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I refuse to be that kind of girl

Olivia turns to me.

"Are you even looking?"

"No."

She leans closer.

"Oh, stop being boring and perv with the guys who just walked in. You're starting to worry me."

Quickly, I glance at them and then back to my plate just to keep her happy.

"That doesn't count."

She breaks off quietly.

"Do it again. And really do it in a way that you appreciate it this time."

I exhale and look at the group of guys sitting a few tables down from us. Two of them have their backs to me, so I couldn't comment on their faces. One is wearing a blue hoodie and has broad, broad shoulders. The other is a little smaller, wearing a tight black T-shirt and a red cap. Looking past them, I see the two boys looking in my direction. They are nothing special and one has an annoying mustache.

"Don't they look cute?"

She gasps, kicking my forehead a little too hard and making me wince.

"Sure."

I groan through gritted teeth. When the pain subsides, I continue.

"I mean they're not ugly."

Olivia laughs too hard and two pairs of eyes fall on me. My cheeks instantly turn pink.

"Are you looking?"

She asks, whispering.

Not wanting to provoke her, I lie.

"No."

I drop my gaze back to my burger and pick it up to take a bite. All the flavors of chicken and sauce flood my mouth (tomato, aioli, pickle), I almost groan out loud. It's that amazing.

"I'm on my way."

He turns to slide out of the booth and I drop my burger on his plate as I reach for his arm. I manage to grab it, forcing her to stay still.

I swallow my mouthful of food.

"Don't be an idiot. There's four of them."

She winks at me.

"The more the merrier."

Olivia pulls away from my grip and straightens her short gray dress. She fluffs her long hair and turns to me.

"How do I look?"

I roll my eyes, knowing full well I've already lost.

"Go get them."

There's no reason they shouldn't be interested in Olivia. She's perfect. She struts over to them and I pull Ian McEwan's Atonement out of my bag. When Olivia 'chats' with the guys, it's never a five-minute thing. She drags it out as long as she can and, fortunately, I've come prepared. I'm not far off, but if it's anything like the movie, I'd love it. Giggles bring my gaze back to the group. They've made room for him to sit with them, he looks at me and I wrinkle my nose. He's definitely in his element. His beautiful pink-lipped smile is in place and, to my own surprise, he points a slender index finger at me. I shake my head as my stomach churns painfully. The guy with his back to me, the one in the hoodie, drapes his arm over the back of the chair and rests his dark eyes on me. I gasp inwardly as the blood drains from my face. I stare at the overconfident smile and the familiar pair of chocolate irises.

Stupid Jake.

I open my book and lift it to cover my burning face. My cheeks are bright red, I can feel it. Jake is intimidating with his broad body, perfect physique, and fastidiously handsome face. Please, for God's sake, don't let him remember me.

I wasn't so lucky.

Two long, calloused fingers curl around the top of my book and she snatches it out of my hands.

The first thing I notice is a pair of dark navy blue baggy jeans and a blue hoodie pulled up over his black hair. It's unbuttoned, resting against his hard torso and exposing a strip of his bare, luscious midsection. I clear my throat nervously as my eyes lock onto his and do my best to keep my eyes on his and not on the incredibly hard and incredibly tempting strip of flesh.

"Is there room for one more?"

I open my mouth to tell him he's busy, but he plops down in the seat across from me anyway, placing my book on the table. A toothpick dangles from his tempting mouth and I've never wanted to be an intimate object so badly in my life. Jake pushes Olivia's fries away and I lean in a little to look past him. I meet Olivia's green eyes. She smiles and gives me a thumbs up. I fight the urge to frown and turn my attention back to Jake, who is looking at me intently. He has the same gleam in his eye that disarmed me at the gym this morning. His index finger taps the table and something inside me quickens every time his finger hits the wood. He doesn't say anything, but I can feel his eyes penetrating my clothes and licking me all over. I inhale deeply through my nose in an attempt to control myself.

  • "I'm Jake, by the way."

He says, pulling the toothpick out of his mouth.

"I know who you are."

I cringe inwardly. I didn't mean for my voice to come out so rudely. His head tilts to the side as if he's studying me carefully and one corner of his mouth twitches into a smile.

"Is this where you work?"

"No, I, uh, I work as a receptionist for a psychologist."

Under the table, I fiddle with my fingers. I'm so nervous and I have no idea how to handle this situation.

"I'm here to have lunch with my friend."

I nod toward Olivia with her friends in the booth, but he doesn't turn around to look.

His leg brushes against mine, sending a tide of electricity through my body and I pull away. If it were anyone else, I'd be gone by now, but with Jake... I can't seem to muster the courage to escape. Pleasure bursts in the dark depths of his eyes and I wonder if I'm going about this the wrong way. He seems to be attracted to the way I regard him. The problem is I don't know how else to treat him. He's sexy as hell and on one hand I want nothing more than for him to rip my clothes off, but on the other, I refuse to be that kind of girl and not to mention the fact that he has a girlfriend.

"If I didn't know better, Sandra, I'd say you were repulsed by me."

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