But if Andrew’s mind was made up to do so, Jake doubted he’d be able to stop him either.

Jake rubbed his hand over his face. This was exactly why they hadn’t wanted to involve their friends. Dammit. He wished Sharon had just let him know about the wedding before last night so that he hadn’t had to intervene in front of anyone to keep her from asking her ex to go. Talk about being self-sufficient; they had been talking every day and she hadn’t even mentioned it, just decided on a course of action and then gone for it.

“Are you asking my intentions?” he asked dryly.

“No, I’m telling you that if you hurt her, I’m going to kick your ass. In a totally friendly way.” Andrew bared his teeth in an approximation of a smile. “She’s a lot more vulnerable than she seems sometimes and she takes a lot of things to heart. Some of the shit you’ve said to her in the past… well, it didn’t bother her then but that was then, and this is now.”

“I’m not going to be a total dick to her,” Jake protested, feeling more than a little insulted. Especially because now Patrick was nodding in agreement with Andrew.

“You have been pretty judgmental when it comes to her,” Patrick said reasonably. “I know it doesn’t seem like she’s sensitive, but when she cares about someone, she does care about their opinion. That includes you now.”

Under the weight of both of their gazes, Jake couldn’t help squirming a little, which was not a comfortable position to be in.

“I swear, I’m not going to be a dick,” he repeated, for lack of anything better to say.

“You’d better not be,” Andrew said, finally uncrossing his arms and grabbing his beer.

Jake sighed inwardly. Geez. Hopefully meeting Sharon’s family would be easier than this.

9

This was so fucking awkward.

They’d been fine texting during the day.

Sharon had sent a pic of her cleavage.

Jake had sent one of his abs.

They’d flirted.

And then she’d shown up at his apartment for hot sex and…

It was awkward.

So, so, painfully awkward.

Instead of pulling her inside and taking off all her clothes, he’d been kind of stiff and uncertain. Not that he was the only one. She’d even had trouble looking him in the eye.

Ugh.

“So, ah, how was your day?” she asked as she watched him put away her coat, smoothing her hands over her short skirt.

“Pretty good. We finished out the office we’ve been working on, got all the small details done. We’re starting on a new location tomorrow.” He finished hanging up the coat and turned to look at her. “You look nice.”

“Thanks.”

Silence fell between them, and not the fun, wrought with sexual tension kind of silence.