"Pretty sure staring it down won't make it stop attacking your confidence."
My lips twitch. I adjust the towel, letting it ride higher. "The view's not bad though. Care to weigh in, soldier boy?"
His jaw ticks—once, twice. His eyes rake over me like I'm his next mission objective. Good. After what he did to me last night, turnabout's fair play.
"Special delivery." He dangles my favorite panties between his fingers—the Fall Out Boy lyrics making my heart skip.
"My manifestation panties? Bold choice."
"First pair I ever touched." He drops to his knee like he's pledging allegiance to my pussy. "You bet your sweet ass I'm going with these." He holds the cotton open. "Step in, Squirt."
His fingers trail fire up my calf as I step in, mapping every sensitive spot he discovered last night. When he hits the back of my knee, I almost collapse.
"Getting wobbly there?" The cocky bastard knows exactly what he's doing.
"Dream on, penetration man.” But my voice catches as his thumb circles my inner thigh.
He grins at my little flamingo friend. "Morning, Otis." He bumps fists with my tattoo like they're bros now. "Looking sharp today, my man."
My heart does this weird flip-flop thing that has nothing to do with his proximity to my lady bits and everything to do with how fucking adorable he is.
"Your brain's going a mile a minute up there." His breath fans hot against my hip, sending sparks shooting straight to my core. "But you've got this, Holly. You're a fucking force of nature."
The cotton drags higher, his knuckles grazing places that make me gasp. His teeth scrape the crease of my thigh and I swear I see stars.
"Chance..." It comes out more whimper than warning.
"They won't know what hit them." His hands smooth over my ass, adjusting the fit with way more attention than necessary. His fingers trace the lyrics spanning across my butt.
"Actually..." His palm cracks against my right cheek, the sting going straight to my clit. "These don't do you justice." He kneads the spot where he smacked, all possessive and shit. "You're so much more…”
I grip his shoulders as he rises, his body pressing into mine like he can't help himself. His fingers trail over the words again, each touch stealing my breath.
He kisses me hard and fast, leaving me dizzy. "Go be more then they bargained for." He steps back and pats my ass, that infuriating smirk tugging at his lips. His eyes darken as I square my shoulders and lift my chin.
He likes what I do to him as much as I like what he does to me.
Game on, soldier boy. Game on.
The library doors loom before me, heavy and imposing, their frosted glass panels revealing faint shadows within. My father's profile is unmistakable, solid and sure. Beside him, Blake's shorter frame shifts restlessly, wrapped in smug confidence.
I adjust my blazer, the crisp fabric steadying under my fingertips. My manifestation underwear holds the line acting like my personal battle cry.
Hell yes, I am.
Pushing open the doors, I stride in like I own the room—because by the end of this, I might as well. Blake's head snaps up, his smirk faltering before he reassembles his facade. My father turns, and for the first time in...maybe ever, surprise flickers across his face.
"Holly?" His voice edges with confusion as he glances between Blake and me. "What are you doing here?"
I set my laptop on the polished table, movements calm and deliberate. "Same as you, Dad. Pitching to Vaultress Global."
Blake leans back, smirk stretching wider. "Playing with the big boys today?"
My lips curve into a razor-sharp smile. "Funny thing about big boys," I meet his gaze dead-on, "they usually don't need to hack into laptops to keep up with the girls."
The color drains from Blake's face, his smirk freezing. My father's frown deepens. "What is she talking about?"
"Nothing," Blake interjects quickly—too quickly, voice tight.
