Page 52 of Bossy Grump's Secret

Once she is safely out, I unleash the inner beast in me. I was craving Lily's brain some thirty minutes ago, but now, my taste buds light up for something different. I pull away from the hug and yank Dylan into me by his collar like I could digest him suddenly. Do you know how the female praying mantis usually bites off the head of her unfortunate mate? Dylan’s good fortune is that his full head can’t fit in my mouth. I practically vacuum-suck his entire face.

"Oh, God, I miss you so much!" I cry, and he laughs in understanding. We both devour each other for a while before Dylan pulls away, having to leave for work.

“You can wait here for me. I’ll be back by eight, tops. If you feel lonely, you can bring Lily,” he offers when I pout at his having to leave.

If only he knew.

When he leaves, I wait a little while and run out of the room when I’m sure he’s gone. I burst into my room to see Lily sitting idly on her bed, scrolling through her phone.

"He really seems to like your butt a lot," she comments.

“Shut up,” I laugh. “That was exhilarating!” I feel like a detective as we laugh hysterically over the incident.

"Now, the both of us can chill in his place before he returns.” I break the news, and she gets up excitedly. “…But first…let me show you his Ferrari.”

Dylan

“Listen, Dylan, I swear to the high heavens that I will do whatever you want for a week if you don’t do this again,” Ava begs desperately. I sit back and consider her offer. Would she really do what I want for a week? I have to find out. I lean over and whisper in her ear. It wouldn’t hurt to try. Before I even finish, she pushes me off and leans against the car.

“Just get on with it.” She clenches her teeth, and I can see the fear reverberating through her face. This is going to be more fun than I thought.

"Okay, you asked." I shrug and rev the engine loudly, putting it on launch control to avoid a spinout.

"What?! I never as…."

I slam my foot on the gas pedal before she can complete her defence. The sound of my roaring engine becomes one with her terrified screams.

“You have nothing to fear, Candy. I’m the driver. Besides, you’re wearing a seat belt," I comfort her while keeping the car under one hundred miles per hour.

"What will a seatbelt do when we smash into a building from a hundred miles per hour to zero?! Have you ever heard of blunt force trauma?" she cries out.

“Oh, that? We have insurance,” I shrug.

Ava gives me the most devastating look. "Is that supposed to be reassuring!?" I turn to answer, but she immediately pushes my head back, the force of her hands rivalling that of a slap. "Keep your eyes on the road!" she screams. I will take it as a slap…and get my revenge.

“Well, since I’m so focused right now, you should know this thing can do over a hundred." I contort my face into a Cheshire cat grin. The look of horror on hers comes incrementally as she realizes what I’m about to do.

“Dylan, Noooooooo…” Her voice blends with the sound of the engine. “Dylan! Please! It’s dark already. Let’s go back to the hotel!” she begs in tears.

Why do I have to be so goddamn sympathetic?

“Aw, are you sure you don't want me to drive?" I pout and begin lowering the speed. Even I fear a high-speed drift. Too much tire traction could send us reeling…and we're in a convertible with no protection from a rollover.

“Dylan…Dylan…Don’t do this…please. It’s late…visibility…” Ava stutters. That there is genuine terror in her words. The kind I'll have to listen to her. Besides, I see a cop car in the distance. While it’s nighttime and traffic is almost completely nonexistent, there’s still a speed limit. Crossing it in front of a cop would most definitely be unwise.

I see her point. Drifting in the night is the riskiest thing you can do, especially on a highway. It is terrifying to think I want to try it out one day.

This, my friends, is why women live longer than men!

"Okay, so, the truth is, I didn't just bring you out here to try my luck at sending both of us to an early grave," I tell Ava as I continue further north up the hilly road.

She calms down when my speed lowers to an acceptable limit. Still fast…but acceptable.

"Yeah, you plan on sending only me to an early grave. Not you as well. You think I'm stupid?" she chuckles. Her voice still has an accent of fear, so I crank it up a bit by increasing the speed by a couple more units. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry,” she begs.

Good girl.

“So, we are actually headed for Portrero Hills. Sound familiar?" I ask her.

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