Free Return of the Jerk (Sweet Life in Seattle, Book 2) by Andrea Simonne Page B

whatever you like.” He’s still looking at his Kindle, but she can see the little smirk on his face.
    Blair gives up and goes into the bathroom to change into the oversized shirt and boxer shorts she wears to bed. She brushes her teeth. When that’s done, she checks to make sure her front door is locked and everything is turned off. She tries to do it consciously, so she can visit the memory, instead of checking the door over and over. It’s a trick she learned in counseling to help with her compulsions, though it doesn’t always work.
    Finally, she heads into the bedroom again. Another sleepless night next to Road. Great.
    Road is still reading, and he watches her when she comes into the room. His eyes roam over her, and she tries not to show her discomfort at his perusal. She senses his laser focus is on.
    “Is that what you always sleep in?” he asks, still studying her boxer shorts as she climbs into bed.
    “Yes.”
    She tries to imagine what all his Skank Factor X girlfriends wear to bed. Garter belts and push-up bras, no doubt.
    “Don’t you have a little nightie or something?”
    Blare rolls her eyes.
    He grins. “A classy babe like you? I’ll bet you got a whole drawer full of them.”
    In truth, she does have a few nighties, though they’re not in a drawer but hanging in her closet. “I’m not wearing them for you. ”
    Road chuckles at that, but then his laughter quiets. “Who are you wearing them for—your boyfriend?”
    Blair gives a haughty sniff as she pulls the covers over herself. She makes a point not to check and see what Road has on, though she’s pretty sure it’s a pair of boxer briefs. “That’s right, I wear my nighties for him all the time.”
    Road takes this in then shakes his head. “Don’t think so.”
    “It’s true.”
    “That dude who called you earlier?”
    “Yes, as a matter of fact, that dude who called is my boyfriend.”
    “No way he’s your boyfriend.”
    “You’re wrong. He is my boyfriend.”
    “Nope. And I can you tell this much, too. You’re definitely not sleeping with him.”
    “What makes you so sure of that?”
    He puts his Kindle down and rolls over so he’s on his side, facing her. “Because if you were, princess, you’d be in bed with him right now instead of me.”
    Blair goes still at this. She’s lying on her back, while Road is propped up on one elbow, the room bathed in a soft glow from her lamp.
    She meets his eyes. Swallows. Remembers how it felt like he was going to kiss her last night. It feels that way again, but this time, she knows it’s all in her mind. He’s already slept in the same bed with her two nights in a row, and it’s clear he doesn’t want her. Because if he did want her, by now he would have done something about it.
    “You’re only here because I’m stuck with you,” she tells him.
    “We can end this anytime.”
    She closes her eyes. “Just turn the light off. I need to get some sleep.”
    He rolls away from her and reaches for the bedside lamp. But then he stops. “Tell me something first. The truth. Are you sleeping with that guy?”
    “That’s none of your business.”
    “Tell me.”
    “Why do you care, Road?”
    “Tell me,” he insists.
    Blair blows out a sigh. “No. You’re right. We’re not sleeping together.”
    The light goes out and she can feel Road lie down, settling in. She rolls on her side, facing away from him. As always, his scent is everywhere. The smoky hint of autumn. She wishes he was one of those guys who wore cologne or something. Smelling him is like taking a hit off an opium pipe.
    He’s right about Graham, too. They keep trying to date, but there aren’t many sparks flying. The few times they kissed, it felt more like she was kissing her brother.
    Blair’s eyes close as she waits for the sound of Road’s deep, even breathing. The torment of it every night. She doesn’t understand why he’s being so stubborn about Isadora, either. Why does he suddenly want that car so