I stepped away from Mom, lifted on my tiptoes, and kissed his cheek, “Love you.”
He winked, “Love you too, Princess.”
As I headed into the house, I heard that all-too-familiar sound of Dad slapping Mom on the behind.
“You couldn’t have waited until I was in the house for that?” I called over my shoulder.
“You couldn’t have told Ripper not to kiss you in front of me the other night at the club?” he asked.
I spun on my heel and narrowed my eyes at him, “You’re the one who thought we had already kissed before the lake. What did you expect?”
Mom burst out laughing, and Dad just grumbled.
I smiled triumphantly all the way into the house.
I had just set my bookbag down on the end of my bed when my phone pinged with a text.
Ripper – What do you think?
Ripper –*picture of him in a new pair of jeans, shirtless*
I bit my bottom lip. The way that denim hugged his hips and that ass of his, the way his muscles flexed—I started thinking.
I could respond with, ‘Oh, so now you want to talk to me after you ignored me earlier and told me you were busy, and I know you were only playing poker,’or ‘How can I still be yours when you haven’t made it that way fully yet?’
And then... as if my fingers had a mind of their own, they moved across the keyboard as I texted him back.
Me – You know, I don’t think I’m truly yours.
Ripper – Wanna explain that shit?
Ripper – ‘Cause it was my mouth on yours the other night.
Ripper – And it was your tongue that was down my throat.
Me – And? I heard that for a woman to be yours, you had to make her yours in every way. We have yet to do that.
Ripper – What do you expect me to do about it?
Me – What do you think? I’ll be here waiting.
I swallowed.
Then... because I just decided on another form of payback, a devious smile hit my lips. I raced to my bathroom, removed a few items of clothing, and then... snapped the picture.
And before I could talk myself out of it, I hit send.
His reply was instantaneous.
Ripper – Star Shine.
I didn’t reply.
Ripper – Creedence.
Again, I didn’t reply.
Ripper – It’s like that?
