Were there really that many genuinely nice guys out there?
If there were, I didn’t know any of them.
Every single one of them were imperfect in different ways.
Asher was right.
I might be an asshole sometimes, but I did care about Lauren’s future, her well-being, and her happiness.
I chugged down the last of my beer and stood up.
“Leaving so soon?” Asher said lightly.
I glared at him. “You really are a manipulative asshole sometimes.”
He smirked at me. “It’s not like you didn’t know that you were being manipulated.”
Yeah, I knew, but I hated the fact that my older brother knewexactlywhat buttons to push to get my ass in gear.
“Let me know how that apology goes,” Asher said stoically as he opened the front door for me.
My irritability with my older brother fled the moment I walked out his door.
Every thought I had was focused on what in the hell I was going to say to Lauren.
If I was truly going to give this relationship everything I had, she was going to have to be willing to talk to me first.
Lauren
“What are you doing here?” I asked Cole as I opened my front door later that evening.
I almost hated myself because my heart skittered the moment I saw his handsome face.
He’d literally blown my emotions off, but I still couldn’t seem to get over my instinctive reaction every time I saw him.
Dammit!
He looked so handsome, standing on my doorstep in a black jacket and a pair of jeans, that it took my breath away.
“We need to talk,” he said as he strode through the door like he lived here and did it every single day.
“We don’t,” I said coldly. “I think you said everything you wanted to say this morning.”
I was still mortified that I’d blurted out exactly how much I was attracted to him, and then he’d proceeded to inform me that he wasn’t the man for me.
I’d been humiliated, but that humiliation was giving way to anger right now.
I was flabbergasted when he removed his boots and jacket, as if he planned on staying for a while, and left them near the door.
“I didn’t,” Cole said gruffly as he closed the door. “I didn’t say one damn thing that I really wanted to say.”
“You said enough,” I said as I put my hands on my hips and glared at him. “As soon as you found out that I was really attracted to you and that I was sexually inexperienced, it freaked you out. You already told me that you aren’t the man for me. I don’t think I need to hear anything else.”
“I lied,” he said huskily as he pushed me gently against the door, pinning me in when he rested a hand on each side of me. “It was complete bullshit. The moment I realized that someone had hurt you and that you were inexperienced, it scared the hell out of me. I didn’t want to be the second guy to let you down. I can give you all the sensual pleasure you want, angel, but I’m going to suck at romance.”
My heart was pounding so hard that I could barely take a breath as I looked up at him.
Should I still be mad that Cole had brushed me off earlier?
