Deliberately glaring into my eyes, he sucked the coffee from my fingers, one at a time. The quick, little flicks of his tongue sent tingles between my legs. I held my breath. He wasn’t hurting me, but I may as well have been shackled. “You’d have a good time, honey,” he said, “Don’t make me give you the boot out of here.”
He was back in his seat, happily sipping his coffee and tapping on his phone and totally ignoring me when I remembered to breathe again.
---
The harrowing evening didn’t end there. “Gunner” showed up just as I was closing up shop. His real name was Sam Green. He was tall, lean, and handsome, but goddamn if he wasn’t bossy. I could never marry him. If I told him that Mars was inhabited, he’d believe it. I’d kill him for his stupidity if he didn’t kill me for my “sass” first.
“ Lily,” he called through the locked doors.
I flipped him the bird. “Lily!” my mother exclaimed, rushing to let him in, “Don’t do that! What’s wrong with you?”
I rolled my eyes. Sam repeated her question as he walked in without so much as a “thanks” to my mom. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He stepped up to me, invading my space as he glared down with his icy blue eyes.
My heart stuttered, then raced. He smelled like leather and motor oil. I stood with my mop between us, trying to create a little more room between our bodies. “I was just joking, Sam,” I said.
“Real fucking funny. Did you talk to Bill?”
“ Yes.”
“ And?” I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to run my hands all over those bulging biceps. Curse you, wretched body. He’s too dumb and he’s way too rude. You can’t have him!
“ And as much as your proposal swept me off my feet, I’m afraid I must decline.”
He glared at his shoes, then looked back up at me with fire in his eyes. “Dammit, Lily. Fine. Get kicked the fuck out of town. I only offered because some of the guys for some insane reason respect you.”
“ And you thought by marrying me, you’d collect some of that for yourself.”
He grabbed my shoulders. “They do fucking respect me, you bitch.” His fingers dug into my flesh, bruising it.
I grit my teeth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“ What the fuck’s your problem? I’m not good enough for you?”
Wow, he got something right. “ Please let me go, Sam.”
He spat. The wad of saliva hit me on my cheek, hot as a brand. I squeezed my eyes shut, but he grabbed my chin and shouted, “Look at me!”
“ Gunner, please!” my mom called. “Let her go. She’s a good girl. She’s just got a big mouth. Don’t hurt her.”
Instead, he kissed me. His lips crashed into mine, crushing them, as his fingers dug into my jaw, holding my head where he wanted it. His tongue thrust inside my mouth, and with it, a hot and fast whirlwind of fear and desire stormed through my body. My knees shook, and I leaned on my mop to steady myself. What the fuck, Lily. You don’t even like him . I don’t know what it was that turned me on like that - the humiliation, the domination - but I couldn’t deny my reaction. I wanted this. Just not with him. Not with any of them.
I whined and tried to twist my face away. He finally released me with an angry grunt. “You had your chance, Lily,” he said, backing towards the door. “Don’t say no one tried to help you.”
He turned and left. I watched his colors disappear through the doors and out into the night - the Dust Bowl Devils patch, the club’s design with the cloud around the horned devilish skull, the scythe behind it.
“ You didn’t have to be so rude,” Mom said. She wiped her eyes. “He’s usually a good guy. That could have been a nice setup for you.”
I laughed, incredulous. “You think I should be with him? After seeing that, you still think I should marry that guy?”
“ Yes. Well, maybe not. But you shouldn’t have provoked him like that.”
“ You shouldn’t have gotten us mixed
He was back in his seat, happily sipping his coffee and tapping on his phone and totally ignoring me when I remembered to breathe again.
---
The harrowing evening didn’t end there. “Gunner” showed up just as I was closing up shop. His real name was Sam Green. He was tall, lean, and handsome, but goddamn if he wasn’t bossy. I could never marry him. If I told him that Mars was inhabited, he’d believe it. I’d kill him for his stupidity if he didn’t kill me for my “sass” first.
“ Lily,” he called through the locked doors.
I flipped him the bird. “Lily!” my mother exclaimed, rushing to let him in, “Don’t do that! What’s wrong with you?”
I rolled my eyes. Sam repeated her question as he walked in without so much as a “thanks” to my mom. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He stepped up to me, invading my space as he glared down with his icy blue eyes.
My heart stuttered, then raced. He smelled like leather and motor oil. I stood with my mop between us, trying to create a little more room between our bodies. “I was just joking, Sam,” I said.
“Real fucking funny. Did you talk to Bill?”
“ Yes.”
“ And?” I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to run my hands all over those bulging biceps. Curse you, wretched body. He’s too dumb and he’s way too rude. You can’t have him!
“ And as much as your proposal swept me off my feet, I’m afraid I must decline.”
He glared at his shoes, then looked back up at me with fire in his eyes. “Dammit, Lily. Fine. Get kicked the fuck out of town. I only offered because some of the guys for some insane reason respect you.”
“ And you thought by marrying me, you’d collect some of that for yourself.”
He grabbed my shoulders. “They do fucking respect me, you bitch.” His fingers dug into my flesh, bruising it.
I grit my teeth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“ What the fuck’s your problem? I’m not good enough for you?”
Wow, he got something right. “ Please let me go, Sam.”
He spat. The wad of saliva hit me on my cheek, hot as a brand. I squeezed my eyes shut, but he grabbed my chin and shouted, “Look at me!”
“ Gunner, please!” my mom called. “Let her go. She’s a good girl. She’s just got a big mouth. Don’t hurt her.”
Instead, he kissed me. His lips crashed into mine, crushing them, as his fingers dug into my jaw, holding my head where he wanted it. His tongue thrust inside my mouth, and with it, a hot and fast whirlwind of fear and desire stormed through my body. My knees shook, and I leaned on my mop to steady myself. What the fuck, Lily. You don’t even like him . I don’t know what it was that turned me on like that - the humiliation, the domination - but I couldn’t deny my reaction. I wanted this. Just not with him. Not with any of them.
I whined and tried to twist my face away. He finally released me with an angry grunt. “You had your chance, Lily,” he said, backing towards the door. “Don’t say no one tried to help you.”
He turned and left. I watched his colors disappear through the doors and out into the night - the Dust Bowl Devils patch, the club’s design with the cloud around the horned devilish skull, the scythe behind it.
“ You didn’t have to be so rude,” Mom said. She wiped her eyes. “He’s usually a good guy. That could have been a nice setup for you.”
I laughed, incredulous. “You think I should be with him? After seeing that, you still think I should marry that guy?”
“ Yes. Well, maybe not. But you shouldn’t have provoked him like that.”
“ You shouldn’t have gotten us mixed
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