Sleet Banshee by S.J. Tilly

CHAPTER FOUR

MEGHAN

I’d feel bad about slapping Sebastian and taking off, but I can hear his dumbass laughing behind me. There’s definitely something wrong with that man.

“Little Banshee, you’re only proving my point - " he calls after me.

Lifting a middle finger high over my head, I continue to pick my way back through the maze. His voice rolls over the cold breeze. I want to hate him for being a big dumb animal, but even the sound of his chuckle turns me on.

I’m not embarrassed about what we did. We’re both adults. We both consented. We’re both sexy creatures.

But there’s this stupid little bitch of a voice in the back of my head telling me he’s out of my league. I mentally toss her the middle finger too. So what if he looks like the cover of a smut novel? So what if he’s a rich famous hockey player? So what if he could have any girl he wants? I’m sexy. Usually. When I try. Maybe I wouldn’t consider today’s choice of an oversized striped hoodie as sexpot attire, but hey - it worked. Dressed like a teenaged stoner, I still got felt up by the hottest man I’ve ever met. So that goes in the win column. And yeah, my pant size might be in the double digits. But not all guys crave runway models. There’s just more of me to love. And touch. And fuck. Ugh, I kinda hate Sebastian right now, but I really hope I get to experience him biblically. Like Oh God, Oh Jesus, Oh God -biblically.

Needing to get out of this maze, I turn what I’m hoping is the last corner. And would you look at that, Chainsaw Guy is standing halfway between me and the exit.

My hands ball into fists. This is the home stretch. I’m almost there. I can stand here and wait for Sebastian, or I can suck it up and deal with this demon head on.

Chainsaw Guy spots me. And I swear I have a Whoville momentwhere my lady-balls grow three sizes.

“No!” I shout, pointing a finger at him.

He doesn’t listen and takes a step towards me.

I take a step towards him.

“I said No!” I feel like I’m yelling at a dog. So, when in Rome - “Go home! Go on, Get! We don’t want you here!”

I think I’m winning.

Then Chainsaw Guy cocks his head, and it’s officially the scariest thing I’ve ever witnessed.

My finger is starting to tremble but I keep it pointed at him.

“I said No!” My voice cracks on the word no, and I know that I’ve lost.

Chainsaw Guy takes another step in my direction. I take a step back. He steps forward. I step back. And right into a hard body.

“That was a good effort, Little B.” Sebastian’s voice rumbles through my body.

I instantly feel a little more confident, then I berate myself for feeling like I need a man to protect me.

Chainsaw Guy guns his weapon and starts sprinting in our direction.

Somehow, I manage to not throw up. Instead I spin around and bury my face in the warm hard planes of the asshole hockey player’s chest, my hands fisted together underneath my chin.

“There, there, sweet girl," he pats me on the head with one hand while the other hand spans my back, holding me in place. “I’ll protect you from the scary high school kid with the gardening tool.”

It’s a good thing my voice is muffled by his sweatshirt. If he could hear the things that I’m saying about him, I’m sure he’d toss me to Chainsaw Guy with a smile on his face.

“Megs, we gotta move our feet a little bit here if we want to get out of this maze.”

“No shit, Sherlock. But I’m going to wait here until he passes. Obviously. Idiot.”

Nose pressed firmly against his warm body, I take in a deep breath in through my nose. He smells divine.

“Okay, Mumbles. I think you called me Sherlock and an idiot. You’re throwing out mixed signals.”

I pry an arm free so I can flip him another bird.

I feel something warm and wet on the tip of my finger, right before teeth close down just above my top knuckle.

My head jerks up and my knees nearly give out at the sight of my finger still firmly locked in his bite. His lips turn up in a smile as his tongue darts out to lick the tip of my finger.

I think my vagina just drooled.

Then the very near chainsaw sound pulls my attention away.

Sebastian’s teeth release my finger. “Looks like we’re doing this my way.”

“What do you mean, your way?”

Instead of answering, Sebastian bends down, lines his shoulder up with my stomach, wraps an arm around the back of my thighs, and stands. With me. On. His. Freaking. Shoulder.

I have died and gone to firefighter heaven. This is every house burning fantasy, mixed with every pro athlete dream, mixed with every bad boy crush I’ve ever had. I can’t even pretend I don’t like this. Yeah, the feminist in me is outraged, but she’ll also be imagining this moment while she flicks the bean later, so she can keep her thoughts to herself.

“You alive back there? Did I finally find a way to shut you up?”

Oh, well, that kills the fantasy. “Shut me up? Really?”

My coordination is put to the test, hanging upside down like this, but I’m able to slip my hands up the back of his sweatshirt. Where I find nice warm, muscly skin, with my freezing hands.

He flinches. “Ahh! What the hell?”

“Mmm, you’re so warm...” I coo.

“Get your icy claws off me, Banshee!”

I spread my hands out, getting the most possible contact. He really is quite warm. And firm.

When I slide my hands around to his sides I can feel his quick inhalation. A sharp smack lands on my ass and I withdraw my hands with a jolt.

“You did not just...” I sputter.

“Oh, I just. Put your frozen talons back on me, and I’ll spank you again.”

Well, when he puts it that way… I slide my hands back up his shirt.

Sebastian laughs, as he bends forward, placing me back on the ground.

Using the back of his hand, he brushes a lock of hair away from my face. “They always say the most dangerous things come in the prettiest packages.”

Oh. Wow. I like the word pretty better than cute.

Standing inches apart, we start to lean in towards each other, but a voice calls out my name.

“Meghan! Oh my god, this place is Hell.” Izzy steps around a cluster of bodies, heading our way. She has Zach, Katelyn and Jackson with her and somehow they all missed Sebastian carrying me. I’m hoping to keep whatever is going on between us a secret; tonight Izzy needs to focus on Zach.

“Come on, I need to find the bathrooms,” Izzy says, grabbing my arm.