Call it What you Want by Foster the People begins to play and Paige swings her hips immediately, dancing over to me. She grabs her beer from my hands and takes a long swig while she seductively peeks up at me through her thick lashes. My own hips move as I take a long and slow swig from my beer. She’s tempting as hell and I’m not even sure Chrissy wedged between us would get me to stop from taking her tonight.

Before I can even try to resist her, she’s straddling my leg and my free arm is wrapped tight around her waist as she grinds herself against me. Fuck. Her hand rests on my neck and she leans back, still swaying to the beat. All I have to do is bend down and her tit would be in my mouth. Well, over clothes, but who the hell cares. If I didn’t have this beer in my hand, I’d splay my hand down the crevice of her tits. Instead I down another sip, trying to keep my big boy downstairs calm, but thoughts of chords in the song isn’t working. He’s coming really close to full salute.

She steps away and instead of being happy with the reprieve, I only break the distance back toward her, flipping her around and grinding my now substantial bulge into her ass. She leans back, her hands cupping my ass as she grinds me into her more. My face nuzzles her neck; damn she feels so good in my hands. My hand lands on her chest and I swear her heart is beating so fast it’s going to pop out of her chest. As the song dwindles down, and she inches away, I yank her back. “Paige,” I sigh and she stays planted in my hands.

My lips land on the back of her neck and her shoulders scrunch, signaling I just gave her goose bumps. Fucking addicting. She doesn’t speak a word, or move. Our bodies are molded together and as much as I don’t want to let her go, I do. She flips around and immediate hurt reflects back to me. That beaming face is now laced with confusion. When her hand reaches out for me, I step back. I can’t idly stand around, waiting for her to crush my heart.

Fleeing to the back hallway, I’m about two seconds from the back door when a hand grabs my wrist. “Rob?” I turn around and she doesn’t let go of my arm.

My hands land on her cheeks and I press her against the wall. “Fuck!” I scream and the couple making out in the corner scurries off.

Her own hands cover mine and we stare into each other’s eyes. So many true and honest feelings laying out in the open between us. I can’t . . . I can’t refrain any longer.

“Kiss me,” she pleads and my lips crash down to hers. I pin her to the wall and her hands wrap around my waist.

My tongue dives into her mouth, not asking permission. She quickly joins me and I thrust into her, digging as deep as I can. Unable to quench my thirst for her, I continue to devour her mouth. My whole body begs to finish this at our place, but my brain overrides, and I tear away.

Stepping back, I brush my thumb along her swollen and quivering lips. “You’re beautiful,” I whisper and a small smile crosses her lips. Heat smolders out of her eyes and there’s no doubt I could have her right here and now if I chose.

She remains quiet as I step back until she realizes what I’m doing. The flicker of awareness hits her eyes and she inches forward, her hand grasping for me. “I can’t. I’m sorry.” I turn and flee out the back door.

“Rob,” she calls out, but I never turn around.

I climb into the van and roar it to life. Just as I’m about to shift it into gear, Paige swings open the passenger door and plops down next to me.

“What are you doing?” My hands fall in my lap and I peer over to her. She needs to let me be, I’m not ready to show her how raw I am inside.

The wanton side of her has left, leaving me with, from what I can tell of her rigid form, anger. “You’re not going to do this.” She pins me with her eyes.

“Do what exactly?” I’m not sure why I’m even entertaining this argument. She should be happy I didn’t do to her what I did to Jessa and make-out with another girl in front of her.

She snaps my way, her whole body facing me now. Her eyes are blazing and not in a good way. “Do you think I want to have feelings for a guy who probably fucked every girl in there?” She throws her hand in the direction of the bar. “Do you think it’s easy for me to fall for a guy who’s pleasured three-fourths of Western?” She inches forward toward me and I back up to the window. “But I do.” She pokes her chest hard. “Rob, you are the last fucking person I should want, but it doesn’t change the fact that you make my body a trembling mess every time you get close.”

I scowl at her long and steady. “Get out, Paige.” She straightens her back, grabs the seatbelt and fastens it.

“Nope.” She pops the ‘p’ like she always does when she’s trying to display her stubbornness and presses the lock button. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Suit yourself.” I throw the van in drive and spin the tires out of the alley. The tires screech when we hit a red light and we both fall forward. “Just because you like me, doesn’t mean the feelings are mutual.” I live up to my lying tactics. She’ll only push me harder if she finds out how it’s not only my body that yearns for her, but my heart too.

She turns her head in my direction and shakes it, narrowing her eyes. “Screw off, Rob. You know you do.”

“Would I like to fuck you, hell yeah, but because of Chrissy I’m keeping my distance. But hey, if you want to fuck, I won’t be opposed.” My bastard side arises in pure glory.

“Oh my God!” Her screams hit a high octave. “Why do I even try with you?” Her hands fly up in the air and her fists clench.

“Don’t confuse lust with love.” I turn into our driveway, parking the van on the side of the detached garage so I can escape in my Mustang and leave her here.

When I park the van, I throw her the keys and hop out. “See ya.”

Once I circle around the van, she’s already there, widened stance with her hands on her hips. “You can’t live like this forever. Constantly stashing your feelings away.” I continue to dodge her boxer-style body weaving in front of me on the way to my car. I never guessed she’d be one to fight for me. Jessa maybe, but she didn’t, because in the end she knew I wasn’t worth it.

“I’m not pushing shit.” I remove her hand from my arm as she keeps trying to get me to turn around.

A breath of relief flows out of me once I’m at my car door. My hand grips the metal handle, but she rushes past me and slams the door shut. “Paige.” I warn her, my eyes boring into hers.

“No. Tell me. What haunts you, Rob?” She keeps pressing and I need her to stop before I lose my shit. Turning around, I tug at my hair and bend down on my knees.

“Please, I’m begging you, Paige. Let it go.” I speak to the concrete floor because I’ll cave if I look in her concerned eyes that show her soft spot for me.

She places her hand on my shoulder and bends down to my level. “Who is Carly?” she whispers and the image of the accident replays in my head. The one point twenty-seven seconds of hell. I shake my head trying to forget the memory. The body lying on the stretcher, her screams and sobs echoing in the night. Dead silence filling the air before the screeching sirens blared down the deserted road. The heart-wrenching ambulance ride, holding her limp hand in mine while the paramedics tried their best. The confusion of understanding what they were all talking about. The loneliness in the hallway while the body got wheeled away into a life support helicopter. My body collapsing in the waiting room chair, the grief that racked inside of me. Reliving the moment in my head only angers me.

I pick up my head, water welling up in my eyes. “Is this what you want Paige? You want to see how weak I am?” I rest my head in my hands again and she drops to the ground, reaching for my hand, but I move it away.

“You can trust me, Rob.” Her voice flips to a sweet caress.