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“If I’m Oscar the Grouch, then I live on Sesame Street, and they teach folks the alphabet and how to read.

Next time you try to insult me, stay on your damn toes.

” She met his accusing eyes without flinching.

“And guess what? The letter of the day is, ‘F’. It stands for, fraidy cat. Not because you’re scared of me, but what you think I represent.

That fraidy cat is you . You’re just a frightened little girl pretendin’ to be a grown ass woman. ”

“Oh no, that’s where you’re wrong. I am a grown ass woman.” She responded cuttingly, forsaking all pretense.

“Then act like it. We’re too old for this shit.” A dark disdain occupied his stare.

She almost bit her tongue in half. She hadn’t felt this way in a long time.

Her gut was all hot and bawled up. Twisted in knots.

Kage was despicable. Rancorous. And right…

A mixture of irritation, anger, and intrigue took her entire body over.

Her brain felt as if it were swelling as her temper grew hot to the touch.

Her hands were sweaty, and her stomach kept flipping and flopping.

That was all on the inside, or hidden from the eye.

On the outside, she kept herself in check.

Prided herself on her ability to appear calm under tense situations.

Truly though, she wanted to rip his eyes out, and at the same time she wanted him all over her, too.

“You know what the problem is, Kage? I have rules. You’ve broken all of them.

Pointing a gun at me the first time we met.

Taking my ammunition away without my permission.

Comin’ here unannounced the other night, and actin’ like that was just fine.

Kissing and touchin’ on me when I told you that we couldn’t hook up.

The reason why doesn’t matter, but you’ve convinced yourself that it does.

Even the way we met showed how aggressive and disturbed you are.

My rules state that men must act civilized. Men behave in—”

“Civilized?” He tsked. “And just what the fuck would you, of all people, do with a civilized man? Trample all over him is what you’d do.

Your so-called rules don’t get your juices flowin’ and any idiot who abides by them so called instructions and expectations, would be cast away like a piece of trash. ”

“So your attitude is, ‘Fuck my rules,’ huh?”

“That’s right. Fuck your rules with no mercy, no lube, just bang, bang, bang all damn day and night long.

You’d never respect a man who followed all of these trumped up, dumb procedures and policies that you change as you go along, anyway.

More than that, it’s all bullshit. It just sounds good, but it’s a bunch of malarkey.

” He handed her a brutal stare. “I don’t play by nobody’s rules but my own, and you’re not about to run all over me like you’re some damn track star. ”

“Fine! I have had it. Whatever you say!” She waved her hands about. “You finish that greenhouse, you hear me? And then get your ass out of here, because this isn’t some toy shop you get to walk into, Kage, select a trinket you like, and take it home. You have a problem with rejection.”

“No, I have a problem with denial of connection .”

“I’m not denying it. I admitted it!”

“No, you admitted attraction… that’s not the same.

We have both. I’m not classy. I’m not cultured.

I don’t always say the right thing and worst of all, I usually don’t care to even try to.

I’m just me . I love bein’ comfortable. I have my own style, and I’m not a common motherfucker.

I’m different, through and through. I like nature.

Drones. Huntin’ and fishin’. I like walkin’ my land, swimmin’ in the river, a good, hot meal that I caught myself.

I doodle a little for fun. Most of all, I love makin’ shit out of little of nothin’.

Turnin’ trash into a treasure. I like creatin’ beautiful things, and findin’ beautiful things, too.

” White flames were flickering in his eyes as he looked deep inside of her, and grabbed her heart.

“I love usin’ my hands.” He held them up.

“Poet, I can’t name ten exotic wines and what they pair best with.

I’m sorry if that disappoints you, but I can name ten exotic birds and tell you what country they came from.

” They were silent for a spell. Things became still and quiet. An uneasy tension and passion merged.

“Kage,” she sighed. “I just—”

“I don’t look good on paper. I ain’t got no fancy education like you do.

