Page 4 of Happily Ever Maybe

“You didn’t want me. And now you’re pretending you do andsaying I’m the reason you fucked up? Which you didn’t, by the way. Neither of us did. It happened;we fixed it. But it’s not our fault. And it’s damnsure not my fault that, apparently, you can’t keep your eyes off me.”

“I can’t keep my eyes off you because you’re the mostbeautiful woman I’ve ever met. You’re hilarious, brilliant, and good at whatyou do. Plus, you’re fucking sexy. That’s why I can’tkeep my eyes off you.”

“So somehow things I can’t change are why you’re pissed offat me?”

I threw up my hands. “I don’t fucking know.I want you. And that’s a problem.”

She was silent for a few moments before seeming to come to adecision. “Then have me. Get it out of your system. And maybe I’ll get it outof mine.”

I must have fallen asleep and was in the middle of a damnwet dream, because there was no way I had heard what Ithought I did. “What?”

“Do something about it. Because you’re as much of adistraction for me.”

I blinked at her, wondering what was going on. So, Ifigured…why not? Why not make this mistake?

I grabbed her shoulders and crushed my mouth to hers, hopingto hell we weren’t making things worse.

Chapter 2

Jennifer

He tasted like coffee and Gus. I hadn’t realized I cravedthis. No, that was a lie. Of course, I knew I wanted him. It was an issue.Perhaps not the problem he thought it was, but that was on him.

When he tugged on my hair, tipping my head back to deepenthe kiss, I moaned, my fingernails digging into his hips. As he pulled away,panting, I licked my lips and looked up at him.

“Okay, then.” I did my best to sound nonchalant, like Iwasn’t all worked up. But I was.

I was strong, smart, and could handle myself in anysituation. I was in a job where many men outside my core group thought I wasill-equipped just because I had ovaries instead of a dick. Yet I could outclassthem all. I knew how to get shit done. I knew how tostand on my own two feet.

But with Gus’s hands on me, roaming over my body, touching,squeezing, tasting, it was hard for me to remember my name, let alone what Iwas supposed to be doing in the situation. Oh, yes, I should be taking control.Telling him to get over his fucking self and not blameme for his mistakes.

And yet…it wasn’t there. All the words I needed were gone.Poof. I didn’t care. I wanted more. Needed more.

“Jen,” he whispered against me, nibbling my jawline.

I kept touching him but didn’t respond.

“Do you really think this will solve anything?” he growledagainst my lips, even as he tugged my shirt up so he could touch skin. Hisfingers were rough and calloused, and it nearly sent me over the edge.

That was new and interesting—the idea of coming from merelya touch of skin against skin.

What was it about this man?

“Who’s saying we want to solve anything?” I asked, soundingfar more together than I felt.

He looked at me then. I stared into those eyes that didsomething to me and told myself it was fine. The thought of his beard againstmy skin and his calloused fingers against my flesh was enough. Only a taste fornow so I could get over it. Get over him.

I knew it was a lie even as I thought it.

“Then we don’t solve anything. We scratch the itch.”

My lips twitched. “We both know I suck at relationships.”

He laughed then, and it didn’t quiet the intensity inside.If anything, it made it burn hotter. We knew each other. In the past year, wehad risked our lives for each other, trusted each other with everything but thedeepest parts of ourselves, the quietest parts. So, perhaps it made sense thathim understanding me like that would turn me on even more.

“You know I’m not good at them either.”

“Then we do our best not to be good at them together. Justfor now. I’m not your distraction,” I said again, annoyed by the hurtin my tone. Neither of us had done anything wrong. Things happened, and weadjusted; everyone was safe. But if Gus thought he had done something and waslashing out because of it? I wasn’t going to be his punching bag.