Page 40 of Goodbye Note

“I like a little light choking and all the bite marks and bruises I can get a chick to leave.”

My chest tightened and my mouth went dry. Why was everything with him from zero to intense in under three seconds? I found it intoxicating and addictive.

“Not gonna share with the class?” he asked when I hadn’t said anything.

“I’m still trying to process what you said!” I laughed it off, holding out the joint. “Want the first go?”

He took it and put it between his lips, then took the lighter I offered, putting the flame to the end. He inhaled and pressed his lips closed, holding the smoke in his lungs while he passed the joint back.

I took a long hit.

“I can wait,” he said through a billow of smoke. “I’m a patient man.”

“Me too. Another thing we have in common.” I hesitated, not sure how much I should let on. “I like marks, too.” It was an understatement.

We smoked the whole joint.And he didn’t press the kink question further while we passed it back and forth.

“What kind of marks?” Arik asked when our high set in.

It took me a whole minute to figure out what he referred to. “All of them. It’s sexy when someone wants the whole world to know they belong to you.”

“So, like, physical? Bites?”

“Yes.”

He searched my face. “Hickies?”

“Yes.” I didn’t dare say more.

He narrowed his eyes. “So, like, if someone wrote on you with a Sharpie?”

“If that’s the way they wanted to show it.”

“I like that.”

Oh, fucking do you? But I didn’t dare say those words out loud.

I searched for a reply, my chest buzzing. “Good thing you don’t have any Sharpies.”

He picked up his head, giving me a good once-over. “That you know of.”

“Who are you going to write on?” The words came out before I considered what I implied. At least I hadn’t directly suggested he’d be writing on me so he didn’t think I assumed that.

“I don’t know anyone else, which makes you my victim.”

I held out an arm in a show of grandiose daring pulled from the depths of me. “I’m waiting.”

He shook his head, fighting a smile. “Don’t fucking tempt me.”

I tugged up my sleeve, lifting my chin and daring him. “I said I’m waiting.”

His gaze flicked from my arm to my eyes. “I’m going to make you regret this.”

“I guess we’ll see.”

“What are you going to make him regret?” Fox asked, staggering into the bus, drunk off his ass.

“He’s threatening to write on me.”

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