Page 43 of Perfect

My mind was racing and the realisation that I had probably drank more than I should, rattled me like a steam train. Was this pissed? I bit back a giggle at the thought as Connor twisted his head to glare back at me, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“Plain fucking stupidity,” he said, shaking his head and redirecting his eyes back to the road.

“Maybe I know more than you think? About village boys I mean. You’re all the same. All sex-starved buffoons.” For some reason I felt myself grinning like an idiot, ‘buffoon’ would not have been one of my usual choice of words. It tickled me.

Connor didn’t miss my expression. Bright, furious eyes glared at me.

“You find this funny?” he questioned, blatantly astonished, looking from my lap to the road. “And put your bloody seatbelt on! Do you have a fucking death wish?”

God, he was a moody bastard. I begrudgingly clicked my belt on, but I liked it. I was suddenly enjoying myself; the booze had given me a boost of confidence.

Connor Barratt had come to fetch me from the party purely because he fancied me. Thatmusthave been the reason. He was jealous and was worried I’d get off with another guy. I had given him no option but to fetch me, kicking and screaming if necessary.

Connor and Harlow sitting in a tree and all that…

At least that’s what my incoherent mind was trying to convince me of.

The look he had shot Nathan when he’d first stormed into the room was text book stuff surely? I’d seen that jealous boyfriend vibe before.

I cleared my throat and patted at the wrinkles in my dress.

My grin became much meatier and I giggled again. It was weird, my voice didn’t sound like me.

“What a night, you should have seen your face! I though Nate was going to shit himself,”

Another giggle.

‘You’re wasted,” Connor accused, shaking his head again, as he aggressively steered the car in through the gates of the farm.

His muscles flexed as he drove and I savoured the picture of him with his top off which suddenly popped into my head. Where the hell didthatcome from? I hadn’t even seen him without his shirt yet. But that was certainly something I was looking forward to.

“Were you worried about me? Is that why you came to get me?”

Connor didn’t reply as he parked the car at an awkward angle and then turned the engine off. He pushed back into his seat and stared forward through the front windshield, rolling his shoulders.

We sat in silence for a moment before he unstrapped his belt and twisted towards me.

There was only a small space between our two bodies, the atmosphere thick and yet I felt as light as a feather.

“Well?” I questioned; my voice hoarse. Connor’s eyes flickered to my lips and my nipples pebbled against my strapless bra. I imagined how it would feel if he placed his mouth there.

“Well, what?” His voice had thickened slightly, his eyes now hooded as they moved around my face. “You lied to me. You actually had the guts to lie to my face.”

“I didn’t lie exactly, I said I hadn’t been invited, they’re not the same thing.”

His nostrils flared at that one, like a bull before it attacked and my head suddenly started feeling heavier.

“Your drink could have been spiked. It’s happened before.”

He carried on balling me out like a naughty schoolgirl. “You led me to believe you wouldn’t go and then went to spite me. I didn’t tell you not to because I get off on ordering you around for fucks sake. It was for your own good. You’re new here and you don’t know the people. They’re bored fuckers with very little entertainment and boredom encourages bad fucking decisions.”

He moved forward resting one hand on the dash, his eyes piercing into me. Hehadbeen worried. It was plain to see in his expression.

A cocktail of excitement and anxiety swirled in my stomach. If I took the initiative and leaned forward, would he back away or meet me half way? It was strange, Ihadnevermade the first move with a boy before, but then again, I had never been so thoroughly attracted to one that I had wanted to.

This was more than an itch I needed to scratch, more than girlish curiosity. Something was happening here and had been since the day by his car. I was right, this thing whatever it was, wasn’t over.

“I’m sorry, you’re right, I shouldn’t have gone,” I sighed, hoping to appease him.

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