Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 145155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
“I’m sure these girls get hurt,” I snap. Who in the hell does he think he is, anyway, frigging Dirk Diggler?
“Trust me, the kind of girls I go out with don’t expect more.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Can we just drop the subject because your mouth is seriously pissing me off?”
He smirks. “I thought you liked my mouth.”
“No, actually, not anymore. It’s a turnoff to think how many women you’ve slept with.” He looks down and he butters his toast while he processes my words but doesn’t say anything.
He stays silent as I finish my breakfast. I know the last line I have just thrown him has hurt his feelings but I couldn’t give a rat’s ass. There is no way in hell I’m going back there if that’s how much respect he has for girls he’s intimate with. That’s right, he doesn’t even know what intimacy is. Yuk!
“Let’s go,” I say as I finish the last of my coffee. I stand and head to the cashier. He follows and puts his hand on my lower back. I squirm away. He pays and I head to the car.
“Where are you going?” he calls after me.
I turn to look at him. “You can take me home now, thanks.” I turn back toward the car. I lean on the side of his Audi, my rear up against the door.
He leans on the car next to me. “Why are you mad?” he asks as he stares straight ahead.
“You have to ask?” I frown.
“Natasha, I’m not monogamous because I haven’t found a girl I connected with.”
“Why not?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe I never will.” He gives me a weak smile. That does sound a little better than what he told me ten minutes ago.
“Why didn’t you just say that instead of being so seedy?”
He bumps his shoulder into mine. “You don’t like seedy?” he smirks.
“I hate seedy.” I bite my bottom lip to stifle my smile.
“Anyway, I thought I was taking you pajama shopping.”
“What’s wrong with my pajamas?” I gasp.
“You have to ask?” he smiles as he throws my line back at me.
I narrow my eyes. “OK, but I’m picking, I want another flannel pair.”
He feigns a disgusted face. “Flannel,” he repeats. “I hate flannel.”
“Well nobody sees my pajamas and I like them.” I smile.
His face drops. “Why does nobody see your pajamas?”
I shrug and peek up at him, hating myself for revealing so much information. “It seems I have the opposite problem to you, Josh.” I quickly start to walk up the road. I am not having this conversation with him—how embarrassing. He doesn’t follow. He stands still, and I know I’ve shocked him. I turn. “Are you coming?” I yell out.
He nods and starts toward me. He reaches me and links his arm with mine as we turn the corner. “How long?” he blurts out.
“What?” I ask.
“How long?” he asks again.
I shake my head. “I’m not having this conversation with you, Josh, forget it.”
“Natasha, I need to know.” He stops still.
“Why?” I frown.
“I just do,” he repeats.
“Years, Josh, it’s been years.”
“Years,” he repeats. “Why has, I mean that’s not possible, I mean.” He stops again still. He looks at me and all traces of amusement have left his face.
I can’t help it, I giggle. “What?”
He looks shocked. “What’s funny?”
“You are,” I answer.
“How am I funny?”
“Why are you so shocked I haven’t been with anyone for a long time?”
“You had a boyfriend for years. Do you expect me to believe you didn’t sleep with him?”
“Believe what you want, you asked me.”
“Why?” he whispers. I shrug. “Tell me,” he demands. I stay silent, my eyes searching his. I want him to work this out for himself. He must know how I feel about him. Surely, he can’t be that stupid.
“Listen, are you taking me shopping or not?” He nods. “Just drop the twenty questions, OK.”
He seems to regain his composure. “OK.” He nods. “Where to?”
“I have to buy a dress for a wedding in three weeks.”
“Whose wedding?”
“A girl I went to uni with. Actually, will you come with me?”
“What, to the wedding?” He frowns. I smile. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he answers.
“Why not?”
“Because you know it’s not like that between us anymore, Tash.”
Did he just really say that? I fake a smile and rearrange my shirt to hide my hurt. “I know but we are friends, aren’t we?”
He nods. “Yes, but that’s not what I meant.”
“I know what you meant. If you don’t want to come, I can ask Simon.”
His face drops. “You want to ask Syral?”
I roll my eyes. “It’s Simon. I’m sure he would love to pick up the slack,” I whisper. I’m wicked. I’m so playing him right now. Come on, baby. Take the bait. “Well, if you won’t come with me as a friend then I’m sure he would come as a friend. You know what I mean.” I smile sweetly at him.