Page 213 of Hate Mates

He looks smug as fuck when he sees me still sitting there. He hands me a Malibu and Coke, my drink of choice, and it doesn’t even occur to me that he got me the drink I always have, yet he never asked me what I wanted.

I grab the drink without hesitating, savouring the burn as it warms me up. His dark eyes are watching my every move, and the more I see him staring at me, the hotter I get.

We seem to be in this weird silent bubble, where we’re both just staring at each other as we sip on our drinks. My brainhasn’t quite caught up to my actions yet, and I’m not sure what the fuck to say. Luckily, he breaks the silence first.

“I’m Benji,” he announces, giving me that smile of his that makes my core heat.

“Sophia,” I reply curtly.

He shakes his head, his smile turning into a cocky smirk. “Kitten suits you much better.”

I narrow my eyes at him, glaring at his choice of nickname. “Why?” I ask through gritted teeth, though I’m sure I won’t like the answer.

“Everyone thinks you’re a brave lion, with your fierce growl and big claws, but I don’t think it’ll take long to have you purring like a kitten, begging for me to stroke you.” He even winks at the end, just to piss me off.

My mouth falls open, and I struggle to find the right words to respond. Though, there is one thing I need to get very clear to him. “I don’t beg.”

His eyes sparkle, like he sees my words as a challenge rather than fact. “We’ll see.”

I scowl at him as my anger bubbles under the surface. This is one matter I won’t give up on, not before I absolutely have to. “We won’t. I don’t do anything where I’m not the one in control. I say where, when, and how far we go.”

He stares at me with his head cocked to the side, like he’s trying to read between the lines, to hear what exactly it is I’m not saying.

“What do you mean by how far you go?” he asks, and I can feel my heart rate speeding up.

I try to remain emotionless, to not give away the secrets I’m hiding, but he seems to see everything, so I give him a modified version of the truth. “I like to know I can stop things when I want to.”

His eyes narrow, as though he can tell I’m not being honest. “Bullshit. You only need a safeword for that. What’s the line you aren’t willing to cross?” He almost sounds like he’s asking himself instead of me.

When I feel him getting a little closer to the truth than I’d like, I snap at him. “None of your fucking business. Why don’t you take your drink and leave?”

His eyes seem to glisten with excitement, like he’s worked it out, and my heart pounds out of my chest. “You don’t want to have sex, do you? You’re fine with fingering and oral, but full penetrative sex is the line you won’t cross, isn’t it?”

My cheeks heat so much, they must be bright red, giving me away. As usual, I respond defensively. “So what if it is? It’s my body, my choice.”

I don’t even believe the words I’m saying, so I’m almost fucking certain he doesn’t.

He leans in closer and my breath hitches, his lips tipping up into a smirk as he asks, “Does that mean you’re a virgin?”

I press my lips firmly together and remain silent, not giving him the satisfaction of a response. He doesn’t seem to need one either as his eyes grow wide, though I’m not sure if he’s excited to have discovered my secret, or it’s turning him on.

“Are you saving yourself for someone special?” he asks, though his tone doesn’t sound as patronising as I was expecting, more inquisitive.

“It’s none of your fucking business. So what if I fool around with guys while keeping my virginity intact? What the fuck is wrong with that?” I whisper-yell, hoping nobody nearby hears me.

He holds his hands up, as if he’s surrendering, and my head throbs from the whiplash he’s giving me, swapping from one emotion to the next.

“There’s nothing wrong with it. I just want to know why you’re saving yourself. Then I know how upset you’ll be after I’ve taken your virginity.”

I shake my head in disbelief, ignoring how wet I get at the thought of him doing exactly that. “You’re so full of yourself. There’s no way I’m giving my virginity to a stranger I just met in a bar, especially one as fucking irritating as you.”

He leans in closer, so I can feel his breath fluttering against my cheek, and with his voice low and deadly, he says, “I never said you’d give it to me, I said I’d take it. But by the time I’m done with you, you’ll be begging for more.”

I slam both of my hands into his chest, pushing him back as much as I can, given he’s stronger than me. “You’re a fucking psycho. I’m leaving now,” I snap, but when I try to stand, I wobble so much I fall back on my arse, the room spinning as I land.

I grab hold of the table and close my eyes, yet still I can feel the room spinning. The throbbing in my head is getting worse, and my stomach rolls as nausea overwhelms me.

I open my eyes to find Benji staring at me intently. “Tell me, Kitten, why are you holding onto your virginity?”

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