“So what. I can’t get a certain visual out of my head and it’s making me crazy.”
Her smile broadens.
“You like that I’m jealous?”
She thinks for a minute. “Usually, I’d say no—that I hate jealous bullshit. But, yeah, I’m liking it.” She bites her lip. “So does Miss Blast from Your Past wanna see you again?”
I nod. “She seems to think we’ve got some sort of...soul connection.” I make a face. “But I’ve already told her it’s not gonna happen.”
“Hmmph.”
“What does that mean? Are youjealousof Miss Blast from My Past?”
“Honestly?”
“Of course. Isn’t that what we’re doing here—playing the honesty-game ’til we both wanna bang our heads against a wall?”
She laughs. “Um... I’m more likeenvious, I think, but, no, notjealous. I don’t get jealous when I’m not in a relationship.” She glares at me, clearly telling me my jealousy about Cameron Schulz is premature. “Now, if you were myboyfriendand I found out you’d fucked another woman, then, yes, I’d be so jealous I’d burn your fucking house down. And then I’d cut off your balls, roast them over the burning embers of your house, smash them between two graham crackers with a Hershey bar and make testicle-s’mores out of them, which I would then gobble up as I stood over your writhing, whimpering body on the ground.”
Holy shit. I’m so shocked, I can’t even laugh. But Kat does—in fact, she belly laughs and throws back her head, completely enthralled with herself.
“And do you wanna knowwhyI’d burn your house down and make myself s’mores out of your balls, my dearest Josh?”
I shake my head. “I’m too scared of you to even venture a guess.”
“Because if you were myboyfriend, I would never,ever cheat on you, I can promise you that on a stack of bibles.Never.I’ve never cheated and I never will. And here’s why: because I never agree to be someone’sgirlfriendunless I’m one hundred percent willing to give the guy my whole heart. And as the relationship progresses, if I’m feeling like cheating, then I don’t stay. It’s scorched earth maybe, but a man never, ever has to wonder where my feelings stand.” She picks up her drink. “It also means that, if you were my boyfriend and you cheated on me, then you’d undoubtedly be breaking my heart.”
I place my palm on my chest, steadying myself. I look down at the bar, collecting myself. This girl just knocked the wind out of me.
“But since you and I aren’t even dating, then, no, I’m notjealous.” She takes a long sip of her drink. “Because I can’t justify getting jealous when a man’s not mine to begin with.”
“I’ve never met anyone like you, Kat,” I manage to say.
“Thank you,” she says. “I’ve never met anyone like you, either.”
“You’re like some bizarre, undiscovered species of fish that washes ashore after a nuclear disaster and freaks everyone the fuck out,” I say.
She laughs. “Wow. That’s your idea of a compliment?”
“I’m normally much smoother than this, I assure you. You bring out the Jonas in me.”
She laughs. “Jonas seems pretty damned smooth, actually.”
“Not usually. Just with Sarah all of a sudden. She brings out the Josh Faraday in him, I guess.”
She grins and I can’t help smiling back at her like a fucking dope.
There’s a very long beat, during which we’re smiling at each other, not saying a damned thing. Finally, Kat bites her lip and touches my hand, sending electricity throughout my entire body.
“For God’s sake, Playboy,” she purrs, “just tell me what’s in your application so we can get this show on the road. Please?” She squeezes my hand and licks her lips. “I’m suddenly feeling extremely...impatient.”
Oh man, she’s good. She’s very, very good. But she’s also shit out of luck. There’s no fucking way I’m giving this girl my application. Period. And certainly not in exchange for the honor of fucking her. Hell no, when she finally fucks me, it’s gonna be for noother reason than she’s dying for it, not because I gave her some stupid application.
I drain the rest of my drink. “Nope.” I clap my hands together. “Getting this show on the road is entirely up to you, Party Girl. All you have to do is kiss me, just once, and then I’ll know you’ve conceded your demands and have finally decided to find out the good old-fashioned way if I’m gonna chain you to a donkey or not.”
She smirks. “No, no, no, my dearest Playboy; you’ve got it backwards. What’s actually gonna happen isyou’regonna kissme—thereby signaling tomeyou agree to my demands and will give me what I want.”
We stare each other down.
