for you, it’s not love, and no amount of trying to make it love will fix things.”
He pulled into the parking spot reserved for her. It was one of the best spots in the building. This row was close to the elevators, the spaces larger than the tiny ones on the floors above. It was another perk that came with being the head of a lab, one she rarely used, but when she’d offered to let Pete use it, he’d paled and said no one wanted Jessica to catch a non-lead using the spots.
She wasn’t trying to make last night into some kind of love thing. It was what it was. Good sex, and she liked Hutch. Really liked Hutch. “Should I talk to him?”
“Yes. Him. You should talk to him.” Kyle suddenly sounded enthusiastic. He put the car in park. “You should have talked to him before you slept with him. I’m sorry. I’m putting that on you when it should be on Hutch. You were looking for a good time. He was looking for something more. He should have talked to you and figured out you weren’t on the same page.”
“I wasn’t looking for a good time.” She slid out of the car and grabbed her braces. She hated using them, but the cane wasn’t going to do it after what had happened in the locker room. It would be days before she would be back on her cane.
Hutch hadn’t seemed to mind.
“It’s okay.” Kyle shut the door and hit the button to lock it up. “You don’t have to make excuses. Sex for sex’s sake is normal and healthy. But I would suggest you think about it before you hop in bed with him again. He’s looking for something you’re not, and you could hurt him. And I say that knowing I’m going to get kicked out to the couch again. Did I mention your couch sucks? It is not comfortable.”
“Yes, it is.” She sat on that couch and watched TV all the time. Sometimes she fell asleep when she didn’t want to go to bed.
Hutch had been the best body pillow ever. She’d wrapped herself around him and slept like a baby for once.
“You ever laid your six-foot-three-inch body out on that sucker?” Kyle stopped as a familiar Maserati pulled up and the driver’s side window rolled down.
“Hey.” Jessica looked Kyle up and down like he was a glorious package wrapped up for her. “Long time no see.”
Kyle gave her a smooth smile. “You said something about a job. I want to get off my brother’s girlfriend’s couch.”
Jessica’s perfect red lips parted. “Excellent. Meet me up in my office. I’ll get your paperwork started.” She turned slightly Noelle’s way. “LaVigne, I need to see you, too. I’ll come down to your lab this afternoon.”
Her stomach did a flip. That didn’t sound good. Maybe the job Hutch was doing would be over way sooner than she’d dreamed. “Of course.”
Jessica winked at Kyle and then her tires squealed as she took off.
“What’s the female equivalent of swinging a big dick?” Kyle asked.
She didn’t know, but it might be every single thing her boss did. “You should go on ahead. I’m moving slow today.”
Kyle’s eyes rolled. “Yeah, I’m eager to get up there and fend off Lady Ten Hands. Nah, it’s better to keep her waiting. See, Hutch should have kept you waiting.”
She frowned up at him. “I can’t decide if you’re telling me I should stay away from him or trying to make me feel like crap so I try this thing with Hutch again.”
A wistful smile crossed his handsome face. “I don’t know. Maybe both. I feel for the guy, but you’re smarter than he is. You don’t really know him. I would say try again, but it’s hard to go back. I’ve found you get one shot at doing something right.”
And she’d blown hers. They’d blown theirs by going too fast.
Her heart felt heavy, but she couldn’t throw herself into a relationship with a man she barely knew. She just couldn’t.
She followed after Kyle and hoped the day didn’t take a worse turn.
Chapter Eight
“Thank you for joining us, Señor Grumpy Face.” Big Tag sank into his chair at the head of the conference room table.
Right back where he started. Wasn’t that the story of his life? One step forward, two steps back and shoved to the street.
He was in a fucking mood. He glanced around the room. Big Tag was there, but Charlotte was not. In