“What if I apologize? I’ll apologize the whole way there if you’ll just say yes.”
“Go, girl. It’s covered here,” Kayla says as she steps inside. “Pete just hired Jennifer back and she needs the hours. Get the hell out while you can. Seriously, run.”
I let out a breath of frustration and turn back to Madden. “Getting someone to cover my shifts without my permission isn’t helping you any. Now go.”
He looks disappointed but doesn’t make a move to leave. “What do I have to do to make you say yes? Name it and I’ll do it. I don’t give a shit if it’s ten thousand dollars. It’s yours, Nat.”
“Well shit. I’ll go, but I can’t promise we won’t be married by the end of the trip.” Kayla smiles and takes a seat in the chair, bringing her eyes to rake over Madden’s body. “You’re one fine man. I don’t know who could ever say no to you.”
“Stay out of it, Kayla.” I turn back to Madden and try my best not to let his good looks sway my decision. Everything comes so easy for him that I’m sure he’s forgotten what the word no sounds like. “I don’t want your money, Madden. I just want you to leave so I can get things done. I don’t want to talk to you or your brother right now. Got it?”
His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t say anything as he turns around and leaves. The disappointment on his face right before he walked out the door unexpectedly made my heart sink, and I hate it. I’m supposed to be pissed at him, not feel bad for him.
“A little harsh, aren’t we?”
“No.” I take a deep breath and slowly release it. “They had no right to make plans behind my back. I’m pissed the hell off.”
“Oh, come on. You and I both know you want to get away and meet Logan’s friends. You’re just as curious as I am to find out if there’s some girl there that he’s been hiding you from or something.” She shrugs, picks up the phone when it begins ringing, and then hangs it up. “Going with Madden can’t be all that bad. He may not be the right Parker Brother for you, but at least he’s willing to bring you with him instead of hiding you away like some dirty mistress.”
I’ll admit it. I’ve thought about that before. That maybe there’s some girl from Logan’s past he’s not over yet and that’s why he hasn’t introduced me to anyone. Going with Madden just to find out is somewhat tempting, but it’s not that easy. Madden is not easy to resist. I don’t want any reason to be tempted by him. “You’re insane, Kayla. Do you know that?”
She nods. “So I’ve been told a time or ten.”
I can’t help but to smile, even though I feel like exploding inside. As much as I hate to admit it… getting out of here and away from the real world for a bit sounds nice.
It’s the whole part about being Madden’s girlfriend that I don’t think I can handle. It’s already hard enough to pretend that I don’t notice him.
Logan is extremely handsome, don’t get me wrong. But Madden… Madden is unexplainably attractive with his powerful features and mysterious personality. He’s completely alluring and almost impossible to turn away from. And he’s a likable guy on top of that, even though he’s mastered driving me crazy over the years.
The only way not to fall for him like millions of other women have is to keep him at a safe distance and pretend as if his presence has no effect on me. That whole ‘dating his brother’ thing should make it easy.
He may very well be right. I’m possibly the only woman who hasn’t fallen for him yet.
How the hell am I supposed to go away with him to the middle of nowhere for a week and not let my physical attraction for him show?
“…yo.” Kayla snaps her fingers to get my attention. “Are you going to take care of room three-ten or do you want me to? They just called and said the mini-fridge stopped working again. Have you even been paying attention?”
I shake my head. “I’ll take care of it. Just watch the front desk and don’t leave it alone this time.”
“Yeah, whatever.” She waves me off. “Next time I have to pee I’ll just grab for an empty bottle and do my best to not make a mess