Inked: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World), стр. 16

I pull my fridge open and stare at the empty racks. Not even a block of moldy fucking cheese. I fucking hate this, but what choice do I have? I can’t leave Mum and my sisters, they need me, and I might be all kinds of fucked up but I’m not him. I won’t abandon them when they’re at rock bottom. They sure as hell didn’t leave me.

With a sigh, I pull the one bottle of water from the fridge and fall down into the chair, contemplating going to find some dinner.

I’m just about to leave the flat once again when my phone dings with a text.

Pulling it from my pocket, I find an unknown number staring back at me.

Hey! It’s Harlow (from last night). I’d love to see you again. Meet me at the Underground. I’m downstairs x

I reread the message again and again, my brows drawing together. Did her friend give me a fake number? Good job I didn’t message her earlier.

It might be totally unexpected, but fuck if it doesn’t have a little excitement filling my veins. I’ve hardly stopped thinking about her since the moment she made her excuses last night. The way her body felt pressed up against mine on that dance floor… damn. My cock’s getting hard just thinking about her body.

I’ll be thirty minutes.

The message shows as read, but she never replies. Excitement and anticipation race through me. This is exactly what I fucking need.

Without putting any more thought into dinner, I stand and march straight towards the bathroom. If she’s giving me this second chance, like fuck am I going to screw it up.

With the intention of doing everything I can to ensure I end today buried deep inside her and pushing away any thoughts of my reality, I step out of my clothes to freshen up.

After running a little wax through my hair, I slip my feet into my shoes and drop both my wallet and phone into my pocket. At the last minute, I turn back and grab a few condoms from the dresser. A smile twitches at my lips as I imagine her laid out before me, her red hair fanning my pillow and her curves on full display.

I look around the room on my way out and tell myself that it won’t be happening here. Fuck the expense, I’ll book us a hotel if I have to. No one needs to see how I’m living right now.

Stepping from my building, I find the Uber I booked waiting for me.

“Evenin’,” I say as I climb in and quickly confirm my destination.

He chats away about my plans, and it only builds my hope that I’m about to end my dry spell with a girl who captured my attention the second she fell into my lap last night.

I could have easily gone and found some pussy since I arrived, but something—aside from being busy with the shop—has stopped me. Stupid sappy thoughts that maybe I was waiting for her fill my mind before I quickly shake them away. This isn’t about romance, I don’t sign up for that shit. This is about getting what I need—what we both need, if the way her body reacted to mine last night is anything to go by.

The place is packed when the car pulls up out the front, and I end up having to wait to even get inside.

By the time the bouncer lifts the rope and allows me in, I’m desperate for a fucking drink. I make a beeline for the bar and order a scotch. I swallow it down in one, enjoying the burn and waiting for the warmth to hit me.

“Another?” the bartender shouts when I slam the glass down.

Shaking my head, I spin around and go in search of who I really came here for.

I locate the stairs and head down. As I descend, the chaos from above begins to quiet, and when I push through the doors to this section, I find the music is completely different. Gone are the fast-paced club tracks that were filling my ears, and instead a low, sexy R&B vibe sounds out.

It’s quieter down here, but it still takes me longer than I would like to find her. She’s dancing with her friend, who’s in another minuscule dress. I smile as I watch them letting go to the beat of the music.

I walk to the bar and order myself another while I watch them. Harlow has a wide smile on her face as she moves her hips and lifts her arms above her head.

As her friend dances, I get my first proper look at Harlow. Her floral dress might be almost as short as her friend’s, especially with her arms up, but that’s where the similarities end. She wasn’t wrong last night when she said they couldn’t be more different.

I down my drink and wait a few seconds, but I can only hold off for so long. She pulls me in, in a way I’ve never experienced before. My need to run my hands over her, to sweep my tongue against hers and taste her once again is all-consuming.

I take two steps forward before her friend finds me approaching over Harlow’s shoulder. Her eyes run the length of me. Her interest is obvious, but my body doesn’t react to her attention one bit. It might have been a while, but she’s really not my type. Her friend, on the other hand… My cock swells from just watching her dance.

I’m only a few feet away when Harlow stills. She stares at her friend, who’s still smiling at me, before turning to look over her shoulder.

Her eyes land on me immediately as I continue my approach, but it takes a few seconds for Harlow to register that it’s me. When she does, her eyes go wide in shock, but to my delight, a smile curls at her full, red lips.

“What are you doing here?” she shouts over the music when