Page 20 of Raw & Vulnerable

Red dusts across Minnie’s cheekbones. “You’re irredeemable. I’m on the clock, but thanks, I guess?”

“I knew you’d say that. What if I just kiss your pussy while I play with your cute tits? Does that count?”

“Gage!” She sounds scandalized and it makes him laugh.

Turning her head to look at him, Minnie sees the wide dilation of his eyes as he looks down at her, the way his gaze drifts over her breasts slowly, even though they’re covered by her blouse. He wants her, he’d said. Badly. Bad enough that her nervous, slightly prude-worthy rejection had hurt his male pride.

“Can we try again?” His voice is a low rasp, dark, sultry. Hungry. “I wanna be nice for you. I’ll even take you out first for a drink, like a gentleman. Can’t even recall the last time I did that.”

She can see that, in between prison and loose bar flies. She refrains from making it a snide comment, even though she’s certainly thinking it.

Minnie sets down her instant noodles, the carton empty. He wants to dress it up in a nice fashion, but his end game is clear. There are no words of commitment or adoration. None of that, yet somehow, she still wants what he’s offering. A night to take a risk that she normally wouldn’t. To be someone else for a few hours. “I…yes. I’d like for us to…well, you know.”

His lips twitch at that, almost nearing his typical, cruel smirk. The edge is only slightly taken off, softened by the thirst in his gaze. He wants her, he’s got her in his sights, and he’s got it in his head that he’s going to have the uptown princess under him while he works between her thighs.

Minnie isn’t even offended that she’s become this…thisthingto ‘have’.

“You’re goin’ to have to say it, sweets.”

“Oh, saywhat?” Minnie has an idea; she’s just being a prude. In reality, it’s making her wet, heated, thinking of what is being left unspoken between them.

A strand of longing, connecting her to him.

His lips are hovering over hers now, the small inch between them feeling like a gaping mile. His tone becomes demanding. “Tell me what you want from me. Say. It.”

Oh, alright, she’ll muster up some foul language to whet his appetite.

Delaying, chewing on her thoughts, Minnie pushes her glasses up onto the top of her head so that she can meet his intense gaze without them in the way. He’s close enough, after all; they’re practically sharing breath.

“I want you to fuck me.” She says it, staring into his hazel eyes, seeing the flickering flame in his gaze at her crude, blunt words. He exhales, excitement in the way that his throat works, eyes dilating with lust.

“Good girl,” he growls thickly, just as his lips ghost over hers in a barely-there kiss.

Chapter 9

The deal is to meet him at the bar Friday night, mostly because Minnie can’t abide getting in cars with people who aren’t family anymore and she doesn’t want him picking her up at her place. It’s stupid, but she doesn’t like strangers knowing where she lives. In addition, she’s more anxious about the way his eyes catch onnicethings. Like herTiffanywatch or fine jewelry around her neck. She feels guilty, noticing that he’snoticing, but she can’t get it out of her head.

Paranoia always scratches at her mind,what if, what if. Not only that, but taxis are out of the question as well; she’s always wondering if the guy might just abduct her. Her mild PTSD always acts up in cars.

So, her sister is being a reluctant angel in the whole scheme of things, dropping her off.

Ariel is glaring at the bar from over the steering wheel, painted nails wrapped around it tight. “I swear, Mouse. I’m proud of you for getting out, but do you really need to jump off the deep end right away? Why not just dip a toe in?”

Checking herself nervously in the mirror, Minnie sighs. Her dark doe eyes stare back at her, glasses left at home. “I thought that was the bathroom stall situation? I’ve already dipped a toe in-”

“That’s an understatement.”

“Oh, good grief, Ariel! Besides, my phone location has been synced over to you; you will know where I am at all times.”

“What if he murders you? You don’t know anything about this guy. Mouse. I’m serious.”

The thought certainly crossed her mind at least once. She’s thought through all the terrible options at least once, if nottwice. “Well, if he does, you can tell the cops I went on a date with the dude studying engineering at the library. Grinning skull tattoo on his neck. Snake coiled down his arm into a skull on the back of his left hand. Shouldn’t be too hard to find him, you think?”

Ariel growls a bit, flexing her fingers. “You really know how to soothe my fears, don’t you? What if-”

Not wanting her moment of courage to disappear on her, Minnie opens the car door and sticks her feet out. “I’m leaving.”

A hand grips her wrist and Minnie turns to look at her younger sister. Ariel is looking at her quizzically. “Do you like this guy?”

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