Page 24 of Wicked Bite
“I will endeavor not to.” A thrill of excitement went through me as I turned away from her and headed to the door.
CHAPTER NINE
PIPER
Why am I doing this? I shouldn’t be doing this. Damn it, Piper. Why do I always give second chances when they aren’t deserved?
No, not this time. I wouldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it. I was going to meet up and tell him to his face that nothing would come of this. It would be satisfying. I practiced the words in my head. Thanks for coming all this way but really, you’re wasting your time. There’s nothing between us. I need dependable not ghostable. I paused, trying to find the sassiest reply I could. The zinger that would make him think twice about ghosting anyone ever again. Technically, he didn’t ghost me, but he was damn late. Deep down, I wanted to be that strong woman who said no. The one who left him in the dust regretting his actions and always feeling like I was the one who got away. The one he would always think about and know that he messed up what could’ve been a good thing.
But the other half of me understood if something came up. It wasn’t like I gave him my number to call or text me to cancel. Maybe something really had happened, maybe he wasn’t a mistake, and maybe my picker really wasn’t good and broken. Or maybe it was, and I was an idiot for even meeting up with Grayson. I was both excited and angry at myself. I always liked the things that weren’t the best for me and yet, there was an attraction there. A chemistry that I couldn’t explain or deny.
I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jacket. Fog puffed from my lips as I walked the dark streets of Salem. It wasn’t super late, but it was late enough that people were tucked away home in the chilly night. It didn’t take me long to get to Essex. But the moment my feet hit that brick road, my stomach flipped into knots. I was either going to shit or throw up. I didn’t know which. I hated that all my nerves went straight to my stomach. Nervous? Right to the stomach. Excited? To the stomach. Angry? Also, right to the stomach. It was like the stupid thing was a barometer for emotions. Emotions I didn’t want, didn’t welcome, and damn well tried to stop having.
As I came closer to the pub, I saw a shadowy figure leaned up against the half brick wall. He made no move to straighten his stance. Instead, his lips pulled up into a half smile and he ran his hand through those messy chocolate waves.
I sucked in a breath and gave my best “I’m not pleased” face. Which included narrowing my eyes, pursing my lips and brief eye contact. “Hey.”
“Oh, come now. Don’t be sour with me, Little Creature.” He ran his thumb over his bottom lip. “I can’t be sour with you.”
“I’m not sour.” I was totally sour.
He rose to his feet and towered over me. “Ah, but do you really want me to piss off?”
“Yes.” I groaned. “No.” I tugged at the ends of my hair. “Yes.”
“How very decisive of you.” He gave a humorless chuckle.
I wanted to calmly tell him I didn’t want to see him again and turn away with all the attitude I could muster. And yet, I didn’t want to be unreasonable or unforgiving. Things happen, emergencies come up, people had lives. Tormented between pride and kindness was not an easy place to be. I wanted to be nice to him because aside from the not showing up he had it all. But then, he just wasn’t there.
“Sooooo . . .”
“So.” He arched the eyebrow.
Is this some kind of game to him? I didn’t have time to waste with broken picker dudes. Yes, I was only twenty-three, but I’d wasted enough time with worthless people to last me a millennium.
“Right.” I turned away from him and began walking up the street.
His hand snaked around my wrist, and he spun me back to face him, pulling me in close to his body. My hair fell from the knot on top of my head and went wild all around my face. His smile fell as his eyes bore into mine. My chest pressed to his ribs, and I tipped my head back to look up at him.
He brushed his fingers down my cheek and stopped just at the corner of my lips. When his eyes drifted down and locked on my lips, his tongue darted from his mouth, wetting his own. He lowered his voice. “Now, Piper, love. Are we going to be at loggerheads? Or are we going to enjoy each other the way I know we can?”
Heat radiated from his body into mine, and his forbidden red wine scent filled my senses. I licked my own lips, wanting to taste him. I fought the urge to go up on my toes and claim his mouth. Instead, I went up on my toes, just hovering an inch from his lips. I lowered my own voice to match his. “Nice. Try.”
I dropped down from my toes and took a step back. “You want me?”
He swiped his hand down his face. “Eternally.”
Smooth Brit. I shrugged. “Then earn me.”
“Are we to play a game then?” He arched his eyebrow.
Excitement tickled my belly and my eyes widened. “Oh, I don’t play games. Not my style.”
He took a step toward me and bent low to whisper in my ear. His cheek brushed against mine, sending shivers over my body. “And here I was thinking you were toying with me from the beginning.”
“And here I was thinking you should know better. If you caught me playing with you, then you’ve already lost.” I blew him a kiss and snickered to myself.
“Sassy little creature, aren’t we?” He crooked his finger at me to lean in closer. “Keep it up, I like it.”
