Monday (Timeless Teaser)(38)

I opened the door to the frigid air but froze when I realized it wasn’t Francesca. It was Jessica. She wore a trench coat and heels. I had a strong suspicion there was nothing underneath.

“It’s been a while.” She slowly stepped over the threshold and opened her jacket. A black bra and thong were the only things she wore. “And I’ve missed you.”

Jessica was one of the few girls I bedded on a regular basis because she was good in the sack. She knew I was unavailable and only interested in using her. But she was using me too so it worked out.

But I didn’t feel anything.

She pressed her body to mine and immediately moved in to kiss me.

I pushed her back. “No.”

She looked like she’d been slapped. “No?” She said it like she didn’t understand the word. “Sorry?”

I stayed a few feet back. “Don’t call me anymore.” I held open the door and waited for her to leave.

“What?” Jessica left her coat unbuttoned in confusion. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” I said. “I’m just not interested anymore.”

“And why not?” She put one hand on her hip.

“I’m just not. Please leave.” I pointed to the doorway.

“You found someone better?” The hurt was in her voice.

I didn’t understand my feelings for Francesca. I had no idea what was going on or why everything was changing. All I knew was sleeping with Jessica would be wrong. And I didn’t want to anyway. “I guess you could say that.”

Hatred moved into her eyes. “You’re such a pig.”

“And you’re a slut. So what?”

She slapped me across the face.

I moved with the hit but didn’t feel anything. “Are you done?”

She looked like she wanted to slap me again.

“Go before I throw you out.” I moved my hand to her lower back and gave her a gentle push over the threshold.

She turned around and looked like she was about to throw a hissy fit. “You’re such a—”

I shut the door in her face and locked it. Then I went back to my room and finished what I was doing—my thoughts still on Francesca.

***

Francesca came out of the house wearing black leggings, boots, and a loose fitting sweater. Her legs looked long and lean, and I wished her sweater wasn’t covering her ass so I could see how that looked too. She had two bags with her.

“My sister always over-packs.” Axel got out of the passenger seat of the car. “We’re only going to be there for a week. How much shit do you need?”

“I’ve got another bag inside.” Francesca ignored her brother’s insults. “Why don’t you grab it?”

“Another bag?” he asked incredulously.

I got out of the truck then grabbed Francesca’s things from her and placed them into the bed of my truck. “Grab the last one, Axel.”

He released an irritated sigh then walked into the house.

Francesca’s hair was curled and it trailed down her chest. “How do you get him to do that?”

“Do what?”

“Listen to you.”

I shrugged. “He knows I can take him.”

She chuckled and shook her head slightly.

“You look cute.” I blurted that out without thinking. I did stuff like that all the time. When it came to her, I didn’t need a filter. I could say pretty much anything and she would take it without offense.

“Thanks. You look cute too.”

“Cute?” What kind of compliment was that?

She shrugged with a playful smile on her face. “What? You do.”

Whenever I saw her, I wanted to hug her. It was a natural compulsion I was struggling to understand. Even when I didn’t see her for a few hours, I wanted to do it the moment I saw her again. I kept my hands to myself because her brother was around. But even if he wasn’t there, I would probably keep my hands to myself anyway.

Axel came out of the house with the last bag. “Dude, when did Marie get hot?”

“Marie has always been hot,” Francesca said.

Axel tossed her bag into the back.

“Hey!” She slapped his arm. “My hairdryer is in there.”

“Whatever,” he said. “Yaya will let you borrow hers if it’s broken.”

“Ugh, I hate you sometimes.”

“Wow,” he said sarcastically. “I hate you all the time.”

“Merry Christmas,” I said sarcastically.

“Now back to Marie,” Axel said. “Is she single?”

“She’s not your type,” Francesca said automatically.

“Not my type?” Axel asked incredulously. “She’s hot. Yes, she is my type.”

“She’s not some girl you can bang and never call again,” Francesca argued. “She’s my best friend. I’m not letting you anywhere near her.”

“Come on,” Axel said. “I can tell she’s—”

“I’ll slap you,” Francesca threatened. “And you know I have a good arm.”

Axel dropped his last sentence. “Tell her to call me if she wants a good time.”

“No.” Francesca headed to the truck and got into the passenger seat.