SheLikesHimBad by Scarlett Scott Read Free Book Online

likes me.”
    He raised a brow. “So you came out here in the dead of night
to visit my dog?”
    “Um, not really.” A frustrated expression crossed her face.
“But he is the cutest dog ever.”
    He wanted her to come inside so he could strip her naked and
fuck her like crazy. But he had no business saying as much. Not yet. He didn’t
know where they stood. One minute he’d been living a bachelor’s existence and
the next Emma Lee had blown back into his life. He’d never thought to see her
again, never thought she’d affect him the way she did.
    His patience waned as he watched her, waiting for her to
continue. “Emma?”
    She blew a tendril of hair from her eye and avoided his
gaze, looking instead at Tink. “I’ve been thinking.”
    She was going to make him insane. “About?”
    “Well.” She chewed her full bottom lip, apparently
struggling with her next words. “Remember how I said that what happened earlier
was just sex?”
    He nodded, heat unfurling in his gut. He hoped like hell
this was going where he thought it was. But the devil in him still wouldn’t let
her off that easily. “And you also said you never wanted to see me again.”
    She frowned. “I did not.”
    “You most certainly did, sweetheart.”
    Emma’s frown deepened but she still looked gorgeous. “You’re
not going to make this easy, are you?”
    He gave her a slow grin. “Why should I?”
    “Because I was wrong.” Her gaze sought his at last, earnest
and steady. “I’m sorry, Jackson.”
    “For fucking the hell out of me and then running off like I
had the damn bird flu?”
    She winced. “I deserve that. I’m sorry for everything,
actually. I’m sorry about the way I left things all those years ago. I’m sorry
I hurt you. And I’m sorry I treated you the way I did earlier.”
    “You basically acted like I was a mistake,” he pointed out,
driven by his pride.
    “I was wrong,” she admitted in a soft voice. “I was a
selfish girl who thought she couldn’t make something of herself and stay in a
small town. I’m ashamed to say it took me all this time to find out what I
should’ve known all along.”
    He leaned against the doorjamb, the scent of early summer
honeysuckle heady and sweet on the air. He was fairly certain he had the upper
hand here, and he wasn’t about to let her off easy. “What’s that, sugar?”
    She narrowed her eyes. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
    “Enjoying Emma Lee Bridges standing half-naked on my
doorstep, apologizing to me? Hell yes, I am. I thought the day would never
come.”
    “I’m not half-naked,” she protested.
    He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. “I’m pretty
damn sure I can see your nipples right through that shirt. Lord knows I’ve been
thinking about sucking them ever since I opened the door.”
    “Jackson!” Her tone was pure chastisement. “You’re quite
rude, you know.”
    His grin deepened. “You like it.”
    “I like you ,” she hedged, cradling Tink against the
lovely nipples in question as if he were a shield.
    Behind her, fireflies danced in the open fields. Crickets
sang. He couldn’t recall feeling so at peace. “You know, for the first time in
my life, I’m jealous of a dog right now.”
    A shadow passed over her face. “Jackson, could you please be
serious?”
    “Come in,” he told her, stepping back to allow her entrance.
    She did, putting Tink down after the door clicked closed
behind her. She smoothed her hair, looking like a woman who had just agreed to
go on a fearsome rollercoaster only to realize she was scared to death to ride
it.
    He took pity on her then, sliding an arm around her waist to
draw her curves against him. “You said you like me,” he reminded her, winking.
    “I do like you.” A frown marred her brow. “Do you forgive
me?”
    “Do I forgive you?” He dropped a kiss on her perfect nose.
“Emma, as far as I’m concerned, whatever happened in the past is done and
there’s no need for