Page 21 of Broken Pact

Her hands land on my cheeks as she pulls my face to face hers. I come back to the present, the loud sounds of the venue crashing into me with the force of a tidal wave.

“Are you even fucking listening to me, Jagger?”

She’s inches from my face, her eyes searching for something in mine. I can feel her breath on my lips.

My hands are on her hips, and I’m backing her into the wall next to us in the next breath. “If you wanted to touch me so bad, all you had to do was ask, Coraline.”

She snatches her hands away from me as if I’ve burned her. Fire blazes from her gaze and she takes a step back, right into the wall. She lifts her chin in defiance. “I said your name like five times. You had this weird look on your face, and I was worried I was going to have to flag the paramedics or something. Don’t read into it.”

I drag my hand across my jaw and lean one palm against the wall next to her head. Her chest rises with a hitched breath, her tits grazing my chest with the barest touch. It’s the most subtle kind of torture.

“The lady doth protest too much,” I murmur.

She scowls from underneath those pretty long lashes of hers. “Are you quoting Shakespeare?”

Derision drips off her tongue like honey, and fuck me, because I want a fucking taste.

In for a penny and all that, just like ol’ Bill once said. Maybe. I honestly don’t know all that much about classic literature.

I dip my head down, ghosting my mouth along her jawline. “I’m a man of many talents. Or did you forget?”

Her lips part in a puff of air on my neck. “I remember your specialty: lying.”

My head snaps back and my eyes meet hers, the heat between us like a living thing. Her words hit me like I stepped on a hornet’s nest, stinging all that tender flesh. I fix my Devil-may-care smile and force a chuckle.

“Nah, baby, I think you have it twisted. I’m happy to give you another lesson though. Just say the word.”

She leans into me, pushing onto her toes and tipping her head back. “Not even in your fucking dreams, Jagger.”

She ducks underneath my arm, leaving me to the shadows like a fucking creep. But since I wear the costume so well, I stay along the wall and follow behind her, making sure she meets up with the girls she came with.

I don’t know if the security kicked out that motherfucker I knocked out earlier, or if he’s still roaming around here, lying in wait.

The three girls she came with converge on her like some kind of pack of wild animals. They’re laughing and jumping around, heads bent together as the band comes on stage for their encore.

The music swells and the colorful lights flash as I watch her. Always fucking watching her.

The dark-haired friend throws her arm across Coraline’s shoulders and twists her until they’re both facing the stage. From my perch along the wall, I watch as she starts swaying, screaming the lyrics like she’s the one on stage tonight.

But my focus isn’t on the band or the crowd around her. Coraline’s silhouette against the flashing lights is all I see, like a beacon in the chaos of the concert hall. She moves with an uninhibited grace, lost in the music and the moment. And for a second there, I forget about everything else.

12

CORALINE

The golden girls and I link elbows as we skip down the empty sidewalk, riding the post-concert high. Ears ringing, body sticky with sweat, and hearts full of laughter. The night air is cool against my flushed skin, a refreshing contrast to the heat of the crowd.

Sophie’s laughter echoes off the brick buildings nearby. This part of town is bustling during the day, while Grand Avenue sits quietly on their little hilled lot. But at night, everything changes. The historic building is a beacon of light and noise, while the surrounding blocks are asleep.

I almost wonder if it was design or luck—having such a large concert venue surrounded by parking lots and businesses. Nothing residential for a six-block radius.

“Damn, Cora, why did you have to park a million blocks away?” Blanche whines, laying her head on Addy’s shoulder.

I slide a glance toward her feet. “Babe, I say this with love, but you need to leave the heels at home next time. I’m honestly surprised you haven’t broken an ankle yet.”

“We tried to tell her,” Sophie says with a huff.

Addie chimes in and says, “But you know what she always says . . .”

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