You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 13

Easton

I’m pissed, hating my reaction to Harper. Thinking of my mystery girl.

I’ve had her twice. Cat woman, whatever you want to call her, and now I can’t find her anywhere. All see is Harper. So, I do what anyone else does in extreme sexual frustration

I drink.

A lot.

I’m at least five shots in, plus two beers when I watch Harper collide

with Blake. I fully expected Harper to turn in disgust

Instead, I watched in mild horror when he leads her into the garage. The same sacred garage I was in earlier, ready to attack an anonymous girl’s mouth with every single kiss I have in my arsenal.

Before her phone went off, I was ready to strip my mystery girl bare, lay her against the fridge, the floor, really any strong surface was up for grabs.

I shove Aisha away after five minutes go by and Blake and Harper still don’t reappear and I grab another beer.

Aisha was pissed but whatever. Why the hell is Blake with Harper in the garage? And why do I even care?

It’s Harper. She’s Ryan’s problem.

Not mine.

And yet the idea of Blake even touching her fills me with something unfamiliar that I can’t identify

Before I know what I’m doing, I’m charging down the hall, thoughts still stuck on cat woman. Harper. They’re mixing. Mingling.

Maybe I’m hallucinating the entire thing and losing my mind. I mean, does the perfect girl even exist?

into the garage to find Blake and Harper laughing and standing close enough that if Ryan caught them,

between all of us is

Harper being off limits or some such shit. But for the life of mel can’t remember what I actually said, only that I

are dangerous, just like

warn her about

tell Ryan to watch out for our

words were said, and Harper tried to walk past me like I didn’t exist, which pissed

the wall, when something familiar washes over me. I can’t decipher if it’s her scent or

I clench my fists at

off that she’s

me react, not because ! have

her cheek, dripping off her jaw and onto the space between us. It’s then that I realize how close I’m standing in front of her. How we’re almost chest to chest, and how the rest of the world goes

see

like coconuts and sunshine-like something forbidden that should be

thoughts of Harper gone from my head as I eagerly

so she has to

she’s haunting

drunk to care that I hurt her feelings. At least that’s what I tell myself. So why does my chest feel tight? Why does the sight of her walking away make me

be

creepy as it would sound

toward Ryan, ready to ask him if he’s still having fun when both Sadie and Harper reappear-right along with that same tropical

the hell?

but the

way,” I say to myself as

Cat woman

the case, Ryan has

world blurs and tilts around me as the alcohol hits. I slam into a few bodies until I finally reach my own front door. The view