Lisanna's whole body buzzed. She felt giddy and stupid and wild and liberated like never before. You let him... And then you just walked out. Maybe that was the most exciting of all, just leaving him there like she was in control. Thinking about it made her feel kind of badass, something she'd never felt before. Stifling a manic laugh, she practically bounded into Gruff's. The place was packed again, full on the weekend. A loud band was on stage, hammering out another grungy tune she immediately wanted to dance to. Taking off her coat, she hung it up by the door, then looked for Pepper.
The redhead was easy to spot. She sat at the bar in a slinky black dress with a tall drink in hand. Her red hair was loose and curling around her shoulders, and her mouth was as bright as an apple. Two men surrounded her, hanging off her every word while she laughed and flirted with them both shamelessly. Seeing that, Lisanna almost turned around and went back to the Midnight Underground, feeling foolish and jealous, but then Pepper looked up, as if she felt Lisanna's eyes on her skin, and seemed to ignite. She waved enthusiastically and called something to the bartender over her shoulder—Spence hurried to do as she asked.
By the time Lisanna made it to the bar, Pepper had a gin and tonic held out for her. "This is your poison, right?"
Lisanna shrugged. "I guess." She'd never really drunk enough to have a favorite, but it was okay. It tasted piney going down, but she liked the way it made her tongue tingle and her head swim.
When she got near, Pepper reached out and wrapped an arm around her hip and hauled her in so their bodies were pressed tight side-by-side. Lisanna's skin tingled. She felt self-conscious standing there so close to Pepper, but if anyone cared, they didn't say anything. The redhead planted a kiss to her cheek and said, "Took you long enough to get here."
"Sorry," she said sheepishly, "I had to ditch my sister."
Pepper's eyes danced with mirth. "I get you. Hey, Lisanna, this is Macon and his brother Ant." She nodded to the two men that watched them like hawks. They were twins, perfect images of each other, except where one was light, the other was dark. Macon had black hair and blue eyes, and Ant had blonde hair and black eyes.
They both nodded at her and looked appreciatively at her body. Lisanna wanted to wrap her arms around her chest and sink back into obscurity, but she'd spent her whole life on the sidelines—it felt sort of good to be noticed. She made herself stand exactly as she was and even smiled a little flirtatiously.
Macon tore his eyes away and said. "Grady's got the stuff. He said he's meeting us outside in about forty."
The stuff, Lisanna wondered but didn't ask.
"Alright," Pepper said. "We'll hang around here for a bit, then I'll go find Courtney and get her half of the money. I'll meet you guys out there after."
"Sure," Macon agreed. He turned his eyes to Lisanna once more. "Hey, if you're sick of girls, you want to come hang out with us?"
Lisanna's mouth went dry.
"Shove off, Macon," Pepper said. "She's here with me."
Macon smirked. "I already told you, Pepper, I'm in if you are—I don't mind sharing,"
Pepper gave him a saucy smile then flipped him off. "Once was more than enough."
"Really? 'Cause I remember the last time going really well. You were just begging." Macon grinned, snaked a hand out and squeezed her ass.
Pepper slapped him away and gave him a look full of mock outrage. "Get out of here, you dog."
He winked, then took off with his brother in tow. When they ducked outside, Pepper turned towards Lisanna and said, "Keep your eye on Macon—he's got a silver tongue and he's sweet, but he's only good for a ride."
"W-what?" Lisanna stammered.
Pepper laughed. "If you're into that, that's cool—I'll even stick around if you want, he and I have had some good times and like he said, he's good at sharing—I just wanted you to know, so you're not surprised. You're just his type, too."
Lisanna shook her head dismissively. There was so much wrong with that, but… "Boy's aren't really into me."
"Why would you say that?"
Lisanna shrugged. "It's true." At least, all the boys she knew.
Pepper rolled her eyes. "You're selling yourself short, you're smoking hot."
The takeover mage didn't know whether or not to believe her, but her skin hummed with pleasure all the same.
Seeing her beam, Pepper pecked the corner of her mouth. Lisanna screwed up her courage, then moved just a fraction of an inch so their lips met. Pepper let out a muffled and surprised grunt. It didn't take her long to recover; when she did, she deepened the kiss, pushing her tongue against Lisanna's and clutching her side until Lisanna was all but dizzy. When Pepper finally pulled back, her lipstick was slightly smeared and her lips were puffy. She looked beautiful and savage. "So," she grabbed her thigh and leaned in close. "What did your sister say about us?"
