Page 26 of Stuck with the Grump

“I have. When I get back to the city, I have a few properties lined up to look at but it’ll be questionable if any of those work out. I don’t think I’ll be able to get the loan I need.”

“I could pull a few strings,” he said slowly. “I know a few people that would likely give you the loan you need to get started if I talk to them.”

I scowled and shook my head, looking back down at my notebook. “I don’t want your money or need your help.”

“I have more than enough money and connections to help you, Leigh. It’s what friends in the business world do.”

I scoffed and got to my feet, crossing my arms over my chest. “Yeah, so then everyone can say that the man who was sucking on my neck in a grocery store bought me a business.”

His face fell, the easy expression he wore turning into a deep frown. “Leigh, that’s not what people would say at all.”

“It would be. You know that and I know that. I would be the center of horrible news stories again because of you.”

“A simple no thank you would have been enough,” he said gruffly, getting to his feet. “I know you’re dealing with a lot right now, but it doesn’t mean you have to be cruel.”

“How hypocritical of you.”

He shrugged as he left the room. “I thought you were better than me.”

I followed him out in the hallway, not knowing what to say to him. Clarke wasn’t waiting for me to say anything either. He crossed the hallway and walked into his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

“Shit,” I said, running a hand through my hair.

He had just been trying to help and to be honest, I could use the help. Leaning against the wall, I took a deep breath and sighed. Nothing was turning out the way I wanted it to this week. My peaceful time alone had turned into a cancer diagnosis and fighting with a man I hadn’t expected to see. Of course, it was par for the course with us. Over the years, if we had seen each other at events, there had always been a moment where we argued for no real reason.

Tyson liked to say that we were both too stubborn and driven for our own good. A week ago, I wouldn’t have believed him. I would have said that Clarke was a pig-headed male and carried on with my day. Now, I was left seeing the truth in my brother’s words.

There were very few things I hated more than Tyson being right.

I groaned and tilted my head back, staring at the ceiling before pushing off the wall and walking down the hall. There were a couple of different ways I could go about repairing the mess I’ve made but the ache between my legs urged me to Clarke’s bedroom.

Clarke was sprawled across the bed, a book in his hand and his shirt tossed at the foot of his bed. I leaned in the doorway for a moment, committing every ab to memory. Clarke glanced at me over the top of his book before returning to it.

“What are you doing in here, Leigh?”

“I’m a bitch and you’re a bastard. We fight and claw at each other for dominance and unfortunately, it would seem that I am much weaker than you are.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked without looking up.

“I’m not very good at being just friends.”

Without giving a second thought to what I was doing, I pulled off my clothes and tossed them to the floor in a heap. The cold air met my skin, making my nipples pebble as I walked to the bed. His eyes lifted from his book, moving lazily over my body in a way that set me on fire. The ache at my core was increasing, heat pooling between my legs as I approached the foot of the bed.

The wind whistled outside as Clarke rolled his eyes and got up from the bed, setting his book on the nightstand.

“Leigh, I think you should go. You were right.”

I bit my bottom lip, trying to steel my nerves as I crossed the room to his bed and reclined against the pillows. Clarke’s gaze lingered, his hands clenching into fists at his side before relaxing.

“You don’t really think that sex is a good idea right now, do you?”

I shrugged, leaning back against the pillows. I crossed my arms under my chest, making my breasts push together in a way he couldn’t ignore. Clarke’s gaze lingered, and I was close to dragging him into bed myself.

“Well, to be quite honest, I don’t care if we do or we don’t,” I said, trying to maintain my last shred of dignity.

What I really wanted was to tuck my tail between my legs and run back to my room. I could make a detour to gather snacks on the way before barricading myself in there until I could finally go home. The humiliation was on another level, but I wasn’t prepared to let him know that. I was not the kind of woman that was going to put her wounds on display. Instead, I would face him with all the bravado in the world until I was able to lick my wounds in private.

“Leigh, sex isn’t going to fix anything. We can’t just fuck to forget every time we have an argument,” he said, sounding exasperated. His shoulders slumped as he ran a hand down his face.

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