Page 13 of Brutal Days

The morning dragged, but when I got to the basement, she was there, her fingers laced in front of her. From how tightly she squeezed them, the color had drained, the only giveaway to her discomfort. If I hadn’t caught that, I would have thought she seemed bored, from the disinterested expression she wore with ease.

“What are the mats about?” She scrunched her nose. “Will I need to disinfect my shoes after this?”

I worked to suppress a smile. She was amusing. “No. It’s where my cousins and I come to spar for the fights.”

“Those fights are stupid. You’ll get caught one day, and where will that leave you? With a record?” Her brows rose in challenge. “Or in jail?”

Any other girl would have been impressed. Skylar was a mystery I wanted to spend time figuring out. She intrigued me. I waited to see what else came out of that sarcastic little mouth of hers. I knew I wouldn’t have to wait long and that she wouldn’t disappoint.

“What are your demands? Hurry up so I can go take an acid bath.”

I held still, analyzing everything about her. The more uncomfortable or angry she felt, the more caustic she became. I’d pushed her enough, and I wanted to find out how far she would go to help her friend.

“I’ll date your friend, but you have to make it up to me.”

“How do you expect me to ‘make it up’ to you?”

I moved closer, my fingers itching to touch her. “I’ll lose out on a lot of ass if everyone thinks I’m dating Gia exclusively.”

Sky shook her head, her dark hair tumbling around her shoulders and her blue eyes practically glowing with hatred. “You’re an asshole.” She moved to leave.

I couldn’t let her. My fingers wrapped around her arm, and I pulled her back. “I’m going to kiss you, then you can decide if the payback is fair.”

Her body tensed, and I knew she would be unwilling if I pulled her closer. So I moved in and slid my hand in a slow caress from her wrist to the back of her neck. I kept my touch light, enjoying the softness of her skin as if we had all day and not just a few more minutes of our lunch period. My other hand rested on her hip as I lowered my mouth to hers.

I brushed her lips in a soft caress then grazed her bottom lip with my teeth before tracing the seam with my tongue. She gasped, and my mouth slanted over hers. When her hands wound around my neck, I pulled her closer, angling her head to deepen the kiss. I took my time exploring. She tasted as amazing as I had instinctively known she would.

I was lost in the way she felt in my arms, the way she responded. She was fucking incredible and kissed like she was born to do it. By the time I ended the kiss, I was so hard I wasn’t sure I could walk up the stairs.

Centimeters separated us, our breaths coming fast and out of control. I needed to shake the thrall she had over me and would do it through the terms to seal the deal she seemed so invested in for her friend.

“I date your friend, and you’re grateful.” Time ticked loudly in my ears as I waited for her to answer.

Then the familiar anger I associated with her flared brightly. She needed another push, and I was more than willing to give it to her.

I dropped my hands and stepped back. “Forget it.”

“Fine,” she snapped.

The attraction between us blazed hot. I couldn’t wait to have her in my arms again, especially when she was agitated and feisty. It made things more than interesting.

“But your dates with Gia have to berealdates, and everybody has to believe that you’re together, so you can’t be driving her down the coast and hiding her. And you can’t tell anyone about our deal. Especially Gia or any of your stupid friends. You have to act like Gia is your girl.”

“Fine.” I kept a tight rein on my emotions. I was so close to getting her under me, and I wouldn’t screw it up by letting her know how annoyed I was about the friend. “But you’re going to have to make up for all the action I won’t be getting.”

I would need her far more than she thought. The only other outlet I had to burn energy was football and fighting. Sex was a huge relief, and I didn’t know how long I could go without all three before I lost my mind. Without Cole around, I had no buffer between dad and me.

Her lips pressed tight, and she nodded. Fuck no, that wasn’t going to work. “I need the words, Skylar.” My voice was dark and dangerous, giving her a peek at what she would be getting into.

“Fine.” The corner of her lips lifted in a closed-mouth smile, making me think of a cat that had just eaten the family bird. “Gia wants to be prom queen.”

Is she delusional?“I’m not a fucking magician. How am I supposed to make a nobody into a prom queen?”

One slim shoulder lifted in a shrug. “If you can’t do it, then forget it. That’s the deal.”

“Prom queen is extra,” I growled, envisioning everything I would do to Sky for payback.

“If you can make it happen, you can ask for whatever you want.”

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