instinct in his body telling him that there was a story here – something to explain her unwarranted attack on him, and her choosing to stay single, and this weird tension in her whole body now.
What happened to you, baby? Someone hurt you, made you not trust men? Especially ones who come bearing gifts?
“I just – I’m just taking a break.” She was back in control now, and she moved away from him. “No big deal.”
King doubted that very much, but he wasn’t about to push. In his experience, forcing the issue with hurting women never did much good, and in fact, could do irreparable harm. So fine, if Naomi was on a break from dating, he’d just take things slow and easy with her. He’d make sure to drop by the Heart Center a few times a week, talk to her, let her get to know him a bit more. And then, maybe in a month or so, he’d ask again.
No rush, man. Get her to relax around you, trust you. Good things are worth waiting for – and this woman is one hell of a good thing.
**
“Shit, Naomi.” Mirrie looked horrified, which was highly unusual for her; she wasn’t taken aback by much. “You actually accused the man of giving your program money so he could get you in to bed?”
“Yeah.”
“And he didn’t kill you on the spot?”
“No.”
“ Shit .”
Naomi groaned and covered her eyes with both hands. “I know, I know.”
Mirrie laughed now, a ‘holy-fuck-girl’ kind of laugh. “You seem bound and determined to keep the man on his toes, huh?”
“I guess.” Naomi sighed. “And I’m reminded yet again, and in the most painful and humiliating way possible, that this is why I’m on a dating sabbatical… can you imagine what a nightmare I’d be as a girlfriend?”
“Urgh. Terrifying to contemplate.”
“I know, right? Just about the last thing in the world I should be doing is getting involved with a man.”
“No. The last thing is drinking.” Mirrie grinned. “Getting involved with a man is a damn close second, though.”
They both laughed.
**
Sarah stared at the laptop screen, overwhelmed by frustration. She knew that she knew this, knew that she’d been damn good at it once upon a time. But fuck her if she could remember how the hell to use Photoshop.
Come on, come on. This isn’t even that complicated…why can’t you get your head around it?
She moved the mouse around, pressed some code keys, saw that she was making an even bigger mess. She grabbed her empty mug now and hurled it across the kitchen. It shattered against the wall, and she stared at the glass shards in horror as she realized what she’d just done. Then she heard the pounding footsteps coming up from the basement and she shut her eyes.
How the hell do I explain this to him?
“Sarah!” Jax stood there now, wearing just a pair of black sweat pants. His tattooed, muscular chest was gleaming with sweat and he was panting. She’d clearly interrupted his workout and she tried to look like a sane person, not a raving lunatic who wrecked things because she’d forgotten how the hell to crop an image. “What happened? You alright?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “I just – I broke the mug.”
He stared across the room at it, then turned back to her, one dark eyebrow raised. “You broke it from all the way over here?”
“I – I…” She looked down, ashamed and angry. “I threw it.”
“OK.” His voice was low and calm; the perfect tone for placating the crazy lady, she figured. “Why’d you do that?”
“Because I’m fucking useless!” she said. “I can’t remember anything about the software I need to do my job! How the hell am I supposed to work when my brain is so fucking broken that I can’t even design a simple ad?”
Jax took a deep breath. He’d been waiting for this moment, and he still had no real idea how he was supposed to handle it. “Sarah… Mac told you that you need to take it easy on yourself, right? That you’ll have to relearn lots of things, and wait for
What happened to you, baby? Someone hurt you, made you not trust men? Especially ones who come bearing gifts?
“I just – I’m just taking a break.” She was back in control now, and she moved away from him. “No big deal.”
King doubted that very much, but he wasn’t about to push. In his experience, forcing the issue with hurting women never did much good, and in fact, could do irreparable harm. So fine, if Naomi was on a break from dating, he’d just take things slow and easy with her. He’d make sure to drop by the Heart Center a few times a week, talk to her, let her get to know him a bit more. And then, maybe in a month or so, he’d ask again.
No rush, man. Get her to relax around you, trust you. Good things are worth waiting for – and this woman is one hell of a good thing.
**
“Shit, Naomi.” Mirrie looked horrified, which was highly unusual for her; she wasn’t taken aback by much. “You actually accused the man of giving your program money so he could get you in to bed?”
“Yeah.”
“And he didn’t kill you on the spot?”
“No.”
“ Shit .”
Naomi groaned and covered her eyes with both hands. “I know, I know.”
Mirrie laughed now, a ‘holy-fuck-girl’ kind of laugh. “You seem bound and determined to keep the man on his toes, huh?”
“I guess.” Naomi sighed. “And I’m reminded yet again, and in the most painful and humiliating way possible, that this is why I’m on a dating sabbatical… can you imagine what a nightmare I’d be as a girlfriend?”
“Urgh. Terrifying to contemplate.”
“I know, right? Just about the last thing in the world I should be doing is getting involved with a man.”
“No. The last thing is drinking.” Mirrie grinned. “Getting involved with a man is a damn close second, though.”
They both laughed.
**
Sarah stared at the laptop screen, overwhelmed by frustration. She knew that she knew this, knew that she’d been damn good at it once upon a time. But fuck her if she could remember how the hell to use Photoshop.
Come on, come on. This isn’t even that complicated…why can’t you get your head around it?
She moved the mouse around, pressed some code keys, saw that she was making an even bigger mess. She grabbed her empty mug now and hurled it across the kitchen. It shattered against the wall, and she stared at the glass shards in horror as she realized what she’d just done. Then she heard the pounding footsteps coming up from the basement and she shut her eyes.
How the hell do I explain this to him?
“Sarah!” Jax stood there now, wearing just a pair of black sweat pants. His tattooed, muscular chest was gleaming with sweat and he was panting. She’d clearly interrupted his workout and she tried to look like a sane person, not a raving lunatic who wrecked things because she’d forgotten how the hell to crop an image. “What happened? You alright?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “I just – I broke the mug.”
He stared across the room at it, then turned back to her, one dark eyebrow raised. “You broke it from all the way over here?”
“I – I…” She looked down, ashamed and angry. “I threw it.”
“OK.” His voice was low and calm; the perfect tone for placating the crazy lady, she figured. “Why’d you do that?”
“Because I’m fucking useless!” she said. “I can’t remember anything about the software I need to do my job! How the hell am I supposed to work when my brain is so fucking broken that I can’t even design a simple ad?”
Jax took a deep breath. He’d been waiting for this moment, and he still had no real idea how he was supposed to handle it. “Sarah… Mac told you that you need to take it easy on yourself, right? That you’ll have to relearn lots of things, and wait for
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