Page 18 of Saving Blood

8

BLOOD

I admit I’m fuck-drunk, but . . . shit. “What the hell do you mean there won’t be a next time?”

“I mean, this was a one-time-only thing.” She tries to put distance between us, but I tighten my grip around her waist.

“You gonna tell me it wasn’t good for you? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure I got the marks to prove it.”

“No, it was great.” Her matter-of-fact tone pisses me off as much as it scares me.

“I know you got off; you fuckin’ blew apart for me.”

“I did, but that’s it.”

“So, you’re telling me we had off-the-charts, hotter-than-fuckin’-hell sex, and that’s it?”

“Yes.”

Nah, I’m not buying it, and I’m sure not letting this go without some kind of explanation. My ego isn’t fragile, but this is fuckin ridiculous.

“Are you worried ‘cause you work for us?”

“That’s the least of my problems.” She turns her head away from me. “What happened here tonight will never happen again.”

Her decisive tone and determined attitude blow me away. Like she already made up her mind, and there’s no changing it. That pisses me off more.

“You know, plenty of women want what I got.” Yeah, I know I sound fuckin’ childish and petty, but shit, how could she blow me off without a second thought? Or at least a decent reason.

“Great.” She shrugs her shoulder. “Then what’s the big deal?”

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me?”

“Are you telling me you’ve never fucked a woman then blew her off?”

Okay, so she caught me with that one, but damn if I was gonna admit it.

She throws me a half-smile. “Just what I thought, so I don’t know why you’re getting so worked up now.”

“‘Cause that’s not what we’re talking about.”

“Then what are we talking about? We had sex. It was good for you. It was good for me. It’s over.”

“It’s over? You can’t be serious.”

“I’m dead serious. This shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but it did, and now it will never happen again.”

“You think what we did was a mistake?”

“More like a lack of good judgment—on my part.”

“Fine.” I push away from her, zip up and right my jeans. I sure the fuck wasn’t gonna beg. “You don’t have to worry about making any moremistakes.”

“See, that’s exactly what I mean. Now you’re mad, and I can’t afford to lose this gig.”

“Ohhh, don’t worry, babe, you’re gonna continue to fight here, ‘cause you’re a moneymaker, and as long as you’re making cash for the Royal Bastards, you’re valuable.” I lean in, getting right in her face. “But don’t expect any fuckin’ favors or special treatment ‘cause, as far as I’m concerned, this was nothing more than getting my dick wet with a fast fuck. Are we clear?”

“Crystal.” She throws me a sneer, pushes off the wall and heads toward the street.

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