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.”Maybe the words came out as a challenge, because Danny blinked and shot his own extra-white smile back at me.“I was under the impression that Melissa was nearly every guy’s type,” he stated.“I’m not most guys,” I replied.“I like ‘em fast and easy.And slightly less classy.I don’t want to have to beg for it.I can tell just from looking at her, she’s outta my league.Not yours, though.You’ve got that sports car hum, haven’t you, Danny?”Melissa finally jumped into the middle of our little pissing contest.“Danny, I’ll see you in a minute, okay? I’m just going to grab my stuff from Cutter’s room.” Her voice was soft, and polite, and utterly unlike the one she used with me.Her fiancé leaned in like he wanted to kiss her, but she ducked toward my room too quickly for him to follow through.I debated – very briefly – the idea of not going after her.Of just standing there until she clued in that she couldn’t drag me around like her favorite fucking puppy.Second favorite.Danny is her favorite.One glance at the man made my decision for me.No fucking way was I hanging out with him for however long it took Melissa to grab her imaginary belongings.I’d kill him.She was waiting for me inside, hands clasped together, covering her ring, and one pathetic tear on her cheek.What a goddamned joke.“Please, let me explain,” she started.“I just needed to talk to him.”“He hurt you.Why the fuck am I even having to remind you of this?”She touched her lip guiltily.“It wasn’t on purpose.In three years he’s never done anything like that.”Three years? Fuck, fuck, fuck.This wasn’t some little thing that was going to blow over.The engagement meant something.Sunday dinners with parents and baby names picked out.“I went over there to break it off.I was worried you might be right.That he might be stuck in my head, and if I didn’t talk to him, he might be stuck in there forever.”“And somehow that ended in you wearing his ring and making out in the hallway? He went from being in your head to being in your pants?”“No.I mean, yes, he shoved the ring on my finger, and told me to keep it and he begged me to forgive him for last night, but I wasn’t making out with him.”“Save it, baby-doll,” I said contemptuously.“Cutter, you need to believe me.”How many times had Brandy said those same words before she tossed her own engagement ring back at me and moved in with Billy?I looked at Melissa’s face, trying to hold on to the fact that they were two very different girls.Jesus, how I wanted to believe her.I weighed it in my mind.“Go out there and tell him,” I commanded.“What?”“Now.Go.Out.There.Tell him to take his big-as-fuck ring and shove it up his too-tight-jeans-wearing ass.Tell him to fuck right off.Then come back here, and I’ll take you up on your oh-so-kind offer of mind-blowing sex.You begged me for it earlier, right? Get rid of that asshat out there, and come back in here, and I’ll let you have me.”Her eyes got wider and wider as I spoke, and I knew – I really fucking knew – I’d taken it a step too far when her mouth turned down, and she tightened her robe so far that I thought she might cut off her circulation.“It’s not that simple, Cutter.”Her words make me sick to my stomach.I had to grip the back of a chair to keep from doubling over.“It really is, Melissa.”She stared me down with that familiar, stubborn look on her face.The one she had before she made some bitchy, smart-ass comment, perfectly designed to cut me down and put me in place.Like she knew with complete certainty that whatever I’d just said was bullshit.Jesus.It was hot.It was what had attracted me to her in the first place, that unwillingness to back down.I needed to wipe it off her face before I convinced myself I was the right guy for her and that she could possibly be telling the truth.Before I dove across the room and sunk my tongue into her mouth.“I’m just glad I was right,” I stated before she could speak.“How does this situation make you right?” she demanded.“I wanted to prove you wanted to fuck me.Done.I wanted to prove you were a deceitful bitch.Done.And I wanted to humiliate you.Done.”Her face went ten shades of red.“Fuck.You.”“Never.” My voice was cold.“Go back to Danny.Fuck him.Marry him.Be his problem.Just stay the hell away from me.”She spun to go, and I closed my eyes.I couldn’t stand the thought of watching her leave.I heard her sharp intake of breath, and the slam of the door.Jesus.What did I just do?I needed to go after her.To explain why I was letting Danny have her.To tell her how fucking sick I felt about it, but that this was how it should be.For her sake.No.What I actually needed to do was to stop myself from doing any of that and let Melissa have a good goddamned life, uncluttered by a man like me.I grabbed my phone and dialed Galini, the ever-helpful probation officer.“Pleasant surprise, Cutter,” he greeted.“How was the wedding?”“Perfect.I still hate everyone in my family, and I still want to kick Juice’s ass.”Galini went silent, and I was pleased as fucking punch that I’d shocked him.I was tired of bending to his will.“You there, buddy?” I prodded.“I’m here, Cutter.Can I ask…Are planning on acting on your feelings?”I barked out a laugh.“Hell, no.I’m going home early, and I just want you to lock me back up.Give me an hour, okay, and then turn the monitor back on.”“You’re sure? You have the whole day to –““I’m sure,” I interrupted.“Over and fucking out.”I hung up the phone and put my head into my hands.Relief mingled with regret and I had to rein in a strong urge to break something.MELISSA“Did you get your stuff?” Danny asked.His voice was quiet.Almost humble.It hid any trace of the man he’d been the night before, and any trace of curiosity about Cutter, or why a man like that had let a girl like me stay with him all night without trying to sleep with me.Then again, I admitted to myself.The solid spank of rejection I gave him yesterday might’ve been enough to make him think I really am a frigid bitch.“Mel?”Crap.Had Danny been talking to me? I looked at his face, and remembered that he had asked me a question, but couldn’t recall what it was.“Did you get your stuff?” he repeated.“Oh.I made a mistake,” I replied.“I thought my purse was in his room, but it must be in yours.”“Ours [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]