I was too late.

“Bullshit,” Jamie spat, calling me out. “And straight up, babe, that’s bullshit I don’t fuckin’ need. You want this just as bad as I do and last time I checked, you weren’t wasting your time on that worthless motherfucker you called a boyfriend anymore, so what the fuck?”

Jamie knew all about what happened with Wes. I put it on him the night I attacked Wes’s car with Syd, Shay, and Kali in tow. Jamie made me tell him.

Then he slashed Wes’s tires.

I wasn’t going to think about that right now, though. No way.

“Wes doesn’t have anything to do with this,” I hissed, feeling my anger awaken at the mention of that asshole.

“No?” Jamie’s eyes narrowed. “Then explain to me, babe, why you’re fightin’ me instead of lettin’ this shit happen.”

“Maybe because I don’t want it to happen. Did you ever think about that?”

I was on a roll with the lying at this point. All in. There was no turning back.

“Christ, you’re fuckin’ delusional,” he grated, crossing his arms over his chest. “I kissed you. Yeah, I’m owning that shit, but you sure as fuck kissed me back. I felt it. You fuckin’ felt it. That kiss might’ve been instigated by me but you were a flick of my tongue away from soakin’ that hot-ass uniform of yours and don’t even try and deny it. Then I get back here, and the second I let you feel my cock, you’re burnin’ up for me again. You want this to happen. You want me, but guess what? Time’s up, Legs. I get enough pussy and I’m done waitin’ around for yours.”

My mouth fell open.

I didn’t believe a word he was saying. No way was he through with agitating me. It was his life’s mission. I was sure of it.

“Oh, really?” I asked, gripping my hips and glaring.

“Yeah, babe, really,” Jamie shot back.

He looked his fill of me then, letting his eyes skim my body slowly as if he was looking for the last time.

“Shit,” he murmured to himself before lifting his gaze. Then he turned away without another look or glance, crossed the small room we were in, and pushed through the door.

I blinked after him, frozen in place as I waited, and waited … and waited for Jamie to march back in and go at me again because that’s what he did.

He was relentless. Committed.

No matter how many times I’d told him over the past nine months that I wasn’t interested, he still came at me.

And now he was gone. Done. Over it.

And I was … disappointed?

What? No! No way. Never.

God, it must’ve been that kiss. It stripped my brain of blood flow and I was no longer thinking straight.

I needed to get out of here. Regroup. Reevaluate. Rethink some things. And I could. According to the clock on the wall, my shift was over.

So I grabbed my stuff out of my locker, punched out, left the employee lounge, and waved to Kali as I walked past where she was standing by a table, telling her to keep the tips she was holding out for me and brushing off her look of concern and the “Jamie” she mouthed.

As usual when it came to that topic, I was a vault. Always and forever.

But just because I wasn’t willing to talk about Jamie didn’t mean I wasn’t replaying everything in my mind that had just happened between us.

That was absolutely what I was doing.

As I reached my car, swung the door open, climbed inside, and tossed my purse onto the passenger seat, gripping my keys and reaching to start it up, my head was swimming with images, my mouth was saturated with Jamie’s taste, and my attention was focused solely and completely on the man I never wanted to think about as I shifted into reverse and backed out of my parking space.

Then I heard a deep voice hollering out as my bumper knocked into something.

Hard.

But not hard hard. It was more like a jolt. Or a firm shove.

That was my story.

“Shit!” I gripped the wheel with both hands and stomped on the brake with both feet as I whipped around to look out the back window.

At first, I didn’t see anything. Then, slowly, a hand came up and slammed down on my trunk, followed by the top of a head coming into view, covered with sandy blond hair that looked more disheveled than usual.

“Oh, shit,” I whispered, focusing on his eyes next as he pierced me with them, blue like ice and holding more anger than I’d ever seen in a pair of eyes.

Jamie slowly straightened fully, and when he did finally stand tall, he bellowed a heart-stopping “WHAT THE FUCK?” so loud my windows rattled.

I shrieked and shifted the car into Park, then opened the door and jumped out in a blur of limbs and long hair.

“Are you okay?” I asked immediately with panic tightening my voice as I moved closer to examine Jamie for injuries.

His shorts were covered in dust and dirt, but other than that, he appeared unscathed. He was standing, not hunched over. He wasn’t wincing or rubbing any parts of him. And there weren’t any cuts or scrapes on his body from what I could tell.

I looked into his eyes as I reached the back of the car.

“I didn’t see you at all. Is anything hurt? Are you hurt?” I asked.

“Stay the fuck away from me,” Jamie growled, holding his hands up and slowly retreating. “You crazy-ass bitch. Do not fuckin’ come any closer.”

I flinched, halting my steps. “What? Did you just call me a bitch?”

“Yeah, bitch, I did. You heard me,” he spat, brushing himself off. “You ran me over. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I … what?” I blinked rapidly. “I didn’t do it on purpose!” I shrieked, appalled by his accusation. “I didn’t see you! I thought you left!”

Jamie gestured over my shoulder.

“I’m parked right the fuck next to you! Where the fuck was I going without my car?”

My eyes went round.

Slowly turning my head, I registered the vintage Jeep that Jamie was always driving if he wasn’t riding his motorcycle, parked right beside my Volvo.

Well, shit.

“My mind was on other things! I wasn’t paying attention,” I confessed, which was true. Both counts. I looked back at Jamie. “You know it was an accident. I would never intentionally do something like this. Not ever.”

“Yeah, right, ’cause you gotta lot of love for me,” he argued, heavy on the sarcasm.

“That might not be the case but I wouldn’t hit you with my car!” I insisted. “I’m not crazy!”

He stared at me for a beat, jaw twitching, eyes flashing, and breathing heavy. Jamie didn’t look convinced. Then he pushed a hand through his hair and shook his head, murmuring, “Figures I fall for psycho pussy,” under his breath as he reached into his back pocket and tugged out his phone. He looked down at the screen.

My gazed hardened. Psycho pussy? Um, no. I don’t think so.

“I am not psycho pussy, and I know what you’re doing.” I pointed at him when he lifted his head. “You’re mad I shot you down and bruised your precious ego and now you’re planning on making up lies about me.”

“Bruised my ego? Bitch, I think you did more than that when you ran my ass over.”

“I did not run you over! God! Stop being so dramatic!”