Page 159 of White Raven
And a slow smile crept across her face.
It was odd to think that as long as she’d worked here, everything that usually surrounded her at this glass counter barely filled a box. Leigh wound the cord around a set of unicorn headphones—a Dirty Santa gift from Wren a few Christmases ago. She smiled as she lowered it into the box.
“Did you get the rest of this month’s invoices ready for the guy that does the books—what’s his name?Greg?Griff?”Dom slung his forearms over the side of the counter and peered down at the box of shit on the floor. He extended a tattooed finger at it and knotted his brows. “What’s that? Lost and found?”
Leigh rolled her eyes and sighed. “His name is actually Austin…for God’s sake…and no, it’s my stuff. I’m leaving.” Dom’s brows couldn’t have squeezed closer together. “Why the hell do you look so surprised?”
“Why the hell doyou…think I’m just gonna let you walk out without notice? You’ve been here for…what, two years?”
“Five,”she spat, slapping her palms to her thighs. “I’ve been herefiveyears, Dom. And you don’t really have a choice. Nothing you can say is gonna change my mind. Today’s my last day.”
His face was hard, but the edges looked as soft as his growing gut. “You’re the best I have, Leigh. What the fuck?”
“No…Wrenwas the best you had. And you didn’t have any problem pushing her out the door. You’re an amazing artist, Dom. And this place is thriving. But you’re a piece of shit, and I hate it’s taken me this long to finally tell you to go fuck yourself.” She stood up and shrugged on her jacket, grabbing her keys and bending over to get the box. “The invoices are in the same place they always are. If you don’t know where that is, then I suggest getting more acquainted with the front counter. It’s been fun. Wish you the best.” She strode for the door, not giving the parlor a second look, and shouldered the door open.
“Can’t say the same for you. Nobody’s gonna give you an opportunity as good as you had it here, Leigh. You’re making a fucking mistake.”
Leigh smirked as she turned around, holding the door open with her back. “Your dick isn’t as big as you lead people to believe, Dom. I make more money selling tree. I’d say see you around, but you definitely won’t. Later.”
She was only a few strides away from the shop, heading for her car around the corner in the alley, a light chuckle on her lips before a voice stopped her dead.
“If that’s a box of kink, I definitely don’t deserve it.”
The box dropped from her hands, and she sprinted towards Ryan, who opened her arms up for her as she leaned against the car.
“You fucking idiot,” Leigh choked out, slamming into her and planting a harsh kiss to her mouth. “You can’t stay here, Ryan…you’ve gotta go. You shouldn’t have come back to Boston.” Ryan gripped her by her pink hair and kissed her back…they may as well have started ripping each other’s clothes off in the back alley.
“I told you, you’d be the only reason. I’m not going anywhere without you. Unless you tell me you don’t wanna go. Say the word, Leigh…I’ll leave you alone. You won’t ever see me again, but if you want me as bad as I want you…”
She did…and she didn’t. She’d once told Wren that she’d run off with Ryan—but…that was before Wren’s offer to tell Dom to blow it out his ass and come with them to Denver. It was a fresh start. A possible career, and a new life. This would be too…but they’d always be running.
“You already know the answer to that,” Leigh whispered, roving her hands over Ryan’s body. “Northwood told you…she told you that you’d better be hard to find. She’s always gonna be looking for you, Ry. Those people that came for me…Rhaena’s captain died that night. She’s never gonna let that go, you know? You didn’t just poke the bear, you shoved a cattle prod up its ass.”
“I know about it. Did you think I’d risk coming back to Boston without some kind of peace offering?”
Leigh broke away, that last kiss still lingering on her mouth, and she slowly stepped back, drawing her brows. “Peaceoffering? What the fuck is this, Ryan? Some tender goodbye before you turn yourself over? Tell me you didn’t come back to Boston just to make me feel like shitagain.”
“Don’t be stupid, Leigh.” Ryan crossed her arms and leaned back against the door. “How many times did we fuck? Five? Six times?”
“I guess that depends if you’re counting how many times in one night. What does it matter?” Her stomach started to hurt a little. This felt like a bad breakup…for some reason letting her go this time, seemed like something she wouldn’t get over.
“Sure. But it doesn’t make you wonder why you feel like ‘shit’ every time I leave? I’ve certainly wondered about it. I like to fuck, Leigh. I always have. I enjoy it…it’s a nagging side effect of being what I’m sure you’re aware I am by now.”
“What’s your point?” Leigh asked, planting a hand on her hip. Her middle went tight, and uncomfortable, and she palmed over it, trying to shake it off. Ryan smiled at her.
“You feel it too…don’t you…”
“Right now? All I feel is unwell. Maybe sick.Definitelyfed up. Slightly pissed. Utterly confused.” She paused and stared into Ryan’s eyes. The look she had in them drove her insane. “Completely ruined by you.”
“Unlock the car, Leigh.” Ryan’s pupils went pinpoint small, and Leigh’s body reacted to it. She clicked her button and hadn’t even realized she’d done it. Her body trembled, and every warning about this woman being dangerous sent alarms blaring in her head as Ryan opened the back door and closed the distance between them. It wasn’t until she felt her tongue against her neck, that she realized—she didn’t want any distance anymore…and whatever happened after this…so fucking be it. Leigh melted into her touch—melted into the hand that slid over the fly of her jeans and between her legs. Her head fell back, andRyan sucked the skin of her neck until that uncomfortable pull in her belly became downright painful.
“You feel that, Leigh? You feelme?”
She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. The combination of pleasure and pain left her breathless. “If that’s you…then you hurt,” she whispered, half-moaning the last word as Ryan’s fingers moved up, popping her button, and sliding her zipper down. “And you hurtgood.”
“If you want it…then tell me. Otherwise, I need to go, and never come back.”
Her chest ached, and her middle felt like it was on fire. She felt like she could come, and cry all at the same time, and Ryan was barely touching her.
