See No Evil

“Cute,” he goads, his tone still iron-thick.

I then unbutton my shorts and begin to shimmy out of them, making sure I bend just so, keeping my ass up in the air and away from his prying eye. However, my low-cut shirt gives him a nice little view of the ladies just the same. I pick up my shorts and throw them toward his face, but with his cat-like reflexes, he catches them before they’ve hit their mark. I then sit back down and take a swig of tequila instead of taking off another piece of clothing.

“Three answered questions equal two pieces of clothing and one drink. But nice try, pretty boy.”

“You could just as easily have drunk twice and only taken off your chucks,” he chimes in, clutching my shorts in his lap.

“I know. Guess I’m feeling charitable tonight.”

“Charitable? Right. How come I think your so-called punishment left me in pain instead of you?” he confesses huskily, shifting in his seat while trying to hide the bulge in his jeans.

“Poor baby. You hurting?” I pout exaggeratedly, batting my eyes at him.

“Jesus, you are something else,” he says, flustered, ru

“Why live life any other way? Life’s too short for pretenses,” I answer truthfully, not one bit bothered with his assessment of me.

“Not everyone has the same luxury of being so direct,” he scolds.

“You really want to talk about luxuries with me, quarterback? Tell me, just how hard did you have to work for those wheels you’ve got? Or the clothes on your back? Or even the money in your pocket? Don’t lecture me on luxuries when you’ve lived a life filled with them. Being who I am, with no regard for anyone else’s opinion but mine, is one of the few God-given rights I have.”

“You’re right. But you’re also dead wrong, little girl. I might not have worked a day in my life for the things I have, but don’t think for a second they didn’t come at a price,” he replies in torment, catching me completely off-guard.

I bite my lip, seeing how true his words are to him. For a long moment we just sit there staring at each other, creating an odd electricity in the air—thick and heavy—around us. I swallow hard, as the drumming of my beating heart becomes too loud to bear. Fi

I’m about to apologize for losing my cool with him, so we can get back to safer terrain, when Fi

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” he murmurs, his body suddenly too close for me to pretend his bare chest isn’t mere inches away, with his rich, warm, woodsy scent invading all my senses.

“I’m a big girl, pretty boy. It takes more than a short fuse to scare me.” I try to play off, struggling to prevent getting lost in his touch.

“I bet nothing scares you,” he hushes, staring into my eyes as his thumb continues its torturous trace over my lip.

“What can I say? I don’t scare easy.”

“You’re a better person than me because I’m scared shitless right now,” he chuckles huskily, with no real humor behind it.

“What are you scared of?”

“You want the truth?”

“Yes.”

“Not kissing you.”

Well, I’ll be damned. Goodbye, restraint and logic. It was nice knowing you.

His little confession has barely passed through his lips when I do what any hot-blooded woman would do if she were in my shoes—I jump him.