but half the women here fainted when you took your shirt off. I think that’s enough of an ego boost for one day,” she joked. She lifted her hand as if to run fingers through my hair, but I stopped her quickly.
“Dallas, where are your clothes?” I snapped as I took a step back. She gaped at me, clearly shocked by her reception. I saw her embarrassment turn to anger as a few onlookers snickered at her discomfort.
“What the hell is your problem, Martin?” I knew the question didn’t just have to do with today. I had been returning less of her calls and spending a little less time with her. She was an extremely smart girl and if for one second I thought I could tell her I returned her feelings without the result being that she tried harder, I would.
I didn’t want to take that chance. I knew I would give in to the physical, even if the gentlemen I wanted to be couldn’t live with that. She already held a coveted place in my heart. She wouldn’t be just another girl.
Not to mention, it was totally fucking illegal. And those were the kind of charges that stuck, that stifle a medical career.
She was still looking at me when I realized I hadn’t answered her.
“Nothing, I don’t have a problem,” I barked back. “I just didn’t expect you to greet me in your underwear.”
She pushed past me in a huff, stomping off toward the parking lot.
“Dallas,” I called after her, apology clear in my voice.
“Bite me, Martin,” she said, pulling out her cell to text someone.
“You need a ride?” I said, quickly catching up with her. I grabbed her arm and turned her to face me and saw her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears.
I was the worst human alive.
“I’m sorry,” I said instantly. I had never seen Dallas’s resolve waver in the six months I had known her. The guilt I felt in that moment left a large lump in my throat. She looked at her flip-flops, refusing to meet my eyes. I grasped her chin and she took it away with a quick turn of her head. She took deep breaths to calm herself.
“I just won’t come anymore,” she whispered.
“No, Dallas, it’s not that,” I offered. But what the hell could I say? I needed her to stay away. I needed to get her out of my head.
“It’s fine.” She looked up as tears disbursed down her cheeks. “I am weird. I am. And you know that about me. No one else does. I thought we got along. I thought we—”
“You’re perfect,” I interrupted. Only a step closer and I would have her in my arms. I shook my head and ran my hands through my hair in frustration. “We do get along, Dallas,” I offered, fisting my hands in effort to keep from pulling her to me. She glared at me.
“No, you and girls like Lindsey do. I’m just...me.” She looked past me and I noticed her mother’s SUV pulling up. “Bye,” she rasped out, wiping her face before making quick strides to the truck and jumping in.
“Mom, don’t.” I heard her hiss her protest as the passenger window rolled down. Dallas sank in her seat, clearly embarrassed. I felt for her. My mother was just as intrusive.
“Hi, Dean,” she chimed. “Did he win?” she tried to ask Dallas discreetly. She sat with her arms crossed, giving her mother a murderous stare.
“I did,” I answered for her, leaning into Dallas’s window. She flinched as I inched near her and I shared a knowing smile with her mother, Laura. Dallas was anything but forgiving when she was mad.
“Thanks for coming, Dallas.” I kissed her cheek and waved at them as they drove off. I saw Dallas glance at me in the rearview. I smiled broadly and caught her reluctant smile.
My spitfire.
Sitting in my car in front of her house on prom night had tested my limits. I had wanted to ask her. In truth, all year I had only wanted her. I saw her bedroom light on as I sat in my tux, ready for a night I didn’t want to spend without her. I was supposed to pick up my date in twenty minutes but couldn’t tear myself away from staring at
“Dallas, where are your clothes?” I snapped as I took a step back. She gaped at me, clearly shocked by her reception. I saw her embarrassment turn to anger as a few onlookers snickered at her discomfort.
“What the hell is your problem, Martin?” I knew the question didn’t just have to do with today. I had been returning less of her calls and spending a little less time with her. She was an extremely smart girl and if for one second I thought I could tell her I returned her feelings without the result being that she tried harder, I would.
I didn’t want to take that chance. I knew I would give in to the physical, even if the gentlemen I wanted to be couldn’t live with that. She already held a coveted place in my heart. She wouldn’t be just another girl.
Not to mention, it was totally fucking illegal. And those were the kind of charges that stuck, that stifle a medical career.
She was still looking at me when I realized I hadn’t answered her.
“Nothing, I don’t have a problem,” I barked back. “I just didn’t expect you to greet me in your underwear.”
She pushed past me in a huff, stomping off toward the parking lot.
“Dallas,” I called after her, apology clear in my voice.
“Bite me, Martin,” she said, pulling out her cell to text someone.
“You need a ride?” I said, quickly catching up with her. I grabbed her arm and turned her to face me and saw her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears.
I was the worst human alive.
“I’m sorry,” I said instantly. I had never seen Dallas’s resolve waver in the six months I had known her. The guilt I felt in that moment left a large lump in my throat. She looked at her flip-flops, refusing to meet my eyes. I grasped her chin and she took it away with a quick turn of her head. She took deep breaths to calm herself.
“I just won’t come anymore,” she whispered.
“No, Dallas, it’s not that,” I offered. But what the hell could I say? I needed her to stay away. I needed to get her out of my head.
“It’s fine.” She looked up as tears disbursed down her cheeks. “I am weird. I am. And you know that about me. No one else does. I thought we got along. I thought we—”
“You’re perfect,” I interrupted. Only a step closer and I would have her in my arms. I shook my head and ran my hands through my hair in frustration. “We do get along, Dallas,” I offered, fisting my hands in effort to keep from pulling her to me. She glared at me.
“No, you and girls like Lindsey do. I’m just...me.” She looked past me and I noticed her mother’s SUV pulling up. “Bye,” she rasped out, wiping her face before making quick strides to the truck and jumping in.
“Mom, don’t.” I heard her hiss her protest as the passenger window rolled down. Dallas sank in her seat, clearly embarrassed. I felt for her. My mother was just as intrusive.
“Hi, Dean,” she chimed. “Did he win?” she tried to ask Dallas discreetly. She sat with her arms crossed, giving her mother a murderous stare.
“I did,” I answered for her, leaning into Dallas’s window. She flinched as I inched near her and I shared a knowing smile with her mother, Laura. Dallas was anything but forgiving when she was mad.
“Thanks for coming, Dallas.” I kissed her cheek and waved at them as they drove off. I saw Dallas glance at me in the rearview. I smiled broadly and caught her reluctant smile.
My spitfire.
Sitting in my car in front of her house on prom night had tested my limits. I had wanted to ask her. In truth, all year I had only wanted her. I saw her bedroom light on as I sat in my tux, ready for a night I didn’t want to spend without her. I was supposed to pick up my date in twenty minutes but couldn’t tear myself away from staring at
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