Page 54 of Root

“A woman, asswipe, who has a bigger dick than yours.”

“Are we talking strap-on or a—”

She shoves and I go down, tumbling her with me, keeping that knife out of the way. “Fuck boy.”

“That all you got?”

We’re both breathing hard, and it’s got nothing to do with the fall and everything to do with the close proximity.

“I knocked you down,” she says. “You want more?”

I curl my hand in the short strands of her bottle red hair and pull her in close, our lips a whisper from each other. She’s on me and I’m hard. “I let you do it.”

“Liar.”

“Am I?” Holding that hand out of the way I flip us so I’m on top, and I rub my erection against her cunt. “And do you?”

She doesn’t answer and the tension shifts, grows tight. I lower my head, taking my time, letting her know my intent.

Our lips touch and for a moment hers are stiff, shaking, like she’s fighting off the inevitable.

I fucking love the fight with her. In her. Between us. All of it.

Her lips part and she raises up as I sink down into the kiss. It’s hot, wild, a promise of things to come, heat and sex and ecstasy.

Jessie turns, breaking the kiss.

“Get off me,” she whispers. “I’m not a substitute.”

I frown. “What are you on about?” Gently, I turn her face to me.

Her eyes glitter. “I won’t be any kind of substitute for your fantasies. Not any of those boring girls you fuck, and not Rose.”

I stare at her and take her in. She’s being serious, but I don’t even know where the fuck this just came from. I’m meant to be getting info from her, not making out with her, not thinking of fucking her. Which to be fair, is something I’ve been thinking about since I started talking to her at the bar the night I got jumped.

“Rose? Rose?” I ask. “Rose is… You think I want Rose?”

“Who wouldn’t?”

“Me?” I roll off her and get to my feet and then I hold out my hand.

She ignores it and gets up, rubbing her side, the knife hidden once more.

I push a hand through my hair.

“Are you an idiot? I mean…Rose? I don’t want her, I’m not fucking Nikolai. Rose is my buddy, that’s it. I’ve never wanted her. She’s pretty, she’s quality, she’s exactly what he wants. But I don’t want her.”

“I’m not quality? You like to play in the dirt?”

Her words hit me in all the wrong ways, and some of the right. I stalk across her apartment.

“Are you jealous?”

“No. Why would I be? I don’t want either of them.”

“I didn’t ask if you wanted them, Jessie.”

“You think I want you?”

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