Page 10 of Clueless
I’d never met a man so direct.He admitted to being a gangbanger, volunteered that he’d done time in prison and now he was telling me he wanted to bangme?I didn’t know what the hell to do with this!
My sister could have handled him, probably would have put him in his place with a few choice words, but she was used to dealing with guys like Taz.I was totally out of my element.And I had no doubt he could tell.He was probably testing me, to see how far he could push me.Well, I had no intention of backing down or letting him smell my fear.
“I say… your place or mine?”I smiled at his look of surprise.“What?Didn’t expect me to take you up on your offer?”
His eyes dipped to my cleavage before he said, “Just so you know, I’m only good for one night.”
“Too bad.”I pouted for effect.“I thought I’d get to keep you.”
He drew a deep breath, curling his hands into fists.“Girl, you know how to push all my buttons.”
I licked my lips.“I’m more interested in you pushingmybutton.”
He swore before swiping a hand over his beard.“What the hell are you doing to me?”
“I don’t know.You tell me.”The idea that I might have some control over this sexy, powerful, dangerous man, with deep, dark secrets, was turning me on like nothing and no one ever had.It was like he’d flipped my switch and I was suddenly a totally different person.
I wasn’t the cautious, careful, guarded, introspective therapist anymore, who weighed every word carefully.I’d lost my filter and said whatever came to mind, no matter how dirty or brazen.He’d somehow unleashed in me the girl I’d always wanted to be.
“You’re making me crazy, that’s what you’re doing,” he said, sinking straight white teeth into his full lower lip.“But I think you know that, don’t you?You like playing… with guys like me?”
“I’ve never been with someone like you.”I sipped my beer, watching him over the rim of my glass.“But I’ve always wanted to.”
“Why?”He drained his beer before slamming the bottle down on the table.“You could have any single guy in this bar tonight.Why the hell would you want me?”
“I already told you.Just once, I want someone I don’t have to fake it with.Think you can be that guy?”
He closed his eyes, shaking his head.“This is a bad idea.I should just send you home.Pretend I never met you.”
“You could.”But I was confident he wouldn’t.He wanted me just as much as I wanted him.And it was killing him because he struck me as someone who didn’t like to feel weak or give into his baser urges… anymore.
And yes, that was my therapist brain kicking in to psychoanalyze him, just a little.
“But if I did, I’d probably regret it.”
“Probably.”
“So, what the hell am I going to do with you then?”
“You tell me.”
My phone, which was sitting on the table buzzed.I rolled my eyes when I saw it was my ex, the lawyer.He was still trying to get me back, thinking he could sway me with a trip to Aruba for my birthday next month.
Taz glanced at the screen.“You gonna respond to that?”
“Not now.”
“Later?”
I laughed.“Why do you care?”
“Your ex?”
“Yeah.”
“You gonna take him back?”
“No.”
