A Sticky Situation (Awkward Love 7)

I quickly brush the crumbs from said cookies off the front of my shirt as he slides back into the car. He’s whistling some tune I don’t recognize, but the thing I notice most is the stench of alcohol on his breath. I narrow my eyes at him when he winks at me.

He’s been drinking? He’s in rehab, for God’s sake. Does that mean nothing to him?

Of course, it doesn’t. He’s Brix Wilson. He controls the freaking world. At least, in his mind he does. If I wasn’t sure it would somehow be construed as my fault, I wouldn’t hesitate to report him to Luke.

“Hey, darlin’.”

He flashes me a killer smile as he slides into the car next to me. It takes everything I have for me to smile back, instead of punching him in the face like I really want to.

“Hey,” I say with fake enthusiasm.

I snap my head back around and busy myself with starting the car. I start driving, pretending that I don’t notice the way he’s staring at me.

“Are you okay over there?” he asks. “You seem a little … agitated.”

“Why the hell would I be agitated?” I growl.

Fuck this. Why am I holding back?

If it were anyone else, I’d have blasted them by now.

If it were anyone other than him, they wouldn’t have been out in the first place.

“If I’m agitated, it’s because I’m annoyed. At you,” I add.

“Yeah, I gathered as much,” he says, rubbing his jaw. He glances at me, his eyes burning through mine. “Is there a reason for all this aggression or is just time for your lady pass?”

I look at him and laugh. “My lady pass?” I repeat.

“Sure,” he waves his hand. “You know, that time of the month.”

I laugh. “Wow. You’re an even bigger asshole than I first thought. That’s pretty impressive.”

“Yeah, well, I’m a pretty impressive guy,” he agrees. “And you know what they say about first impressions …”

He gives me a wink, making it clear what he’s referring to. I hold his gaze for long enough to pretend I don’t care, even though I’m dying inside. When I can’t handle looking at him any longer, I focus on starting the car.

“I’m guessing you’re not a morning person,” he says.

“It’s eight in the evening,” I snarl.

He shrugs. “Not an evening person then.”

“Or maybe it’s the fact that you’ve been drinking while on day release that you were incredibly lucky to be given in the first place,” I suggest. I know he’s fishing for a reaction and I’m giving him one, but I need to get this out. “I’m supposed to be stopping you from doing exactly what you’ve gone and done. How do you think that makes me feel?”

“That you’re not very good at your job?”

Wow. Could he be any more of an dick? I laugh, because it’s all I can do without risking losing my job. God, he makes me so damn angry. It’s like the hour break from him made him even more arrogant.

“Okay, yes, I’ve been drinking,” he admits.

I shake my head and laugh.

Finally.

“So what?” He shrugs, his dark eyes blazing with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. “I didn’t realize you were my mother. You wanna take me over your knee and give me a little spanking?”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you,” I mutter.

“More than you know.” He smirks at me.

I can’t believe women actually fall for this guy’s shit. Sure, I might have been one of them a week ago, but even if the incident at the hotel didn’t happen, I’d still think he was an asshole. I start the car, then shift it into gear, taking off down the street, because the sooner we get back to the clinic, the sooner I can go home and forget about Brix.

“You’re seriously getting this worked up over half a beer?” he mumbles with a shake of his head.

“Yes,” I snap, frowning at him. “But hey, it’s a step down from hookers and coke, so good on you for that,” I add brightly.

“Ouch.” He winces. “I love how quick you are to judge my lifestyle,” he comments. “Don’t trip off that little pedestal you’re standing on over there.”

I lean forward and flip the switch on the radio to end the conversation. Unfortunately for me, it’s on CD mode and the last thing Lou was listening to?

Yep, you guessed it.

Brix chuckles next to me as his voice fills the car while I frantically try and flick it over to radio. I don’t know which button to press, and since I can’t take my eyes off the road, I press all of them and end up making the damn thing louder.

I’m going to kill Lou.

“I had no idea you were such a fan,” he comments, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“This isn’t my car,” I say stiffly.

Then I sigh because what’s the point? He’s not going to believe me.