Page 41 of Second Go-Round

My phone rang at ten in the morning after I’d worked an overnight shift at the hospital. Cursing myself for not turning on the do not disturb feature on my cell, I rolled to grab the damn thing off my bed stand.

I didn’t recognize the number but was annoyed enough to answer anyway. “This better be fucking good,” I growled and lay back again, too bleary-eyed to keep my eyes open.

“Is this Jarod?”

Her sweet voice didn’t fool me any. The last fucking thing I needed was a spammer, and I was just pissy enough to mess with the bitch. “Unless you’re selling nipple clamps and vibrators, you can fu—”

“This isn’t a sales call.” The voice snickered. “This is Jessica Lindy. Reid’s girlfriend.”

“Oh, shit.” I attempted to blink myself awake. “Sorry.”

She laughed again.

“Everything okay?” I asked, wondering why the fuck Reid’s girl would be calling me when she didn’t know me from Adam.

“Yes. I just wanted to chat for a few minutes if you have time?”

“Sure.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and leaned forward, trying like hell to wake up enough that I wouldn’t just hear but understand whatever she’d called about. “What’s up?”

“Christine.”

My insides twisted tight. It had been three weeks since the night she’d shut me down when I’d been ready to take a chance. I’d never experienced such pain in my chest—not even when she’d coldly suggested I leave her apartment. While she hadn’t been as frosty the night at the fundraiser, I recognized the icy interior beneath her freckled skin I still longed to touch. Taste.

“What about her?” I asked, my tone rough from the lack of sleep.

“Her birthday is Wednesday, and I was wondering if you’d be interested in a second go-round with her.”

Christine and I already had more than two helpings of each other, but I knew what Jessica meant. I huffed a sarcastic laugh, although my cock liked the idea of burying inside Christine’s lush body again. “She kicked me out after our first night together.”

“She also explained how she shut you down at Mary Rose’s ball.”

My chest tightened as memories flooded my head. The matching pink dresses. The love and affection Christine had shown the little girl. The freeze-out that had burned me more than flames ever could.

“Look,” Jessie stated with a sigh when I didn’t respond, “the woman likes her freedom and enjoys the single life, but something about you threatened that—in a good way.”

“I don’t do relationships,” I muttered what I’d been reminding myself every time Christine and the desire for more crossed my mind. Nothing lasted—she hadn’t lied with that fire analogy she’d dismissed me with. She’d experienced firsthand knowledge of both ends of that tragic event. Loss and heartache.

“Neither does she—or so she says,” Jessie replied. “Personally, I think you’re both full of shit and are perfect for each other.”

Did Jessie not know about how Christine’s mom died and how it had traumatized her? How was it possible Christine had told me and not one of her best friends?

“No offense, but you don’t even know me,” I stated rather than asking and possibly being pushed to share a story that wasn’t mine to tell.

“No, but Reid does.”

I scratched the stubble along my jaw. “So that’s why my ears have been ringing a lot lately,” I muttered.

Jessica laughed again. “They should have been. Look”—her voice turned serious—“Christine is a great catch. She just hasn’t found the right guy yet.”

“And you think I’m that man?”

“Let’s just say that I know Christine, and if she says you’re scary as hell, dangerous with a capital D, then she’s thoroughly intrigued.”

“Could just be that our night was something out of her norm,” I offered. “I’m the unattainable paid escort. That would intrigue half of the female population.”

“Reid was also ‘unattainable’ at one time.”

Jessie had me there.

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