Page 76 of Worth the Fall

“What deal?”

“The deal we made the other night.”

“Oh, you mean your rules?”

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to believe any promises spoken when in the heat of passion?”

Heat of passion.

I level him with a glare. “Haven’t you realized yet I’m not your normal woman?”

“If by ‘normal’ you mean the type of woman who jumps out of airplanes, loves to eat food without shame, gives as good as she gets, and has no problem wanting sex for sex. Then, no, I’m sorry. I didn’t notice.” His face is stoic, but his eyes hold the humor and sarcasm his voice is lacking.

“Funny.”

“Perhaps, but it’s true.”

“The other night was a mistake.” Lie. Lie. Lie. I’m just so unnerved that he sees me so well when most days I can’t see myself.

“Nice try, but I call bullshit.”

“You can call it whatever you want, Malone, but it isn’t going to happen again.”

The corner of his lips curl as he shakes his head. “I’m glad you have this all figured out.”

“He chased you.”

Desi’s words come back and hit my ears as I stare at him and realize that he has the patience of a saint and she was right—he did chase me. He’s still chasing me.

So, why am I pushing him away again?

Because rules are rules. Now, I just need to stick to my guns.

“Look, I’m far from typical. Anything you might need to do out of obligation after sleeping with someone is not needed when it comes to me.”

“Like?” he asks as he folds his arms across his chest, leans a shoulder against the wall, and tucks his tongue in his cheek to fight from smiling.

“Like I don’t require the phone call afterward to make sure we’re both okay with the one-night stand thing. I don’t need flowers or apologies when you move on to the next woman. I don’t need empty promises or whatever else it is you guys do to soothe your egos. It’s all crap.”

“Every woman likes those things.”

“I’m not every woman.”

“So we’ve established.” He holds his hand up when I start to protest. “But no worries, I don’t do that. Just don’t tell my mom.”

“Good to know.”

“Is there a reason for so much hostility, Em? I’m sensing you’re mad at me, but if these are your rules, then how can you be?”

Silence falls in the small space as my tongue-tied thoughts spin and shift the conversation. “Look, we’re attracted to each other. There’s nothing wrong with that. We wanted out of each other’s systems. We screwed. We’re good.”

“So eloquent.” He lifts his eyebrows as his smile spreads.

“I’m serious. I barely have time to breathe most days, never mind have the time to deal with this kind of shit.”

“Wow. Way to knock a man’s ego—and dick—in the dirt.”