Zeke (The Powers That Be, Book 2) by Harper Bentley Read Free Book Online Page A

trigger that just set me off,” I explained. At her “Oh, shit,” I
went on. “I didn’t go off on him or anything. It’s really not that
big a deal I guess. I just needed a moment, so I left to go to the
bathroom.” Then I threw in, “Men suck.”
    “Only if
you’re very lucky.” She did her donkey cackle which made me smile.
I guess I was being overly dramatic about everything. “So has he
been nice?”
    “Very
nice.”
    “Has he been
respectful?”
    “Utterly
respectful.”
    “Then I see
there isn’t a problem. So get your ass back out there,” she
commanded. Then her voice got soft. “Not every guy’s a dick like
the ones you’ve gone out with. You’ve got this, Scar.” When I
didn’t say anything, I knew she was fed up with babying me when I
heard her drop an F-bomb. “You listen to me, Scarlett O’Rourke.
It’s time you let someone bust down the fucking walls you’ve built
around yourself. You deserve to be treated well. You deserve
everything. But you’re not gonna get it if you’re hiding in a
goddamned bathroom! Now stop putting every guy in a tidy little box
labeled ‘Douchebag’ with Lance and the other idiots. Not all men
are bad. I mean, look at your dad. He’s a good guy. There are some good guys out there, you know.”
    Boy, when Jay
got started, she really went all the way. She’d make a good mom
someday. A bossy one but a good one. “Okay.”
    “Thatta
girl.”
    “It still
doesn’t mean I’m going to date him. This is just a drink then I’m
back on track.”
    “Good
enough.”
    Then I thought
of something and cringed. “Oh, no,” I groaned.
    “What?”
    “When he
mentioned the threesome, the way I got up so quickly probably made
him think I’ve had one and was embarrassed or had a bad experience
or something. Great.”
    Jay snorted.
“Well, if he’s like Dex, I’m sure you have his attention now. You
know men and their fantasies.”
    “Yeah. All too
well.” I looked in the mirror and ran a finger under my eyes. “Tell
me again why I’m even here?”
    “Because he’s
a good guy. Because he obviously likes you. And because he’s sexy
as hell. Good enough?”
    “It’s gonna
have to be. Again, it’s just a drink. Nothing more. Thanks,
Jay.”
    “Welcome. And
let yourself have fun. ‘
One hour of right
down love is worth an age of dully living on
.’”
    “I can’t
believe you’re quoting literature to me now.”
    She chuckled.
“Nothing’s getting done with you hiding out in the bathroom. Now go
show him how amazing you are.”
    We hung up and
after checking myself in the mirror again and giving myself a
“Stick to your original plan and don’t screw things up by sleeping
with this guy tonight, or ever for that matter,” I walked back out
to the bar to see Zeke looking worriedly at me as I approached.
    “You okay?” he
asked, his eyes moving over me as if he were checking for wounds.
He wouldn’t find any, of course, because all my wounds were
emotional. Yay.
    I nodded then
sat down next to him and seeing that my beer had been delivered, I
wrapped a hand around it and took a chug. Okay, that was better. It
reminded me of Dad. He wasn’t an alcoholic or anything, he just
liked this brand. And now it was time for me to let my guard down a
little.
    Turning to
Zeke, I divulged, “You’re a really good guy.”
    I saw his head
jerk back a bit then his eyes crinkled around the edges. “I am.” He
nodded in agreement which made me smile. Then I saw his eyes get
heated as he looked back at me. “I’m really good.”
    Oh, boy.
    I sucked in a
breath as I felt a dip in my womb. Wow. He was good.
    He brought his
hand up to cup my face and leaned in close, his eyes still locked
with mine. “I’ll prove it to you sometime.” Then he leaned in and
touched his lips to mine. When he pulled back, the smolder in his
eyes had died a bit but the message was still there.
    Holy damn.
    Then he took a
drink from his bottle and all was back to normal.
    “So,