“I can’t keep all this,” Kat says. “This is an insane amount of money.”
“Don’t overthink it.”
She holds out her chips. “Really, I can’t. Take it before I give in to temptation.”
I tilt my head at her. “You got a car payment?” I ask.
She nods.
“Will this pay off the loan?”
She snorts. “And then some.”
“Then that settles it. It would be fiscally irresponsible for younotto accept this money. Don’t be fiscally irresponsible, Kat.”
She looks unsure.
I chuckle. “Seriously, Kat. That’s chump change to Jonas, and you just made me a ton of money. See?” I hold out my chips to prove it. “I’mrich!”
She purses her lips. “Well... are you gonna expect something in return?”
“Nope. No strings attached.”
Surprisingly, her face flashes with disappointment, not relief.
Interesting.
“Although, of course,” I quickly add, “Idoexpect to get something from you tonight—something that’s gonna be so fucking awesome, you’re gonna thank me profusely and beg me to do it again and again. But you’re gonna give it to me because you wanna do it so fucking bad, it hurts—not because you’re paying me back for a few stupid gambling chips.”
Twelve
Kat
“Whatcha drinking?” Josh asks me when the bartender approaches us for our order.
“A dirty martini. Grey goose. Two olives,” I say.
“I like your style, Kat.” He smiles at the bartender. “Make it two—plus two shots of Gran Patron, please.”
When the bartender leaves, Josh turns a heated gaze on me. “Jesus, Kat. You’re so fucking beautiful, you’re causing me pain.”
“Wow. Thank you. You’re so fucking beautiful, you’re pissing me off.”
He laughs. “You’re so fucking beautiful, you make me wanna punch a wall.”
“Well, you’re so fucking beautiful, you make me wanna hurl all over you.”
“Wow. Really?”
“Yup.”
“Damn. I must bereallyfucking beautiful.”
“Or I’ve got a particularly weak stomach,” I say. “Which, actually, I do.”
He pauses briefly. “You really are fucking beautiful, Kat.” He reaches out, slowly, like he’s not sure if I’m gonna stop him or not, and gently touches the tip of his finger to my chin.
I close my eyes. “Holy Who-Knew-a Chin-Could-Be-an-Erogenous-Zone, Batman,” I say.
