"Uh…" Audrey glances between her and me and then shakes her head like she wants nothing to do with whatever the fuck is going on at this booth.
I study Jasmine for a long moment, slipping my hand beneath the table to adjust my cock. It doesn't help, not really. There will be no getting him to settle down again until I take him in hand and deal with that situation. But I can't do that here and now, or I'll be the one being cuffed without a safeword and held captive by a big, strong man.
Frankly, it isn't nearly as fun as she made it sound.
"So…why do you hate readers so much?" she asks.
"What the fuck? Who said I hate readers?"
"You said meeting them was insanity."
"No, I said not meeting them made me sane," I correct. "That doesn't mean I hate readers. It doesn't even mean there's a damn thing wrong with meeting readers. I happen to have an infinite amount of respect for most readers. But I value boundaries more than I value being a piece of meat at the market."
She cocks her head to the side, studying me. "A piece of meat at the market, huh? Could you possibly be any more arrogant or self-important?" she asks, rolling her eyes. "It's honestly gross, River."
I close my laptop before sliding it off the table into my bag. And then I pull out my wallet and toss a few bills onto the scarred tabletop before sliding out of the booth. "You think that's what this is?" I finally say, glancing down at her. "Maybe you should do a little research, princess, and then get back to me." I pause. "Actually, don't get back to me. My answer isn't going to change."
"Then I'm not going away," she calls softly.
I'm not sure why I stop. I know damn well that I shouldn't… but I do.
"You want me to attend your book club?"
"That's what I've been saying."
"Fine. Then let's make a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"Have dinner with me, and I'll consider it."
She blinks those long, sooty lashes at me, like a date is the last thing she expected me to offer. Frankly, it's the last thing I expected to offer today, too. It's been years since I last took anyone out. But I know what I want. It's not speaking at whatever book club she runs. It's her. If getting close to hermeans walking into my own personal hell again, fine. I'll play, but we're playing by my rules.
"What?" she finally says.
"Go out with me, and I'll do Book Club for you."
"Hell no," she blurts, a little breathless and wide-eyed, like the thought alone is the worst possible thing she can think of.
"What's wrong, princess?" I step closer to the bench, crowding her just a bit. "Afraid you'll decide you actually like me?"
"What? No!"
"Liar." I shove my free hand into my pocket, just to resist the temptation of touching her, then smirk. "When you agree to go out with me, I'll agree to speak at your book club. But not until."
"I'mnotgoing out with you."
"Then I'm not speaking at Book Club."
"This is blackmail or extortion or…something. Whatever it is, it's illegal."
"I know. Genius, isn't it?" I wink at her, then turn and stride away. "Stop stalking me, Jasmine."
"You're an ass, River."
I just laugh, because she isn't wrong. I am an ass. But we both know her voice isn't shaking because she's pissed I'm extorting her. It's shaking because I just caught her off guard with my date request, and she's mad as hell about it.
Maybe her little war declaration isn't such a bad thing, after all.
