Page 17 of Brave

I’m the one to break it. “Can I ask you something?”

“As long as it’s not about politics.”

“Would you really have fed me to the wolves at the bar?”

He leans forward and I can’t help but take stock of his broad shoulders, his swollen muscles.

Whatever I think of Micah Lyonne, there’s no denying he’s absurdly sexy.

He’s also completely serious right now. “Tess, I would have throat punched anyone who fucking touched you.”

The heat in my belly travels lower, buzzing between my legs. I couldn’t stop it if I tried.

“Good thing no one tried to touch me then.”

He’s still leaning forward. “What are you really doing on this side of town?”

“Wasn’t my idea. I guess fun has been in such short supply lately that I was willing to grab at low hanging fruit.”

“Huh. I figured you were immune to fun.”

I roll my eyes. “Of course I like to have fun. Why would you think otherwise?”

“Because you like your shit to be orderly.”

“You don’t know what I like or don’t like.”

“Does anyone?”

“I’m not a virgin if that’s what you’re implying.”

He startles me with laughter. “Yeah, I know.”

“It’s just…wait, youknow? What do you think you know?”

Micah hesitates for a few seconds. “Berkhoff had a big mouth back at West Prep.”

Well.

That’s kind of a slap in the face.

Aaron Berkhoff was a longtime student government rival during our years at West Emerald Preparatory Academy. Still, I thought we were friends. Apparently I made a mistake in assuming he had more class than the average locker room braggart.

Micah takes note of my silence. He exhales. “Look, I never heard it from the fucker myself. Just rumors.”

I shrug like I don’t care. “It’s not as if we were in love. I would describe the experience as transactional.”

He just stares and says nothing.

I clear my throat. “That means we made an agreement-”

“You think I require a freaking vocabulary lesson?”

“No.” I feel properly scolded. Micah was always plenty intelligent. He doesn’t need me to explain the meaning of words.

He sits back in his chair. “What did the son of a bitch do, blackmail you?”

I shake my head. “Nothing like that. We just came to a mutual conclusion that it was time to shed our virginity.”

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