Page 32 of My Dream

His eyebrow shot up.

“I mean, I doubt it’s that. Kids wouldn’t put that much effort into a prank,” I said quickly and tried to cover my tracks.

“Okay, fine,” Compass sighed. “Then why do you want a phone number to someone you don’t know?”

I bit down on my bottom lip. I was unsure how much I could say anything more without digging myself into an even deeper hole.

“Fallon,” he growled. His patience was clearly wearing thin.

“I don’t know who I’m going to talk to when I call the number,” I blurted out with the truth slipping through in bits and pieces. I figured it would be Russ, but honestly, I didn’tknow. He’d been vague on purpose:Call this number. Don’t tell the Iron Fiends.

“Then why are you going to call the number?”

I was running out of half-truths to hide behind, and Compass wasn’t about to let this go.

“Fallon!” His voice boomed in the small space and made me jump.

“Fine!” I screamed back and threw my hands up. “I’ll tell you, but you have to promise me you won’t freak out and run to Yarder!”

Compass folded his arms tighter, and his jaw flexed.

“Promise me,” I said again, my voice firmer. I wasn’t going to spill a word until he swore he wouldn’t go to Yarder—not until we both agreed to, at least.

“I promise I won’t tell Yarder as long as this has nothing to do with Boone and Gibbs,” he said.

I wrinkled my nose. Why did he have to throw in a condition? “If you don’t run to Yarder, I promise you can have…” My mind scrambled to think of something Compass would want. Finally, it hit me. “…me.”

That got his attention.

His eyes flared and narrowed as he stared at me like he was trying to figure out if he’d heard me correctly.

“Don’t tell Yarder who that phone number belongs to, and then you can have me,” I repeated. My voice shook slightly, but I was still firm.

He stared at me. His expression was impossible to read, which only made my stomach twist harder.

What if he wasn’t interested?

What if the kisses we’d shared had all been some kind of act? I mean, they were supposed to be an act, but I had felt something more.

I’d thought they meant something. But maybe to Compass, they hadn’t.

“This number means so much to you that you’re willing to give yourself to me?” he asked. His voice was low and deliberate.

I licked my lips and hesitated before nodding. “Yes, but… because I don’t think I can deal with this on my own. I don’t want to tell the whole club—I just want to tell you.” I met his eyes and hoped to will him to understand. “I think you can help me figure it out.”

He tilted his head slightly, and his gaze was sharp and calculating. “In exchange for giving yourself to me,” he clarified.

I nodded again and felt my chest tighten. “Yes.”

If I was honest with myself, I wanted Compass. These past few days, he’d gotten under my skin in ways I hadn’t expected. I wanted more of his kisses. I wanted to wake up next to him. I wanted him to want me the way I wanted him.

“Fine,” he growled after a long pause. “But on one condition.”

Oh boy. My stomach twisted again. If that condition had anything to do with telling the club, I wasn’t going to tell him anything.

“The only way I make you mine is if you show me you want it.”

“Uh… what?” I whispered, my heart pounding.

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