off on hurting myself. That’s the difference between us, Little Red.”
Her face screws up. “I’m sorry, is the guy who doesn’t even want to look at me while we’re fucking trying to give me advice on building a better self-image? This is just a lot of irony for one conversation.” It comes out just a touch too caustic to be confused for mere sarcasm.
I stare down at the top of her head, realizing that I possibly, somehow, managed to hurt her fucking feelings.
Jesus Christ.
I shift my weight, trying to think of something to say, and it’s stupid. Georgia ruined my goddamn life. I should rub it in, make the sting that much sharper. It’s no less than what she deserves.
Instead, I stand rigidly against the wall, flustered and off-balance. “It’s not about you.” I stare off at the cats as they devour my crushed burrito. “I mean, come on. Those tits of yours are legendary. Who wouldn’t want those things bouncing around in front of their face?” Unbidden, I’m struck with the memory of the dream. Her riding me. The way her slender throat looked when she threw her head back, drawing my eyes right down to her tits. Fuck. I try to shake out of it, huffing as I look down into her confused eyes. “Ask Sydney. Ask Reagan. Ask any girl I’ve ever fucked, and they’ll tell you I did it with all of them the same way.”
Those big green eyes flutter with a blink. “Why?”
I break her gaze before curtly saying, “I don’t like people looking at me. It makes my dick soft. End of story.” I feel her eyes on me, but refuse to meet them. I’ve given her too much already.
Gently—almost shyly—she asks, “You’re not just saying that?”
I gape at her, wondering why the hell it matters. It’s not like Georgia likes me. Why would she care whether or not I wanted to look at her? “Do I strike you as someone who tells you something to spare your feelings, Haynes?”
Fucking girls, man.
“Oh.” There’s a long beat of silence. I can hear the birds over the lake in the distance, the far-away sounds of kids laughing. Georgia shifts, legs stretching out in front of her. “You’re wrong about me not getting off on treating people badly. If my therapist were here, she’d say I’m being unfair to you. That I’m going to have to figure out how to make lasting relationships and respect other people’s boundaries. I can’t just keep chasing the same high over and over again. The crash is too hard. I think...” She swallows loudly, worrying at the silver bracelet around her slender wrist, spinning it around and around. “I think that’s why it has to be you. Of all the people I can hurt with this, you’re the only one I wouldn’t feel bad about.”
“Ouch. A guy can feel a little used, you know.” The deadpan look I give her cushions the reply, making her eyes roll.
“Like you don’t deserve it.”
I take a paranoid look around before dropping to settle beside her against the wall. “I know you’re new to this whole revenge thing, Little Red, so let me give you some pointers from a seasoned pro. Fucking a guy until his brains are goo isn’t really much of a hardship.” I slide my eyes to hers, voice slow. “Especially not when it’s some particularly hot pussy.”
Despite everything, her cheeks actually go pink. “Shut up.”
Because I was serious before about not bullshitting for the sake of it, I bluntly add, “The pussy is tight, Little Red. The mouth could use some work, though.”
She stops spinning that bracelet to extend a middle finger.
“You’re kind of a bitch, you know,” I tell her, watching the cats finish the last of my breakfast. “You did me dirty as fuck. Going to the cops over some bullshit like that was a lame move.”
She turns wide, infuriated eyes on me. “I keep telling you! You did this to yourself, Heston!”
I shake my head. There’s no way I’m giving her that one. “It was a shitty move. There’s no honor in using the law to do your dirty work. But this?” I give her a long look, seeing her in a new light. “Using me like a piece of cheap meat is the only respectable move you’ve made.”
She groans, head falling back against the wall. “Well, that’s the last nail in the coffin for my pride. Heston Wilcox is calling me respectable.”
“Hate me all you want, but