My Beautiful Poison (Wicked Poison 1)

We’ve stepped out of the shopping area. I might add it was a lot easier to make my purchases this time than last time because asshole rent-a-cop must have had a day off.

“You live locally?”

He doesn’t ask if I am back with my druggy mother, even though I know that’s what he wants to know.

Again, I don’t answer him.

“August, can you stop, so I can talk to you?”

I huff. Stop. Then turn to face him. Not speaking.

Sully scratches his head and gives me a sort of smile. “Thanks, man. I’ve been trying to see you.” It’s a lie, but I don’t want to argue about a moot point, so I turn around and keep walking. “Fuck, man, I have.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Sully. Now, fuck off.” I hear his footsteps stop, but I don’t slow down. As I walk down my street, I see a very attractive woman sitting on my bottom step. When she notices I am there, I swear I see a glitter in those dark eyes.

“Rich girl.” I smile because I simply can’t help myself. She is perfect. And a very nice sight after Sully.

“Hey, hope you don’t mind I popped around. I left my jacket here.”

“Come in,” I tell her, opening the door and stepping inside. I nod to where her jacket is on the back of the couch, and she reaches for it, then turns back to face me.

“You went shopping?” she asks, surprised.

“Yep, a man’s got to eat.”

She nods.

“You want to stay for dinner, rich girl?” Her dark eyes fall back to me, and I smirk at her.

“I mean… you do owe me.” She places her jacket down again and heads over to the counter. I open the fridge and hand her a beer. She takes the bottle from my outstretched hand, opens it, and places it to her mouth.

Damn, the things I could do with that mouth…

“You sure Anderson won’t get upset you’re here?”

“No. There’s no more Anderson.”

Well, fuck, her words surprise me. I raise an eyebrow, and she simply shakes her head.

“So now you can spend your time with the less fortunate,” I say, playing with her. She opens her mouth to defend herself against my words but shuts it and takes another drink instead.

“I want you to kiss me,” she blurts out.

“I don’t kiss girls like you.”

“You have,” she says defensively, holding her head high, the beer clutched firmly in her hand.

I smirk and shake my head as I get the pasta out and put some water on to boil.

“No, I did it to amuse myself. That wasn’t a real kiss. That was nothing more than a child’s kiss,” I answer. When I turn back, she is assessing me with her brows scrunched together, her eyes stuck on me but not really seeing me.

“You don’t want to kiss me?”

I drop the pasta in boiling water and move around the counter until I’m standing next to her. She turns ever so slightly and tilts her chin up.

“It’s not those lips I would kiss.” Her face turns bright red, and she quickly turns her head away, bringing her drink to her lips. I lean in, so I’m close to her ear. “And we both know you don’t want me to do that. Not a dirty man like me,” I say to her with a bite of venom in my voice. I watch her shudder before I resume cooking.

“Paige been around this week?” she asks, changing the subject.

“What are you doing here, rich girl. You got no friends?” My voice is harsh, and I don’t check for her reaction. “Am I the only one who puts up with you?”

“You offered to feed me, August,” she bites back.

“Okay, yeah, you’re right.” I focus back on cooking. I hear her finishing off her beer and she grabs another one.

“Who taught you to cook?”

“The internet,” I tell her truthfully. The things my mother taught me to cook are not what a child should be anywhere near.

“You aren’t close to your mother?”

I dish up our food, after adding bacon and garlic to the pasta, then slide hers over to her.

“Why are you asking so many questions?” I bite back as she puts her fork in the pasta and twirls it around.

“How come you don’t like sharing?”

“Eat your food and leave, rich girl. I’m sure you have places to be rather than here, annoying me.” I glance up to see her pushing her plate away. She’s finished half of it.

“I do, actually. I need to move. You free tomorrow?”

“Are you requesting my services or telling me to make myself available?” My head drops to the side. “Because you’re shit at asking.”

She shakes her head with her eyes slightly closed before she stands and walks around to my side of the counter. She steps to me, only leaving a foot of space between us as she smirks. “August, I would love your manly help tomorrow to move all my big items.” She flutters her eyelashes at me.