I’m exhausted. After baking my ass off and running around town like a crazy person while wearing a damn dress, I’m done. As I lock up the bakery, I walk outside and am happy. Even though a faint smell lingers, the shit’s gone. On the way home, Mila calls me and asks me if I’m still coming over, so I lie and tell her yes. Truthfully, I forgot I talked to her earlier this week. I give her a brief overview of today’s events and promise to tell her more when I get there.
As soon as I arrive at her house, she’s asking fifty questions, so I explain everything.
“You’re totally crushing on him.” She hands me a glass of wine.
“No. I’m pretty sure I hate him,” I hurry and defend.
“Liar.” She waves me off. “You so do. And it’s okay. He’s a good-lookin’ guy. Nice when he wants to be.”
“He’s an asshole, Mila!”
“It sounds to me like you both have the hots for each other, and you’re both too stubborn to admit it,” she says matter-of-factly. “Chemistry like that means amazing sex. I mean, I already know you’ve been there and done that, but I bet it could be even better now.”
She knows about our night together, but I only told her. Mila’s my cousin and best friend and will take all my secrets to the grave. “All I want to do is junk punch him. I’ve had the worst day because of him.”
“I know you pranked him first, but this was a million times worse. This is a small town. He could’ve ruined your business’ reputation.”
“Yep.” I groan at the thought of what he did.
Her phone keeps vibrating, and she glances down at her text messages. By the way she’s smiling, I know it’s John.
I sip my wine, and Mila gives me the same devilish grin she had when we were younger and would do bad things. This means trouble.
“So. You want to get even?” She smirks.
“Of course I do.”
“Grab those pillows.” She points at the couch. “I have an idea.”
Chapter Eight
Braxton
I don’t know why I keep letting the guys drag my ass out to the bar, but it’s probably for the best, considering Kat might have a bounty on me by now. I’m actually surprised she hasn’t texted and threatened my junk yet, so I’m counting that as a win. She’s the one who started this after all. If she can’t stand the heat, she should get out of the kitchen.
As I take a swig of my third beer, I think back to this past week and the hell she put me through. First, she nearly killed me with her laxative muffin, and then she showed up at my house looking all sweet and apologetic, but I wasn’t having it. Bitterness still fueled my blood, and when I looked at her, all I wanted was revenge. Knowing what she dealt with this morning brings me pure satisfaction.
“Surprised Kiera even let you out of her sight,” I tease Jackson. He has a baby and twin toddlers at home.
“I had to pay up front, trust me.” He chugs his beer as if it’s his lifeline.
John’s two girls are having a sleepover at his mother’s, and this will probably be the last time the three of us get to go out together for a while. We’re either always working, or they’re with their families.
An hour breezes by, and the place is packed. I have a chick named Brooklyn on my right and Fiona to my left. Apparently, they’re ER nurses at the hospital in San Angelo and best friends. After buying them two rounds of shots, the three of us hit the dance floor.
Dancing comes naturally to me, so two-stepping and twirling each girl has them smiling from ear to ear. They laugh and can’t keep their hands off me. Normally, I’d be all about it and even offer to take them both back to my house, but instead, I have a certain brunette bombshell consuming my mind.
Fucking Kat.
Just the thought of her sassy, smart mouth has my dick hard. Though I’m sure the Curly Sue twins will assume they’re responsible, unfortunately it’s the entitled, snobby rich girl who kicked me out of her bed.
“Wanna buy us another round?” Brooklyn asks with an overly sweet tone.
“Make it a double!” Fiona pumps her fist in the air.
“You got it, ladies.” I’m nothing if not a gentleman. They both follow me like puppies and hang on an arm as I order us drinks.
Just as I give each girl her drink, I catch a glimpse of a woman stalking toward me with fire in her stride. What the hell? Kat is charging for me as if she’s about to claw out my eyes.
Smirking in victory, I see how much my prank this morning enraged her. I was wondering if she’d hunt me down.