His lower body shifts in the seat, and I stare like a fucking creeper. Spreading his left thigh, he drops a hand to it while keeping the other tight around the steering wheel. The greentraffic light we pass beneath reflects off the black ring on his finger and the black butterfly tattoo spread across the back of his veiny hand.
I throw my right leg over the left and pinch the hem of my skirt where it pinches high on my thigh. Even with the movement, he doesn’t look at me.
“Turn left up here.”
Another grunt is his only response as he flicks the blinker on.
“Did you only go to the concert tonight because Evie was too busy to sit at home with you in silence?” I ask a bit harshly. Guilt jabs at me, making me pull the cattiness back in. “Or . . . play chess or something.”
“How old do you think I am, exactly?” His voice shifts, growing deeper.
“The first time I saw you, I guessed forty. But I’m starting to think it might be younger.”
I watch the corner of his eyebrow lift. Then, finally, he flicks his gaze across the car. “Why younger?”
“Yeah, I should have assumed older. You’re too grumpy to be young. Let’s go with forty-six.”
“You’re a brat.”
My pulse skips with anticipation. “And?”
“And what?”
“And what are you going to do about it?”
Tension tugs at his throat, and I almost giggle when I see his temple pulse. “Nothing.”
“Well, that’s disappointing.”
And it really,reallyis. I’d have crawled right into his lap for a decent spanking.
My mouth dries as moisture builds between my legs instead. I give my thighs a squeeze and distract myself by staring out the window, beginning to count the seconds until we get to the bar.
The air grows tight with unspoken words as we sit in silence once again. My teeth dig deep into my tongue as I trap the words that want to spew across the cab. At this point, I’m positive not a single one of them would lead to anything. I could tug my skirt up and beg him to touch me, and he’d probably open the door for me and leave me on the sidewalk.
My ego can’t take another hit tonight.
“It’s just up here on the right-hand side,” I say a minute later.
Again, he grunts before pulling in front of the empty spot between two other cars. Dread fills me instantly. I tip my head back and release a rough, annoyed noise when he flips the car into reverse and guides it into the parking spot in one fluid motion.
There are few things sexier than watching a man parallel park with utter confidence, so ofcourseRoman can do it.
“You can stay here,” he declares.
That’s all the warning I get before he’s exiting the car. His door closes at the same time I scoff and shove mine open. The night air is a bit chillier than it was when we left the arena, but I ignore it. My outfit nearly blends into the fluorescent pink lights fanning out across the sidewalk. The glowing sign above the Pretty Little Pout doors sends a pulse of excitement through me that I willfully ignore.
“Fat chance I’m staying in the car!” I call after him, already rushing my steps when I realize he isn’t going to wait for me.
He climbs the three cement stairs up to the door with ease and then pauses, surprising me. His head swivels my way, eyes drifting down my body for all of a second. The annoyance that lights his gaze frustrates me more than his cold shoulder.
We’re far from the only ones outside, yet he doesn’t look away from me. Regardless of how annoyed he is, he keeps those deep, dark eyes on me and not the group of three women staring at him from the corner of the entrance. I force myself to movequicker, needing to reach him before they stop checking him out and make a move of their own.
It’s not like I could blame them, either.
“You’ve got to stop giving me that look before I start thinking that you want to fuck me right here, right now.” The instant widening of his eyes yanks a laugh from my chest. With a roll of my eyes, I reach him and draw a quick line down his forearm with the tip of my finger. “I’m kidding.”
The concrete vibrates beneath our feet when he says, “We’re finding Evie and then leaving. If you wander off, you can find a different way home.”
