Rhett (Rhett #1)(2)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“I’m glad you realize that.” She grinned at me. “And for the last time, no way. I’m not going.”

"Come on, Clementine. I really want you to be a part of this with me."

"Be a part of what? Fooling two girls into thinking you’re interested?" She laughed and looked at me with incredulous eyes. "You think I want to be a part of that, why?"

"Because you want to experience everything with me." I grinned and winked at her and she burst out laughing.

"Rhett Madison, I’m not sure what dream world you’re living in, but I surely don’t want to be a part of your cruel and unusual punishment against women."

"How is dating me a punishment?" I pursed my lips and gave her my sad face.

"You tell me how it’s not?" She jumped up and put her arms on my shoulder. "Now scoot, boy, I’ve got homework to do."

"Come on, Clem." I sighed, ignoring the feel of her hands on my shoulders. Clementine had always been a touchy-feely girl, but it had never bothered me until recently. And it wasn’t that it bothered me, but made me more aware of her as a woman. I didn’t want to think of her as a woman.

"I need to finish this tonight, Rhett. I’ve got to work tomorrow morning before class."

"You’ve always got to work." I sighed, annoyed that she was kicking me out.

"That’s what poor people do to make money. We work." She grinned at me and winked. "Now go try and convince two bimbos that you didn’t make a date with both of them tonight.”

"They’re not bimbos." I grinned. "At least not that I know of."

"Uh huh." She raised an eyebrow at me and wiggled it for a second. It was a trick I had taught her in fourth grade and she never stopped using it now.

"Who knows, maybe they’ll be cool with it and offer to have a threesome."

"Yeah. Maybe." She shook her head at me and mumbled under her breath. "Pervert."

"I’m not a pervert, every guy wants a threesome."

"No, they don’t." She shook her head. "Some guys respect women. Some guys actually want a relationship with just one woman."

"Uh, who?" I looked around the room. "Show me a guy who will turn down a threesome with two hot women and I’ll show you a guy who used to be a woman."

"Whatever," she said and laughed while shaking her head.

"It’s true. Statistically speaking, more men want sex then want relationships."

"What’s the statistic and where is it from?"

"99% of men want sex." I paused. "The statistic is from me."

"I’m guessing you’re not part of the 1%."

"You know it." I laughed. "You ought to try it some time."

"I’m saving myself for marriage." She played with the cross around her neck. "You know that."

"Yeah, good luck with that." I laughed at her, but secretly I was pleased. For some reason it made me feel better to know that Clementine wasn’t dating much or sleeping around. I never thought about it much to understand why, but I knew that it made me happy to know that she was saving herself.

"Who knows what will happen when I get a boyfriend, though." She shrugged and I tensed.

"What boyfriend?"

"Any boyfriend." She made a face and screwed her cute little nose up. "I’m not a nun, you know."

"Yeah, just be careful. You deserve a Prince, not a loser," I muttered, thinking about all the guys that had approached me and asked about trying to hook up with her. I’d told all of them that she wasn’t interested and to back off. Not that I’d actually asked her, but I knew what was best. I knew guys like me: they only wanted sex and there was no way in hell that I was going to hook her up with a guy like me.

"So…" She started hesitantly and paused. "So…" She started again.

"What?" I looked at her curiously.

"Penelope thinks that I hang out with you too much and that’s why a lot of guys aren’t asking me out."

"What?" I frowned. Penelope was Clementine’s best girlfriend, a girl she’d met in freshman English. She was cute and funny, but we’d never really hit it off as friends.

"She thinks that guys see you with me all the time and get the wrong impression."

"What are you talking about? We hang out a lot because we are best friends." I rolled my eyes. "Do girls assume you’re a lesbian because you hang out with her a lot?" My voice rose. "Maybe she’s the problem!"

"Rhett." She rolled her eyes at me. "I’m just letting you know what Penelope said." She bit her lower lip. "I mean I see her point."

"So what are you saying? You don’t want to be seen with me?"

"No." She sighed and shrugged.

"Do you want me to hook you up with one of my friends?" I suggested lightly, though my stomach was in knots.

"Have any of them ever mentioned me?" She asked lightly. "Like do any of them think I’m cute or anything?"

"What?" My heart thudded. Was she joking? All of my friends thought she was hot as hell, though they knew better than to make suggestive comments around me. Clementine was gorgeous with her light brown hair and big brown eyes. Her skin had a natural olive tan that made it seem like she was constantly glowing and her body was curvy in all the right places. It didn’t hurt that she had a nice size chest and a cute pert ass. I frowned as I stared at her nibbling on her pen. She was too beautiful for her own good and the fact that she didn’t know it made her even more attractive to guys.

"I was just wondering." She shrugged and gave me a small smile. "Maybe you can see if any of the guys that have mentioned me want to take me out."

"Are you joking?" I frowned, my heart beating fast. "I thought you were concentrating on your studies and waiting until marriage."

"Rhett, I’m not going to wait to date until marriage." She giggled. "Don’t be silly." She looked up at me with a wide smile and a carefree expression on her face. She reminded me of sunshine on a cloudy day. I felt my stomach relaxing as I smiled back at her. She was my Clementine, my best friend, and as much as I wanted to keep her under a rock, I knew I had to let her fly.

"I’ll see if I can think of any good guys." I said finally.

"Or guys at your truck club." She grinned.

"Hell no. They just wanna get laid in the back of their pickups." I shook my head.

"Is that what you want as well?" She raised an eyebrow at me.