Page 31 of When We Were Reckless
He shrugged one shoulder. “If you want to ride on my bike, you need protection.”
I needed protection, all right.From Jesse.
“Wear a bikini.”
My jaw dropped. Who the hell did he think he was, coming into my bedroom and making demands on what I wore?
Why was he doing this to me? Why was he sending mixed signals and messing with my head? Anger and frustration had me planting my hands on my hips and narrowing my eyes to slits. “I thought you said you weren’t playing games anymore.”
“I’m not playing with you,” he said calmly.
I snorted. This guy was unbelievable. “But you want to see me in a bikini. Why? To see if I measure up to Tasha and Carly? I’m sure you’ll get your fill of Tasha in a bikini.”
He laughed. The asshole was laughing at me.
I brushed past him and stepped into my walk-in closet, slamming the door shut behind me.
When I returned to the bedroom in ripped black jeans and leather high tops, Jesse was checking his phone. I stuffed the shorts into my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and marched out of my room with him right behind me.
“Quinn.”
“What?” I snapped as I automated our security system on the touchscreen in the foyer on our way out.
“You’ve got it all wrong. I just wanted—”
“Yeah, okay. Whatever.” I didn’t want to listen to any of his excuses. “Save it for someone who cares.”
He sighed loudly, echoing my own annoyance with the way this day had started.
When we got outside to his bike parked on the brick courtyard, he stowed my things in the saddlebag and handed me a black and white motorcycle jacket. It was summer-weight, mesh, with padded elbows. It was a little big for me but fit better than I would have expected. He put on his own—a black, red, and white jacket—and put a white Arai helmet on my head.
“How does that feel?” he asked after he’d adjusted the chin strap, his fingers brushing my skin and making the hairs on my arms raise. God, why did my body have to react so strongly to his every touch?
His knees were bent so we were eye-level, and I averted my gaze. He was standing too close. I couldn’t think straight. “It feels fine.”
I didn’t even want to know whose helmet and jacket this used to be. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to spend the day with him anymore.
“How was dinner with your mom last night?”
“We ordered pizza and watched a movie.” Her flight was delayed, so she hadn’t gotten home until nine-thirty. “It was fun.”
His eyes narrowed on me like he didn’t believe me. “Fun, huh?”
“Um, yeah? I like hanging out with my mom.” What was his deal?
“And how were Evie and her sister? Was thatfun, too?”
“Why do I feel like you’re interrogating me?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Just making conversation. Friends tell each other things, right?”
“Yeah, sure.” But this conversation didn’t feel all that friendly.
I would have told him that I hung out with Walker, Ridge, and Evie at the swimming hole but not when he acted like this. The only reason I’d gone yesterday was to help Ridge and Evie. I’d kind of tricked Evie into thinking I wanted to be with Walker. Otherwise, she would never have agreed to it.
We had fun, something Evie didn’t get enough of in her life. So it was worth it.
“Was this your idea? The lake and my brothers….”And the girls. I waved my hand in the air.
