HEADLINE ✓

TRACK 23

Looking up from my phone as the passenger door opened, I spotted a familiar pissed-off face who stood with her arms crossed over her chest.

"What's this all about?"

I glanced back down at the device in my hand.

"Hello?" TJ snapped her fingers. "You have me standing out here in this dark-as-fuck alley just so I can watch you text?"

"Get in."

"Excuse me?"

The corner of my lips turned upwards hearing her tone as I placed my phone in my jacket pocket. "Get in the car," I told her slowly, ensuring she heard every word this time. "Unless you'd rather keep standing there in the cold and walk back to your little friend, then by all means."

Her lips parted slightly and her eyes widened, clearly taken back by the way I was speaking to her. That expression was only held for a brief second before she recovered back to her narrowing glance. "Fine," she gritted through her teeth.

TJ climbed into the car and sat down on the leather seat without another word. She ran a hand along the material of her dress as she crossed one leg over the other, pressing it against mine. My eyes travelled up her bare skin, to her dress, and finally, meeting her glance.

"Are you coming home with me?"

She leaned forward. "Is that what you brought me here for?"

"It certainly wasn't to discuss politics." I raised my hand and gently gripped her chin. "So, is that a yes?"

"Well, I'm here. Aren't I?"

My thumb grazed her bottom lip. "I need to hear you say it."

"Yes."

"Good."

I dropped my touch and turned my head forward and gave Mike, who sat in the front next to the driver, the signal of a simple nod. As the engine of the SUV roared to life, I raised my hand towards the car's roof and pressed a button on the control panel. The partition began to rise, isolating the two of us from the driver and Mike in the front - a romantic gesture of privacy to set the mood, of course.

I turned my attention back to TJ. "Who was that guy you were with?" I asked, running my hand up her stretched-out leg.

"Why? Did he make you jealous?"

"Is that what you were trying to do? Make me jealous?" I leaned closer towards her. "Isn't that a tad pathetic for your style?" My lips had barely touched her skin and yet, I already heard an audible gasp escape from her. "Desperate?" I whispered against her neck, resting my hand on the inside of her thigh.

"Well, obviously you were," she snapped. "You couldn't take your eyes off it."

I leaned my head back, amused by her anger. "I just felt bad for the guy." My hand slipped under her dress. "Trying so hard when," moving in-between her legs I whispered, "You unravel with such an easy touch."

I could see her restraining as my finger ran along the material of her underwear. Her hand grabbed hold of my wrist.

"Is this why you got your bodyguard to interrupt my night? So you could call me pathetic and desperate?"

"First of all," I raised a brow, "I did not interrupt anything. If you wanted to be with that guy, you wouldn't be in the back of this car, dripping from just my hand resting in-between your legs. Second, I didn't call you that. I said your tactic was. Instead of just going after what you want, you always try to play a game. Tell me what you want."