“You just think because you’re so damn brilliant that everyone else is too. Then, when they can’t see your logic, you can’t be bothered. Your logic is so obvious to you that you can’t fathom anyone else having another opinion or idea. Rolling Stone thinks you’re so lethal and dominating and blah, blah, blah.”
Stopping my rant was impossible. He tried to cut me off by saying my name.
I didn’t stop, wasn’t going to stop until I was done. I needed this like I needed a thousand-pound weight lifted off my shoulders. “You’re not any of those things. You’re just an arrogant ass who can’t see past his own views, who can’t help anyone else to understand. I mean, would it kill you to elaborate for once in your life? To answer one godforsaken question? I mean, really—”
“Whitfield!” he shouted.
In the middle of a library. Like it was his right.
Startled, my mouth snapped shut.
He pushed me and I let him. Somehow, he irked me just enough to get under my skin, to move past my manners and let the raw, unhinged side out of me.
To my surprise, he started laughing. “I love your sass, woman, I actually miss it. Can you believe that?” His eyes twinkled. “But give me a chance to defend myself.”
His hand slid over to take back my plan. I sighed, knowing I’d overreacted. He didn’t owe me anything anymore, and even if he did, it didn’t matter. I started to apologize, “Look, Jax—”
He stopped me with a look. “Same goes from years ago, Peaches. Don’t apologize for letting me see you.”
His words brought back memories from that day on the lake. I shook my head because I didn’t want him to continue, didn’t want to remember how hard I’d fallen for him that day. Remembering meant this wouldn’t be just us here trying to shake each other from our systems.
“It’s still one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen in this world and one of the only things I can’t seem to live without. No matter how fucking hard I try.”