“And assholes,” he added.
So what if he heard me? He was an asshole.
I crossed my arms, trying to hide the fact that I wasn’t wearing a bra under my tank top, knowing my nipples could cut diamonds. “Yeah, a big hairy asshole.”
He chuckled, getting closer. “I thought you were a goner by that scream. I figured she ate you.”
“No such luck,” I muttered, wishing he’d take his dog and buzz off.
If he really thought I was in trouble, why did he take his sweet time walking over with his stupid hair blowing in the breeze? His stupid hair that I wanted to thread my fingers through. That I wanted to grip tight while he took me with his mouth.
“You were always a fan of getting eaten.”
“Very funny.” I was lucky I was in the shadows so he couldn’t see the heat that crept to my cheeks.
“Why are you sitting out here in the dark? Are you a vampire now?” he asked, stopping short of the deck.
“Yeah. I suck blood while you suck at life.”
“That’s not a very nice thing to say,” he grumbled. He whistled once, and the dog sprang to her feet and ran to his side. “But, thanks for finding my girl.”
“She found me, but you’re welcome.”
He didn’t take the hint that I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, staying planted where he stood. “How’d you like the food?”
“It was good.” I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing it was the best damn food I’d eaten in years.
He nodded, reaching down to pat his dog. “Beer?”
“Didn’t have any.” I wished I had, but I wouldn’t confess that, either.
He looped his thumbs in his belt loops, leaning back on his heels as he drummed his fingers on his thighs. “Bummer.”
“I have a kid to drive around, remember?” It wasn’t like he knew that kind of responsibility. All he had to worry about was a dog, a dog he couldn’t even keep on his property.
He grinned, waggling his eyebrows. “I know. Everyone calls you Josie the MILF now.”
My heart dropped. “No, they don’t!”
“Lincoln’s mom has got it going on.” He was unrelenting, his smile growing wider by the second.
I was glad he didn’t sing it, but it still ticked me off. “Knock it off.”
His smile faded. “What’s with the porn, MILF?”
“What are you talking about?”
I wasn’t in the mood for his taunts. I needed to go inside and forget about him before I got hot and bothered again — not that the heat had cooled. He only stoked the flames.
“Uh, your computer?”
I glanced at the screen, the In Her Hive cover up with abs and a hint of side ass glazed with honey, an angled leg hiding the goods. “That’s my work.”
“You make porn for a living?” he laughed. “That’s awesome!”
I huffed, shutting the laptop and plummeting the deck back into darkness. “No, I make book covers.”
“Porn books?” He blew out a low breath, shaking his head. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Some of them,” I admitted. I wasn’t embarrassed about what I did, but talking to Luke about it made me feel extra filthy.
“No wonder Pervy Pete loves you.”
“Not as much as Lynette loves you,” I shot back. “Didn’t see her tonight. I guess she’s moved on to the next hairy asshole.”
He didn’t miss a beat with his ace in the hole. “Not as much as Dan loves you.”
“Fuck you.”
He chuckled, a deep, throaty laugh that always made my skin prickle. “You already have.”
I swallowed hard, forcing down the memories. “A long time ago, when I was a lot dumber.”
“Same.” He didn’t seem nearly as riled up as I was, a wicked grin holding firm.
He had a lot of damn nerve. “I learned what not to look for thanks to you, so I guess you deserve some credit.”
“That’s okay. I learned what a succubus was.” He laughed again, making my blood boil.
“I don’t think Tally would appreciate you talking about women that way. Especially since you’ve been pitching lame propositions. Not something you would do to a succubus, huh? A real succubus would have ruined you already. Not that there’s much to ruin.”
He could have all the success in the world, but it didn’t change what he’d done or what pain he’d inflicted. Flawed character and a lack of integrity left him with nothing in my eyes.
“I don’t think Tally gives a damn how I talk to anyone!” he snickered. “And I haven’t been pitching anything. If I wanted something, I’d ask for it point-blank, succubus. I already know you’re game for fucking. Why give you what you want?”
“You’re a pig! Sit oh my dock – blah blah blah!” I snapped, taking a sip of wine, the glass clenched so hard I worried it’d explode in my hands. “I’m sure your girlfriend would love to hear that!”
“I don’t have a girlfriend, and it was a joke. I wouldn’t fuck you with someone else’s dick.”
“Go to hell!” It was bad enough he insulted me, but he didn’t have to lie, too. I glanced toward his place, the glow of a fire pit in the distance. Tally was probably over there with his brothers while he was schlepping around, trying to wet his dipstick. “Don’t you have somewhere to be? Where people actually care about you?”
“Yeah, but I like where this is going, succubus. It’s always refreshing to see your true side come out to play. You sure looked like an angel earlier.”
“Kinda like you almost didn’t seem like an asshole,” I muttered. “But you went and ruined that, didn't you?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he breathed. “Did I not invite you and your son to the opening? Were you not seated in VIP? Did I not give you a private tour while you did your best to hate every second?”
“I said, thank you.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“I’m having a hard time figuring out why I’m the asshole here. I’m the one that should be treating you like shit, but I’m not,
