Free One Good Reason (A Boston Love Story Book 3) by Julie Johnson Page A

percent shameless.
    I wonder why I find that so sexy.
    “You’re trying to distract me again,” I say in an uppity tone.
    “Is it working?”
    “No.” Yes .
    “Most girls would love to have dinner with me.”
    “I can’t imagine why.”
    He laughs and the sound pools in my stomach like a warm shot of whiskey. “You’ll cave eventually. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m extremely persistent when I find something I want.” He takes another step in my direction. “Like the time I was in Thailand and I wanted a massive quarter-pounder with bacon and American cheese. It wasn’t easy, I had to drive almost a hundred miles… but I found a burger place. And damn if it wasn’t the best burger I ever had.”
    “Do you take anything seriously?” I ask, genuinely curious.
    “Not if I can help it.”
    “So you aren’t at all concerned about the fact that the entire WestTech server is down?”
    He sighs. “You want to know what I’m concerned about?”
    “Not really, no.”
    “Cronuts.” He gestures at the plate of leftover baked goods on the sleek coffee table to his left. “I mean… is it a doughnut or is it a croissant? Who decides these things?” He shakes his head, as if deeply troubled. “What if someone put a gun to your head and made you separate all baked goods into categories? What then, huh? Where the hell would the cronuts wind up?”
    I pause. “You think that’s a likely scenario?”
    “Highly probable.”
    I shake myself out of doughnut-related thoughts and contort my face back into my Ice Queen mask. “You’re distracting me again.”
    “Am I?” he asks.
    “You know why I’m here.”
    “Yes, we’ve discussed this already. You simply couldn’t stay away.” He takes another step toward me. “I mean… I’ve been told my kisses are irresistible, but this is taking things to a whole new level.”
    “Don’t flatter yourself.”
    “Too late. I’m flattered.” He takes another few steps. “How could I not be? You went through so much trouble to get my attention.”
    “Trouble?” I scoff. “Hacking your server took about as much brain power as chewing a stick of bubblegum.”
    “Speaking of bubblegum,” he cuts in. “Funny story—”
    “No!” I yell. “No more stories. No more tangents. No more charm or half-smiles or stupid little ploys to make me forget why I’m here.”
    “ Charm , huh?” He winks. “Stop, you’ll make me blush.”
    I glare. “You took my thumb drive.”
    “Did you say hump time?”
    “Are you in seventh grade?”
    “Sixth, actually, but I’m old for my year—”
    “Shut up! God, how has no one strangled you yet? Are you always this annoying?”
    “Would you believe, usually I’m even more annoying.”
    “My flash stick.” I glare at him. “Portable hard drive. Fits in a USB slot.”
    “That was a lot of technical jargon for a dumb elementary schooler like myself. All I heard was something about me driving my stick into your slot.”
    “Cut the shit, okay? I know you have it and I want it back.”
    “How do you know I have it?”
    “Because…” I feel my cheeks heat. “You’re the only one who could’ve taken it.”
    “When?”
    “When what ?”
    “When would I have taken it?”
    God, he’s going to make me say it. I grit my teeth. “Perhaps when you had your hands down my dress last night.”
    “Oh, right.” His grin widens to epic proportions. “ Then .”
    “Just admit you have it so I know I’m not wasting my time.”
    “I’ll tell you whether or not I have it…” He pauses. “If you tell me your name.”
    “You can’t blackmail me,” I hiss. “I’m already blackmailing you!”
    “How’s that?”
    I throw my hands up. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe the blockade I created in your entire computer system?”
    “Oh, right.” His grin is unwavering. “That.”
    “Yes, that ,” I snap, slightly offended that my efforts at sabotage are being brushed off with such little concern.
    “I’m sure