Page 4 of Through The Woods

“Out.” He gestured toward the door with his head and Paul immediately disappeared, leaving just the two of us. He slid off the couch and slowly walked over to me and I could feel my pulse jumping in my neck as he looked me over.

“I’m Clint,” he said by way of greeting, as he patted me down and checked me for a wire. His touch conjured up all sorts of conflicting feelings inside of me, even as I began to suspect that he’d obtained his lifestyle through highly illegal means.

“Neve,” I whispered through quivering lips, effectively killing the smallest hint of a buzz from the beer.

He ran a soft hand lightly down my arm. “Hey, don’t be afraid. Unlike the fuckboy who brought you, I won’t take anything you don’t willingly give me.”

I exhaled and nodded, debating whether to run or press myself up against his muscular body. This was nothing more than his pheromones acting as a catalyst for the sexual attraction I was feeling. I just had to hold it together a little bit longer and then I could go back to my dorm and forget this ever happened.

When he placed the bag of white powder on his coffee table, all of my previous suspicions were confirmed.

He caught my stare and explained. “Blow. Snow. Coke. It’ll help you stay awake and keep you focused.”

Oh, hell no.

I took a step back. “Um, well…”

I envisioned telling him that Paul had been mistaken. That I hadn’t known what he was dragging me up here to do. I ran through several different scenarios that would get me the hell out of there—

“I forgot I had an eight o’clock lab…”

“I left my flatiron on in my dorm room…”

“I just remembered I’m supposed to say no to drugs…”

Every scenario ended with me getting shot in the back as I tried to escape. I paused to fathom how I’d ended up in this predicament, but came up short.

I wet my lips with my tongue and settled for, “Um, Clint, I’m not sure—I mean, I’ve never done anything—”

He cut me off. “You’ve never used before, have you?”

I shook my head and laughed nervously. “I’ve never even been to a party until tonight. Paul just said if I wanted to get my grades up that you might have something to help me. I guess I thought that maybe it was caffeine pills or something like that.”

I was rambling, but couldn’t seem to stop vomiting up words. I could’ve told myself that it was just the one time. Bought the damn drugs, used them once, and then gone back to my dorm—forgetting that I ever came here. But, that wasn’t me.

He easily swiped the bag from the coffee table and returned it to his pocket before smiling. “How about we get to know each other over something a little more refined than that cow piss they call beer?”

I set my still mostly full cup down on the table as Clint walked over to a sideboard and grabbed a decanter. “So, first time to a party, but surely not your first time drinking?”

I winced. “Actually… yes.”

He paused before pouring. “Well then, at least you’re with someone who can steer you in the right direction.” He handed me the glass and raised his in a toast. “To first times. Just knock it back like a shot. It’ll go down easier that way.”

Clint wasn’t what I expected in a drug dealer—well, my only experience up until this point was based upon the aforementioned after-school specials with bad music. I’d expected some greasy drifter with bad hygiene, but he was none of those things.

He was someone who would fit in seamlessly in my world. The thought sent a flutter of excitement through my body, but I shook it off, trying to stay focused on the task at hand. Nothing like transitioning from attending my first party to taking shots with the resident drug-dealer. The incredibly sexy drug-dealer.

I downed the contents of my glass before my mind had a chance to continue. It was only going to lead somewhere dangerous. The liquid burned as it hit my throat, warming my chest on the way down.

He immediately poured us another. The second one went down even smoother than the first. When we began, we were on opposite ends of the couch, but each shot moved me closer to him. He asked me about my classes while his hand rested lightly against my thigh and instead of shifting away, I leaned into him, while explaining how I’d ended up in Colorado.

Clint took a sip of his drink. “So, now what?”

I shifted the empty glass in my hand, watching amusedly as it distorted the shape of the coffee table underneath. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I guess if things keep going like this, I’ll be back in Cali by Christmas.”

He leaned in until his lips hovered less than an inch from mine. “I’d like it if you stayed.”

I nodded and swallowed. “I—”

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