Page 24 of Hung Up

Pierce’s eyes went wide and he gulped, gently placing the toy back on the shelf and backing away slowly as if it would try to find a hole the moment he let go of it.

Moving further into the store, Pierce took his time as I explained—for some, not all—what each toy was supposed to do. His eyes snapped to mine with intense curiosity when I showed him the vibrating cock rings.

Towards the back of the store, Pierce was drawn to a particularly realistic dildo.

He picked up the box, twisting it this way and that as he inspected the toy. By all accounts, it was a solid pick. Thick and long with a realistic vein along the ridge of the shaft. My heart sped as he brought the box close to his face, his teeth gently biting his lower lip as his eyelids drooped.

“I think we may have found a winner.” My voice was breathy, the air in the room thickening the longer we browsed in the sex shop.

“All I can picture,” he slowly said, gaze meeting mine after glancing around to make sure we were alone, “is sliding this into your ass while I’m slamming into your cunt.” Pierce licked his bottom lip, the movement drawing my sight to his wicked mouth. His Adam’s apple jumped when he swallowed, and I reached up to gently brush a finger over his heated skin.

My eyes drooped, the promise of his touch already driving me insane. “Is that a threat, or a promise?”

Pierce stepped closer to me, the toes of his shoes lightly tapping the tips of my sandals. His chocolate eyes were practically molten. “It’s a guarantee.”

Twin sultry smiles met each other, and I nodded towards the register. “Let’s go, then.”

The cashier chuckled to herself as she rang us up. I snuck in a few extra goodies that I was sure Pierce would appreciate later, but his attention was effectively on me right now. His hands trailed over my waist, playing with the hem of my baby tee shirt and exposed midriff. Goosebumps followed wherever he touched. The clerk could’ve charged me triple for all I knew, because as soon as the card reader accepted my payment, we were out of the store.

The chime of the door was muffled by our laughter as Pierce took the bag from me.

“Such a gentleman.” I winked at him, pausing to stand by my car.

“Isn’t that what we’re trying to make of me?” Sparkles danced in his brown eyes, the humor lighting his face even in the dark of night.

I stepped closer, trailing my fingers up his chest in a teasing brush.

“I thi—”

“Got room for one more?” a drunk voice slurred, stepping out of the shadows.

I froze, eyes catching Pierce’s. But Pierce only looked at me for a moment, turning his attention to the drunk man almost immediately.

“No thanks, man.”

“Pff,” the drunk sputtered. “I wasn’t”—he hiccuped—“talking to you.”

I backed up slowly, tucking myself into Pierce. He may not understand the nuance of our situation, but he was still a man. And that would hopefully stop this situation from escalating.

“Why, y’ur even prettier from tha front.” Glazed eyes dragged my body and I suppressed a gag. “What’cha got in that there bag?” His hand held a crinkled brown paper bag, raised as he pointed at the bag Pierce was now holding.

“All right, man,” Pierce said, voice firm and with no room for misunderstanding. “We’re leaving.” Pierce moved to step around the stranger to the driver side door, his arm still shielding me.

Whatever remaining light shuttered in the drunk’s face. His jaw flexed and his brows furrowed, and I knew that our night had taken a turn.

“You didn’t ev’n show me tha bag.”

A surprisingly quick arm tried to snatch our purchases from the store, but Pierce whipped his hand behind his back, stepping backwards into me as we put distance between us and the stranger.

And my car.

My hands grew clammy as the mug of the monsoon seeped into my skin. We were in a fairly popular area of Scottsdale, but it was still almost dark, and we were the only ones on the street.

My phone was deep in my purse so I reached the opening of my bag. The drunk snapped his attention over to me and I stilled.

Fuck.

A disturbingly wet chuckle rattled out from the drunk man as liquid sloshed out from the can turned sideways in his hand, wetting the paper bag it was disguised in and the concrete below. He took two menacing steps towards us.

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