Page 38 of Wicked Attraction

“Not good enough, Mo.”

Oh, he was fucking kidding me, wasn’t he? I whirled around to face him, no longer swayed by the way my heart beat just for him or the panty-melting scowl on his face. Now, I was pissed.

“I worked these shifts as a favor to you, Jasper. A fucking favor. If you want to fire me, then go right ahead because,newsflash, I don’t work here. Send me a text message to let me know because I’m outta here.”

“Hot date?”

The question came out with a derisive snort. His arms folded across his broad chest, a knowing expression on his face as if he knew me. Knew my life.

“Why do you care?”

He shrugged. “Who said I did?”

“Exactly. We both know you don’t, so stop with the questions. You get what you want and dismiss me like a fucking whore, so don’t start playing the role of a jealous boyfriend.”

I turned back toward the door and marched right through it, a head full of steam and heart full of anger ready to burst.

“Mo,” he called after me, but I did something I never did when it came to Jasper. I ignored him and kept walking. “Goddammit, Mo.”

“Not now, Jasper. I told you I’m tired.” And I couldn’t be responsible for whatever came out my mouth next. “Tomorrow. Midnight Mass. See you then.”

I felt the weight of his gaze on me as I pushed open the Lucky Lopez entrance harder than I needed to and walked across the parking lot, my heart slowly breaking as I slid into the waiting car.

Hulu spotted me in the rearview mirror. “Everything all right?”

I nodded, but Hulu’s kind gaze, so filled with concern, was my undoing. Tears fell down my cheeks, and I swiped at them angrily as if they were to blame for my current state of emotions.

It wasn’t the tears. Hell, it wasn’t even really Jasper. He was the same man he’d always been, the same man I had loved all these years.

Between hisall-powerful king-of-the-worldbehavior and my hormones, my emotions were all over the place. I could barely see straight due to my confused state of mind, and I needed to get my shit together.

“I’m fine, Hulu. Thanks.”

“Wanna talk about it? I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”

His kind words put a smile on my face. “Thanks, but I absolutely do not want to talk about it.”

“I’m here if you do,” he offered and drove me home. Hulu stopped outside Emerald Isle and opened the back door for me.

“Don’t let Jasper get to you, Mo. He’s stressed as fuck right now.”

“I know.” But it wasn’t just now; it was always. Jasper was a powerful man who expected everyone to do what he asked of them, no questions asked.

For years I’d been his happy little soldier, so I knew the last thing he needed now, with Sadie hanging on for dear life and some unknown shooter out in the world, was me changing shit up.

“I’m fine. Just a little emotional, probably from all the hours I’ve been working lately.”

He didn’t believe me, but thankfully Hulu was a man’s man and knew how to take a hint. He shrugged his big shoulders and stuck close to me.

“Then let’s get you up to your suite so you can get some sleep. What do you have up there, Egyptian cotton? Ten million thread count?”

I let out my first real laugh of the day. “Ten million?”

He shrugged. “I’m not fancy. Spent years of my life in the desert sleeping in a tent.”

“Eight hundred. I’ll buy you some.”

“Don’t do that. I might like ’em too much, and then I’ll be fancy like you.”

---