Page 110 of Pretty Broken Wings

No. But not for the reason he’s thinking. I clear my throat, making a show of brushing those big hands off. “I’m fine.”

Gage looks stricken for a second, and seeing him look like that makes me feel bad. Makes me wish I could take that look off his face. I clear my throat and ease off the brake. “So, uh, the costumes were an attempt to publicly humiliate me, huh?”

Gage lets out a soft breath of air, and then one hand pulls away. I clench my fist in my lap this time, hiding it between my thighs. What the fuck is my problem?

To get the attention off my mortifying reaction, I mutter, “You didn’t tell me this was team Fuck Axel, Embarrass Raven.”

There’s a pause, and I’m not sure if he’s going to answer me. Then, Gage says in a gruff voice, “Yep. That was the plan allalong. Get you dressed as a sexy baseball player to embarrass you in front of my parents.”

But my hormones and my buzzed mind scream. Gage called me sexy.

“I don’t mean–I, uh…” Gage stutters. “Sorry, uh. I meant your costume was perfect.”

I stifle back a smile. A prickle of fear and excitement runs across my skin and up the back of my neck. What is going on right now?

Bad things, my anxiety screams.When you trust people, bad things happen.

When we pull into the driveway, I feel Gage’s hand tighten once on mine, and then he’s gone. I feel the loss, and then I see him coming around the car to my side.

Is he… He’s going to open my door.

I open it before he can get there. “I can do it.”

Gage stands there, eyebrow up. “Couldn’t let me get at least one ‘knight in shining armor’ joke in?”

“You’ve had all night.” I stalk around the car to go inside the house, keeping the smile off my face.

Buddy’s excited to see us, jumping around, stepping on toes, and panting with her disgusting breath.

“Okay, okay,” Gage says as he flips on some lights, but there’s no real anger behind his fake annoyance. I move around him to get to the kitchen where the water is, but Gage bumps into me.

“Sorry,” I say automatically.

“Yeah, I don’t think you are.” Gage pops an eyebrow with a slight smirk on his face.

I freeze. He’s… flirting with me. Openly. My heart races.

“You’re right. I’m not.” I move to step around him, but Gage crowds me back against the counter. Immediately, my breathing hitches, and I look up at him. Gage looks down at me with a softlook in his eyes. Then, he raises his hands. “No touching. Just wanted to look at your neck.”

“Huh?”

He bends down to squint at it.

Oh. The seatbelt.

“It’s literally fine.” I try to duck past him, but Gage just shifts so he’s in the way again. Alarm bells ring in my head while excitement fills my veins. His closeness makes me want to scream and run, but also reach out and grab him to pull him closer.

“Don’t bullshit me. Did you feel anything pop?”

Oh, right. He’s talking about my neck. But all I can think about is how I can feel his breath on my skin.

“I was driving, like, five miles per hour.” I cross my arms mostly to keep them from reaching out and tracing the strong torso in front of me. Then I look up at Gage, and his face is intense.

“Answer the question.” It’s a demand.

Fear, intoxication, and lust hit me all at once. Then, doubt and uncertainty. I don’t usually like men to take control, so why in the hell is his bossiness doing something for me?

I realize it’s been too long since he asked the question, and I scoff. “You’re not the boss of me.”