“Skye,” he says.

Dammit. I’d been screening my calls and messages for the past two weeks, and I’ve been able to avoid him…until now. “What do you want?”

“I like when you talk all snippy to me. Gets me hard as a rock because I start thinking about how pissed you were when we fucked in my office.”

Oh Jesus. “I’m not being snippy as you put it.”

“Oh yeah you are and Skye?”

Why do I take the bait? Ugh. Why? “Yeah?”

“It’s working, I’m hard already.”

This man is like a fucking rash. I want him gone and think I can ignore him enough that he’ll finally fade away but it just doesn’t happen. “Good for you. Goodbye, Jaden.” And this time when my phone rings, I don’t answer it nor the time after.

Chapter Thirteen

**Jaden**

Last night, she hung-up on me in under a minute. That kinda shit’s embarrassing but from Skye? It’s a fucking turn-on. If she was trying—okay, I know she’s trying to get rid of me but it’s not working. I don’t get it. We’re both adults and I was there, I heard her scream, I felt her orgasm, so I know she had just as good a time as I did. Why the hell are we wasting time not fucking on the daily?

It was no secret she’d been ignoring my calls and I know she never even read the text messages I sent. That’s bullshit.

Fine, she won’t talk to me on the phone, then, we’ll talk face to face. Mandy told me that Skye had traded shifts with Kennedy once again and would be in early today. So I wait. Glancing through the glass, I watch as she serves the late breakfast eaters and the early lunch goers. If I’m not mistaken, she looks a lot more relaxed and a helluva lot friendlier during the early shift. But then again most of the patrons are little old couples and mothers with young children. The normal dining crowd of wild college kids are either still asleep in their beds or trying to stay awake in class.

Why do you care if she prefers waiting on old-timers instead of sorority girls and frat boys? I didn’t, I don’t.

Lost in my own fucked up thoughts, I almost miss her as she comes out of the diner and heads toward her car. Pulling my car up beside hers as she tosses her backpack in her trunk, I see the shock on her face when she slams the trunk shut. Skye doesn’t say anything as she heads to the drivers side door. I’m outta my car and pushing her door closed just as she opened it. “Skye!”

For a second, I don’t think she’s going to turn around and look at me let alone talk to me, but she does and the venom in her tone surprises even me. “Why the fuck are you here? Leave me the hell alone!”

Once again, I push the car door closed as she attempts to open it for a second time. “Dammit, Skye! You won’t answer my fucking calls or return my texts, hell, you won’t even read the fuckers!” Yeah, so I’m a little surprised by my own anger but…Come. The. Fuck. On.

“Take. The. Fucking. Hint. Then.” After each damn word her finger pokes into my flesh and all I can think about is how I like the sting as much as the spark in her eyes. My eyes are locked on the finger she has pressed tight against my chest still.

“You wanna know what hints I’m taking?” Stepping closer, I don’t stop until my body is pressed up against hers, and her back is against her car window with her hand trapped between our bodies. “I’m taking the hint when you yelled at me to shut up and fuck you.”

She says nothing. I look up from where I’d zoned in on her palm that now rested—rather was trapped, between us. Her eyes are wide and her mouth parts in disbelief, as if she’s rearing to argue. I laugh. Well aware that it sounds bitter.

“You’re such a pig!”

“Shut up, Skye!”

“I will not shut up, Jaden!” she screams at me. “I won’t shut up! You were a big ass mistake and one that won’t happen again!” By the time she finishes, her face is red and her body is shaking and I know it’s not from the warm rain that started to fall on us.

“A mistake? Us fucking was not a goddamn mistake!” I yell back at her so loud that my throat begins to burn.

“It was a mistake, you were a mistake!” she screams, still not as pissed as I am right now.

For the briefest moment, I think of getting out of the fucking rain, climbing into my car, and peeling the hell outta here. Fuck her, fuck Skye. Then go already! Leave! But I don’t, sonuvabitch…I can’t.

Neither of us wants to be the first one to cave, the one who can’t hold strong. It’s NOT going to be me. With a roar I can’t believe even comes from my already burning throat, I grab two handfuls of that curly long hair and smash my mouth against hers. I guess, it WAS me.

She fights me, but only for seconds, before her arms are wound tight around my neck, hands clenching my hair to the point of pain and she’s kissing me back with just as much brutal force as I’m kissing her with. “Now, right fucking now!” Knowing we’re standing in the back of the parking lot in the wide open for any one of these old folks to see us, I quickly push Skye behind the privacy fence that separates the property from the adjacent lot.

“No!” Skye suddenly snaps at me as she shoves me away from her body. I don’t go far. I’d never force myself on a woman, but I know damn well that she wants me as bad as I want her. When she pushes her now damp hair out of her face, I really look at her. Lips swollen from my mouth, skin flushed, mouth parted as she tries like hell to regain her breath, tits bouncing with each rise and fall of her chest. Goddammit, she’s gorgeous right now, right here with me.

Stepping closer, I stop instantly when her hand connects with my cheek. The burning pain snakes down my face and disappears into my neck. She hit me. Skye actually slapped me and from the look on her face, she’s as surprised by it as I am. Even though I see guilt play across the features I could sketch from memory, she quietly whispers, “I hate you, Jaden.” Her voice breaks, “I hate you so much.” And then her lips are pressed against mine once more but this time it’s gentle, too gentle. I can’t have gentle from Skye, I-I just can’t.

**Skye**

I hate him! I do—god…I want to hate him.

This time he ends the kiss and then whispers against my lips. “You don’t hate me, Skye. Just like I don’t hate you.” I can hardly believe the words even though I feel them as he speaks them against my lips. What I really hate? I hate that he’s right. It takes everything I have not to let the tears that are stinging the backs of my eyes free.

A single soft sob escapes before I can collect myself. Jaden heard it; he’s watching me fight for the control I want so desperately. But, when he takes me by the hand and leads me to the passengers side of his car, I suddenly realize that it’s not taking control I want, but letting it go. Without further argument, I hand it over to him without even a word.

I’m fighting an invisible battle in my own head and heart. Part of me wants to demand that he lets me go back to the diner’s parking lot to my car. Another part of me wants Jaden to take me wherever he wants and let him lead the way. Let him tell me what to do, show me what to do. I know it’s wrong. I do, but why doesn’t it feel wrong? What in the hell is wrong with you?

He doesn’t even look at me. His tanned hands show what a tight white-knuckle grip he has on the steering wheel. Jaden’s not just mad but he’s obviously straight into pissed off.

“I’m sorry I slapped you.” And, I was too. I’m not that girl. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not afraid to do what I have to do to protect myself, but I’m not a slapper. I wasn’t in any danger from Jaden, how I know that I have no clue, I just do.

His whole body is strung tight, the air in the car…thick. The red mark on his cheek reminds me of just how fast this man can enrage me.