Tagged & Ashed (The Sterling Shore Series #2) Read Free Page B

audacity?
    “Excuse me, Tag.  I need to get back to my paying customer,” I growl while standing up and losing the wobbling effect he once had on me.
    Now I just want to slap this creep instead of wanting to kiss him.
    “Hey, whoa.  Sorry.  I didn’t mean for that to come out so… crudely.  It’s just… you’re smokin’ hot, and Bity doesn’t usually carry home a girl who looks anything like you.  Matter of fact, he rarely has a girl at all.”
    Duh, dumbass.  He’s in love with Rene.  Blind fools.
    “You’ll understand that I still have the right to be offended.  I’m going to get back to Billy now.”
    He blocks my path when I go to walk by him, and he smirks as he stares down at me.  He thinks he's cute.  He is, but he's so smug and sure of himself.
    “Any chance we can start over?  I didn’t mean to come off as such a jerk.  I’m actually quite charming, usually.”
    I tilt my head, and using my sweetest vixen’s voice, I speak while taking a step toward him.
    “I’m sure you can be, Tag.”  My finger begins trailing up his chest, and his breath hitches in response.  “But… I don't forget that easily.  Now move out of my damn way.”
    The ice I just doused his sizzle with is enough to make his brow scrunch as he steps aside and lets me by.  I hold back a triumphant smile, though it’s hard as hell to do.
    I can feel him watching me as I leave, so I add a little sexiness to my strut as I head out to find Billy.
    The biggest reason he wants me is to screw with Billy.  That's certainly obvious.  What a dick.
    I see Billy and Rene talking, her hand on his arm as she giggles at whatever corny joke he just told her.  A smile invades my face, and then I feel chills covering my body as heat presses against my back.
    “Oh, I forgot to mention... he’s talking to an old flame,” Tag murmurs, his breath finding my ear and traveling down my neck, creating a delicious crawl of contradicting and competing emotions.
    A medley of divine cologne and shampoo invade my nose.  Damn, he smells so, so, so good.
    “He can talk to Rene all he wants.  I’m not a crazy bitch,” I say through a laugh, my nerves hiding in the octaves of my off-pitch chuckles as I step away from his grasp.
    “Not the jealous type?” he muses suspiciously.
    I can’t help but smile at his agitation.  Apparently he expected me to blow a fuse.
    “No, not jealous.  I happen to like Rene.  If Billy wants to talk to her, then he can.  Don’t you have two dates to attend to?  I’m sure they’d be jealous if they found out you’re stalking me.”
    I can’t believe how confident I sound right now, despite my throbbing… everything .
    He grins daringly as his body towers over mine.  He backs me against the side of the house, and then his arm props up over my head as he leans down.
    “They can manage to work a party without me.  You, however... You’ll need someone looking out for you out there.  You’re too… you know what? I’ll just lead you around until Bity gets done catching up with Rene.  What do you think?”
    “I think it’s driving you crazy that Billy is all grown up and women find him more interesting than you.”
    That’ll shut him up.
    He bursts out laughing, and then he leans back away from me while gasping for air as he heaves his laughter out all the louder.
    What an arrogant ass.
    “That’s priceless.  Billy Prize more interesting than me,” he roars out through his chuckles.
    I roll my eyes at the obnoxious jerk, and then I head away from the house to meet the eyes of everyone staring at me.
    Too much cleavage, slut.
    I should have chosen a more conservative dress.
    I look down to Billy, and though he’s waving me over, his eyes tell me to give him more time alone with Rene.
    I blow him a kiss, and he offers a lopsided grin before giving me a wink.  Within seconds, Rene’s hand finds his arm, instantly begging for his attention to return to her.
    Well I’ll be damned.