Page 22 of Don't Game Me
Uh oh.She shouldn’t have said that. The last time she brought this up they’d had a blow-out that resulted in him stomping out of her parents’ house.
He braked hard at a stoplight, throwing her forward and back in the seat. “Let’s get one thing straight, I won’t deny I’ve got a lot of experience. I don’t do more than one night. That’s what works for me. But I’ve neverbangeda woman.”
“Semantics.”
His eyes narrowed. “Every one of the women I’ve been with enjoyed the hell out of it. I never did it in a restroom or five minutes in a closet. What I offer takes time.”
She’d hurt his feelings, but her pride kept theI’m sorrystuck in her throat.
He didn’t take his gaze off the road. “I don’t like the Reid guy if he’s your new idea for a wedding date.”
Reid? She’d only flirted a little bit because Jake had been watching, which paid off. Jake sounded jealous. “He’s not a techie nerd like us. He’s different. Differences can be interesting.”
“He probably wouldn’t even understand what you do. So, what’s your plan with himafteryou’ve slept with him? Sex is great when the chemistry works, sometimes even if the chemistry isn’t there, if he’s good, which I doubt. But afterward?”
“Who said anything about sleeping with him? I just need a date for the wedding and maybe tonight, although it’s getting a little late to organize it for tonight.”
He granted her a double eyebrow raise of skepticism. “Wedding date? Implies…you know, afterward.”
“Maybe for youwedding dateimplies automatic sex afterward. I haven’t heard that’s a thing. I’m sorry I misspoke and said hookup yesterday. I meant date.”
She shifted uncomfortably, her body now hot and achy at the thought of sex with Jake.
“Subconsciously, you want a hookup.”
Maybe with you.Her face scorched.
He met her gaze. “You’re not a one-night-only kind of girl, Bec. You’re the kind who plans a relationship with togetherness and intimacy shit. If you hook him and he’s in it for more than one time, and if he’s even okay with long distance for a while, then what? What are you going to do when he doesn’t want to sit through a Star Wars marathon until two a.m. or refuses to see the newest Avengers movie?”
“Everyone likes the Avengers.” Were they still talking about Reid?
Jake blew out a long breath. “Not everyone can stand Tony Stark or Thor’s hair, although he cut it in these past few movies, thank God.”
“Oh, come on. Thor had amazing hair. And his arms…” A dreamy smile tugged her lips upward. “What about the Black Widow in tight leather?”
“She’s not bad.” He grinned. “Not everyone wants to see Star Wars in super high def with surround sound.”
She shot him an eye roll at the reminder of that night several years ago when Jake caught her watching Star Wars in her brother’s video game screening room at their office. She’d borrowed the jumbo screen with the badass sound system to get an authentic theater experience. “How do you know he doesn’t like Star Wars?”
“Are you kidding me? He wore a purple polo shirt.”
“Fine. He probably isn’t into Star Wars, but everyone can adjust movie taste. I’m not looking for long-term. I only need a date to go to the wedding. Maybe, if my date’s good, we’ll hook up.” She chanced a glance his way.
His jaw tensed. “This isn’t like you.”
“I’m not asking you for anything afterward. All I need is a date to the wedding.”
“Uh-huh.” His phone directed their destination was up on the left. “There it is.” He pointed at a strip mall. “Looks like a small-time operation. Your mom must’ve really been doing a friend a favor to come so far out here. Let’s get this done.”
She let him lead into the small printing shop in the rundown mall.
Jake smiled at the middle-aged receptionist with fried blonde hair. “We’re here to pick up the Harrison wedding items.”
In true Long Island fashion, she harrumphed as if he’d put her out that they asked she do her job. She plunked a huge box on the counter. “Harrison wedding stuff. It’s all there.”
“We need to review it before we leave,” Jake said.
Becca sifted through the place cards. “Oh, no. These are misspelled. They made the Kempers into Keepers. There are a lot in the Kemper family.” She placed aside twenty-two cards. Next came the menus. “This is bad. They forgot to put the dessert on the bottom. Tori will flip out. Yes, there’s wedding cake, but Tori also had the catering restaurant do a tiramisu.”
