Page 29 of Ink Wars

I shouldn’t give a shit why she’s so fast to dismiss our plans, but this feeling of fire beginning in the pit of my stomach makes me squeeze my hand into fits.

“Cool, I guess I’ll give you a call tomorrow,” I say, hanging up.

I don’t even want to hear her reply. I’m pissed and I don’t even know why.

“Come on, man,” Waylen says, banging on the door.

I blow out a breath and open the door. “Let’s go.”

We’ve been at the club for almost two hours. I’ve watched Waylen hit on countless chicks and seen him rejected just as many times. There are only so many times I can tell him to stop coming on so strong. He obviously doesn’t want to listen.

Harry has been sitting by me most of the night, taking bets on which poor unsuspecting girl is next.

“Christ, look at him grinding on that poor girl,” Harry says, laughing as he takes a sip of his beer.

“He’s lucky he hasn’t been kicked in the nuts,” I say, shaking my head.

He looks at me and lifts an eyebrow. I dip mine, looking at him with confusion.

“Why aren’t you out there?” he asks.

I lift my shoulder, finishing off my beer. “No reason, why?”

He orders two more beers before focusing his attention on me. “I’m usually sitting here by myself while you and Waylen try scoring. What’s the difference tonight?”

I look out at the crowd and think about what he just said. It hadn’t dawned on me but he’s right. I am usually out there dancing and having a good time. Turning my head back toward him I lie.

“My focus is on this design. I don’t need the distractions,” I say, taking the beer the bartender hands me.

He laughs, tipping his beer toward me. “The design or Leah?”

The fire in the pit of my stomach I felt earlier has just intensified as the night has gone on. My fucking mind won’t stop drifting to thoughts of what she’s doing or worse who she’s doing. But I’ll never let Harry know that.

“The design. I don’t give a shit what Leah is up to. This opportunity is something that won’t be given to me twice. Nothing is more important than that,” I say.

It’s not a complete lie. There is nothing more important than this design, but my thoughts definitely aren’t on that.

He nods, sipping his beer as he looks out into the massive crowd. “So, it wouldn’t bother you if she was out drinking and letting guys grind on her?”

I clench my teeth, swallowing the anger that is trying to claw its way out. The thought of another man touching her makes me feel feral. It makes me want to rip his beating heart out of his chest. My hands should be the only ones that know how silky soft her skin is. My lips should be the only ones to know her taste. My cock should be the only one bringing her pleasure.

I toss back half my beer trying to calm my racing pulse. The thoughts making me shake with anger.

“Leah can do whatever the fuck she wants,” I lie, again.

“You really need to just fuck her already, Corbin. The tension is rolling off of you in waves,” he says, grinning.

I shake my head as I look out into the crowd. If he only knew I’ve already tried fucking the tension away but it just keeps coming back. The truth is, it’s worse now than it ever was and I don’t understand why.

I’m not sure I even want to try to understand.

“Fucking her won’t solve anything. I think the hatred is too deep at this point,” I say, absentmindedly.

He grabs my shoulder and my attention. “Or maybe the hatred is something else,” he says, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m buzzed, Harry. I don’t feel like trying to decipher what you’re trying to say.”

He chuckles and lets go of my shoulder. “You always say you hate her, but she still gets under your skin like no one else I’ve ever seen. You get wound up just talking about her. Maybe what you perceive as hate is actually want. Could it be remotely possible that over the years you’ve just let yourself believe you hate her because you want her so badly?”

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