Page 420 of Lodestar

“Not that I want to argue about spending time together, but why?”

“This is date night number three,” I explained as I chowed down on a watermelon Airheads he’d given me as I jumped behind the wheel.

He arched a brow as he rested his boot on the dash and propped his elbow on his knee. “Datenumero tres. You can’t get enough of me, can you? Admit it.”

My lips twitched. “If we crash, you’ll shatter your femur if you stay in that position.”

“That’s not a sexy way to start date night,” he grumbled, but he moved his foot back into the footwell.

I did like a man wholistened.

Combined with how, on nights like tonight when he was extra playful, he was practically a vibrator with how goddamngiddyhe made me.

“It’s definitely not sexy. But I don’t intend on spending the night in the ER.”

“If we’re not going there, wherearewe going?”

“Jennifer Valentini told me aboutRussu.”

“The Valentini front?”

“Yep.”

“You want to go to a nightclub?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“Helpful.”

“I try.”

“You hate clubs. At least, I thought you did.”

“I didn’t always hate them.”

My words had him falling silent. Then, quietly, he asked, “Another scar?”

Scarswere what we’d started to call these little blips in my past that I needed help overcoming.

“Uh-huh.ButI asked Jennifer if she could arrange with the club to play the music I like. I even asked her to throw in somenoxxiousremixes later on in the evening. Though I’m not fucking you while my dad’s singing.”

“Fuck, no.” He shuddered. “That’s creepy.”

“I’m glad we both agree,” I retorted.

“Wait—” Conor twisted in his seat. “You want to fuck in the club?”

“I do.” I motioned at my skirt. “Why do you think I’m not wearing jeans?”

“I didn’t think about it. I saw your knees and suddenly knew thereisa God.”

I snickered, but my cheeks bloomed with heat. “They’re just regular knees.”

“Star Sullivan, you take that back.”

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