Holding Strong
Page 35
Hung up on him, so not just looking for some fun? Nice. And if true, it gave him plenty to think about.
She gulped, and her voice faded. “I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
“You don’t want me to know you care about me?”
Making a rude sound, she asked, “How could you not know? I’ve been so obvious.”
True, but he hadn’t realized anyone else was paying that much attention—especially with the easy way she teased with every man who got near her. “Others picked up on it?”
Nodding, she shifted nervously. “Rissy said I should stop chasing you so hard. She said I made it too easy for you.”
“Rissy was wrong.” His feelings for her had never been easy. Had Merissa warned her off flirting with other men, as well? Or had he been singled out?
Confused, she chewed her lower lip. “She and Vanity both told me I should accept a few other dates.”
Jesus, he hated the games some women played. “Other guys asked you out?”
“Well...” She looked at him like he was nuts. “Yeah.”
Of course they had. He knew how badly he’d wanted her, so it stood to reason other men reacted to her the same way.
Her smile flickered and she teased him, saying, “You know, Denver, I don’t always look like this.”
No, she usually looked hot as hell. “First, you don’t look bad, so stop saying that. Actually, if you were up to it, I’d be all over you right now.”
She blinked in surprise. “You would?”
He let his attention drift over her face, her throat, her body. “You look soft and mellow and extremely fuckable.”
“Oh.”
“Second, these other guys sniffing around—you refused them?”
“After meeting you, why would I want anyone else?” The second she said it, her eyes widened and she fell back in her seat with a dramatic groan. Given her thin, raspy voice, that groan held a lot of effect. “I probably shouldn’t have said that to you, either.”
By the second his mood improved. “You can say whatever you want to me.”
Her disbelieving laugh turned to a cough.
Denver waited until she’d caught her breath again. “Merissa and Vanity are wrong, okay? Just be honest with me, always, and things will work out better.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she agreed with a nod anyway.
“So, what’d you tell Rissy about us?”
Her gaze skittered away and she cleared her throat.
“Come on, Cherry.” Despite himself, he felt his mouth quirking. “What details did you share?”
Lacing her fingers together and again looking at her feet, she muttered, “Only that you’re amazing.”
Nice. But not for a second did he think that covered it all. “And?”
She lifted her shoulders, looked out the window. “That you’re—” she toyed with her hair, took time for a big swig of cola, and finally muttered low “—even bigger than we’d imagined.”
“What’s that?” Pretending he hadn’t heard her, Denver hitched a brow.
Wincing, she faced him again and said in a rush, “You said I could brag to my girlfriends, and Rissy is my best friend. She knew I wanted you forever and that you’d been dodging me and—”
“Slow down before you get yourself coughing again.”
“—she’d heard the same things I’d heard.”
Unbelievable. “About the size of my cock?”
Again her eyes flared and she inhaled so sharply that she coughed, then had to swill more cola before she could answer. “We’re close, Denver,” she explained, still wheezing. “We talk all the time.”
More amused than bothered, he thought it would have been terrific to be a fly on the wall during those conversations.
“Being with you was so awesome—well, except for the part where I got sick—”
“Gossiping women.” Shaking his head, feeling indulgent, Denver said, “I guess you both heard it from Armie?”
“Welllll... After I heard it from Armie, I sort of told Harper and Rissy.”
Harper, too? Too funny. “You sort of told them?” Damn, he’d never really pictured a bunch of women—especially women he knew as friends—sitting around and discussing his package.
She carefully drank in a breath, then went on the offensive. “You can’t tell me men don’t gossip about women.”
Shrugging, he said, “Sometimes.”
She gulped, and her voice faded. “I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
“You don’t want me to know you care about me?”
Making a rude sound, she asked, “How could you not know? I’ve been so obvious.”
True, but he hadn’t realized anyone else was paying that much attention—especially with the easy way she teased with every man who got near her. “Others picked up on it?”
Nodding, she shifted nervously. “Rissy said I should stop chasing you so hard. She said I made it too easy for you.”
“Rissy was wrong.” His feelings for her had never been easy. Had Merissa warned her off flirting with other men, as well? Or had he been singled out?
Confused, she chewed her lower lip. “She and Vanity both told me I should accept a few other dates.”
Jesus, he hated the games some women played. “Other guys asked you out?”
“Well...” She looked at him like he was nuts. “Yeah.”
Of course they had. He knew how badly he’d wanted her, so it stood to reason other men reacted to her the same way.
Her smile flickered and she teased him, saying, “You know, Denver, I don’t always look like this.”
No, she usually looked hot as hell. “First, you don’t look bad, so stop saying that. Actually, if you were up to it, I’d be all over you right now.”
She blinked in surprise. “You would?”
He let his attention drift over her face, her throat, her body. “You look soft and mellow and extremely fuckable.”
“Oh.”
“Second, these other guys sniffing around—you refused them?”
“After meeting you, why would I want anyone else?” The second she said it, her eyes widened and she fell back in her seat with a dramatic groan. Given her thin, raspy voice, that groan held a lot of effect. “I probably shouldn’t have said that to you, either.”
By the second his mood improved. “You can say whatever you want to me.”
Her disbelieving laugh turned to a cough.
Denver waited until she’d caught her breath again. “Merissa and Vanity are wrong, okay? Just be honest with me, always, and things will work out better.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she agreed with a nod anyway.
“So, what’d you tell Rissy about us?”
Her gaze skittered away and she cleared her throat.
“Come on, Cherry.” Despite himself, he felt his mouth quirking. “What details did you share?”
Lacing her fingers together and again looking at her feet, she muttered, “Only that you’re amazing.”
Nice. But not for a second did he think that covered it all. “And?”
She lifted her shoulders, looked out the window. “That you’re—” she toyed with her hair, took time for a big swig of cola, and finally muttered low “—even bigger than we’d imagined.”
“What’s that?” Pretending he hadn’t heard her, Denver hitched a brow.
Wincing, she faced him again and said in a rush, “You said I could brag to my girlfriends, and Rissy is my best friend. She knew I wanted you forever and that you’d been dodging me and—”
“Slow down before you get yourself coughing again.”
“—she’d heard the same things I’d heard.”
Unbelievable. “About the size of my cock?”
Again her eyes flared and she inhaled so sharply that she coughed, then had to swill more cola before she could answer. “We’re close, Denver,” she explained, still wheezing. “We talk all the time.”
More amused than bothered, he thought it would have been terrific to be a fly on the wall during those conversations.
“Being with you was so awesome—well, except for the part where I got sick—”
“Gossiping women.” Shaking his head, feeling indulgent, Denver said, “I guess you both heard it from Armie?”
“Welllll... After I heard it from Armie, I sort of told Harper and Rissy.”
Harper, too? Too funny. “You sort of told them?” Damn, he’d never really pictured a bunch of women—especially women he knew as friends—sitting around and discussing his package.
She carefully drank in a breath, then went on the offensive. “You can’t tell me men don’t gossip about women.”
Shrugging, he said, “Sometimes.”
