My breath hissed out in frosty puffs. This woman frustrated me to no end. It wasn’t even the case of blue balls I’d endured all day that bothered me. I didn’t understand her. And like a kid faced with an unexpected present, I had to keep tugging at the ribbon until the wrapping fell away.
Whether I’d find something I wanted to keep or forget was anyone’s guess.
“Let’s go to my place,” I said finally, noticing the patrons streaming from the bar. We’d been standing outside what felt like forever. “It’s a few blocks away.”
She quirked a brow as she started to walk. “Fancy dude like you lives around here? Is your sports car in storage?”
I fell into step with her. She had no idea how close she skirted to the truth. Or maybe she did, since she knew who I was. I wished I had the same advantage.
I gritted my teeth and pushed my hands into my jeans pockets. My cock still hadn’t deflated, and walking hurt. Maybe the thing would snap off and put me out of my misery. “You indicated you live in this neighborhood too. Where?”
“Is that important?”
Forget my balls, she’d even turned my brain into a painful knot. “Ever heard of pleasant conversation?”
She slanted me a look as I moved ahead of her. We were going to my place and she didn’t know the address, but you couldn’t tell it from the way she marched up the street. I didn’t appreciate the puppy-off-the-leash feeling she inspired in me.
Fight me? Hell, she probably wanted to sell tickets to a public castration. With a dull butter knife.
“Once you mention paying for someone’s sexual services, I’d say pleasant is off the table.”
Though I was well used to bobbing and weaving, she kept me on my toes. “I’m okay with getting them for free too.”
Her lips twitched. It wasn’t a smile, wasn’t a laugh. Almost, though. I was getting closer.
“Did your parents really name you Fox Knox?”
I snorted. “Not hardly. My name’s Tray.”
“Like something you put plates on? That kind of tray?” Each of her breaths plumed clouds of air in front of her face. In no time, her teeth would start chattering.
As much as I wanted to enjoy her discomfort considering how much she sought to provoke mine, I couldn’t. Without thinking, I wrapped my arm around her waist and hauled her against my side. “You’re freezing. Don’t argue.”
She went rabbit-still. Stumbling a little, she picked up her pace again, soon matching it to mine. “You don’t even have a coat.”
“Yeah, well, I’m also suffering from sexual denial. That burns calories and generates warmth.”
“So…Tray? Really?”
Apparently we weren’t discussing my sexual needs. Moving on.
I turned at the corner, trying to ignore the way our hips collided before our rhythm smoothed out again. “Short for Trayherne. My father’s middle name. It’s only slightly better than Fox.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Fox fits you.”
“You’ve seen me fight then.”
“I have. But even if I hadn’t, I’ve gotten a few good looks at your face.”
I frowned, unsure of what she meant. “Explain that.”
“You know what fox means, right?”
“Yeah. Fast.” I shrugged. “I guess. I never really got what it was all about. To me, foxes are small little rodenty things. But people act like it’s a compliment.”
Mia came to a halt and I did too, albeit a little slower than she did. Since I hadn’t expected her to stop, we bumped into each other again, but she didn’t act as if she minded. Because she was too busy laughing.
No, not laughing. Roaring. Clutching her sides, doubled over, long dark braid bobbing while she fought to haul in air that I hoped froze her lungs.