My stomach felt queasy at his words.
First of all, he was completely full of shit. I had once thought I was in love, and we all knew how that turned out. Since then, I hadn’t even considered it, and I certainly wasn’t going to start now.
Instead of going down the hallway Shannon had taken, I went in the opposite direction. Maybe a little time away from her was a good idea. Even though I knew falling in love with anyone was a longshot, I didn’t want to take any chances.
I found myself in the kitchen area to snag a drink. The ladies who did the cooking welcomed me with smiles and hugs. I rarely went back there with them, but today I felt the need to hide out. I didn’t want to be in the hallway and take a chance of running into Shannon. Not until I knew I had my head on straight.
I cleaned the kitchen, taking out the trash and stirring whatever needed to be stirred, and after an hour or so had passed, I figured it was safe to hit the halls again.
I was wrong.
As soon as I made it past the front desk, she was walking by. She was looking down checking her phone, not even acknowledging me, which was why it was so easy to grab her by the hand and pull her into the supply closet as she passed.
She gasped as I closed the door behind us, and pressed her against the back of the door.
“Matthew?” she asked into the darkness.
“Shh,” I hushed her, running my nose up the side of her neck.
I pressed a soft kiss where her pulse was banging against my lips, and she sighed.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“If I have to explain, then I’m doing it wrong.”
She giggled and then shivered when I pressed another kiss to her neck. Working my way up, I ran my lips over her chin and across her cheek before going in for the kiss.
Jermaine didn’t know what the hell he was talking about.
Did I like being around Shannon?
Yes.
Did I like kissing Shannon?
Hell, yes.
Did I want to climb inside her and have what I knew would be amazing sex with her?
You’d better fucking believe it.
But love? That shit wasn’t going down. I wouldn’t let it. I had this situation in the bag, which was why I pulled away from the kiss and said, “Tonight, you’re mine. I have a surprise for you. Be ready at six.”
Before she could respond, I pulled away, opened the door she was leaning against, and slipped out of the room.
I wasn’t thinking. She didn’t need to think either. We just needed to do.
So at six that evening when I pulled up at Franklin’s to see her waiting outside for me, I couldn’t help but grin. She was loosening up, which meant I was getting closer to having her.
“So where are we going?” she asked, checking her lipstick in a tiny handheld mirror.
She was wearing pink gloss on her lips, and every time the light hit her face the right way, they shined like diamonds. The smell of strawberries filled my car when she applied it, which meant she probably tasted like strawberries.
I fucking loved strawberries.
“I told you, it’s a surprise.”
She shook her head and looked out the window.
As we drove across town, the sun went down and the headlights came on. When the cars passed us, their headlights would skim her soft cheeks, making me want to reach over and touch her. All I could think about was putting my hands on her skin—feeling her—becoming a part of her.
I couldn’t shake it, so instead of acting on it, I talked. I wanted to ask her who she visited at Twin Oaks, but I was too afraid it would prompt her to ask me the same. I didn’t want to lie to her, but the thought of telling her I was completing my community service sentence was embarrassing. I didn’t think Shannon would care about that kind of thing, but I did.
“How are things?” I asked.
She turned away from the window, and her eyes moved over my face.
She smiled. “Things are good. You?”
I couldn’t control the grin that tugged at my lips. The conversation was forced and awkward, taking attention away from the two lingering kisses between us. All the angst and secret looks between us were making me feel like I was in high school all over again.
“Things are great. Really great,” I said, slipping my hand over hers to graze the top of her fingers.
Her skin was soft beneath my fingertips, and she shuddered.
“Okay, for real, where are you taking me?” she asked.
“You said you want to do something crazy. Let’s do something crazy.”
“I’m not sleeping with you, Matthew. I’m not ready.”
I laughed. “No. We’re going to put something else in you,” I joked.
“Oh, my God. What?”
At that moment, we pulled up to the piercing place. The look on her face when we pulled up to our destination was worth the drive. She wanted to do something freeing—something wild—something unlike herself, and I wanted it for her, too. Not because I was trying to get in her pants, but because I wanted to be a part of her coming out of her shell. I wanted to see her free.
“No.”
She was adamant.
“Oh, come on! You said you wanted to be wild. Let’s be wild together.” I winked as I unbuckled my seat belt.
“I don’t recall ever telling you I wanted to do something wild.”
“I can’t remember if you said it out loud or not, but if not, you were definitely thinking it.”
“Oh, so now you’re inside my head?”
“Hey, as long as I’m inside you somehow.”
She chuckled. “Cheesy.”
I laughed. “This is what you do to me.”
She sighed and unbuckled her seat belt. “You’re serious about this?”
“Absolutely.”
Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and I watched as she thought it over. Finally, an amazing smile tugged at her lips.
“Fine. Let’s do it.”
I snorted. “Don’t say things like that to me. I’m trying to be a nice guy here.”
TWELVE
SHANNON
THE NEEDLE SLID THROUGH THE CENTER OF MY TONGUE like it was a hot knife slicing through butter. I clutched Matthew’s large hand in mine, squeezing as I tensed up.
“All done,” the guy piercing my tongue said. “Just let me screw this on.”
When I first saw him, I was afraid of him. He was tall, his face covered in tattoos, and his long blond hair twisted into dreads. His ears were gaged out—I could see straight through them—and he had a bull ring in his nose.
Looks were definitely deceiving. He was sweet and patient with me, patting the top of my hand and answering my questions with an understanding smile.
His names was Charles, and come to find out, he was married with three kids. He had a degree in art and took the time to paint each of his kids’ rooms after a Disney movie of their choice.
I liked him.
Once he finished, he turned away and set his tools on the metal tray at our side.
“You’re a wild woman,” Matthew whispered in my ear.
I scoffed at his words, but he was right. I felt wild.
It was something stupid. A simple tongue piercing I’d probably pull out the minute it healed, but it had been the in thing when I was in high school, and I had always been too afraid to do it.
Not anymore.