Page 26 of I Want Crazy (Loco, Texas 3)

“Of course, it’s Eddie Vedder.”

“Well, who wants to hear about a kid committing suicide?”

“Touché, and yet, if you hug me, I will hurt you.”

But it was too late. He wanted to hug her, to hold her in his arms. She started to run behind the bar, and he jumped onto a table to slide across, but the old oak couldn’t hold his weight, and he heard the snap of wood before the table tilted and he was dumped on the ground. His shoulder and arm felt the numbing pain of impact, and he hit his head on the ground so hard, he saw stars.

He blinked, and Jessie’s concerned face hovered over him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. It’s no fun to say, ‘If you hadn’t been chasing me, this wouldn’t have happened’ if you’re really hurt.”

He groaned. “How do you look like an angel when you’re so damn mean?”

Her laughter made him smile, and when she put her hands down to help him up, he clasped her forearms and pulled. Her eyes widened as she fell over on top of him, and when she landed so hard she knocked the wind out of him, he conceded to himself that probably wasn’t the best idea.

As she struggled to get up, every curve of her body rubbed against him, and he felt his groin stir. A full-fledged erection pressed against his jeans by the time she pushed up, hovering above him. Her expression turned murderous but for the twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

“Do you feel better now? Can we get back to work?”

This close to her, with the smell of coconut tickling his nostrils, he was tempted to pull her down for a kiss, but he didn’t want to read into whatever this was. Right now, he was enjoying her company, even when they were arguing.

She didn’t wait for his answer, just started to get up. He climbed to his feet a second later and stared down at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“How am I looking at you?”

“Honestly? Like you either want to kiss me or strangle me.”

He laughed. “Is there one you’d prefer?”

“If I had to choose, I think I’d rather live.”

Well, that wasn’t terribly flattering. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t thinking of either.”

Chapter Eight

Jessie had a feeling she’d hurt Red’s feelings, and she hadn’t meant to. She had just been on the defensive after he’d pulled her down on top of him, because the minute she’d lifted up and over him, she’d been aware of every hard, bulging muscle under her and been intensely turned on. It would have been so easy to straddle his waist and bend over, kissing him until he rolled her onto her back and took charge.

She had a feeling Red wouldn’t be the type of guy to take direction.

Every time she thought about the different ways to satisfy the dull ache just being close to him caused, she talked herself out of it. He had told her himself he wasn’t interested in her like that. Besides, Jessie didn’t want to go there with Red. She liked him and had fun with him, and right now, he was the only friend she had in town, and if she was going to open her new bar without a lot of backlash, she was going to need support.

Not that she was using him, not in the strictest sense, but it was nice to have his help.

Setting her roller into the pan, she put up her hands. “Done.”

He continued to roll in silence. She was tempted to get him with a little cold paint,

but they’d have to get into Rand’s truck, and she didn’t think Rand would appreciate paint on her interior.

Coming up behind Red, she poked him right between the shoulder blades. “Hey. What bug crawled up your ass?”

“None, just painting my side,” he said.

She crossed her arms and waited. “You act like you’re pissed at me.”

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