Pit Stop: Baby! (Crescent Cove 4)

“You’re an ass.”

“I’ve been called worse.” He made a low hum and dunked his grilled cheese in the soup.

“I swear I’ve gained ten pounds just living over this place.”

His eyebrows shot up. “So, you moved here too? Not just work?”

“Yep. I’ve got my own place in the apartments above.” And I was proud of it. It was a small place, barely big enough for me and all my junk. But it was mine, and I paid for it out of my savings and pittance of a paycheck.

Thankfully, I had quite a bit in savings. Living at home for most of my life had some perks. My parents were more worried about me having a savings account than making me pay rent to them.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing it.”

“I bet you wouldn’t. We aren’t going there, Gage.”

“You’re the one with the dirty mind.”

“Right.”

“What’s the harm? I mean, we know we’re good together.”

“We’re not just two strangers anymore. We’re family. And God, that’s gross, but you know what I mean. We have to see each other for Christmas and Thanksgiving and every other holiday that includes food.”

“What’s that got to do with us revisiting our very hot, very compatible relationship?”

I took an exorbitantly long time to chew my next bite. Because he wasn’t wrong. We were blazing hot together during that one night. But that was all it was, one night. It wasn’t anything to base a relationship on. Or a repeat performance.

“That busy brain is working overtime again, Ry. I remember you being much more impulsive.”

“Yes, well, that was when I didn’t know who you were.” And also, when I happened to be a little inebriated.

“So, the driver thing is a problem?”

“No.” I put my corner of crusty goodness down. “Besides, you’re not a driver anymore you just said.”

“Right. So, the unemployed thing is a problem?”

“Do not be obtuse. You know it’s because of our siblings being…oh, I don’t know, married. We are a crash and burn and you know it. You probably haven’t had a girlfriend that lasted more than a weekend since you started your career. And based on some of the articles I’ve read, I have some proof of it.”

“First of all, you really did read up on me. Secondly, those click-bait articles are just that. Bait. I haven’t been with half of the women they say I’ve been with.”

“And yet there’s still half of that number and it’s a big freaking number.”

“You didn’t know jack about me when we met and it didn’t matter.”

“It didn’t matter because it was one and done, remember?”

“So, we’ll go for a fifth round. I believe it was four that night.”

“I’m not interested in going for another round.”

“You wouldn’t be this heated up about it if you weren’t.”

I snapped my jaw shut. He had a point. And okay, so a teeny part of me would love to drag him upstairs and find out if he could still do that thing with his fingers and tongue at the same time. But that teeny part wasn’t worth the fallout.

Because a guy like Gage was exactly who Good Time Rylee would get wound up about. He was fine to have fun with, but once the fun was over, he would be gone. So far gone.

“You’re just bored.” I stood up with my cup. “And I’m not going to be the girl you waste time with while you figure out what you want.”