The Hookup Handbook(25)
Shit. Why did I word it that way? Why did I use that voice? He probably thought I was joking.
I quickly set the plastic fork on top of the salad container and hurry back to my desk to hide my bright red cheeks behind my laptop screen.
What the hell do I do now? Laugh it off as a joke? Pretend it never happened? I lose either way. There’s only one way through this, and that’s to face it head-on.
“I was serious, Case.”
Silence again. Damn it. He’s not making this easy on me.
I ramble on to fill the silence. “I’m not looking for anything serious. Just a summer fling. And you said it yourself. You’re a little, um, selective these days. If you can’t get it up for anyone else, then this might be the perfect solution. I get a summer fling, and you get things up and working again. Maybe I could cure you.”
“Cure me? I’m not sick, Sienna. My dick is just choosy.”
“Well, it chose me. So, what are we waiting for?”
“You’re funny, Sienna,” Case says through a laugh. “But it’s not gonna happen.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re Ryder’s little sister.”
Seriously? That’s his excuse?
Fucking hell. Way to make me feel two inches tall and about as desirable as a garden gnome.
“I don’t report to Ryder on my sex life. I’m his sister, not his property.”
I know the aggravation in my voice can’t be sexy, but let’s face it. I’m annoyed. Using Ryder as an out?
I go for a gentler approach and a softer tone. “He’d never have to know.”
“He’d find out. Word travels fast around here. And he’d kick my ass, Sienna. I’ve been friends with him too long. I can’t fuck you, even if I wanted to.”
“It sure felt like you wanted to last night.” I fold my arms tightly over my chest, covering the flush creeping across my skin. But this time, it’s not from embarrassment. I’m red hot with frustration.
“It doesn’t matter, babe. It’s not happening.”
My throat constricts. Did he just babe me again?
“Listen, I don’t—”
“It’s not up for discussion,” Case snaps. “Can we get back to work, please?”
Like I could possibly get any work done now. I slam my laptop closed and spring from my seat. “You’re an asshole, Case.”
The insult rolls right off him without so much as a twitch. “Yeah, whatever. I get that a lot.”
Screw the chapter. I’d much rather skip out on a few hours of pay than spend another second in this office with this pompous asshole.
Practically fuming, I snatch up my purse and stomp out of the office and out the front door, slamming it behind me. I know I’m going full angry-teenager mode, but I don’t give a shit. If he’s going to treat me like a kid, then I’m going to act like one.
Chapter Eleven
Case
What the fuck just happened?
I stare down the hallway outside my office, where Sienna just stormed out. If last night’s impulsive move on my part wasn’t bad enough, now this? What the hell is she thinking? She just told me how pissed off her brother was when one of his friends kissed her at a dumb high school party. What does she think he’ll do if he finds out I fucked her?
It doesn’t matter what I want. It doesn’t matter that she’s the only woman who can seem to get me hard, or that she smells like sunshine and flowers. It doesn’t matter that she’s smart and sexy, or that she tasted like heaven when I kissed her.
It’s a terrible idea. And one that I definitely, definitely can’t act on.
To be honest, I’m more than a little surprised that she wants me too. At first, I thought she was kidding, teasing me with that smart mouth of hers. But one look at her big blue eyes told me she was one hundred percent serious. I had to shut that shit down hard because I already knew I could never, should never sleep with her, and the sooner she knew that, the better off we both would be.
Scrubbing my hands roughly through my hair, I let out a deep sigh.
I can’t fuck Sienna.
I can’t fuck Sienna.
Maybe if I repeat it to myself enough times, I’ll actually believe it.
It’s time to put my head down and get back to work. I’ve still got a deadline to meet, and this final chapter isn’t going to write its damn self.
Skimming through what I’ve already written, I do my best to find my lost train of thought. Only the second I start thinking about the G-spot, my mind immediately goes to Sienna and all the things I’ve wanted to do to her since the second she walked into my office.
No matter how hard I try to push through and ignore how much I want her, it’s no use. Sienna’s fully and completely screwed with my head. And there’s only one way for me to get out of this funk.
I need to find some other way to unleash all this pent-up sexual energy that doesn’t involve Sienna.
After saving what little I’ve managed to write, I shove up out of my chair, knowing I’m not going to get anything else done today.
Wandering into the kitchen, I grab a bottle of water and weigh my options. Maybe my dick knows the difference between work sex and a casual hookup. Maybe I’m only broken because I’m overworked. Since I can’t have Sienna, maybe the next best thing is to try to have sex just for fun. I hardly remember what that’s like anymore.