Page 39 of Freefall

“I know. That’s what I keep trying to tell you.”

My jaw tightens at her bratty tone, but I ignore the urge to comment on it. “I want to meet her. Properly this time.”

I expect her to argue, to tell me she needs more time, or that Daisy’s not ready, but what I don’t expect is for her to simply say, “Okay.”

“Is your number the same?”

She whirls around so we’re facing each other, confusion swirling in her hazel eyes. She exhales sharply, taking a step back before rolling said eyes. “Yeah, it’s the same.”

This time, her brattiness nearly pushes me over the edge. I see movement over her shoulder and realize Luke is heading back our way, but before he can reach us, I take a step toward her, erasing the precious distance she created. “God, I want to punish you.”

Then I watch as her hazel eyes flicker with heat, her once greenish-brown irises growing darker. She has to be remembering the last time I said those exact words.

“But I won’t. You left—vanished into thin fucking air.” I turn to leave, looking back at her one more time. Whatever lust she might have felt is long gone, leaving nothing but a pained expression in its wake.

“You can’t punish a ghost, Harper.”

12

HARPER

“God, I want to punish you.”

A wall of warmth presses against me, and something rigid juts into my back. His voice is sultry as it slides across my eardrums.

“So you keep saying,” I taunt. “But you know what I think?” I don’t wait for him to respond. “I think you’re all talk.”

He chuckles darkly, the sound skating down my spine until it settles in my core. “You want to explain to me why you came to a party with your entire fucking ass hanging out?”

“It’s Halloween,” I say as if that’s all the explanation he needs. I turn around and take in my boyfriend. After we had sex for the first time a few days ago, he told me in no uncertain terms that’s what he was—my boyfriend. I could appeal the decision if I wanted to, but it would be a long and drawn-out process that probably wouldn’t be worth it in the end. I would have teased him for making a joke again, except I don’t think he was joking.

Now he’s standing in front of me, stern and brooding as ever, wearing black jeans with one tiny rip near the knee and a charcoal henley. His dark hair is styled, the sides slightly shorter than the top. He looks so fucking sexy, I want to climb him like the giant oak tree he is.

In time, I tell myself.

Good things come to those who wait.

“At least I’m wearing a costume,” I add.

Nate rubs a thumb down my cheek, stopping at my bottom lip before he flashes a dubious grin. Then he pulls something out of his back pocket and holds it up close for me to see in the dim light. The sight drags a smile out of me.

It’s a black eye mask like the one Westley wears when he’s the Dread Pirate Roberts in The Princess Bride. Nate slips it on, settling it over the bridge of his nose, and now I want to do more than just climb him. I might have had a slight crush on Dread Pirate Westley when I was twelve.

“Let’s go find somewhere—” I start to say as I reach down and grab his hand, but he pulls me back.

“Not so fast, Dani. I asked you a question.”

Did he ask a question? Oh, that’s right. I glance down at my tight lime-green dress that reaches the very tips of my thighs. I can practically feel my ass falling out of the back of it. In hindsight—pun very much intended—I really should not have ordered a Tinkerbell costume online, but here we are.

When I turn my head to check the back again, one of my wings smacks Nate in the face. “I’m not sure what the problem is. I’m wearing tights.”

“With goddamn holes in them,” he growls, his patience wearing dangerously thin.

“Semantics,” I chirp. “Besides, if anyone wants to look, let them look. I know who I’m going home with.”

Just as I say the words, one of the guys on the football team passes by us, his eyes shamelessly raking over my entire body. Nate immediately turns to follow him, but I grab onto his shirt. “You start a fight with one, you start it with the whole team,” I remind him. “Plus it’s their party.”

“I don’t give a shit whose party it is, Harper. He checked you out while I’m standing right here.”