She turns and raises her voice in the quiet space guaranteeing that every student here will hear her.
“Attention! Tatum Valor is a complete ass and I’ve just dumped him so he’s now a free agent. Any of you ladies wanting to take your shot at him…fire away!”
I groan in frustration at what she’s just done as no less than three women start to stand and Savy shoves her cart quickly back toward the checkout desk. I need to prove to her that I’m serious so I do the one thing that will hopefully make her believe. I call out my own announcement in a loud voice.
“She did dump me and I deserved it! But I’m not a free agent because that girl right there owns me and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get her to take me back!”
And then I chase after her. All our yelling has drawn the attention of the librarian who is waiting for us at the desk with a stern look and arms crossed over an impressively large bosom.
“Savanah, this isn’t the place to air out your dating drama.” She points towards a door with a sharp finger. “Take your break and get this resolved. I won’t have my library descending into some badly scripted reality show!”
Savy’s shoulders slump. “Yes, Ms. Vanier. I apologize for the outburst. It won’t happen again.”
The woman harrumphs like we’re in victorian England as Savy grabs my wrist and drags me to the door that turns out to be a small staff room. As soon as it closes behind us, she’s stabbing a finger into my chest.
“What was the point of that? I’m not going to go along with your fake dating thing anymore. Why didn’t you just take the out and be done with this?”
I grab her stabbing finger and try and pull her closer to me but she steps back instead.
“I meant what I said out there. I want to be with you for real. I want you to be my girl in public and in private. Savy, I’m sorry for what I said the other day. I didn’t mean it! I just didn’t want to face up to how I really feel.”
There’s not one ounce of give in this girl as she shakes her head. “Your apologies are just pretty lies wrapped in silk so you can get what you want. I fell for the last one but this one means nothing to me. Damn it, Tate, I told you I didn’t want to get hurt and I let myself anyway. Just let it go before it’s any worse for me.”
Fuck, I should. I should just let her go but the hint of tears in her eyes twists me in a way I can’t explain so I crowd her right up against a wall and hold her in place with my hips so she can’t run away and then lean my forehead against hers. Those glasses of hers have slipped down her nose, giving me an up close look at her gorgeous sky blue eyes and I regret so badly that I didn’t get to look into them when my hands were on her body the other day.
“Baby girl, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you. Give me another chance and I promise I won’t hurt you again.”
She bites down on her bottom lip and I want to kiss her so bad right now, show her just how much she gets to me.
Her voice is soft and hesitant when she says, “Sometimes, you meet someone and you know from the first moment that you want to spend your whole life…without them. That’s you, Tate. I knew I should have run the other way as soon as you first fake-kissed me.”
I growl hearing that and my hand comes up to wrap around her throat with just enough pressure to keep her from speaking any more lies.
“That’s not how it felt when your pussy was clamping down on my fingers, baby girl. Yeah, I fucked up but don’t lie to yourself. We both know there’s something more here between us and, Savy…right now, it’s not a show because no one is watching.”
And then I take her mouth with mine. I kiss her so hard and so deep that her legs go weak and I have to hold her up against me. My tongue wages war against hers until she’s whimpering into my mouth and her fingers are fisted in my shirt. She’s so goddamn responsive to my touch that I want to get on my knees right now and taste how I make her feel. Once the thought is in my head, my body takes over and I’m sliding a hand up her thigh, under her skirt, and pulling her tights down far enough to get under them. She arches into my touch when I cup her mound and when she moans my cock throbs. I force my mouth off of hers and tilt her head to get at her neck.
“Do that again, baby girl, but this time, moan my name,” I command her and thrust two fingers deep inside of her soaked pussy.
“Fuck…Ta-te!”
Her head drops back against the wall as she grinds her wet pussy against the heal of my palm, taking every stroke I give her with breathy little gasps and when I bite down on her tender skin she pulses around me like a vise, soaking my hand. It’s the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever felt and I’m seconds from bending her over a table and fucking her hard and fast when there’s an abrupt knock on the door and the battle ax calls through it, “Five minutes, Savanah!”
Just like that, a switch flips in her, Savy shoves my hand from in between her legs and darts to the side and around me. She’s gasping for breath with big wide eyes so I show her just how real this is by bringing the two fingers that were just inside her up to my mouth and sucking them clean, never breaking eye contact. Her hand flutters up to press against her mouth like she’s trying to keep another moan from breaking free and I lick the last of her sweet taste from my lips.
“Don’t fight this, baby girl. It’s something we both want. Come to the dinner with me tomorrow night. Be my girl, all of the time, and I’ll give you everything you want and so much more.”
SAVY
Istare at my reflection in the full-length mirror and smooth down the light blue satin of the dress’s skirt. It’s just as beautiful as it was when I tried it on in the store, maybe even more with the matching accessories and my hair and makeup done. I wish Stella could have been here to help me get ready but she had some bar drama she had to cover at the club now that she’s management.
Probably for the best. She would have insisted on a heavier look than the makeup I applied. It’s very subtle with just a light dusting of silvery blue shadow, light liner, and lashes. Even still, it’s more makeup than I ever wear outside the club and without my glasses I feel very exposed. The pin curls I had my hair up in turned out well, especially considering that style can turn out a hit or miss. Thankfully, the ripples in my dark brown hair look lovely and I took Stella’s suggestion to anchor one side up and away with a jeweled comb above my ear.
I have to remind myself not to chew on my lip and ruin the pale pink lipstick as nerves thrum through my body. I think I look pretty but the problem is, I just don’t look like me and I don’t know if I even want to go to this stupid dinner. I’m so conflicted in my head by what happened with Tate and Jude and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a little bit scared. I’m scared that they don’t mean what they said and they’re just playing me for a fool but I’m also scared that they might be telling the truth.
The way Tate makes my body come alive is intoxicating but I could just brush that off as a physical response. My body has been touch starved in so many ways that I’m bound to be overly responsive to what he’s done to me…twice now. My cheeks pink up in the mirror just thinking about the way he licked my arousal off his fingers and everything inside me wants more of that, more of him. But he can be such a dick at times too. I can’t help but keep a wall up there for when it turns out he really is just saying and doing those things so he can use me for his stupid deal.
Then there’s Jude. He’s outrageously charming in his goofy, loveable way. It’s hard to deny what I saw in his eyes when he asked me to be his. There was a raw vulnerability there which makes me think that a lot of the crazy he projects is a mask to cover something deeper and if anyone can understand hiding under a mask, it’s me. I know there’s a physical draw with him as well. I barely have to close my eyes to picture his naked body as that girl kneeled in front of him. He’s incredibly cut but not bulky with muscle the way the others are. He’s sleeker, like an exotic cat of some kind. Powerful, fast, dangerous, and all his piercings and ink just add to it.
