Page 56 of Rock Giant

No, she wasn’t.She was pissed off.He was belittling...demeaning her.“I know my book didn’t do very well, Nash, but I thought you at least had some faith in me.”She’d been about to say she’d stood by him, cheered him on when the Ghost Boys started out, but it wasn’t a good comparison.They’d hit it big from the off.

“There you go, you’re just looking for reasons to be pissed off,” he said.“I do have faith in you.Of course I do.I helped with the launch, remember.And I’m the one who took you out and made everything better after no bugger turned up.”

A few people had.She’d even sold some copies.

“I’m the one who made sure you didn’t starve after you blew your savings, remember that?I’m the one who’s always here for you.The person who looks out for you, when you forget to look after yourself.I leave you unattended for a few hours and you wind up tripping your arse off and throwing yourself at some guy.”

That wasn’t quite...She guessed it kinda had happened like that.She did often wind up in trouble when she was alone.

Nash lifted her chin with his fingertips.“A little appreciation of my efforts, eh?”

“Maybe.”

“So, can we stop arguing and enjoy the night?”

“Guess.”

He kissed her.Except within seconds, it had stopped being conciliatory and turned sexual.

“Nash.”She wriggled, trying to extract herself from his hold.

“Oh, come on, Jo-Jo.Please, be a doll, just this once.It’s a special night.”

“Nash, no.”

He gave a frustrated huff and raised his hands in surrender.“Why’d you have to be such a fucking prude?”

“I’m not.It’s just...”She’d already explained it.How did she make him understand?“It’s not like you’re going to get on your knees and get me off.”

“What the fuck?”

“You wouldn’t...You don’t.”

“Do.”

She shook her head.She could count on one hand the number of times he’d gone down on her since they got together.It wasn’t remotely comparable to the number of times she’d sucked him off.

“Well, you never ask me to.”

She had.Plenty of times.

“You never want anything in bed.I ask you what you want all the time.Fine.You want your pussy licking in exchange for a blowjob?I’ll do it now.”

That wasn’t what she’d been saying at all.

“Actually, I think I’d just like to go back to my tent.”

“The fuck,” he muttered.“Give a guy a break.You can’t throw this back in my face later.I offered, and you’ve snubbed me.”

“I just don’t think this is a good place or time.”

He stared at her so hard his eyes were in danger of bulging free of their sockets.

“Actually, I think I’d just like some me time.”She managed to extract herself from his hold by ducking beneath his arm.“I’m gonna go back to my tent.”

Nash followed her to the rear of the two parallel parked vehicles.“Seriously?You’re leaving?You better not have fucking well arranged to hook up with him.”

If only.The possibility of Rock Giant swaddling her in an all-encompassing hug and making all the ugly things in the world disappear was more appealing than it ought to have been.