pouting.”
“I am not. I don’t pout.”
“I’m just trying to save you heartache now, when we can still talk with clear minds about this thing that’s happening between us,” she said. “You don’t have feelings for me. We’re friends, and we’re fucking, and we’re business partners. That’s all it is.”
“That simple, huh?”
“Exactly.” She looked at me, her eyes hard. “It is that simple because I say it’s that simple.”
“It might be simple for you, but it’s a lot more complicated for me.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” She was irritated now, the first time I’d rubbed her the wrong way since she crossed paths with Avery at my trailer. “Explain yourself.”
“I don’t think I need to.”
“If we can’t behave like adults, then maybe we should stop fucking around with each other,” she said. “I thought it would be fun. And it was, wasn’t it? Fun?”
“I guess.”
“I’ve gotten zero complaints from you up until now, so don’t pretend that you haven’t been having fun,” she warned. “If you can’t get over this ridiculous notion pinging around in your brain, then it might be a good idea to step back and reassess the situation.”
“Okay.” I sat up and looked at her. “I think it’s ridiculous that you’re so eager to dismiss what I know in my heart to be true.”
“And what’s that?”
“That I do have feelings for you.”
“I can dismiss it because people who have sex with me profess their love for me all the time,” she said, exasperated. “Don’t you dare look away from me right now, Emmett Corbin. When I talk about my job, the one that puts food in my mouth, you’re not allowed to recoil from it like it’s a venomous snake. If you had a problem with what I do, you should’ve spoken up sooner than right now.”
She was right. Every word of it was right. I was being a huge dick. I just couldn’t dispel the fact that I liked her even now, even when she was reaming my ass with a self-righteous fury.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t mean to disparage you for what you do. I admire you.”
“Oh, spare me the bullshit, please,” she said. “We’re sitting here naked in bed. You don’t need to bullshit me.”
“I’m not. I’m serious. But I’m also serious about how I feel.”
“Emmett …”
“Hear me out.” I traced the shape of her spine down her back with the very tips of my fingers, making her shudder. “What would be so bad about me having feelings for you? Don’t you have any kind of affection for me?”
“Affection, sure,” she said. “Affection, respect, admiration, jealousy …”
“Jealousy?”
“But not the kind of feelings you’re talking about.” She studied me. “You’re only having those feelings because we’re fucking on the regular. Because you think we’re girlfriend and boyfriend or something.”
“We have a relationship. You can’t deny that.”
“Sure. A partnership. But not that trite little relationship you’re thinking about.”
Her truth cut so deep. She was blunt to a fault, but I knew I needed to listen to her. Falling in love with someone like Peyton … it was the stupidest thing in the world to do. I knew better. Anyone knew better. And here I was, naked in bed with her, fighting, and knowing there wasn’t a single place in the world I’d rather be. That had to mean something, didn’t it?
“I don’t mean to stomp on what you think you feel,” Peyton said, kissing my nose. “You can feel whatever you want. I’m just telling you that it would be easier for you, easier for this, if, in the long run, you decided you didn’t really have feelings for me. It wouldn’t be as messy. Think about the business. The horse rehab project.”
“I know. I’m thinking about it.” But I was thinking about her, too, about the hurts she must’ve endured to uncover this caliber of truth.
“It just isn’t a good idea, Emmett.”
“I know. I get it.”
Something
“I am not. I don’t pout.”
“I’m just trying to save you heartache now, when we can still talk with clear minds about this thing that’s happening between us,” she said. “You don’t have feelings for me. We’re friends, and we’re fucking, and we’re business partners. That’s all it is.”
“That simple, huh?”
“Exactly.” She looked at me, her eyes hard. “It is that simple because I say it’s that simple.”
“It might be simple for you, but it’s a lot more complicated for me.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” She was irritated now, the first time I’d rubbed her the wrong way since she crossed paths with Avery at my trailer. “Explain yourself.”
“I don’t think I need to.”
“If we can’t behave like adults, then maybe we should stop fucking around with each other,” she said. “I thought it would be fun. And it was, wasn’t it? Fun?”
“I guess.”
“I’ve gotten zero complaints from you up until now, so don’t pretend that you haven’t been having fun,” she warned. “If you can’t get over this ridiculous notion pinging around in your brain, then it might be a good idea to step back and reassess the situation.”
“Okay.” I sat up and looked at her. “I think it’s ridiculous that you’re so eager to dismiss what I know in my heart to be true.”
“And what’s that?”
“That I do have feelings for you.”
“I can dismiss it because people who have sex with me profess their love for me all the time,” she said, exasperated. “Don’t you dare look away from me right now, Emmett Corbin. When I talk about my job, the one that puts food in my mouth, you’re not allowed to recoil from it like it’s a venomous snake. If you had a problem with what I do, you should’ve spoken up sooner than right now.”
She was right. Every word of it was right. I was being a huge dick. I just couldn’t dispel the fact that I liked her even now, even when she was reaming my ass with a self-righteous fury.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t mean to disparage you for what you do. I admire you.”
“Oh, spare me the bullshit, please,” she said. “We’re sitting here naked in bed. You don’t need to bullshit me.”
“I’m not. I’m serious. But I’m also serious about how I feel.”
“Emmett …”
“Hear me out.” I traced the shape of her spine down her back with the very tips of my fingers, making her shudder. “What would be so bad about me having feelings for you? Don’t you have any kind of affection for me?”
“Affection, sure,” she said. “Affection, respect, admiration, jealousy …”
“Jealousy?”
“But not the kind of feelings you’re talking about.” She studied me. “You’re only having those feelings because we’re fucking on the regular. Because you think we’re girlfriend and boyfriend or something.”
“We have a relationship. You can’t deny that.”
“Sure. A partnership. But not that trite little relationship you’re thinking about.”
Her truth cut so deep. She was blunt to a fault, but I knew I needed to listen to her. Falling in love with someone like Peyton … it was the stupidest thing in the world to do. I knew better. Anyone knew better. And here I was, naked in bed with her, fighting, and knowing there wasn’t a single place in the world I’d rather be. That had to mean something, didn’t it?
“I don’t mean to stomp on what you think you feel,” Peyton said, kissing my nose. “You can feel whatever you want. I’m just telling you that it would be easier for you, easier for this, if, in the long run, you decided you didn’t really have feelings for me. It wouldn’t be as messy. Think about the business. The horse rehab project.”
“I know. I’m thinking about it.” But I was thinking about her, too, about the hurts she must’ve endured to uncover this caliber of truth.
“It just isn’t a good idea, Emmett.”
“I know. I get it.”
Something
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