Page 39 of Expressionate
When he turns, and those dark azure eyes meet mine, he grins my way. “Good to see last night didn’t completely put you on your ass,Lovely.”
I shake my head. I don’t know what it is about that nickname, but I can’t fucking help myself; I like thattoo.
12
Tax
Ifeel an ache, deep beneath my skin. An ache that I used to be able to cure with a good fight or a nice, hard fuck. But the only woman I can even think about fucking right now is a curvy, short, little ice queen with a whole lot of secrets. I want to pick her apart from the inside and see each little wheel and cog that makes up who sheis.
Cross slaps my shoulder as he passes me on his way to the bedroom, startling me out of my thoughts. "You gonna ask your little girlfriend to go out with us tonight?" he asksnonchalantly.
"Fuck off," I say, though the words come out without any heat. He can't possibly know how fucking much I want thatgirl.
Cross pauses before reaching the hallway, turning and arching an eyebrow. "Oh?" he smiles before crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "Problem inparadise?"
I roll my eyes. What a dick. I get up and head for the door, intending to go where, I don’t know. "I'm heading out," I say by way of response. "Text me when Ally gets back from her friend'shouse."
Cross isn't given an opportunity to reply as I slam out of the apartment. I pause, feeling a buzzing in my pocket. Withdrawing the cell, I unlock the screen and look over my previous messages. A peculiar swarm of something dark slides into my chest, eerily similar to a snake coiling tight around myheart.
Unknown:$500. You in orout?
Blood pounds in my ears as I read and reread the words. I’m going. I have to go – despite Love, the fights still need to happen. The brief time in the cage when I was there for Keith was nothing. It barely satisfied cravings I hadn’t even realized I’d beensuppressing.
I pause outside my apartment, looking to the side at Love's door. Before I can think better of it, I'm standing in front of it and knocking. Several minutes later, a wave of some celebrity inspired perfume overwhelms me as the door opens and Beverly looks up at me in nothing but booty shorts and a tiny little tank top. Hell, I can see the girl's nipples through the thin fabric. I avert my gaze before I even realize I'm doing it. Why? Because it doesn't feel right anymore. Not after lastnight.
"What?" she snaps. Clearly I’ve disturbed her from her beauty sleep. Dark circles mar the otherwise perfect shape and smoothness of herface.
"Is Lovehome?"
She scoffs. "I'm not her keeper," she says, "but no, she's probably at work." Beverly doesn't say anything more as she slams the door in my face. What abitch.
I return to my apartment and Cross takes that as his cue to remind me not to “shit where I sleep,” as he so eloquently puts it. I flip the hypocrite off and snatch my keys from the counter before heading out to the Jeep. I remember the drive to the BookWorm. This time, I don’t see Love’s car anywhere. At least, I don’t until I circle around the back. I pull into the parking spot alongside hers and then walk around the building to the frontdoor.
I stride through the doors, pulling a beanie from my back pocket and sliding it over the top of my head as a short blonde girl wearing a BookWorm apron widens her eyes at my approach. “Hey,” I say, shooting the miniature woman a smile. “Is Love here today?” Iask.
“Umm…” Her eyes fall to my tattoos and if possible, her incredibly wide eyes expand even further. She looks like a shivering, little dog with those big, terrifiedeyes.
“Sweetheart,” I say, leaning forward and nudging her chin up from across the counter, “Love?”
“LOVE?” she practically squeaksout.
I sigh. “Yes, is Love here? Long, dark hair? Pretty green eyes? Killer body?” I flash my smile again. The helpful information doesn’t seem to phase her. “She works here,” Isay.
“Oh, L-love,” the womanstutters.
I nod. “Yeah, I’m looking for her. Is shehere?”
“Um…I think she’s in the back…on her break. I c-can um…go gether?”
“I would appreciate that,” Isay.
The girl speeds around the counter and past the bookshelves as if her skirt is on fire. I sigh, snatching one of the fitness mags I see in a nearby rack. I flip through the glossy pages, not really paying attention to anything. The images blur as I move through them so fast. The inked words are empty and boring. I shove the thing back in its holder, turning away and stop as I realize that Love’s there. She looks hot as hell in her tight jeans and black v-neck t-shirt under the BookWorm apron. For a split second, my imagination sees her bent over the front seat of my Jeep with those jeans around her ankles. I blink and she’s right there in my face, lifting a brow at me curiously. Shit. Daydreams. Fantasies I want to make come true. I adjust my stance, hoping she doesn’t notice the fact that my thoughts have made my jeans a little tighter in thefront.
My smile spreads. “Good to see last night didn’t completely put you on your ass,Lovely.”
She shakes her head, the silken strands of her hair slapping her cheeks as if she can’t help but smirk at me. It’s not a full-blown smile, but I’ll get one. I swear it. I’ll get as many from her as I can, and I’ll hoard them all for myself. Because no one but me knows how to get past her inner ice and that’s what really makes my cock hard, knowing that I’m her weakness. And if I’m not, then I will be. I want tobe.
I step closer to her even as she opens her mouth. “What are you doing here,Tax?”
