Page 31 of Obey

She smiles. “You’re too grumpy to have fun.”

She’s not wrong. I don’t do fun. Tomorrow’s probably going to bring regret and shame from her, but for right now, the sprite is quiet, warm, and if I don’t cuddle her I could end up losing body parts to the weather.

But I’ll face tomorrow, tomorrow.

Chapter Twelve

TALIA

I’m so cold my nose might fall off.

When we woke up this morning, the heat hadn’t magically kicked on overnight in the club. And despite the giant’s warmth, and the mountain of blankets, we were both still cold. Turns out, Mr. Grumpypants is also Mr. Protectivepants, and despite the fact there was a fresh helping of snow overnight, and another one on the way, he’s determined we should at least move to the hotel half a mile down the road.

It’s half a mile, he said. We’d be fine, he said.

The snow plows haven’t been able to keep up with the inclement weather. It’s coming down faster than they’re clearing it. And as scary as it was to ride in the car with him through the ice, snow, and wind, the prospect of staying another night in that ice box wasn’t an enticing one.

Okay, fine. Maybe it was a little enticing.

Did I want to be forced to stay snowed in at a sex club with a gorgeous man who watched me make myself come last night?

Yes. Yes, I did. And both old Talia and new Talia feel very strongly about it. It was the best orgasm I’ve ever had.

Orgasms.

Plural.

And when he came, the look of pure relief, of sheer bliss that crossed his face as he coated his stomach in his cum was everything I’ve ever dreamed of when it came to finding a lover.

He was invested in my pleasure. An almost complete stranger who barely laid a hand on me wanted me to come first. And when I did, he let go, and my pleasure fed into his own.

That’s what I always thought was supposed to happen. It’s what always happens in the books I read.

“You going to stay out here to freeze?” The man in question holds the car door open. He had contemplated taking his car, because he clearly abhors my poor dear Bessie, but his car isn’t designed for the snow. And after a lengthy discussion about not being a stubborn idiot, he agreed that Bessie was the better choice for the weather.

Did she fishtail on the road a few times on our short journey? Absolutely. But she also got us where we needed to be without incident. So I’m more than a little smug right now.

“No! I’m coming.” I dart out of the car, albeit too fast, and my feet slide across the sheet of ice underfoot. “Whooop” My wobble and imminent collision with the frosty ground is blocked, yet again, by Jagger. He grabs me just in time.

The last thing I need right now is a wet and bruised booty from falling.

“You know how to walk, right?” His gruffness almost sounds amused. Almost. His brow is furrowed and his lips are downturned, though, so it’s probably wishful thinking on my part.

“Only since I was a year old.” I snatch my arm from him, instantly regretting that life choice as I wobble again. I refuse to fall. So I scoot forward on the ice like I meant to do that the whole time.

A couple minutes later, he’s handing over his credit card to Melanie, the very friendly lady at the check in counter. They onlyhave one room left, but contrary to all the books I read, it has two beds. No snuggling for me tonight. Not unless we end up freezing like we did last night.

The disappointment that makes my stomach drop is too obvious to avoid, but I try to push it aside. Melanie is smiling widely at Jagger as she programs our key cards. I don’t blame her, he’s a stunning human being. But there’s a slight twinge of something inside me. I want to learn more from him, do more with him.

To say I have a crush on the man who saved me from freezing to death would be an understatement. But I’m not that naive. Guys like Mr. Grumpypants don’t pick girls like me.

Even if after last night, I kind of want him to.

While I follow him into the elevator and stare at the back of his feet as we make our way up to our room, I try to convince myself his bad boy persona is attractive to me right now. My plans for the future turned on their head, everything I thought I knew and wanted exploded, and I lost the man I thought I’d spend forever with.

Jagger is the antithesis of Harry. It stands to reason I’d love to rebound into a man who’s everything Harry isn’t. But there’s no way Jagger wants anything more than a little fun with me.

Could I be okay with that? No strings attached?

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