Fuck, I’m embarrassing. The bar is in hell and I don’t even care.
He pocketed the bags of crack and passed me the drinks before grabbing the popcorn. Two. Amos always made me share with him so we didn’t waste money. I swore under my breath, hating how easily he came to mind.
“Why did the chicken cross the road?” James asked as we walked into our gate.
“Uh, to get to the other side?” I offered.
He leaned close, his eyes filled with excitement, then he tilted his head back as he said, “Be-CAW-zz!”
I was so caught off, my jaw dropped and then I burst into laughter. The people in the first row watched me as we made our way up to the middle.
“First time I’ve seen you smile. You should do it more.” His voice rumbled in my ear and my stomach dropped. It wasn’t his fault, but I wasn’t used to the attention. We sat as a trailer started. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been out on a date. When we ran out of popcorn, he ran out and refilled it. After the movie, I expected him to pressure me to go back to his truck, but he didn’t.
“You hungry? Want to grab a bite?” Knots. He was sweet. A guy offering to get me food? I’d love that, but all I could think about was the twenty sitting in my account. Guilt washed over me as I stressed over the cost of the tickets and snacks.
“Thanks, James. I’d love that, but I ate so much junk food I think if I’m putting anything else in my mouth I might throw up. Maybe next time?” I tried.
“Damn it. I wish. I’m flying out tomorrow. They’ve got me assigned on the east coast. I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to come back.” His shoulder dropped and his eyes filled with sadness. Everything about him was good, but still, I hesitated. I hadn’t removed that barrier between us.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I wish we could have done this sooner.” I smiled. It was the truth. Everything about him checked out, but I think that’s what it was. He was too nice. I wouldn’t be able to find any fault in him. He was relationship material, but I wasn’t.
And therein was the truth.
I wasn’t ready for that.
There was something I needed. I just didn’t know what it was yet. He gave me a hug and I let him.
“Goodnight, James,” I said when he pulled away. My first date was a success. I hadn’t been chopped up into a million pieces. I had done the thing, and that was a step in the right direction. But walking away from James, and the safety he offered, only solidified a truth: nice wasn’t what I wanted.
Dark, tatted, and dangerous.
It had been three days since my date with James and I hadn’t heard from him since the theater. I liked the distance, and the lack of responsibility. My goal was simple: I never wanted to feel anything but lust for anyone, ever again.
After a grueling afternoon of scrubbing floors for the event, I was ready to disappear. I was well aware of when my Mother’s ranking friends were expected to arrive, and I made it my life’s mission to remain unseen. I’d do anything to avoid fake smiles and my Mother’s scrutiny.
The moment the front door creaked, I skipped three steps at a time up the stairs. Hurried voices cemented my fears as I reached the second floor. I ran as quietly as possible, avoiding the spots I knew would creak.
My thumb found the lock by muscle memory, the metallic snick the only sound in the room. I leaned my forehead against the wood, waiting for my pulse to stop drumming against my ribs. Logic said the hallway was empty, but the ghost of a heavy footfall still echoed in the back of my skull.
My pocket buzzed. I flinched, the phone hitting the mattress with a soft thud before I even realized I’d pulled it out. I stared at it—the small, glowing rectangle of potential ruin or rescue.
I didn’t head for the shower to get clean, but to wash off the scent of this house and replace it with the mental image of gray eyes and tatted skin. By the time I reached for the faucet, mybreath was already shallow, not from fear this time, but from the heat of a name I shouldn’t be thinking about: Dane.
His soft brown hair and gray piercing eyes sent a shiver down my spine. Dane was the dark horse. Was it the muscles? The tattoos? Or the fact I practically lived for his Snarl-messages exchanged after we connected on Mythinder to ‘get to know each other better.’ I swiped so quickly on his profile. I hadn’t expected to match, but we had. I tried not to play favorites, but Dane…
He was dark, tatted, and dangerous.
Straightening, I rushed into the shower. Cold turned to steaming hot as I washed myself. Done quickly, I hopped out, threw my hair up, and tied a towel around my body. I walked straight to my phone. I never wrote first, but I enjoyed talking to Dane more than I wanted to admit. I snatched up my phone and sat at the edge of the bed.
I unlocked the phone, tapping the icon for SnarlChat. I swiped into my inbox, my heart skipping at the one name on the list that caught my eye: Dane.
My tongue darted out and slid along my bottom lip. I could already feel my body reacting.Knots. This guy was so fine and I hated that I was panting at just seeing his name. I nibbled on my bottom lip and clicked on his message. A blue square—a video waiting for me. I tilted my head and didn’t bother hiding the smile as it spread across my face. Greedily, I clicked on the square and his video played.
An abnormally large cock filled the screen and went off camera. Long tatted fingers wrapped around his thick girth. I was salivating and my pussy clenched. That was not what I was used to.Knots.
I tracked his movements as fingers slid down his length, widening the lower it went until they didn’t touch. Veins ran up the side and I had the urge to trace them with my tongue. Dane made me want to do things I’d never wanted to do before.
His hand tugged up on his length, slow, as if enjoying it as much as I was. He sighed. The phone moved, giving me a wider look at his tatted stomach. I was in a trance as it flexed. I sucked on my fingers as his hand slid down, then mirrored the movement, slipping my fingers between my legs. I gasped. He started to pick up speed and then the Snarl ended. His little avatar popped up from the bottom of the screen and I knew he was here in the chat.
