Page 30 of Fall or Nothing
Despite the single dim bulb overhead, I could make out that the dark room held stacked chairs and folding tables along the wall.
“Sage, can we talk?” I asked and shut the door behind me to drown out the band. As it creaked closed, she gasped and turned, eyes wide.
“No! Don’t let it shut!” She ran to stop it, but too late. The door clicked into place. “Oh no. Hey, Smitty? Anyone? Let us out!”
“What’s the matter?” I asked, as she pounded on it and screamed Smitty’s name over and over, but he didn’t hear, the bar noise drowning her out.
“This door gets jammed when closed. We’re stuck hereuntil someone gets us out.” She kicked the door with her boot for good measure.
“Shit. I didn’t know.”
She tried for another minute, yelling for help. I joined in, pounding and jiggling the handle, but it was no use.
She turned on me, eyes blazing. “What the hell are you doing back here, anyway? Following me?”
“You looked a little flustered out there.”
“So?”
“So I wanted to make sure you were okay. That guy at the bar was a dickhead.”
“I’m fine,” she clipped, and pressed her back against the door.
“Sure about that? I thought maybe you took issue with those women talking to me.”
“Flirt with whoever you want,” she scoffed, avoiding looking anywhere near me.
“I was trying to help Jake loosen up, not flirting.” I stepped closer.
Finally, her eyes locked with mine, and she tilted her head. “Seemed like it to me.”
“Why would you care, anyway?”
“I-I don’t,” she stepped around me further into the room.
That’s when I realized nothing but furniture surrounded us. Curious.
“Why did you come back here in the first place?”
“Huh? Just to check on something.”
I didn’t buy it, and maneuvered back into her line of sight. “Weren’t you frustrated because I wasn’t giving you all my attention?”
“I—we’re not—I don’t need your attention.” She pressed her lips together.
“That’s right, we’re not anything. But of anyone in this building tonight, you’re the only woman I’d want to spend time with. If I could.”
Her breath caught. Her lovely chest rising and falling. I gave her no reason for her cheeks to stop being red yet.
I sighed, tracing a hand through my hair. I’d worn the clothes I bought from her sister’s shop, but opted not to wear the cowboy hat, and turned out to be the only man in the bar without one.
“Sage, if only my life were different. If I knew I’d be here longer, I’d like nothing more than to… to…” Damn, her eyes mesmerized me, cooled off now, lashes fluttering in the low light. My gaze flicked down to her lips parting, soft and full. I’d bet her mouth would feel damn good wrapped around my cock. It didn’t help that her signature floral scent filled the space between us either.
“You were right. I came back here to remind myself that you aren’t mine. Because yes, it upset me to see you talking with other women,” she admitted and stepped closer. “I know you said you’re leaving. But you’re here now, and you just stated you’d like to spend time with me.”
“Yeah, so?” I had a feeling she was about to make this very difficult for me to even walk out of the bar tonight without her.
“So…” She stepped right into my space. “I’m a big girl, Carter. I can handle myself and keep my emotions in check. So why don’t we just, I don’t know, have fun together for however long you’re here?”