With your taxidermy certifications, your Bachelors of Science in Biology, and your Master of Science in Chemistry, ’nd all, you got me beat.

I went to school, graduated with a degree from a business college and trade school, too, but I pride myself on being self-trained in a lotta shit.

I’m White. Some call me a redneck. You’re Black.

Racial tensions are a little high right now ’cause of all of this political rhetoric.

Folks being pitted against one another. But we’re all human…

we all bleed, and gotta answer to the Good Lord sooner or later.

Regardless, I understand that you need to keep up appearances.

You’re a professional. Even interviewed on the local news ’bout new exhibits from time to time.

” He tossed up his hands. “Folks see you in a certain light,” He chuckled, but a tinge of sadness were in his words and expression.

“They have expectations for the great, and brilliant Poet Constantine. I ain’t the man women take home to meet daddy, unless they want to piss him off.

” He smiled, but she could see in his eyes pure pain.

“You’ve got an image to uphold. A reputation…

I’m not the kind of guy you usually go for.

A mangy lone wolf… a monster. I get it.”

“That’s not completely true.” She sighed. “It’s not that black and white.”

“So, what is it, completely ? From my perspective, I’m everything you’ve convinced yourself is unsafe, dangerous, and not a good bet.

Let me remind you, Poet, that you decided this about me without concrete evidence.

It was intentional, so you could convince yourself that this could never go anywhere.

” He pointed a finger at her face. “I’m just asking for a chance.

A little of your time.” She rubbed her clammy hands together, then clasped them along her lap. Tight.

“…A chance…” She whispered, then shook her head.

“Yeah… a chance. If anyone deserves a chance with you, I do. I won’t take your shit, but I’ll always make you feel safe and cared for.

That’s what you really want. Someone to stand up to you when necessary.

Not to feed their ego and make you feel small.

But someone to stand up to you, because they’d love you enough not to cower to your fear-based demands.

When you get scared, you try to make yourself look bigger…

like a bear. That’s a call for help; a response due to trauma and hurt.

I know about that, ’cause I used to do it, too. ”

She blinked back tears, and turned away from his direct gaze.

“I’d accept you for who you are, because I know appearances can be deceiving. You ain’t so innocent. You ain’t so sweet. You ain’t so perfect, and I like you all the more because of that. Every rose has its thorns.”

“I think you’re playing with me right now. I think you’re using some sort of distorted mind tricks to… AHHHH!!!!”

The table turned over, crashing to the floor, and before she could utter another word, scream or bite into his face, he had her in his strong arms, her feet dangling, smothering her with an all-encompassing, hot, hedonistic kiss.

GOD HELP ME… OH GOD, HE’S TAKING ME SOMEWHERE I DON’T WANNA brEAK FREE FROM!

He growled into her mouth as he drove his tongue deeper. They thrashed about; her body pressed into his bare chest. She burned in anger, desire, submission. He smelled like a beautiful disaster, clean soap, sweat, musky aftershave—his scent turned her on as she wrestled with logic and lust.

He kissed her hard and urgently all along her face, squeezing her ass cheeks as he feverishly licked and sucked her neck.

The hot moisture from his mouth left her spinning.

She melted into his touch, stroking the back of his hair as he devoured her with not a shred of clothing removed from her body.

With his right hand, he roamed her body while with his other, he kept her lifted from the floor.

‘Time,’ by the Culture Club, started to play as he ended the kiss and gently set her back on her feet. Ten toes down.

“I’m goin’ outside to work. When I’m finished, we’re goin’ on a date.

Dinner. Tonight, I’m takin’ you to a place I like to go to every now and again.

A place where you can feel comfortable, and we can talk.

Away from here. It’s time you got to know me.

Get cleaned up and dressed. It won’t take me long.

” He kissed the tip of her nose. A gentle, sweet kiss…

then walked out the front door. He slammed it, and that damn door kept banging from the sheer force of his strength.

It banged and banged, just like her heart…