Page 14 of Running Into The Grump

I just needed something to occupy my mind.

However, it probably wasn’t the greatest idea because my feet took me to the romance section and there, proudly on display were tons of biker reads. And with every male image on the cover, all I could see was Jackson on his bike.

“This is stupid,” I muttered, turning around but pausing at the man who was standing there.

“At least we didn’t run into each other now,” he said, giving me a grin.

Okay, that disarmed far more than his snide comments did. I looked around, trying to see if there was someone watching us because this had to be a joke.

“You look scared?”

“I am,” I answered him, giving him a look. “You’re not biting my head off.”

“Neither are you. Strange how that works, huh?”

I crossed my arms as I gave him a pointed look, taken back yet again by his chuckle. Why the hell was that sound so hot? And why did it do things to me?

Nope, not going there. Not at all. Not again.

“Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of it and I don’t know if I like it.”

“You’d rather us be fighting?” he asked, his lips lifting into a smirk.

“Personally, I’d rather us not be anywhere near each other. I don’t think we get along too well, do you, Jackson?”

I planted my hands on my hips as I stared at him. Then I flushed as his eyes slowly traveled over me and my attire. That was not fair.

Maybe it was given that I had ogled him on his bike. Then I turned around and had dreams that I shouldn’t have had.

“Relax, Jacqueline, I don’t think we get along either. I just think fate likes throwing us together time and again, literally.”

“Right, agreed. What, uh, brings you by here?”

“Mom. She ordered a book and wanted me to come down to see if it was in. I told her to check the library, but she says you don’t often get new books in. Guess the old, dusty ones no one reads anymore end up at your place, huh?”

I rolled my eyes, making him laugh.

And damn it all to hell, that sound was really nice and I didn’t want to like it. Not one bit.

“Must you be that way? As if I get a say what I get sent.”

“I know you don’t. I’m merely teasing. Besides, it’s some Asian cookbook and I don’t think I’ve seen cookbooks in the library.”

I wanted to snap back with something, but he had a point. There wasn’t anything and it might be a bad idea to have some there.

But I sure as hell didn’t want to give him any ideas.

“Nope, we don’t. I’m surprised you even remember that. I mean, you never did much work when you were in the library. Just sat around, being a dumbass and staring at ladies. Sounds pretty much on par for how you are though, I guess.”

“I passed my classes with decent grades. I didn’t slack like everyone wanted to believe. I may not have been a perfect role model child, but I wasn’t some damn hoodlum either.”

“No, just the one time you tried blowing something up in my office, right?”

“So, I caught your jacket on fire. How was I supposed to know something was in your pocket that could have exploded with a little heat? And if I recall, much like most things you wear, it was an ugly jacket. It deserved to die.”

“Ugh, why do I even try to be nice to you? You have the same mindset and that’s never going to change. Can you please, please, just stop bothering me, huh? You stay on the other side of the street, so we don’t have to run into each other.”

I walked past him, making my way to the door but I stopped as Ms. Shelly smiled at me, a glint in her eye. It was the same glint I saw in Lina’s eyes and I’m starting to hate it.