I want to be Millie Blackwell when I grow up.
SO FUCKING ICONIC!
Here Queen, you dropped this
Finally looking up from her phone, I give her a shrug. “I don’t see the problem here, Monster Truck.”
Giving me a withering look full of exasperated frustration, Millie reaches across the table and snatches her phone back. “BDE?” Looking at the screen, she shakes her head on a defeated huff. “I don’t even know what that means.”
“Big dick energy,” I explain, sitting back in my seat with a smirk when she bounces a startled look in my direction. “Don’t worry, Mills—pretty sure they were talking about me.”
Her cheeks go pink—so pink I don’t have to wonder. I know exactly what she’s thinking about. She’s thinking about what she watched me do in the shower last night. “Seriously?” She sputters it at me. “You think this isfunny?”
“Well…” Taking another bite of my bagel, I give her a shrug. “Yeah—I think it’s fucking hilarious.”
“They think…” Setting her phone down, she shakes her head like maybe I don’t have a full grasp of the situation. “People think we’re…”
“Fucking.” Saying it out loud, I have the distinct pleasure and absolute torture of watching her mouth open slightly like just the thought of it makes it hard for her to breathe because she’s thinking about the same thing I am. She’s thinking about what she watched me do to myself in the shower last night. “People think we’re fucking.” When I say it again, her gaze drops to my mouth and I swear to Christ, it’s all I can do to keep myself from flipping this fucking table over and tackling her. “Hell, most of them seem to behopingwe’re fucking—probably as we speak.”
Swallowing hard, she looks away. “And that doesn’t bother you?”
You know it doesn’t.
“Nope.” Shoving the rest of my bagel in my mouth while sincerely hoping I choke on it, I watch her fight the urge to pass out while I chew what’s left of my breakfast. Sadly swallowing it without incident, I cross my arms over my chest. “Does it bother you?”
Lifting her napkin from her lap, Millie neatly folds it next to her plate before looking at me. “If I say yes, will you be insulted?”
Insulted?
Yeah.
I’d be insulted—not because she said it but because it would be a lie and we both know it. Lie or not, hearing her say it would definitely suck. But, considering the rules of engagement we agreed to, it’d worth it.
“Like I said,” I say, ignoring her question and mine, altogether—mostly because I don’t trust myself to keep a level head right now. “I don’t see the problem with letting people assume we’re hooking up. Matter of fact—I think it’s pretty fucking perfect.”
“Perfect?” She looks at me like she’s trying to mentallymeasure me for a straightjacket. “Exactly how is letting people think…that, even remotely close to perfect?”
“They humiliated you, Mills,” I remind her quietly, “They fucked around behind your back foryears. Made fun of you.Talked shit about you. That absolute bag of dicks was going tomarry you—not because helovesyou but because he wanted access to your family’s money.”
“Don’t remind me.” Shaking her head, she lets out one of her soft, cock-stiffening sighs. “So?”
“So,” I give her a shrug. “Don’t you want payback?”
What are you doing? What the fuck are you doing, Mercer?
“I thought that’s what I did.” She frowns at me. “At the church—” She flips her hand at her phone and the video that’s still playing on its screen. “Thatwasn’tpayback?”
Shut up. Shut the fuck up, right fucking now.
“That wasn’tpayback—that was just getting even.” Ignoring every one of my better angels, I toss my own napkin on top of my plate before pushing it to the center of the table. “Youreallywanna make them pay, Princess?” Leaning my elbows against its edge, I look right at her and make what is most likely the biggest mistake of my life. “That’s how we do it.”
TWENTY-NINE
The first thing I saw when I openedmy eyesthis morning was Dean Mercer. His gorgeous face relaxed, inches from mine. His perpetually smirking mouth, soft and slightly parted. Dark brown hair tousled. Bare, tattooed chest brushing against mine with every slow, even breath.
Even though we fell asleep on opposite sides of the bed, we somehow managed to meet in the middle. His arm anchored around my waist. My leg thrown over his hip. Foreheads nearly touching on the pillow we’re sharing. Mouths so close, all I’d have to do is tilt my chin to feel his lips against mine.
Still want to kiss me, Millie?
