Page 30 of The Blackmail of Denise Randall

She looks past me and continues talking to him as though I haven’t spoken. “Keaton, I’ll be by around eleven. I’m sure that’s when her curfew is.” She plasters a fake smile at me and then whispers to me, “Be sure to leave your bedroom door open, Sweetie. I’d hate for you to get grounded.”

That does it. What a bitch. I lick my lips and give a half-hearted laugh as I slowly tap my nails on the table.

Keaton speaks up, “I’ll be busy tonight. I’ll drop your shit off tomorrow.”

A slow smile spreads across her face. “Sure. My place then.”

She winks before she turns around. I jump out of the booth and grab her shoulder. I turn her around to face me and growl.

“I’ll drop off your belongings. And for your information, I have my own place and he’ll be at my place all night.” I give her a light shove as I release her. I slide back into the booth and raise my eyebrows, daring her to do anything.

If looks could kill. “Don’t think me stupid, Denise Randall. You still live with your parents, little girl. You’re barely legal for Keaton to be playing with. Know that the only reason I haven’t chewed you up and spit you out is out of respect to Landon and because Rachel and I go way back. Pull that shit again, however…” She huffs and walks away.

I grab the spoon on the table and stab the ice cream. “How does that bitch know me again? She used to be friends with Landon? I can’t see that.”

“You seemed shocked that she used to be friends with your brother, but not surprised she’s my ex?”

“Oh, she looks your type. Easy.” He shakes his head and gets another spoonful of brownie and ice cream. I continue, “And she’s one of Rachel’s friends? Seriously?”

He lifts the spoon to my mouth, and I greedily accept. “Yeah, Trent too. Charlee didn’t used to always be…like that, and she’s had a little bit of work done. We all went to school together. She graduated a year before Noah and Alice’s class.”

“You’re not that much older. Why did she act like you were robbing the cradle?”

“Jealous.”

“Of her? Hardly.” I’m so not jealous of her flawless skin, height, and curves.

“I meant, she’s jealous of you.” I doubt his words but still enjoy hearing them.

I lick my lips and notice his heated gaze watching me. I suddenly feel his body is too close to mine. I use the opportunity to scoot away, by reaching for my water across the table. I feel safer already with that sliver of space between us.

He throws his arm over the back of the booth. He taps my shoulder with his fingers to get my attention that’s completely focused on my glass of water. “You really didn’t pay attention to your siblings’ friends.”

I swallow. Oh, I paid attention when you were around. I’ll never admit that out loud. “Y’all are all like five years older than me, at least.”

“I’m only three years older. I was the youngest in my class.” He chuckles and then in a low voice whispers in my ear, “By the way…That was so fucking hot. You seriously need some anger management but damn, that was hot.”

I cut my eyes to look at him and we burst out laughing. “Well, I guess you need to take me to your place.” His eyes widen in shock. My cheeks redden as I realize where he must think this is going, so I clarify. “I was dead serious about delivering her shit. You’re not going to do it.”

“Afraid I might take her up on her offer?”

Am I? “Why did you want me here? What are we doing?”

“You’re here to help me exact my revenge on my ex and the douche she cheated on me with. It seems to be working since she was clearly jealous. If I was to take her back, then you’d be off the hook. Might work out better for you.”

Considering she cheated on him and her recent display of class, there’s no way I would stand for that. He deserves better than that horrible woman. For whatever strange reason, I feel protective of Keaton. “I don’t like you, but you can do better.”

Feeling his eyes on me, I realize that it sounded like I cared. Which I do, but I don’t want him knowing that. He might get the wrong idea. “I’d be insulted if you ditched me for that skanktastic bitch. If you want her back, then I get to leave you first and you have a little rebound fling before going back to her. I will not let that whore think she upped me.”

He leans closer to me. “Wow, she really got under your skin. She’s watching us now.”

I try to be casual and sneak a peek at the table of her and her friends. Sure enough, she’s openly snarling at our booth. I feel my temper about to get the best of me. Years of putting up with girls like her and their crap and then burying it deep inside has made me a ticking time bomb. Without further ado, I turn my head and lock lips with Keaton. He gasps in surprise but doesn’t hesitate. He curls those long fingers of his into my hair, as his warm tongue massages mine, and I quickly get lost in his kiss. His talented tongue, along with the smell of his cologne and the heat coming off his body, has me intoxicated. I’m so completely lost that I don’t hear the waitress clearing her throat. I feel a tap on my shoulder and hear the very loud throat clearing, along with an “excuse me.”

We pull away from each other and turn to face her.

“Sorry to, um, interrupt. This is a public restaurant and we can’t condone such…behavior. There’s been a complaint.”

I know exactly who made that grievance. I find Charlee sitting with a victorious smirk as she watches us. This means war, bitch. I politely apologize while Keaton pays our bill. I take him by the hand as we slide out of our booth. I lead him toward her table.

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