Three Broken Promises (One Week Girlfriend #3)(44)
Author: Monica Murphy

“Who are you, my dad?” The sarcasm in her voice is unmistakable.

“No, I’m your f**king boss.” I pull away from her and exit the kitchen, needing the escape, but she trails after me, muttering under her breath.

“What the hell did you just say?” I whirl on her, anger running through my veins, making my blood boil. She’s getting under my skin, and not in a good way.

“I said that’s exactly it. You are my f**king boss. As in, you’re my boss and we’re f**king.” She smirks—actually f**king smirks—and crosses her arms in front of her chest, as if daring me to deny it.

I have no answer for her. She’s driving me out of my ever-lovin’ mind and I have no idea why we’re acting this way toward each other. As if we’re both full of hostile resentment that we’re ready to unleash on each other at any given moment.

It reminds me of a pot primed to boil over—and I think we did just that.

“Is that all I am to you?” I ask, my tone just daring her to say yes.

She shrugs one shoulder, all irritated nonchalance. “So we’ve known each other for a long time. So what? It’s not like we owe each other anything.”

My head is spinning. Doesn’t she realize I owe her everything? I care about her, more than I want to admit. The closer we get to her leaving, the more I don’t want her to go. I need to tell her. I need to let her know what she means to me, but . . .

It’s f**king hard. I’m not one to blurt out my feelings. My parents aren’t touchy-feeling and rarely talk about their emotions. I hide behind a mask most of the time. Whatever people want to see, I give it to them. With the exception of Jen.

She’s the only one who sees the real me.

“Besides, I’m nothing but a burden, right? Don’t you get tired of taking care of me all the time? Making sure I’m safe and protected and nothing bad ever happens to me?”

“I let something bad happen to you last night,” I say, my voice low, my anger barely contained. The renewed guilt I feel over what happened to her is almost too much for me to handle.

“That wasn’t your fault. You can’t feel responsible for everything that happens to me. Don’t you ever get sick of it?”

“No, I don’t. I want to take care of you. Danny would’ve wanted me to take care of you, too.” It’s the least I can do. I’ve already failed her numerous times. I can think of at least three.

“Do you really believe Danny would have wanted us together? Fucking around on the side?” she asks.

I flinch. “Don’t call it that.”

“Don’t call what we’re doing what it is? Come on, we don’t need to tiptoe around the truth. We’re just f**king each other until I leave. It doesn’t mean anything. We already agreed. You can’t back out of it now.”

“Why are you trying to pick a fight with me?”

“Doesn’t feel so good when someone challenges you, huh? I know that doesn’t happen very often,” she tosses at me like a giant bomb.

I open my mouth to retort something extra sarcastic right back at her but the doorbell rings, interrupting me. We stare at each other, her eyes narrowing, mine narrowing in return, and we’re like two gunslingers ready for a shootout at the O.K. Corral.

Fuck, I think I’ve been watching too many reality shows on the History channel. I’m starting to sound like them.

“Are you going to get that?” she asks. “I’m sure whoever’s on the other side of that door is far more important than I am.”

What. The. Hell. I don’t get her. She’s defiant, angry, and smug. It’s like she’s completely changed in the last twenty-four hours.

“This conversation is not over,” I tell her as I head toward the door. Thinking it might be the police, I don’t bother checking. I unlock the door and throw it open.

“Hello, son.”

Well, holy f**k. It’s my father. Talk about an unexpected visit.

I haven’t seen him in almost three years.

Chapter 17

Colin

“Are you going to let me in?” The man standing on my doorstep could be my future self. I look so much like my father it’s frightening. Same height, same build, same features, same hair, though his is liberally streaked with gray now.

He smiles at me, looking like a shark baring all of his teeth, and I barely hold back my grimace. No wonder my mom didn’t like me much. I remind her of the man who knocked her up, married her, and then abandoned her, all in a matter of about eighteen months. They pull each other in a constant tug-of-war over still to this day and I’m a grown-ass man. They have nothing to fight over. Their behavior makes absolutely no sense to me.

“Yeah, come in.” I open the door wider and Conrad Wilder strides inside, stopping short when he sees Jen standing in the middle of my living room, looking unsure and kind of adorable with it.

My earlier anger melts away, just like that. Dark circles are under her wide brown eyes and she looks from me to my dad, then back at me. She’s met my dad before, but it’s been a while. It’s pretty obvious who he is, though.

“Who’s this?” My dad turns to look at me, both eyebrows raised. He’s a player, always has been. Women flock to him and he loves it. As he gets older, he likes his women young. The younger, the better. I bet he’s giving me a mental high-five at this very moment.

“Dad, this is Jennifer Cade.” I pause as he approaches her with a too-friendly smile and an outstretched hand. “She’s Danny’s sister.”

“Ahhh.” He draws the word out, giving me a quick look over his shoulder before he turns on the charm for Jen. “I’m positive we’ve met before, though it was a long time ago. Conrad Wilder, but you can call me Con.”

So fitting that he wants people to call him Con. He’s definitely one of the biggest con artists I know. He can talk just about anyone into anything, and that’s why the man is richer than God.

“Nice to meet you,” Jen says, briefly shaking his hand. She shoots me a look, one that says she needs to get out of here, and I can’t blame her. “I’m going to take a shower.”

I watch her exit the room, my gaze zeroing in on her swishing hips, her cute ass barely covered by a pair of tiny cotton shorts. Her legs drive me f**king insane.

“She’s a cute thing, but skinny. Not your usual type,” my dad says the moment he hears Jen shut her bedroom door.