Page 8 of Red Rabbit
“Not my style,” I said.
“Are you ever going to tell me why you were in handcuffs?”
“Nope.”
I didn’t see any reason to tell her anything about me. This was a straight transaction as far as I was concerned. In and out. Maybe in more ways than one.
“Cool, then I’ll just keep thinking the worst.”
“There you go with your crime show nonsense.”
“I notice you’re not denying it,” she quipped.
“Listen,” I turned quickly and didn’t realize she was so close behind me so she stumbled and almost ran into me. “I don’t give a shit what you think I did. Rapist, murderer, pedo even—whatever your sick little mind has been turning over in there—”
“Oh, I don’t think you’re a rapist,” she said and looked at me like I was the dumb one.
“Why?”
She blushed.
“You…don’t look like you have any problem with the ladies,” she said hesitantly but didn’t try to hide it when her eyes swept me from head to toe.
“Ah, so you’re one of those,” I said.
She saw me as someone who could manipulate women to do whatever I wanted.
“What do you mean?”
“You like the idea of being forced,” I said.
“What the fuck? How’d you jump to that from what I said?” she exclaimed.
But I could see it in her eyes. If I was to push her up against a tree right now and take her, I doubt very much she’d protest. I forcefully shoved the vision of her pressed up against a tree, pants around her ankles, from my mind as I turned back around and continued walking.
“Boyfriend not doing it for you in the bedroom, princess?”
“He’s just fine, thanks.”
“Just fine is never how I’d want to be described.”
“That’s not what I meant,” she said. “And we’re engaged.”
“Right, Mr. I-Decide-What-You-Wear. Sounds like a winner.”
“He’s just a little controlling.”
“More like an asshole.”
“Maybe I like controlling assholes.”
“No, you like authority and dominance. And you can be controlling without being an asshole.”
“There’s a difference?”
I look over my shoulder at her briefly and for a moment I let myself think of all the ways I’d show her just what that difference was.
“Oh yeah.”
