“Well, it’s true what they say about nice guys finishing last.” Bella tugged her arm away for a second time and stepped back. “You know why they say that, Rhett? It’s because nice guys aren’t really that nice. They’re just- assholes when it comes down to it. They’re only being nice because they think they should and it’s a cover up. Anyway, this doesn’t have anything to do with that. It has everything to do with what I was saying. We don’t have the right chemistry. End of story.”
“Yeah?” Rhett’s left brow nearly shot to the sky. “It felt like we had some pretty good chemistry back there.”
“Just because you’re good with your tongue doesn’t make us compatible. It doesn’t mean anything will work and clearly, we like different things. Clearly, we’re comfortable with different things. I’m not your type. Plain and simple.”
Rhett growled low in his throat. “Would you stop telling me what my type is? Last time I checked I’m the only one who could decide what I do and don’t like and let me tell you, I like you, Bella. I thought that was clear, being that I flew halfway across the country and sat down and got a permanent fucking tattoo just so I could talk to you again.”
“You could have just stalked me to find out my address and come and rang the bell.”
“Would you have answered?”
“Definitely not.”
“Well then…”
“So, you like me, but you don’t like the head I give? I’m too dirty for you. Clearly.” Bella moved her hands to her hips. She stared Rhett down and he stared back at her. “I don’t need to play coy until I get what I want, because I don’t have a hidden agenda. I’m not like the other women you’ve been with and I’m sure as hell not a bit like my sister.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” Rhett’s mouth dropped open incredulously. “No, let me get this straight. You think that I think that it’s a bad thing. That you aren’t afraid to go after what you want? That you don’t play games?”
He slowly shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end in a spot near the back. It isn’t cute. He’s not cute. That damn hair sticking up isn’t cute. Nothing about him is cute. Don’t give in. Stay strong.
Slowly, she nodded.
“Come on, Bella. I’m standing out here, nude, in the middle of a field. There’s currently a mosquito biting my ass and probably ten more where that came from on my back. Can we please just go back to the car? I promise that I like you. I like everything about you. I- I definitely liked what you were doing. I just- maybe I’m the shy one. Maybe I really think a guy should be a gentleman and maybe, it’s been a hell of a long time- if ever- that someone offered to do that for me and maybe I just- maybe… is it okay for a guy to be the uncomfortable one? The shy one? The one that wants to wait a little bit before we do absolutely everything? Is that alright with you or should I just hand you my man-card right here and my balls in a bag?”
Bella’s stomach tightened. Okay, maybe she’d been a little too quick to take offense. Maybe she was too used to guys who honestly were just assholes. Guys who wanted to use her. Guys who manipulated her. Guys who screwed with her head and heart.
Maybe she was just so fucking jaded she wasn’t cut out for this dating bullshit.
Especially not with a guy like Rhett. Because he really was too nice, and he’d already been through hell and back with her sister. Bella honestly had no idea what he was even doing standing there.
She glanced back to the car. “You left the door open. The light is on. I bet it’s full of mosquitoes by now. It won’t be much of a refuge.”
“We could always take our chances with the house.”
“Ha, no.”
Rhett sighed. “Will you at least let me drive you home?”
“Naked?”
Rhett snorted. “I don’t know about that. I’ll probably get dressed first so I don’t get arrested.”
“And so that your bandage is covered up. I hate to tell you, but it’s actually leaking plasma and blood and goo down your leg right now.” Bella glanced to the edge of the bandage, where, sure enough, their little extracurricular activities had disturbed the tape around the edges and the wound was leaking. That was nothing new. Hers always did that unless the shop had those second skin bandages that they basically taped on. Those things were wicked to take off after though and she much preferred the leaky bandages.
“Oh- my- god.” Rhett paused and it was pretty funny, him standing there, bent over, inspecting his leg, butt fucking nude.