Page 107 of Make Me Dream of You

I look up to see Anthony smiling. My feet must have been moving of their own accord because I am suddenly out in the lobby of the shop.

“How you doin’?” he asks.

I put on a smile, but I can barely focus my eyes on him. “Good.”

He rubs his hands together. “So, hey. I was just thinking about how you agreed we should go on another date, and I wanted to make a plan, see when you’re available.”

I’d totally forgotten I agreed to a second date.

Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe this is exactly what I need. What did Bex say? Play the field. Have fun. You don’t owe anybody anything. Right.

“I’m free right now,” I say.

Anthony raises his eyebrows. “Cool, yeah, sure. Let’s do it.” He scoops his arm around my shoulder and leads me to the door. The bell rattles when he pushes it open for me.

“What are you doing?” Noah’s dark voice hits me from behind.

We turn to see him standing there chest out, arms at his sides, somehow filling the entire space.

“We’re going out, boss. Catch you later.” Anthony smiles and winks as he turns back toward the door. But I can’t pry my eyes away from his glare.

“Liv. I need to talk to you. Now.” The angle of Noah’s jaw gets sharper as his dark brows narrow.

“Can it wait?—”

“No,” he barks.

I mouth “sorry” to Anthony then follow Noah.

When I enter his office, he’s standing in the middle of the room, back to his desk.

“What’s going on?” he asks. His voice is controlled, but there’s an edge to it I haven’t heard before.

“He asked me on another date after our first one, I figured tonight was as good a time as any.” It takes every ounce of will in my body to not let my voice waver on my words.

“I’m confused.” He tilts his head, shadows exaggerating the depth of his eyes and cheekbones.

“About what?” I don’t manage to hide the shake that time.

“About what? Why are you going on a date with him? I thought—” He clenches his jaw, nostrils flared.

“Am I not allowed to? We’re not that serious, right? We haven’t agreed to be exclusive.”

He leans back against his desk, arms crossed, brows lowered. “No. We haven’t.”

Say you want to be. Say it. Please.

But he doesn’t say it. He’s unmoving, expressionless, unblinking.

“Okay then, glad we’re on the same page. I’ll be home later, don’t wait up for me.” I turn toward the door and then the desk screeches across the floor.

When I look back, Noah has closed the distance between us, looming over me. “You’re not going out with him tonight. You’re taken.” His chest is heaving. He lowers his face closer to mine. “And if anyone’s going to fuck you tonight, it’s going to be me.” His tone is low, menacing. Thick and velvety, seeping its way under my skin and twisting itself around my bones.

I love it. His is the only voice I want to hear whispered in my ear.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” I say. “You don’t own me.”

“Of course I don’t own you. That doesn’t mean you’re not mine.”

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