Bittersweet (Redemption #3) - Jessica Prince Page 0,12
made quick work of unlocking the car and climbing in, desperate to get away from this guy and the unwanted feelings he provoked. However, before I could make my escape, he grabbed hold of the frame and stepped between me and the door, preventing me from pulling it closed.
Leaning in so close the smell of his cologne filled the entire cab and overwhelmed my senses, he asked, “You really don’t like me, do you?” His eyes shone with genuine curiosity.
His proximity muddled my brain, but I still managed to keep my voice from trembling like my hands and knees were as I answered. “It doesn’t matter what I think.”
“Wrong, sunshine. What you think is all that matters.”
My mouth fell open in shock. I didn’t know what I’d been expecting him to say, but it certainly wasn’t that. As I stared in shock, the egotistical attitude I’d gotten used to in our few short interactions faded away. His dark, broody eyes changed. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on flickered through their depths. All of a sudden, one thing became perfectly clear: If I wasn’t careful, Jensen could uproot everything I’d worked so hard for. I couldn’t let that happen.
“Well, it shouldn’t. Find some other girl to screw with. I’m sure it won’t be a problem for you.”
“Not interested in any other girls,” he said, his voice low and raspy, causing goosebumps to break out along my arms.
“That’s too bad for you, because I’m not interested,” I said with a conviction I wasn’t feeling. “In fact, my friend Rina wanted me to talk her up to you. I bet you two would really hit it off. She wouldn’t mind you being an asshole, and you’d think she’s hot. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
For some reason, just saying those words made my stomach clench and my fingers tighten into a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel. The jealousy that spiked through me just then wasn’t an appropriate response at all. I couldn’t stand this guy. I didn’t want his attention. Or at least that was what I was telling myself. So why did the thought of Rina with Jensen leave such a sour taste in my mouth?
His jaw ticked, the muscle working as he clenched his teeth together. “You can talk your friend up all you want. It won’t make a difference.”
I was secretly thrilled and scared to death by his response. “Let go of my door, please.”
“Where do you have to be?”
“Jensen,” I growled, using his name for the first time, “move away.”
He leaned closer, those eyes flashing with lightning. “Then answer the question.”
“Work!” I snapped, losing grip on my control, and it was all his fault. I’d never felt this unbalanced in my life. “I have to go to work, and you’re making me late! And for your information, this right here is why I don’t like you. You do whatever the hell you want without giving a shit to how it affects anyone else. Now move . . . back.”
For the second time in a handful of minutes, he surprised me by shooting up and stepped away from my car. I instantly yanked the door shut and started the engine. He was still standing there as I backed out of the spot and drove from the parking lot.
And as I glanced in my rearview mirror, I told myself I didn’t care about the flash of melancholy I’d seen chiseled into his features.
But I knew that was a damn lie.
Chapter Four
Jensen
“Come on you son of a bitch,” I grunted, my grip on the screwdriver tightening until the color bleached out of my knuckles. I put all my power into trying to force that screw to turn, only for it to strip, causing my hand to slip. My knuckles scraped against the wood, slicing open and leaving a trail of blood.
“Goddamn, motherfucker!” Throwing the screwdriver across the room, I stood up and gave the boards a solid kick, making the wood splinter and snap. “Stupid piece of shit!”
“So is this the infamous temper you been tellin’ us about?”
I looked over my shoulder to find Gage standing in the doorway, shoulder propped against the frame as he took a huge bite out of one of my apples. “I told you, asshole. If you’re gonna keep raiding my fridge, you have to put in for groceries.”
Laeth joined us just then, coming up beside Gage and lifting one of my beers to his lips. “What’s goin’ on?”