Lisanna's bravery withered. She shrugged and took a drink to hide her growing blush. "Nothing, really." Because I didn't give her a chance to. She kind of felt bad about that, but she didn't even know what to say to Mira.
"Mmm." Pepper's fingers swirled at her hip thoughtfully. Lisanna thought she'd say something else on the matter, but she just turned back towards Spence and ordered more drinks.
Some thirty minutes later, Lisanna was drunk and hanging off Pepper, stealing kisses and laughing like she'd done it every single night of her life. She would have stayed that way, entangled in the redhead's arms, taking kiss after kiss and touching her brazenly, but Pepper checked her watch. She licked Lisanna's neck almost exactly where Bickslow had, then said, "I need to go get some money from my friend and meet those guys out back. I'll be back in twenty."
Lisanna inched back so she could see Pepper's face. "What are you giving them money for?"
Pepper raised one finely sculpted brow, then grinned wickedly. "Wouldn't want to pervert your innocence. You better never mind and stay here, Sugarsnap."
Lisanna frowned and lied. "I don't know why everyone thinks I'm so innocent. I've done plenty of bad things, you know?"
Pepper saw through her. "No you haven't."
"Be quiet," Lisanna said, but there was little heat to her voice. "At least take me with you—I'll decide if I'm too 'innocent' on my own."
Pepper pursed her lips. "Fine, but once we're out there, we're out there for good. You don't have to partake—I would never make you do that—but you do need to keep quiet until the deal's made."
"What deal?" Lisanna asked, burning with curiosity and apprehension.
Pepper looked down the bar then decided not to answer. "Come on," she said instead, "Let's go see if we can find Courtney. She was supposed to be here… I haven't seen her, but then again, I haven't really been looking." She squeezed Lisanna's hand and pulled her upright. Lisanna wrapped her arm around Pepper's middle—kind of because she wanted to be closer, but mostly because if she didn't, she'd fall over. You've drank too much again…. She didn't really care. Tomorrow morning would be a different sort of story, but for now, she felt loose and happy.
Pepper did a quick survey of the dance floor, then, not finding who she was looking for, cut directly through the center of the gyrating bodies. Lisanna was less nimble than the redhead as they ducked in and out of the crowd. She bumped into a brunette with smoky eyes, then dodged a tall, dark haired man only to run directly into another, this one a little older.
"Sorry!" she said, but instead of accepting her apology or being angry, he just grabbed her by the hips and pulled her close so he could grind off her front in tune to the music.
"Oh!" Lisanna gasped, startled, and tried to squirm away. He was like an anaconda, only clutching her tighter the more she struggled. Pepper turned back just before Lisanna really started to fight, and tapped the guy on the shoulder.
"Hey, Burnie, leave her alone, eh? She doesn't want to dance with a slob like you."
The man pouted. "You looking for a partner, Pepper?"
"Not on your life," the girl said and winked. She grabbed Lisanna again and pulled her off. "You don't think men look at you, eh?" she asked over her shoulder.
Lisanna shrugged and thought of Bickslow and very, very briefly Natsu. The former was recalled with a hint of contempt, the latter with a bit of sadness. "Not really—at least, not the right ones."
"Let me tell you a secret," Pepper said, "They're all the wrong ones. Every single one of them. The best of the wrongs are the wrongest. Wrap your pretty head around that."
Lisanna smirked despite herself. Bickslow was definitely one of the 'wrongest' as she put it. Once more she remembered sitting atop his lap and rocking… did I really do that? She felt giddy all over again and decidedly enjoyed this new daring streak she'd found. Fleetingly, she wished the seith mage was there. What would he think of Pepper? The image of him eying her up in the restaurant returned and she bit her cheek, not sure whether or not to feel jealous—if she even had the right to feel that way—and why? Was it the fact that she wanted Pepper to herself, or she wanted Bickslow to look at her that way?
She shook her head to clear it, entirely too drunk to really think about stuff like that.
They broke out of the crowd. Pepper took them down a narrow hallway lined with old paintings and pushed aside a door marked 'Ladies'. Inside, a blonde wearing a tight turquois dress leaned over the sink, a thin white tube in hand, and snorted up a long line of white powder.
