Jackson’s tongue touches the corner of his mouth as he wears a smug smile. “You don’t know what you’ve fucking started. I’m going to take her away from you now just because I can. Your days are numbered, prick.”

The muscle in my jaw flexes. “Keep telling yourself that, while I’m in her room at night tasting that sweet pussy.”

Without warning Jackson sucker punches me square in the nose, knocking the sunglasses off my face. I grab my nose and my eyes water as I stand there stunned. “Motherfucker!”

He bends his knees, and waves his hands at me. “Come on! I’m not through with you.”

I wipe the blood away from my nose and smirk. “You hit like a fucking girl. Is that the best you fucking got? You’re a dead man!”

I lunge at Jackson but I’m halted in my tracks the moment Holly steps between us and shoves a petite hand into each of our chests. “Stop it! What’s wrong with you two?”

Jackson shakes his head and takes a few steps back while staring me down. “You’re lucky she saved your ass.”

My nostrils flare as I stare him down. The urge to pull Holly out of the way to chase Jackson down to finish what he started rages through every inch of me. I want to rip his fucking head off and spit down his throat, but the second my eyes meet Holly’s sad expression I still.

“Let it go, Trip. He’s just being a jealous asshole,” Holly says as she places both hands on the sides of my face so she can inspect the damage. “Are you okay?”

I glance up at Jackson who seems to be even angrier that Holly has chosen my side. This is the perfect time to drive home the fact that she no longer belongs to him. Playing on her sympathy in front of him will piss him off, which is exactly what I want to do.

I sigh and poke my lip out a little. “I’m okay, but my nose hurts.”

She tilts her head and strokes my cheek with thumb. “Let’s go get you some ice.”

Jackson growls in the background while Holly grabs my hand and pulls me in the direction of the house. A smug smile fills my face as the knowledge that this isn’t going to be as easy as he thought fills Jackson’s pea-sized brain.

When I decide I want something, no one takes it from me. At this moment I’ve decided that Holly needs to be mine for the simple fact that I don’t want Jackson to have her. That motherfucker doesn’t deserve to have her, and I know it fucks with my plan to not get mixed up with her, but damn it, I can’t stand the thought of Jackson with her.

I have to do whatever I can to prove to her that she can move on and love someone else—even if that someone else is me.

I know it’s selfish reasoning, like a spoiled child not wanting to share toys, but I never claimed to be a saint. And I can’t deny that I want her. She’s on my mind way too much and it’s driving me crazy. Maybe if I get her to like me enough to sleep with me that feeling will go away.

Not since Jessica, has one woman been on my mind for so long and it’s got me worried. I thought I was in love with her, but she fucked me over and nearly ruined my entire life with her bullshit. I can’t bring myself to trust women again—they can cause insurmountable damage.

The challenge of winning Holly over to spite Jackson is something I have to do. If only for my own selfish pride, I can’t let that douchebag win. Making Holly really like me is going to take more than my normal game. I’m going to have to let down my walls and let her in a little to see that I can actually be a nice guy when I want to be.

HOLLY

I close the front door behind us and lead Trip into the living room. The flat pillows on the couch need a good fluffing to be comfortable, so I pick one up and squeeze and rotate it before tossing it back down. “Lie down here while I get that ice for you.”

Trip pinches the bridge of his nose and obediently follows my command as I rush off to the kitchen. We don’t have an ice pack, so I grab a bag of peas from the freezer. I turn back and head back to Trip. The length of his long legs occupies nearly all the room on the couch and his feet hang off the end. His large hands rest on top of his chest as he lies there with his eyes closed. He looks so peaceful, like he’s sleeping, I’m almost afraid to disturb him.

I sit on the edge of the cough at his side and whisper, “Hey. I brought you something for your nose.”

He opens his eyes as I lay the small bag across his nose and gives me a small smile. “Thank you.”

For some reason the need to comfort him more washes over me. I smooth back the hair on his forehead. “You’re welcome. Why did he hit you?”

Trip shrugs. “He told me to stay away from you and I politely refused.”

I tilt my head. “Why do I doubt that you do anything nicely?”

“Because I haven’t been very nice to you since I got here…” His eyes search my face. “But I want to change that.”

I gaze into his green eyes as my heart does a double thump in my chest. “What do you mean?”

He pulls the peas away from his face and props himself up on an elbow, bringing our faces so close his warm breath blows across my lips. “It means I want us to be real friends—not pretend ones, or someone you feel like you have to be nice to out of obligation. I want you to genuinely like me the way I like you.”

I lick my lips. “You like me?”

“You know I do. Would I really agree to pretend to date you if I didn’t? You’re fun to be around and I want to get to know you better.”