Page 16 of The Reading

“How do you figure?”

“Look around,” he said. “Do any of the guys in here look like they’re Irish enough to rock your world?”

It was hard not to get embarrassed by his harsh reminder of what I’d said earlier. While I had nothing against casual sex, I’d only said that shit earlier to needle him. I’d been feeling cranky, hungry, lonely, and horny, and I had wanted to take my irritation at all five of those things on him.

“Contrary to what you might believe, I don’t need you to change the water jug for me,” I huffed. “I can carry my own boxes, and-”

“Oh, can you just knock it off?” he snapped, his fingers white around his beer mug. “I get it, okay? You’re a strong, smart, independent woman, and you don’t need a man for anything.” Reign took a long, hard drink of his beer. “I get it.”

Okay.

MaybeI was coming off a little bit like a bitch.

“Look, it’s been a hell of a day,” I sighed. “Can we just…call a truce, have a few beers, then call it a day?”

His grey eyes weren’t giving anything away, but after a few seconds, he said, “Fine. Let’s drink our green beers like we’re Irish.”

“Too bad we have to work in the morning,” I muttered, my way of making idiotic, banal, boring chitchat. “I’ve always believed that the calendar makers got it wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s the day after the holidays that should be the recognized day off,” I explained. “Like Fourth of July, for instance. We should take the next day off as the holiday to recoup from drinking and staying up so late.”

“Like New Year’s Eve,” he said in understanding.

“Exactly.”

“Well, to be fair, St. Patrick’s Day is not a holiday. It’s a made-up holiday like Valentine’s Day or-”

“Hey, Valentine’s Day might not be a real holiday, but don’t tell me that you wouldn’t like to have the next day off, especially after hours of screwing all night long,” I challenged. “If any holiday needs a day off afterwards, it’s Valentine’s Day.”

Reign’s jaw ticked, but he didn’t argue with me. “That’s a fair point.”

Before either of us could say anything more, the bartender was back, a new beer in front of Reign. “Here you go.”

As he sauntered off, I asked, “How long have you been here?”

He side-eyed me. “Not long enough.”

“Well, I guess we’d better get started then.”

“One more thing,” he said. “I’m paying the tab, and I don’t want to hear a fucking thing about it.”

Good times.

Chapter 3

Sloane~

Everything was oddly comfortable until Reign went to visit the restrooms. Not sure if it was the beer, our bonding time in that jail cell, or the fact that I hadn’t gotten laid in months, but that green-eye monster named jealousy hit me in the chest when I saw a sexy blonde leprechaun step into his path on his way to the restrooms.

I watched as Mr. Manners acknowledged her, and even exchanged a few words. After excusing himself, he turned back towards the restrooms, and she turned back towards her friends. Now, it could be that I was just feeling catty, but she looked smug and as if Reign were a foregone conclusion.

Staring at her, I actually wouldn’t blame Reign for going home with her. She was beautiful, put together well, and even if her tits were fake, they looked like a good substitution from where I was standing. She even had a nice smile, and that bothered me more than anything else. She looked like she would fit right in at the company Christmas parties.

I chugged the rest of my green beer as I watched Reign making his way back to his seat. Not surprising me in the least, the blonde stepped back in the middle of this pathway, and I had to endure another round of her hitting on him and him being polite about it. For once, I’d like to see him tell a woman to change the water jug her-damn-self.

When he finally made his way back to his seat, the claws were out, though I was trying really hard not to shred him with them. “Making new friends?” I asked lightly, proud that my voice hadn’t come off like a snarl.

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