Page 9 of The Jackpot Screwer
Great. Fuck my life.
Wondering if I had enough disinfectant spray for the treatment bed after Jim’s visit, the door to my salon pushed open. A huge bouquet of pink and white peonies appeared followed by a shock of deep auburn hair.
“Carter,” I sighed.
“Hey, Lollipop.” He let the door close behind him and poked his head above the flowers, giving me a shy smile.
My damn stomach did a flip, as it always did when he gave me his ‘apology grin’. He was so damn cute. I hated him for it.
“I came to say sorry,” he said pushing the bouquet toward me.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you.” I took them from him. “And I’m sorry for throwing my shoe at you. How’s your head?”
He shrugged and touched the side of his head. “My mom says where there’s no sense there’s no feeling, so…”
“You were an idiot,” I replied, narrowing my gaze at him.
“I know, but in my defense your ass does look amazing.”
Trying not to look at him, seeing as he was much too good at winning me around with his array of smiles, I put the flowers down on the desk.
“Do you have a vase?” he asked. “I can get it for you.”
I shook my head. “Lilah is having her lunch and is on a call to her boyfriend. Best leave her alone, they’re having issues.”
Carter looked a little sheepish as he bit on his bottom lip. “Not just us then.”
“Well, I doubt Gary told Lilah she had a fat ass.”
“I apologized. And I’ve seen Lilah, she’s real skinny.”
Blinking slowly, I tried to compute what he’d just said. “Did you just tell me that Lilah is skinny but I’m fat?”
“What? No, you know I didn’t.” He threw his hands into the air. “Shit, Lollipop, I just can’t win with you.”
“No, you can’t,” I replied, leaning closer to him. “So, you may as well leave.”
“I’m not leaving until we sort this.” He folded his arms across his broad chest and leaned against the wall, planting himself for the long run by the look of things.
My blood boiled. “I don’t want to sort it. In fact, I’d be happy never to set eyes on your stupid face ever again.”
Carter grinned and slowly licked his bottom lip, his eyes twinkling, no doubt with some idiotic plan to make me cave.
“Stop looking at me like that,” I snapped. “It’s not going to work.”
Carter’s eyes went immediately to my boobs which were heaving pretty rapidly.
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yes,” I bit back. “That’s pure anger getting my adrenaline going, don’t think for one minute it’s anything else.”
His head cocked to one side as his gaze moved up and down my body. Just having him watch me was a turn on, but I’d be damned if I’d let him know that.
“Sometimes, Carter I wonder how high my mom dropped me.”
“I don’t understand,” he replied, frowning.
“Well, she must have dropped me on my damn head for me to fall for you. You’re nothing but a…”
