Irresistible (Cloverleigh Farms #1)(29)

“You didn’t freeze me out like this before. You didn’t refuse to look at me. We could joke around and talk.”

“Maybe I don’t feel like joking around.”

He crossed his arms. “Why not?”

I decided to be honest. Pretending was clearly not my thing. “Because, Mack. Last night meant everything to me and nothing to you.”

His arms came uncrossed and his solid chest stuck out. “That’s not true. It did mean something to me, Frannie.”

“Then why do we have to pretend it never happened? Why can’t it happen again?”

“Because there are too many complications. You know I’m in an impossible situation.”

“No, I don’t. Last night, you asked me what chances I would take if I wasn’t scared. I didn’t get the opportunity to answer you then, but I’ll tell you right now—I’d take a chance on you.”

His face softened, and his aggressive posture deflated a bit. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

Tears blurred my eyes, but I smiled. “Maybe I don’t. Maybe I am too young and immature. Maybe I’m stupid to think that you and I could ever be more than friends.”

“You’re not stupid, Frannie. And in another life, we could be.”

I shook my head. “There is no other life, Mack. This is the only one we get. Look, you probably have sex like that all the time, but—”

Mack’s jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me? I haven’t had sex in over a year. And last night was fucking amazing. I haven’t been able to think about anything else all day long.”

Braver now, I came off the door and stood up taller. “Then I don’t understand why you can’t give me a chance. I feel something for you, Mack. I have for a long time—I’ve just been too scared to act on it.”

“You were right to be scared.” He came toward me, and for a moment, I thought he was going to take me in his arms. But at the last second, he reached beyond me for the door handle. Then he spoke low over his shoulder. “Don’t waste your chances on me, Frannie. I’ve got nothing to offer you in return.”





*



An hour later, I was a solid twenty minutes into my ugly cry when I heard knocking on my door. For God’s sake, now what? I grabbed a handful of tissues on my way to the door and blew my nose before opening it. My sister Chloe stood in the hall.

She’d been about to say something, but at the sight of me, her eyes went wide. “Jeez Louise,” she said. “What happened to you?”

“What do you want?” I asked, a little angrier than intended.

“Well, I was gonna ask your opinion on some new label designs, but maybe now’s not a good time.”

“It’s not.” I stomped back over to the tissue box on my kitchen counter and yanked another one out.

“What’s wrong?” My sister came in and shut the door behind her.

It was on the tip of my tongue to say “nothing,” since I didn’t usually confide in her about stuff like this, nor did she in me, but while I blew my nose, I figured, what the hell? Maybe we’d have a closer relationship if I did tell her these things. And maybe she’d have some advice.

“You can’t tell anyone,” I said.

She held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

“I slept with Mack,” I told her.

Her chin about hit the floor. “You what?”

“I slept with Mack.”

“Holy shit. Holy. Shit. I gotta sit down.” She sank onto a chair at my table as I stuffed soggy tissues into the trash. “You slept with Mack? Like you …” She made a fist with one hand and punched the palm of the other a few times.

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Chloe. I had sex with him. You can say it.”

“Whoa. I mean—whoa.” She blinked at me. “Sorry, I’m just really surprised.”

“That I did it?” I asked, marching over to the table and dropping into the seat next to her. “Or that I’m telling you about it?”

“Both.” Then she shrugged. “Actually, I’m surprised you have sex at all.”

“Of course I have sex,” I snapped. “I’m a grown woman, not that anyone around here seems to realize it.”

“Hey, relax,” she said, reaching over to pat my arm. “You don’t have to get mad. I’m glad you’re telling me. Frankly, it’s a relief. It makes you human. It’s just a surprise, that’s all.”

“It’s a surprise that I’m human?” I screeched.

“Kind of.” She lifted her shoulders. “You’ve always been such a Mommy’s girl. So well-behaved and just … good. I never knew there was another side to you. You’ve never shown it to me.”

I felt more tears coming and fought them off. “Well, I’m tired of being treated like a little girl, so I guess I’d better stop acting like it.”

“You’re off to a good start,” she murmured wryly. “So, Mack, huh?”

“Mack.” Hard to believe that less than twenty-four hours ago, I’d been whispering his name while he was inside me.

Chloe shook her head. “You want to hear something funny? At the Christmas party last year, April swore something was up with you two.”