Page 15 of The Blackmail of Denise Randall

“Let’s just leave it at ‘that won’t be a problem.’ No lies either. Do we have a deal? I won’t tell your secrets as long as you belong to me.”

“Because you need a date?” I quirk an eyebrow at him.

He stiffens. Something about the way he stands straighter lets me know I’ve gone too far. “You’ve got quite the offenses stacked against you, Sweetheart. Just for that sass, two months.”

“Two months?”

“Date me.” He takes a step closer to me. “For sixty days, you’re mine. Once you’ve served your time, you have my word I’ll never hang this over your head again.”

“Serve my time or serve you?” He shrugs a shoulder and quirks a brow. “Fuck you.” I jerk free and turn around. I’ve taken a single step when he reaches around my waist and slams my back into his chest.

“That’s my offer. What’s it going to be? Should we take a trip to the station or…”

“What you’re doing is illegal. You’re blackmailing me.”

“Once again, consider it a proposition for a serious but short-term relationship.”

I turn back around to face him and take a good look at Keaton Sloan. I’d never admit it to anyone, but he is drool worthy. I know he wouldn’t force me to do anything if I didn’t really want to. He’s bossy and dominating but not cruel or heartless.

“Fine,” I ground out. I push him away, but he grabs my hand.

“Nuh-uh. You owe me a ride on the Ferris wheel.” I roll my eyes. He pulls me by the hand and looks down at my left arm with the big stuffed bear shoved under it. “Nice to see you won a bear. Want me to carry that for you?”

“Why, so you can look like you won it?”

“Denise Randall. I’m shocked you’d think so little of me.”

“You just blackmailed me, jackass. You’re not ranking very high on the moral radar.”

He chuckles as he takes the bear. Holding it under one arm and my hand firmly in his, Keaton Sloan guides me toward the fairgrounds. I huff. “I’m already starting to regret this. Maybe I should just go turn myself in.” It’s highly unlikely I would turn myself in, but he doesn’t know that.

He chuckles and wraps his big arm around me. “You’re not going anywhere. Don’t try to sneak off and back out of our deal.”

At the ticket stand, Keaton purchases four tickets. He takes our tickets and turns to me. “Ready?”

“No.”

He smirks. “Too bad.” He takes my hand and leads me to the Ferris wheel. As we’re standing in line, I give one hard yank, but my hand remains in his. Gosh he’s stubborn. Just then, wouldn’t you know who would come walking by? New members of the ‘I Hate Denise Fan Club,’ Dakota and Lamar. Dakota’s eyes immediately zero in on Keaton’s hand holding mine. They don’t stop walking but their eyes shoot daggers at me the entire time. Keaton is completely unaware of our admirers, as he says to me.

“You don’t quit do you, Sweetheart? I thought we agreed you’d ride the Ferris wheel with me?” What? Oh yeah, he is referring to me trying to pull my hand away.

“Funny,” I say through gritted teeth, “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

“If you were thinking about me then why do you keep trying to pull your hand from mine?”

“No, jackass. You won’t quit. You’re obsessed with this idea I’m doing something that I’m not.” I feel his eyes on me again. Always fucking analyzing me. I hate that he seems to know when I’m lying. I especially hate that he knows I’m using and he caught me vandalizing Isabelle’s car. It won’t take him long to unveil other secrets. I need to distract him. I roll my eyes. “I said I’d ride the Ferris wheel and here I am. I didn’t agree to any touching.” His eyes move to our hands, and I feel a moment of relief that they’re not studying my face. But then he looks back at me. The smile that he gives me has my heart rate accelerating and the hairs on the back of my neck rising. Narrowing my eyes, I shake my head and jerk my hand free. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but cut it out. No means no, officer douche.”

He chuckles and holds his palms up in surrender. “No hand holding then.” Keaton shoves his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. The ass is still smiling. I don’t trust him, and rightly so, since he’s blackmailing me. “So, um, officer douche? What’s with the name?”

“You trying to play cop with your little citizen’s arrest. Or maybe you’re more of the moral police.”

“But you said I was blackmailing you, that’s not something a man of the law would do.”

“You’re a dirty cop then.”

The people in front of us begin to move forward. I cross my arms and move in step with Keaton. We walk up the metal steps and stop at the top, where the carnival worker takes the tickets from Keaton and opens the gate. We step through as the giant wheel slowly moves forward. It stops and the cart gently swings. Another worker opens a tiny door and raises a metal rail. With a wave of his tattooed hand, he indicates for us to get in. The skinny tanned man smiles at me, revealing a gold tooth next to his canine. I feel a hand on my lower back and look over at Keaton’s narrowed eyes at the carnival worker. I roll my eyes and slide into the cart.

The bar comes down and I jump slightly as I feel rough calloused fingers graze my arm. The carney smiles wider, and I notice his other teeth are tar stained. “Oops. Sorry. Just makin’ sure it’s latched. Wouldn’t want any accidents.” His hoarse voice mixed with his dark eyes gives me the creeps.

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