a husky voice said from behind him, startling Slade. He turned around to see Travis, his head tilted as he followed the shifting globes through the window.
“What are you doing here, Texas?”
“Guess I could ask you the same thing, boss.”
“Stop staring. You look like a pervert.” Slade playfully smacked the back of Travis’s head.
“Look who’s talking, perv.” Travis’s eyes still had not left the window. “Bro, is that Jessica over there? She has the best ass of the lot.”
A low growl escaped Slade. That was his woman’s ass Travis was ogling. “I’m not staring. I was walking by on my way to the gym.”
“WtF’s over yonder, boss.” Travis pointed in the opposite direction.
“Shut up, Texas,” Slade hissed. “Come on. We got work to do. I’m going to start docking your pay, asshole.”
Travis merely laughed.
—
Jessica felt like someone was watching her—the small hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. Bent over with her hair sweeping the floor, she peered through her open legs to see Slade staring at her ass. He was so focused on her derriere, he hadn’t bothered shifting his eyes half a foot down to her face. She wished she’d worn a little lip gloss, maybe some mascara…Gah! What was wrong with her? Slade was off-limits. She needed to remember that.
For a week after she’d told him it wasn’t working out between them, he’d called her numerous times a day, though she wouldn’t allow herself to spend any time with him. But she missed him terribly. The man who’d been by her side for just a few short months had made a deep and real impact on her heart in that time.
She must’ve looked so miserable that yesterday her very handsome (and very gay) physical therapist had seen her at EE’s and taken it upon himself to join her for coffee. He made her laugh with his wry comments about local town gossip, and when she left the diner she felt a little better.
But yesterday Slade’s phone calls had just stopped. And though she knew she was doing her best to protect him, she wasn’t sure if her heart could handle the cost.
—
It had been a long day at WtF Academy, and Slade had jumped off his bike outside his house when Chrissy stopped him.
“Have to get ready for a date,” he told her. “What’s up?”
“With Jessica?”
Slade took a deep breath and then blew it out. It was now two weeks since Jessica had broken up with him, and one week since he’d spoken to her. “No, Chris. Not with Jess.”
“Why? I don’t understand. I just don’t get it.”
Slade ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t understand either. But screw it. I’m not holding out forever. I called her more times than I want to think about, and then I saw her on a date last week. At this point, I’m pathetic. She doesn’t want to date me.”
“No way.” She paused to think about it and then repeated, “No way, Slay.”
“Chris, I appreciate your concern, but I’m done talking about this. She’s not interested. She dumped me. In fact, I think she’s seeing her physical therapist.”
Just then Jack walked over to them, Drogo by his side. The dog began to snarl as soon as he was close to Slade. “Who’s not interested?” Jack asked.
Slade rolled his eyes. “Guys, I’m not—”
“Jessica. He says she’s not interested in him, but she is. I know it. Those weeks she lived here with Slade while she was recovering, she talked about him all the time when I’d come over. And then when they finally got together, they were both so cute. I’d never seen my brother so happy. Those two were inseparable for months.”
“I don’t need a play-by-play,” Slade cut in. “She said she couldn’t handle all the women I’ve been with. I told her they don’t mean anything and she should just get over it, because I wasn’t with anyone else.”
Chrissy groaned and punched his shoulder. “No woman wants to see her boyfriend with other women or think of him with other women. And she especially doesn’t like it when the exes come up to you while you’re on a date with her. You’re so clueless, Slade!” She let out a breath. “And you told her to just ‘get over it’?” She shook her head.
“I wasn’t cheating on her,” Slade repeated. “It’s not my fault those women keep hounding me.”
“It still makes you look like an ass,” Jack said.
“A slutty ass,” Chrissy added. “Look, Slay, don’t give