Page 72 of Soul So Dark

Without a word, she plants her hands roughly on the tops of my thighs and leans forward. I let my hands hang at my sides at a safe distance as she tilts her head and slowly steals the bear off my belt. She eyes me curiously as she chews, and then watches me fish another one out of the bag and place it carefully on my left shoulder.

Dallas stands up and carefully takes a step forward, much taller in her platforms. She gingerly sets her hands on my shoulders for balance and leans forward. As soon as the bear disappears into her mouth, I throw one arm around her waist and pull her onto my lap. She sucks in a gasp and braces herself as she lands on my leg, straddling my thigh. I expect her to try and wriggle away, or maybe smack me upside the head, but she doesn’t.

The look she’s giving me is one of curiosity rather than hatred. Embracing the silence, I just look back at her, watching her eyes subtly move over my face.

“Did you like what I left for you?” I ask softly.

She hesitates, but then nods. “Yes.”

“That thing you thought I did,” I pull her closer, “I would never do that to you, Dal.”

Dallas nods again, and I bring another bear to my mouth, placing it between my teeth. She stares at it for nearly a minute while I wait patiently for her to decide whether she’s going to comply or spend the night in a movie theatre closet. Finally, she leans forward, maneuvering carefully around my face like she’s trying not to detonate a landmine.

Her lips brush against mine for an instant before she bites down, and she lingers for a few moments as though she’s waiting to see if I’ll move. When I don’t, she pulls away and lets the candy disappear into her mouth.

“That was only four,” Dallas mutters like I’m the biggest moron on the planet.

With a flash of my eyes, I tip my chin up and open my mouth. Her jaw slows and her face drops as I let my tongue fall out of my mouth. A yellow bear rests in the middle, the tang of the lemon flavor seeping over my taste buds while I savor the utter disbelief in her eyes.

“You’re not going to let me win, are you?” I ask, unable to contain my amusement.

In true Lutz fashion, Dallas pulls her hateful little mask back down and waits for me to present the yellow gummy bear. When I do, she takes a deep breath, steeling herself before leaning in and opening her mouth.

I can feel her heart pumping against my chest as she tilts her head and carefully closes her lips around the candy. My eyes start to roll as she sucks the candy off my tongue, pulls back, and starts to chew. But as soon as she does, she rocks forward again, as though in a trance.

I seize her beneath her chin just before her lips graze mine, making her flinch in surprise.

“What are you doing?” she creaks out.

“I believe the proper phrase is,fuck around and find out,” I say as I hold her face just shy of mine, “and I’m going to have a lot of fun watching you do so.”

I squeeze Dallas around the waist and stand up, lifting her with me. I let her feet dangle helplessly at my calves, smirking at her the entire time.

“Should be a lot more entertaining now that I know you want mydick,” I murmur just inches from her mouth.

She lets out an incredulous huff as I drop her back to her feet. “10 days,Angelína,” I declare, sliding the chair away from the door.

“10 days until what?” she sneers with as much venom as she can muster.

I cast a knowing glance over my shoulder. “Until you’re hopelessly and irrevocably addicted to me.”

Something between fear and confusion washes over her cerulean eyes as I drop the bag of yellow Haribo bears into her hand. Then I disappear into the hallway, letting the door swing shut behind me.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Dallas

“What happened to you?” Austin whispers when I return to my seat next to him.

“Just my brother's idiot friend,” I mumble.

Someone on screen fires a rocket launcher and detonates a gas station, along with a couple dozen mutated aliens. Where’s the guy that was leading the team? Is he dead now? I don’t even know what the hell’s going on in this movie anymore.

Austin furrows his brow. “What?”

I stare back at him blankly.

Shit.Alex is gone and Austin doesn’t know what I’m talking about.