Page 78 of Average Joe

“You know, this is a tough business.” He draped a long arm out his door and rubbed at a smudge on his side-view mirror. “Not safe for a good girl like you.”

“Whatever gave you the impression that I’m a good girl?” I asked, playing his game, continuing with the ridiculous banter.

“My offer still stands.” He tapped on the side of his door, then finally met my eyes, his own gaze dark and full of warning. “We work together, nobody would dare touch you.”

Translation:Give me what I want and no more unfortunate fires.

My legs turned to rubber. Fear slithered under my skin, leaving prickly bumps from my neck to knees in its wake. Why had he waited so long to make his play?

“Thank you.” I wanted him gone, but I hadn’t much fight, so I said, “I’ll give your offer some consideration.” Then, hands shaking, I closed the window and turned my back on a man nobody turned their backs on.

First, an attempted break-in, then someone casing my house, and now, Harper laying down a threat. Warning bells anyone?

I did need a home security system. Or maybe gnarly, killer attack dogs like Halle Berry had in theJohn Wickmovie.

Lilly threw her hands up in frustration. “Why don’t you tell him where to go?”

“Because I know his type too well.”

Though she’d heard tales of my deadbeat dad and his epic misadventures in fathering, she didn’t know the extent of what he’d put me through or his past dealings with Johan Harper.

Thankfully, Lilly was brilliant at reading my moods and knew not to question further. She moved around me and stood at the register. “So, Joe invited Marco for a BBQ this weekend.”

I played it cool. “He did, huh?”

“He didn’t tell you?” she asked over her shoulder. “I was hoping you could fill me in because, apparently, it’s men only.”

My gut sank. No good could come of that private event. “Men only? That’s strange, isn’t it?”

“Right? I mean, they only met once that I know of, and Marco hasn’t spoken a word to Joe since.” She turned around, arms crossed. “Joe didn’t say anything?”

“Like I said, we boink, I go home.” I shrugged, pretending not to care. “Not much time for talking.”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes before asking, “How many orgasms have you had in the last five days?”

“Twenty-six.” I threw out the number at random. “Not that I’m counting.”

Her eyes widened. “Twenty-six?”

“Something like that.” I waved a hand like her line of questioning was bothersome.

“That’s, like, five a day.” She crossed her arms, head shaking in awe. “I can’t even do that with my vibrator.”

“Mornings. Nooners. Evenings.” Yes, I exaggerated, but I rarely got one over on Lilly, and when I did, I had fun. “We get started early. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with no talking or feelings involved.”

Lilly stared long and hard, her wheels clearly churning. Then she laughed and smacked me with a towel. “You’re so whooped.”

“I like sex,” I said with a shrug. “Joe’s good at sex.”

“Liar.” She huffed. “You’ve got it bad.”

I couldn’t afford to have it bad.

Joe and I had fun, and that’s all our trysts would ever be—a good time with no expectations.

“Get to work,” I ordered, pointing to the pink neonOpensign.

No longer cursed with the perma-grin, but unfortunately still agitated, I continued with my morning routine. My thoughts ran rampant. Aside from being a freaking juggernaut in the sack, Joe was fun, and I looked forward to seeing him every day, even if I only stole a peek through my curtains when I heard the rumble of his motorcycle or the annoying squeak of his garage door.

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