Shadows (23 page)

“Thanks,”
I
muttered
and
added
under
my
breath,
“Douchebag.”

He
laughed,
deep
and
throaty.
“Now
that’s
not
very
ladylike,
Kittycat.”

I
whipped
around.
“Don’t
ever
call
me
that,”
I
snapped.

“It’s
better
than
calling
someone
a
douchebag,
isn’t
it?”
He
pushed
out
the
door.
“This
has
been
a
stimulating
visit.
I’ll
cherish
it
for
a
long
time
to
come.”

Okay.
That
was
it.
“You
know,
you’re
right.
How
wrong
of
me
to
call
you
a
douchebag.
Because
a
douchebag
is
too
nice
of
a
word
for
you,”
I
said,
smiling
sweetly.
“You’re
a
dickhead.”

“A
dickhead?”
he
repeated.
“How
charming.”

I
flipped
him
off.

He
laughed
again
and
bent
his
head.
A
mess
of
waves
fell
forward,
nearly
obscuring
his
intense
green
eyes.
“Very
civilized,
Kitten.
I’m
sure
you
have
a
wild
array
of
interesting
names
and
gestures
for
me,
but
not
interested.”

I
did
have
a
lot
more
I
could
say
and
do,
but
I
gathered
my
dignity,
pivoted,
and
stomped
back
over
to
my
house,
not
giving
him
the
pleasure
of
seeing
how
truly
pissed
I
was.
I’d
always
avoided
confrontation
in
the
past,
but
this
guy
was
flipping
my
bitch
switch
like
nothing
else.
When
I
reached
my
car,
I
yanked
open
the
door.

“See
you
later,
Kitten!”
he
called
out,
laughing
as
he
slammed
the
front
door.

Tears
of
anger
and
embarrassment
burnt
my
eyes.
I
shoved
the
keys
into
the
ignition
and
threw
the
car
into
reverse.
‘Make
an
effort,’
Mom
had
said.
That’s
what
happens
when
you
make
an
effort.

[End of Sample]