Twisted Hate: An Enemies with Benefits Romance

JULES
One month later
“Open it.”
“No.”
“Jules.” Josh placed his hands on my shoulders. “No matter what’s on
that screen, you’ll be fine. I’ll be here. The anticipation will kill you more
than the results.”
“Easy for you to say.” I cast a nervous glance at my laptop, where the
login page for my bar exam results stared back at me. “You’re not the one
whose entire future is riding on one measly score.”
I’d waited for so long, and now that the results were here, I wanted to
chuck my computer across the room and pretend they didn’t exist. Ignorance
was bliss and all that.
My stomach churned when I remembered everything I had going against
me. I’d taken the bar fresh off my breakup with Josh and injured after my
psychotic ex pushed me down the stairs.
The outlook did not look good for a passing score.
“It’s not your entire future.” Josh’s calm voice loosened some of the
knots in my muscles. “If you don’t pass, you’ll take it again until you do
pass. You’re going to be a kickass attorney one day, Red. Don’t doubt
yourself. Besides…” He kissed my forehead. “It’s better to rip the Band-Aid
off than let the uncertainty fester.”
“Right. You’re right.” I took a deep breath.
It was fine. I’ll be fine. Not passing the bar wouldn’t be the end of the
world.

---

I mean, it would be the end of my world, but not the end of the world.
I walked to my laptop and typed in my username and password with
shaking fingers. My breakfast swirled in my stomach, and I regretted wolfing
down the blueberry waffles Josh made.
When the score report loaded, I closed my eyes, my heart a frantic steel
drum in my chest.
Just get it over with. You’ll be fine.
Behind me, Josh rested his hands on my shoulders again, his presence
strong and comforting.
I finally cracked my eyes open and zeroed in on the total score at the
bottom of the page.
295.
It took a second for the numbers to process. Once they did, I let out a loud
squeal.
“I passed!” I jumped up and banged my knee against the underside of the
table, but I didn’t even feel the pain. I turned and threw my arms around
Josh’s neck, smiling so wide my cheeks ached. “I passed, I passed, I passed!”
He laughed and spun me around. “What did I tell you? Congrats, Red.”
Pride seeped into his voice, rich and warm. “Now you can support me on
your big-time lawyer salary while I toil away in my residency.”
I was scheduled to start my job at Silver & Klein next week. Part of me
was sad to leave the clinic, but I hoped I would still be able to work with
LHAC in some capacity. Lisa mentioned she was interested in partnering
with a corporate law firm to expand the clinic’s services, and after I
established myself at Silver & Klein, I planned to propose a partnership
between my new company and my old one.
Meanwhile, Josh had entered his fourth and final year of residency, after
which he’d take his board exams and become a fully licensed doctor.
We were well on our way to achieving our dream careers, but honestly, I
was happier about the fact I had Josh by my side through it all. It made every
achievement sweeter and every failure less bitter.
“I knew you were a gold digger.” Even after paying off his med school
loans, he had enough money from selling the painting to be financially
comfortable for decades, but that didn’t stop me from teasing him. “Using me
for money. I am shocked. Appalled. Scandalized—”
Josh cut me off with a kiss. “Don’t worry.” His voice lowered as he ran
one large, warm palm up my thigh. “I can repay you in non-monetary ways.”

---

My heart rate picked up, and I bit back a moan when he reached the cleft
between my legs. I was already soaked for him, as confirmed by the satisfied
gleam in Josh’s eyes. He was always such a smug bastard about sex.
I hated how much I loved it.
“I don’t believe you,” I breathed. “I need a demonstration first.”
“You drive a hard bargain.” He slipped my underwear to the side and
rubbed his thumb over my clit. “What kind of demonstration would you like?
You want me to fuck your pussy till you forget your own name? Eat that
sweet little cunt out until you come all over my face? Or maybe…” He
pushed a finger inside me and curled it until he hit a spot that made my limbs
tremble. “You want me to fill every hole like the needy little slut you are.”
A whimper escaped at the mental picture he painted. My toys weren’t
strangers in our sex life, and the last time he’d used them on me while
fucking my mouth…
A pleasurable shudder wracked my body.
“Which is it, Red?” Josh worked another finger inside me. “Use your
words.”
“I…” I struggled to form a coherent response, but I was too distracted by
the slow pump of his fingers in and out of me.
A bundle of electricity pooled between my legs.
“Your verbal skills could use work.” He tsked in mock disappointment.
“But since I’m feeling generous and we need to celebrate you passing the bar,
I’ll provide a sample demonstration of all three…”
Josh was right about my verbal skills needing work, because by the time
he finished his “demonstrations” three hours later, my body was limp and it
was a struggle to even remember my own name.
“Mmph.” I made a contented noise as drowsiness settled over me like a
warm blanket and pulled heavy on my eyelids. We’d moved from the living
room to his bed, and I just wanted to sink into his pillows and never leave.
“Good sample.”
Josh’s soft laugh tickled my skin as he pressed a kiss to my shoulder.
“How do you feel about a full demonstration, then?” He caressed the curve of
my ass, and the butterflies in my stomach went crazy again.
“Stop,” I moaned, half horrified, half aroused. “I will die if I have one
more orgasm.”
The chances of me walking properly tomorrow were already close to
zero.

---

“Okay, okay. I’ll give you a reprieve.” Josh laughed again before he
rolled over and reached for his phone. “I actually bought you a proper gift in
anticipation of you passing the bar.” His dimple deepened. “Well, I bought us
a gift.”
I perked up, my curiosity overpowering my drowsiness. “Is it a toy?
Lingerie? The Kama Sutra?”
“No, Red.” He tapped my nose, his eyes sparkling with exasperated
amusement. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
I made a face while he pulled something up on his screen. “Look who’s
talking. Your mind lives in the gutter.”
Josh swatted my ass in light punishment before he handed me his phone.
“Careful, or that reprieve is going to be more temporary than you thought.”
I ignored my prickle of anticipation at his words and squinted at the
document onscreen. It looked like…a plane ticket?
When the tiny words finally came into focus, I sucked in a sharp breath.
“New Zealand? We’re going to New Zealand?”
“Early next year when I have vacation days again. But I bought flexible
tickets so we can change the dates in case you can’t take that week off at your
new job.” Josh’s grin nearly blinded me. “Excited?”
“Are you freaking kidding? It’s New Zealand!” My stomach flipped as
images of snow-capped mountains and pristine blue waters filled my mind.
Outside of the US, I’d only been to Eldorra, Canada, Mexico, and a few
Caribbean islands. New Zealand was one of the top destinations on my
bucket list.
“What if I hadn’t passed?” I asked, staring at the e-ticket again to make
sure it was real.
Yep, there they were. My name, the travel dates, and the destination. All
real.
He shrugged. “Then it would’ve been a comfort gift.”
Emotion clogged my throat and crawled into my chest. “Josh Chen,
sometimes you are…” I set the phone aside and kissed him. Forget salted
caramel. Nothing tasted as good as him—like mint and sex. “Tolerable.”
“Tolerable?” He hitched an eyebrow. “That’s not good. I’m supposed to
be insufferable, and you…” He threaded his fingers through my hair and gave
it a gentle yank. “You’re supposed to hate me.”
I dug my nails into his thigh until I heard his sharp inhale. “I do.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “Show me.”

---

I dug my nails harder in his skin before I trailed them over his chest and
climbed on top of him. I tugged hard on his hair and flinched when he
spanked my ass again, this time so hard the sting reverberated through my
body.
Wetness coated my thighs, and I moaned, all traces of drowsiness gone.
Screw walking properly. It was overrated anyway.