Page 12 of Raw & Vulnerable

Chapter 6

“Mouse,” Ariel whispers very secretively, a wicked look in her dark, midnight lined eyes. “There’s a really rough, raunchy guy that’s been staring at you half the night. And, I meanrough. He can’t keep his eyes off you.”

Red suffuses Minnie’s face. There’s half a burger on her plate, neatly cut down the middle. Her nerves are like ghostly fingertips, tingling with faint awareness through her pleasant buzz. Her beer glass is practically empty and she’s forsaken it for water. “That’s absurd, Ariel. Stop teasing me. No one can see me next toyouanyway.”

It’s usually true. Ariel dresses to impress and draw attention to herself. From her makeup to her tight shirts and bright lips, all the way to her loud laugh. Minnie, on the other hand, usually prefers to be more reserved, high neck blouses somewhat tight around her bosom and femininely attractive sweaters. Tonight, her sister has squeezed Minnie into some tight jeans and a low-cut black shirt. Simple, classic, not skank-tastic. Well, a little more skin is showing than Minnie is comfortable with, but she’s mostly over that for the moment.

Ariel raises both her perfectly manicured eyebrows. “Uh, he certainly does see you. I’m not teasing, seriously. This dude is hot for your cooch.”

Scoffing, Minnie sucks on her water straw until it makes a loud gurgling noise. “Don’t be crass. I’m not looking.”

“Look, you wench.”

Fine.Turning slightly, Minnie looks over her shoulder in the direction of Ariel’s subtle indication. What she sees has her spinning back to face her sister immediately, face heating with more than just alcohol. No way. She must be seeing things. He can’t possibly be here. He certainly shouldn’t be looking at her.

She pushes hair out of her face, wisps of pale blonde. The room suddenly feels too hot to exist in, her heart in her temples.

Her sister cackles, “Holy crap. What’s with that expression? You know him? My sister, Saint Mouse, knows a total bad-”

“Will you be quiet! I do not.” Minnie pinches the bridge of her nose, wondering where her glasses are before she remembers that she’s wearing contacts. She’s more buzzed than she thought. “We should go. Where’s our waitress?”

“Probably blowing the cook.”

“Charming. That’s what I want to think about after eating this burger.” Minnie feels hot, way too hot. The side of her face feels like it’s engulfed in flame, imagining his intense gaze on her. Thinking about the way his black t-shirt is tight on his frame, his tattoos standing out sharply. Dangerous, powerful. Her stomach flips. Her water is out and she needs more.

Ariel is still pondering the absent waitress thing, not seeing, or perhaps ignoring Minnie’s inner turmoil. “It adds flavor. I have to finish my beer anyway.”

Growling, Minnie vacates her seat, heading to the bar on the opposite side of the room. She needs distance, she needs clarity. “I’m getting a water refill.”

She convinces herself that walking through the crowded area, avoiding packed tables, isn’t going to be an issue. Despite that, she feels like everyone has their eye on her, causing her to be clumsy and almost far too hurried in her relocation to the bar.

Being surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces puts her on edge, even through her slight alcohol haze.

Putting her butt on the bar stool, Minnie waits for the bartender to notice her. When he finally makes his way over, she politely asks him if she can have a water refill when he has a chance. He’s clearly charmed by her manners, because he says, “Sure thing, sweet tits.”

Minnie’s mouth drops open a bit and she looks away sharply, mortified that someone else might hear what he said to her. She knew this shirt was too revealing! She narrows her eyes at the bartender when he returns with her water, but he’s too busy checking out her cleavage.

She wishes she could hide.

Then, his gaze drifts up to something behind Minnie’s shoulder and his eyes widen slightly before flitting away. Seconds later, someone sits down next to Minnie, too close to be polite for a stranger. Her breath hitches precariously.

“It’s funny to see a yuppie girl like you out of her natural habitat,” a terribly familiar voice quips. There’s a grin in that tone, one that Minnie can hear without even looking.

The way he’d been looking at her from across the room is burned into her mind, boiling in her belly. There’d been hunger there, like the hunger on the face of a thief realizing that a priceless treasure is suddenly up for grabs. Something unattainable now in reach, unexpectedly.

Did he really see her as unattainable?

Well, he was forbidden in your head, so…

Sucking on her new water straw, Minnie refuses to look at him. She knows it likely drives him mad, her careful avoidance of his intense gaze. “Come to have a laugh at my expense?”

“Nah. I’ve come to have a closer look.”

His words are like a physical touch, dragging across her flesh.

At this, Minnie draws every last bit of courage she has and shifts to face him, seeing hazel eyes examining her intently, his gaze devouring her features. He looks sharp, in a tough guy sort of way. If she came across him in an alley, which she never would,but if she did, she would run away screaming.

She never saw him today at the library, so she takes a moment to study him. There’s a slight stubble along his strong jaw that gives him a rakish sort of allure, his ever-cruel lips curled into a slightly arrogant smirk. The black t-shirt he’s wearing accentuates his fitness and the hardness of his body. Strange designs coil over it, some brand that Minnie doesn’t recognize. There’s a rip in his rough, well-worn jeans.

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