping I’d donned a haughty expression. “How dare you?”

“Women,” he thumbed the elevator button. “Can’t win.”

“Besides, I’m not really a pink girl.”

“Your wall is pink.”

“Oh my god,” I drawled. “It is not pink. Beck, we need to get your behind to the eye-doctor.”

“I like that,” he grinned, his eyes warming in a way I didn’t entirely know what to do with.

“What?” The elevator rolled open and I moved inside. I could feel him following close behind me, probably watching in amusement as I stumbled.

“The way you say my name.”

Warmth flooded my belly, but somehow I shivered. I couldn’t find the words I needed for a reply. I knew they should be cutting and just mean enough to send him the warning he needed to obviously cut ties with whatever hope he was entertaining, but I just couldn’t findthosewords.

I couldn’t find them because my silly heart was turning to goo in my chest. Seriously, any more melting and I’d be little more than a puddle on the floor.

“Well that’s good—because that’s your name.” Seriously? That’s the mean and cutting comment I come up with?

For the love of all that’s holy, I was turning soft.

“Yep,” Beckett moved another step closer, but I was saved from whatever cockier than thou bull that had been about to fall from his mouth as the doors rolled open.

I darted into the hall and toward our condo, and then I waited for Beckett because I didn’t bring anything but my ID and two twenty-dollar bills to the club. With the door swinging open, I was free to flounce inside. And yes, I flounced inside, totally rocking my baby pink tank top that totally didn’t suit my hard-girl personality.

Purple was as soft as I got, and that was because purple was, well—purple!

“Do we got anything here to drink?”

“You want more?”

“I’m feeling my buzz go down and I’m not ready for that yet.” I twirled to give him hopeful eyes, and this time when I wobbled, Ireallywobbled. My booty connected with the arm of the couch, but I continued babbling without missing a beat, “You can’t tell me that you and Kai lived here and didn’t have a stash.”

“You’re right.” He was watching me with an amusement that had my ovaries fluttering. Yes, my ovaries. “I can’t tell you that.”

God, the man was something else.

---