Misadventures of a Rookie Read online

  Max: That blew you off?

  Gus: That’s her. We’re cool now.

  Max: lol So you think. She’ll probably kill you by the end of the night.

  Looking at Maxy’s words over and over again, I couldn’t shake that he was right. What was I doing? This girl was obviously not into me—well, she was into me enough to have a hot quickie, but once she came out of that orgasm cloud, the unfriendliness was back. Why was I even still here? She didn’t need me. She’d made that plenty clear, yet, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to make sure she was okay. I wanted to drive her home.

  I really wanted her to like me.

  Shit.

  I tucked my phone into my pocket and closed my eyes as I waited. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long until the curtain opened and Bo was being brought back in.

  I stood. “Were you a good girl?”

  Bo flicked me off as I reached for her.

  Angie patted my bicep. “I could use you around here.” Her tone was very suggestive, and when I looked up, meeting her gaze, it was obvious the hot nurse wanted a piece of me.

  But I just laughed her off while I helped Bo get into bed and rest her foot on a pillow. “I get that a lot.”

  Angie lingered a little longer than she should have before she left, and then I sat down. “You okay?”

  Bo looked over at me. “You know she was hitting on you?”

  I nodded. “I do.”

  With a deadpan look, she pointed to the curtain. “So shouldn’t you go try to sleep with her or something?”

  I shook my head, crossing my legs as I held her gaze. “I’m good where I am.”

  Her eyes darkened, and I swear I saw a little joy flicker in those eyes. “I told you, this is nothing.”

  “I never said it was.”

  With exasperation all over her face, she leaned back against the pillows with a huff. Silence stretched as she pouted, and I knew it was from the pain. She couldn’t have that much animosity toward me after I made her come. That would be rude, and she wasn’t rude. She was just bitter. Someone really must have done a number on her.

  And I wanted to know who.

  Clearing my throat, I asked, “So, who did you dirty?”

  Her face twisted in confusion and annoyance before she faced me. “What?”

  “What guy did you dirty? Someone did something, because you hate me for shit I haven’t even done.”

  “Yet.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I can read you like a book, Bocephus, and let me tell you, I wanted you because that ass of yours is juicy and your hair sets my soul on fire. I think you’re hot, but I also like that you try to hate me but can’t. It’s adorable.”

  Her eyes narrowed, but she paused, which meant I was right. “I hate you just fine.”

  “Nope, I know I’m right.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re delusional.”

  I laughed, kicking my legs up on her bed, careful not to bump her bum ankle. “It’s okay to admit it.”

  “Never.”

  Her face was all squished up, but I knew the truth. “So we’re friends now, right?”

  She laughed. “Not even close.”

  “Sure we are. We are learning about each other.”

  “No, you’re running your mouth.”

  I scoffed, looking down at my hands. I liked her. I liked her fieriness, and I especially like that she wasn’t fawning over me. She might do it in her head, but she wouldn’t allow me to ever know that. That turned me on.

  A lot.

  “So when can I take you to dinner?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Bo

  What in the absolute hell?

  “Are you insane? Have you not heard one word I’ve said this whole time?”

  “No, we’re vibing.”

  I could only stare at him, dumbfounded. “Vibing?”

  “Yes, when you’re not fighting it, we get along.”

  Still dumbfounded, I asked, “Fighting it?”

  “The passion,” he said simply, moving his hands between us. “It’s so thick, we could cut it with a knife.”

  “There is no passion.”

  He gave me a look, one that curled his lips while his eyes zoned in on me, dark as night. “Girl, there is so much passion we both almost caught on fire back at the rink. I don’t know why you feel you need to say no, but you don’t. You can say yes. I know you want me.”

  His ego was so damn big, I was honestly shocked there was room for the rest of the world. Holding up my hand, I said, “Okay, pause. One, brief lapse of judgment was what happened at the rink. I was horny, I was upset about losing my card, and you were in the right place at the right time. Second—”

  Before I could finish, though, he was out of his seat, leaning so close his nose almost touched mine. “Is that what you keep telling yourself, over and over again, with the hopes it pushes down the pure raw passion that is swirling in your gut for me?”

  Breathless, I couldn’t move, my gaze held hostage by his.

  “’Cause I get it. You don’t want to be tied down to someone like me—hell, you don’t even have to admit you like me. I’m not asking for forever, pumpkin. I’m asking for right now.”

  What in the world was he doing to me? It was like I was in a trance as he slid his finger along my jaw.

  “I just want to finish what we started back at the rink and then some. I want to lick you from the tip of that nose to the center of your pussy. I want to rake my teeth along your clit and hear you scream my name. I want to fuck you until your knees are weak and you can’t breathe.”

  Pushing against his chest with my hands, I took in a deep, composing breath. “Not gonna happen. I don’t like you.”

  He scoffed, but I could see the pang of my rejection swirling in his eyes. “You keep saying that, but your body is saying something completely different.”

  Stupid body. “My body is saying nothing.”

  He scoffed again. “Actually,” he whispered, and then he moved in close once more. “It’s saying fuck me. Fuck me hard, Gus. So hard.”

  I pushed him away again and rolled my eyes. “How many times do I gotta say no until it clicks?”

  He crossed his arms across his chest. “It won’t. I get what I want.”

  “Well, not today, buddy, or tomorrow. Or the next day,” I added for good measure. “I don’t have time for your shenanigans.”

  He chuckled at that. “And what shenanigans would that entail?”

  Why did I say that? Rolling my eyes, I leaned back in the bed and shrugged. “Who knows? You’d probably fall in love with me. I mean, I am amazing.”

  His lips curved. “Now who’s the cocky one?”

  I couldn’t help it. I grinned. He wasn’t as bad as I thought, or maybe I was being wooed by the fact that he hadn’t left my side since I got hurt. No one had ever done that for me. It was nice. Plus, he was funny, but none of that mattered. I couldn’t do it. “Gus, really, I’m just not down for that. I have too much going on.”

  He didn’t miss a beat. “I said one night. Dinner, movie, sex, sex, and more sex.”

  It sounded nice. And man, I hadn’t been out with a guy in forever. But I couldn’t risk it. Not with him. Gus was dangerous. And the problem was, he knew it. “No. I’m good.”

  He shook his head. “You’ll give in.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  “Yeah, you will,” he answered so damn confidently I couldn’t help but admire it. He was sure of himself. Proud too. If only he wasn’t so obnoxiously cocky about it, I may have considered it.

  Rolling my eyes, I looked toward the ground, refusing to give him an answer. We had been waiting forever, and I was getting antsy. I was pissed I was missing classes, though Lizzy said she’d bring me the notes.

  I really hated how attracted I was to him. He was just so handsome and rugged, and I swore I would never forget the feel of that mouth between my legs. Or the tips of his fingers between my thighs. It was over before it started, and ma