Page 49 of L.O.V.E

“Listen.” Martin dipped his head, wrinkles deepening between his brows. “You don’t have to leave on account of me.”

I shrugged free of his grip. “I’m not.”

His sigh was more irritation than relief. “We can be friends, you know.”

“Sure.” I took in his freckled face, his full lips. Felt nothing. “We can be friends.”

“We’re gonna celebrate.” He nodded toward Lacey’s door. “Why don’t you join us?”

“You guys have fun. I have to do laundry.” Ten paces from the elevator. Nine. Eight.

A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. “Nats. No need to be a bitch. This is about Ellis and Lacey, not you. So we didn’t work out. No big deal. We have to get over it for our friends.”

Bitch?Bitch? I turned so fast I teetered and instinctively grabbed Martin for balance.

Chest to chest, we locked gazes, mine heated, his hungry.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful.” Snapping his arms around my shoulders, he dipped for a go at my mouth.

When my palm met his cheek, he jerked back, then shoved me away, hard enough that I slammed into the wall and bounced right back to where I’d started.

“You fucking cunt,” he growled. “You don’t know what you’re giving up.”

Then and there, I lost my shit. I slapped him again. He thought I was done. I landed two good strikes before he wrestled my hands behind my back and had me pinned to his chest.

“Stop hitting me.”

“Stop being an ass.”

Whiskey-laden breaths hit my face. “Tell me the truth. Why’d you break up with me?”

“I’m not attracted to you. Simple as that.”

I had wanted to be. The man was definitely pretty to look at. Great body, not that I’d ever seen all of it. Sweet job. Fun to talk with when he wasn’t being a dick.

“We can give it another go.” He leaned closer. “I’ll be more present this time.”

“No, Martin. Now let me go.” I wiggled.

His grip tightened. “Not until you tell me the truth.”

“You want the truth? Fine. I’m in love with another man.” And that was true. So pathetic and painfully true. “I’m in love with a man I can never have. Happy now? Can you let me go?”

He didn’t. He walked me backward to the wall, then rested his forehead on mine, breaths labored. “We’re not so different, you and me.”

“How’s that?”

“I’m in love with a woman I can never have. Really fucking sucks.”

He wasn’t talking about me. That I knew. There was someone else. Had he cheated on me with the woman he loved, or had he cheated on her?

“We can help each other out.” His lips brushed my cheek. His hips curled, grinding against me. “Help each other forget these…other people.

“No.” I shrugged in vain, his hold too strong. “Let me go. You’re hurting my arms.”

“Not until you give me a goodbye kiss.”

“Let her go, Martin.” Cole’s face appeared inches from mine, murderous glare aimed at his best friend.

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