him.” He leaned back in his chair, folded the paper very deliberately and set it down, never breaking eye contact.
For a moment I thought I’d misheard him. Stepping toward the table again, I said, “Excuse me?”
“I can’t say I blame him,” he repeated very deliberately. “You advertise, you should expect guys to take you up on it.”
Holy hell. He did not just say that. “You’re saying I asked for it?” My tone was all disbelief.
“You wear a skirt that barely covers your ass and then wonder why some guy tries to grab it.” His voice was more of a rumbling growl as he scowled up at me.
What the...! He was no knight in shining armor! A demon, if anything.
“I never signed on to be a knight in shining armor.” He curled a lip with disdain.
“Good thing,” I sputtered angrily.
He continued. “I’m just telling it like it is. I wouldn’t have had to do anything if you’d been watching out for yourself. You have no idea...”
I heard the faint resentment in his statement and attributed it to him having to help me out last night, and I was embarrassed all over again. I could feel my cheeks blazing. “Then thanks for nothing. Next time just stay out of it! I can take care of myself.”
“Next time, don’t advertise.”
Them’s fighting words! It’s on! “You think a guy has the right to do as he pleases when he feels like it?”
“No. But if I walk in a dangerous neighborhood flashing wads of cash, I should expect to get robbed.”
“Are you kidding me? I should be able to walk around naked and not have to worry about any guy grabbing me!” My anger was bubbling.
“Yeah.” He looked me over with a mocking expression. “Good luck with that. Let me have an invite when that little event’s about to take place.”
“Classic! Absolutely classic! Because I’m wearing something that gives a guy a boner, I’m an evil bitch who deserves what she gets?”
“I’m saying you’re naive, and it’s going to get you hurt.”
“Oh, that’s better! Thanks for that clarification. I’m just too stupid to know how to take care of myself! I’ll remember that from now on!”
“Dammit, that’s not what I said and not what I meant.” He stood suddenly, the chair scraping back on the cement in a single powerful motion. He towered over me, clearly agitated, but I was no longer going to listen. I didn’t have it in me to do this , whatever this was.
Screw you , pal!
“Whatever. I’m out of here.” At this point, it was just all too much. At most any other time, I could have coped better, but here was Ryder thinking so poorly of me while I’d been all turned on by him, which left me with a painful case of humiliation. On top of my car being broken into (which was a horrible invasion of my private self) when I couldn’t afford to fix it, there was Cynthia being all weird with me and leaving indefinitely, and I could feel the crumbling begin. My world as I knew it was changing radically (something I don’t handle well), and I needed to get home so I could break down alone in the privacy of my shower.
“Now hold on...”
“For your information—” I spun back around, eyes blazing, though I hated that I could feel my throat clogging with emotion, “—my skirt more than covered my ass, and you’re as much of an asshole as that guy last night, if you think I somehow invited his attention.”
Jerk! I spun around to beat a retreat before I fully broke down. Normally, I avoided situations that could make me feel small and stupid, so why had I invited this? Coming through the gate, I knew I should have gone straight up. Why had I ignored my good sense? As it was, I could feel the hot tears spilling over onto my cheeks. I just didn’t need this today.
He grabbed my arm before I made it three steps.
“Leave me alone.” I tried to jerk free, keeping my head down so he wouldn’t see my face, because I was already horribly embarrassed that he thought I dressed cheaply, which to my
For a moment I thought I’d misheard him. Stepping toward the table again, I said, “Excuse me?”
“I can’t say I blame him,” he repeated very deliberately. “You advertise, you should expect guys to take you up on it.”
Holy hell. He did not just say that. “You’re saying I asked for it?” My tone was all disbelief.
“You wear a skirt that barely covers your ass and then wonder why some guy tries to grab it.” His voice was more of a rumbling growl as he scowled up at me.
What the...! He was no knight in shining armor! A demon, if anything.
“I never signed on to be a knight in shining armor.” He curled a lip with disdain.
“Good thing,” I sputtered angrily.
He continued. “I’m just telling it like it is. I wouldn’t have had to do anything if you’d been watching out for yourself. You have no idea...”
I heard the faint resentment in his statement and attributed it to him having to help me out last night, and I was embarrassed all over again. I could feel my cheeks blazing. “Then thanks for nothing. Next time just stay out of it! I can take care of myself.”
“Next time, don’t advertise.”
Them’s fighting words! It’s on! “You think a guy has the right to do as he pleases when he feels like it?”
“No. But if I walk in a dangerous neighborhood flashing wads of cash, I should expect to get robbed.”
“Are you kidding me? I should be able to walk around naked and not have to worry about any guy grabbing me!” My anger was bubbling.
“Yeah.” He looked me over with a mocking expression. “Good luck with that. Let me have an invite when that little event’s about to take place.”
“Classic! Absolutely classic! Because I’m wearing something that gives a guy a boner, I’m an evil bitch who deserves what she gets?”
“I’m saying you’re naive, and it’s going to get you hurt.”
“Oh, that’s better! Thanks for that clarification. I’m just too stupid to know how to take care of myself! I’ll remember that from now on!”
“Dammit, that’s not what I said and not what I meant.” He stood suddenly, the chair scraping back on the cement in a single powerful motion. He towered over me, clearly agitated, but I was no longer going to listen. I didn’t have it in me to do this , whatever this was.
Screw you , pal!
“Whatever. I’m out of here.” At this point, it was just all too much. At most any other time, I could have coped better, but here was Ryder thinking so poorly of me while I’d been all turned on by him, which left me with a painful case of humiliation. On top of my car being broken into (which was a horrible invasion of my private self) when I couldn’t afford to fix it, there was Cynthia being all weird with me and leaving indefinitely, and I could feel the crumbling begin. My world as I knew it was changing radically (something I don’t handle well), and I needed to get home so I could break down alone in the privacy of my shower.
“Now hold on...”
“For your information—” I spun back around, eyes blazing, though I hated that I could feel my throat clogging with emotion, “—my skirt more than covered my ass, and you’re as much of an asshole as that guy last night, if you think I somehow invited his attention.”
Jerk! I spun around to beat a retreat before I fully broke down. Normally, I avoided situations that could make me feel small and stupid, so why had I invited this? Coming through the gate, I knew I should have gone straight up. Why had I ignored my good sense? As it was, I could feel the hot tears spilling over onto my cheeks. I just didn’t need this today.
He grabbed my arm before I made it three steps.
“Leave me alone.” I tried to jerk free, keeping my head down so he wouldn’t see my face, because I was already horribly embarrassed that he thought I dressed cheaply, which to my
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