“She was the queen of suggestive play—my firestarter. Her teasing lured out the predator in me, but this was no place for an ambush. Predators need darkness, privacy. Streetlamps expose everything.”
The door clicked shut behind us.
“Thank God that’s over,” I muttered. “I couldn’t wait to get out of there.”
“I know,” she chuckled. “I saw your face.”
Heels clicked against the footpath as we descended the stairs. She wrapped her arm around mine, head resting on my shoulder, pulling us into step as we walked into the night.
“Christmas parties bring out the worst in people,” she offered. “At least you don’t have to see them again for another year.”
“It’s not just tonight. It’s people in general. No compassion. No curiosity. Just judgment.”
We took a few more steps before her hand slipped onto my backside.
“Maybe I can distract you?”
“Yeah? With what?”
She spun, kissed me hard, giggled, and tugged me closer. “That,” she teased. “You still upset?”
“A bit,” I confessed.
“They don’t matter. Just weird, empty people. But you… play your cards right and I’ll wipe them from your memory.”
Sweat prickled my brow. “Is it hotter tonight?”
“Mmm, definitely. And it’ll get hotter,” she whispered, voice dripping innuendo.
She was the queen of suggestive play—my firestarter. Her teasing lured out the predator in me, but this was no place for an ambush. Predators need darkness, privacy. Streetlamps expose everything.
We reached the car. She stroked my arm as I turned the key.
“Do you think air-conditioning will help?” I asked.
“I doubt it,” she smiled. “You’ll need something deeper than that.”
She was right. Cooling the skin wouldn’t cool what burned beneath. We weren’t doing anything new, but it always felt that way. This was our story, unfolding again. Our ache. Our hunt. Our secret need to close all the spaces between us—but not yet. Not here. Not now.
[From SEETHINGS, downloadable and free for a limited time]
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