Page 120 of Gathered Sparkle

“What the fuck, man?” I glare at him, holding my phone protectively against my chest. “Those are Sparkle perks. Subscription only.”

He blinks, visibly shaking himself out of whatever trance she just pulled him into. “Sorry, I didn’t—”

“It’s fine.” I wave him off, smirking. “That was a teaser. You’re on the free trial, but you should consider upgrading to a plan soon. Comes with exclusive content and…perks.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him.

“You’re so full of shit,” he shoots back, his ears faintly pink as he adjusts his cuffs unnecessarily.

“Am I?” I lean casually against the van’s side, flipping the phone in my hand. “Because that sounded an awful lot like someone who got a sneak peek of something he’s not ready to admit he wants.”

“I don’t want—” He stops himself, clearly thinking better of it, then points at me with a sharp glare. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re jealous.” I grin wider, enjoying the hell out of this. “It’s okay,Harrington. It’s cute. Just remember, if you want the premium plan, you’ll have to earn it.”

“You’re ridiculous,” he mutters, turning away, but not before I catch the faintest flicker of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Fair.” I step out of the van. “But I’ve got the girl,andI’m taller.” Nicholas follows, his scowl deepening, but I don’t give him a chance to fire back. Turning to the seller, I toss him a quick nod. “We’ll take it.”

“Great!” The guy’s grin stretches wide. “Okay, like we said, sixteen grand in cash, and it’s all yours.”

I glance at Nicholas. “Pay the man,Harrington.”

“Why the hell would I—”

“Don’t act like you don’t have that much cash on you right now.”

He scoffs, then pulls his wallet from his jacket and counts out the bills with an air of disdain. “Fine.” He slaps the cash into the guy’s hand.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” the seller says with a sly grin.

I walk around the van to the driver’s side, turning back to point at Nicholas. “Fix this with her, dickhead.”

He narrows his eyes but doesn’t respond, his visible irritation as satisfying as the hum of the van’s engine beneath my hand.I give him one last smirk before pulling away, leaving him standing there with his expensive shoes, his frown, and a van’s worth of unresolved feelings.

Time to get back to my Sparkle.

Maybe she needs a hand.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Novalee

“Ouch.” I groan as I hit the ground for the second time today, my butt absorbing the impact in a way that promises bruises tomorrow. The pavement isn’t exactly forgiving, and I swear it has it out for me.

“That’s going to leave a mark,” Ace says with a laugh, skating up to me and holding out his hand.

“Thanks for the reminder,” I grumble, letting him pull me up.

“You got cocky, baby goat.”

I cringe. “Oh my God, please don’t call me that.”

“All right,Trouble.” His grin widens, and he leans in, brushing a kiss against my lips. “Did you hurt yourself?”

“Just a little.” I dust myself off as Ace reaches behind me, patting my ass to clear away the dirt.

He’s bolder now, and I love it. Every little touch is a victory, a sign that the walls he’s built are starting to crumble. His knuckles trace over my hand here and there, his arm brushes against mine like it’s second nature, and his lips—which offer quick, soft kisses—are addictive.

“Do you want to go another round, or is the lesson done for today?” He smiles as he says it, and I find myself catalogingevery detail of him. The lines in his face that weren’t there eight years ago, the faint scars I don’t remember, the way his hair is a little longer now, curling at the ends.

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