Page 18 of Mine

“Good girl.”

Her mouth dropped, and I expected her to slap me. Instead, she shook her head, her eyes full of fire as she turned on her heels and stormed down the hallway.

I grabbed my guitar case and followed after her.

It felt like a lamb being led to slaughter, but I wasn’t sure who held the knife. Was it her? Was it me? It was probably bad for any sort of PR, but I ignored anyone who tried to stop me to talk, anyone who tried to intercept. My attention belonged to her. We wove through the crowd until she made it out the door and into the cool city night.

She turned around, and I watched it dawn on her that I hadn’t let her escape. Annoyance flickered over her pretty face. “You don’t need to do this.”

“I want to,” I said.

“Maybe I don’t want you to see where I live.”

“Maybe I want to come home with you.”

I was pushing it. I knew I was, but I wanted her. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d wanted to be with someone like this, and I’d already ruined any chance of being signed by humping her in the hallway.

So.

Might as well go for it, right?

Pepper sucked in a breath, clearly thrown off. “I don’t… I don’t do that. With strangers. Especially not strangers twelve years younger than me.”

“I’m hardly a stranger,” I quipped. “I’ve called you a good girl twice.”

People on the sidewalks moved around us, but I still took a step closer. She looked to the side. I could see her thinking. Weighing my words.

“Take me home with you,” I whispered. “I want you. I promise it’ll be good.”

“You just want me for what I could do for you.”

“I could say the same thing about you.”

She scoffed, but didn’t push me away. She didn’t back up. Instead, she tipped her head back, looking up at me in a way that made me imagine her on her knees. That’s how she’d look from that angle.Fuck.Ineededher.

“You can always change your mind,” I whispered. “At any point. I don’t care at what point.”

I leaned in, my lips pressing against her ear.

“I want you,” I said. “Take me home with you.”

“This is wrong. You’re too young. You’re not my type. God, everyone is staring at you. Go home with one of them.”

She gestured toward whoever was watching us, but I didn’t look up. “I don’t care about them.”

I didn’t. I knew I was being reckless. That was one of my flaws. Once I set my sights on something, I couldn’t let it go. Right now, that was Pepper. The entire world faded away and I was consumed by her black cherry scent and the inch between our bodies. We weren’t touching, but I still felt the burn of her.

“I need to hear you say it,” I said. “I need you to ask me to come home with you.”

“I…”

“I want you. I want to see whateverthisis. But, I need to hear the words, Pepper.”

She stood still, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

“I’ll call you a cab,” I said, starting to break away.

“Wait.” She grabbed hold of my jacket, keeping me in place. “Salt. Stop.”

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