Page 25 of Indigo Sky

"And he didn't hang around to have one with you?"

She met my eye with a raised brow, and I laughed at her ability to put pieces together. She was good, clever, and why did that make her so much more attractive to me?

"He might've been a little butthurt," I offered easily, suddenly shy as I thought about her grinding against my lap. "Coming here was his idea, so he, uh …"

"Felt rejected? Yeah, I know his type. I bet he takes rejectionreallywell," she said, sarcasm heavy in her tone.

I shook my head slowly, allowing myself a moment to remember a time when we’d broken into the house of a girl who’d rejected him. "Not particularly."

"Well, you tell him I'm sorry, but I only like giving free lap dances to hot guys with eyepatches." She winked, then burst into a fit of giggles as she laid her hands over her face to hide her crimson cheeks. "God, that was awful. I'm sorry."

I laughed around the end of the cigarette, then said, "No, it's fine. Seriously, I'm flattered. I'm just sorry I, uh, couldn't control myself. That was …" I shook my head, not knowing what else to say, until I settled on, "Unexpected."

She lowered her hands and smiled. "I could tell you were embarrassed, but it's okay. Really. It happens."

I dropped my cigarette to the asphalt and stomped it out, not caring to think about how oftenithappened with her in another man’s lap.

"Can I walk you to your car?" I asked, surveying the dimly lit lot and the cars that remained. "Just to make sure you get there safe."

"Thanks, but I'm literally right there." She pointed at a car two spots down from mine. "I appreciate it though. You're really sweet."

"Yeah, no problem."

She hesitated for a moment, keeping her eyes on her silver car, then asked, "Do you want to, um … come back to my—"

To my surprise, I cut her off with a shake of my head. "Don't take this the wrong way, but random hookups aren't really my thing, and, um …" I considered telling her I'd never been with anyone before, but decided against it. I was never seeing her again, and it didn't matter. "Yeah. But … thanks. For the offer."

She hummed a quiet, contemplative sound as she nodded. "What's your name?"

"Revan," I replied. "Everyone calls me Rev though."

There was that little sound again, and there was that nod. "Rev," she repeated quietly, as if committing it to memory, but I knew better than to think she’d remember me beyond this moment. "I'm glad I bumped into you tonight."

I nodded as an ache grew in my chest. “So am I.”

The thought that this would likely be the last time I saw her sucked, and I knew damn well how crazy that sounded. I didn’tknow her. Didn’t know her real name, or what her favorite color was, or if she preferred beaches to mountains. Fuck, she took off her clothes for a living and made strange men come in their pants for money. Yet I didn’t give a shit about any of that. All I cared about was that I felt like this could be something, and I was going to let her walk away.

I had to.

Indigo smiled as she took a step toward me. She let the bags slide off her shoulders and hit the asphalt as her toes touched mine. My heart thundered in my chest, louder than the highway behind me.

What the hell is she doing?I thought, unsure what I should do with my hands or arms or fingers.Is she going to kiss me?! No, she wouldn’t. Why would she? I just turned her down. I—

But when her hand lifted and touched the side of my face, fingertips brushing just below the eyepatch and over soft, scarred skin, my heart slowed and relaxed. Like a timid wild animal, soothed by a gentle touch. She didn’t flinch at my scars. Didn’t shy away from the idea of what was hidden beneath the patch. And I supposed it was possible she wasn’t unique in that. I had never tried to be with women before. But to see that she didn’t find me grotesque or scary was a relief, and I leaned into her touch, searching her face for the answers to what was happening here.

“I don’t know what it is about you,” she whispered, her eyes dancing over my face, like she was looking for the same thing I was. Answers. Clues. A fuckinghint.

Then, her hand reached around my neck and guided me down as she stood up on her toes. I held my breath for a moment of panic with no idea of what to do with the rest of my stupid body, but the moment her lips touched mine, second nature took over. I guessed some things you just knew how to do. Maybe it was from all the years of watching movies and TV and porn. But my hands lifted, cautiously touching her face as she tipped her head and opened her mouth to stroke my lips with her tongue. I hesitated, and she sensed it.

“You’re so nervous,” she whispered, her breath hot on my mouth. “Why?”

I huffed a pathetic laugh. “I’ve never done this before.”

“What? Kissed a stripper?” She laughed, too, and this one was as self-deprecating as mine. “I swear, I don’t do this with every—"

“No, I mean, I’ve never kissed anyone, period,” I hurried to say.

“How the hell is that possible?”

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