Drugs, Lisanna thought immediately and tried to turn right back around and exit, feeling like an intruder and guilty by proximity. Pepper held her hand tight to prevent that from happening.
"Hey, Courtney. Thought I'd find you in here, you lush."
The blonde snorted hard, then pinched the bridge of her nose and stood. "Hey, Pepper."
Lisanna's mind whirled. She looked to Pepper and thought about pulling away. She's not quite the girl you thought she was, if this is the kind of person she hangs around, but then she scolded herself. Don't judge. That's what the old Lisanna would say, right?
Erm… maybe not. But that was all the reason for the new Lisanna to try to be a little more accepting. Mira would be mad if she knew… and Elfman… Both would be disappointed in her. Instead of scaring her away like she thought it would, the realization hardened her resolve. She tried to keep calm and be casual while the two other girls spoke.
"So, did Macon get that stuff yet?" the blonde asked.
"Grady's supposed to be showing up now," Pepper replied. She leaned against the wall beside the mirror and watched carefully while Courtney dropped her rolled up piece of paper back into her purse, then grabbed out a tube of candy pink lipstick and started to apply it.
"I thought maybe you'd want to give me your half of the money so I could do the deal for you. Figured you didn't want to deal with Grady after last time."
"You're right. He was a fucking asshole." Courtney went rooting through her purse and pulled out a thick wad of cash. She paused before she started counting it and fixed Lisanna with dull eyes. "Who's this?"
Pepper grabbed her close again like they were something more than friends. The thought made Lisanna both nervous and a little pleased. Then Bickslow appeared in her mind and she wanted to burn everything down around her, way too confused to figure out what that meant. Obviously you don't know what the hell you like.
"This is Lisanna, Pepper said, "She was the one I met the other night, remember?"
"Right, the cute one. Is she cool?"
Pepper looked at Lisanna through dark lashes. "Yeah," she said after a moment, "She's good."
Courtney nodded and started counting out her money. It was a large amount. Lisanna watched the green roll by with a growing sense of unease. This is illegal, she thought, but of course, she didn't actually know what exactly was happening. A drug deal, obviously. Stupid.
Just be cool. She didn't know anyone else like Pepper and wasn't so interested in giving up this new and strange relationship they'd developed.
Courtney handed over the money, which Pepper tucked into her bra, then went back to leaning over the sink. Grabbing out a long tube of mascara, she applied it thickly and said, "I'll be out there in a little bit—I'm meeting Poe first."
"Another quickie in the men's room?" Pepper asked snidely with a roll of her eye.
Courtney snorted but didn't disagree.
"You know," Pepper said, "If you guys wanted an audience, there're groups for that."
That just made Lisanna think of sitting on Bickslow's lap in the club. She fought the urge to blush and look away. For an instant, she lamented leaving him there. You think he'd be alright with you standing in the girl's washroom witnessing drug deals? Maybe. That seemed like the kind of thing Bickslow would think was hilarious. Good-girl Lisanna Strauss, getting a little filthy. That only made her want to be wilder, as if distancing herself from that persona would some how make her better. Not better. Different. And she so desperately wanted to be different. Tonight in that club was different. How far would she have let it go? As far as he wanted. She wouldn't have stopped him if…
He was probably just thinking about Mira. But in the end, she had to ask herself if she really cared all that much. She felt like she should, but with alcohol running through her veins, it mattered almost not at all. A sudden and frantic urge to go and find him and do something crazy overtook her, but then Pepper's chiming laugh drew her back to reality. The conversation was still going.
"Just mind your own business," Courtney said, "and make sure Grady doesn't cheap out on me like he did last time. He thought I wouldn't notice, but I did."
Pepper puffed out her cheeks. "Yeah, I know. It just sucks because he's the only one that can get it."
"Well, one day he's going to rip off the wrong person and he's going to get his ass kicked," Courtney muttered.
"I'll tell him," Pepper said. "Come on, Lisanna." She tugged her hand and led her out of the washroom, back into the busy bar.
Out there, surrounded by lights and music, Lisanna felt just a little more relaxed—until they got to the coatrack and she remembered that they were going out to seal the deal.
Pepper grabbed out her jacket. "We won't be too long, but you'll want your coat."
Lisanna bit her lips together and looked back towards the bar. Pepper caught her staring longingly and said, "Hey, you don't have to come. Remember what I said—if you want, you can just stay in here. I'll be back in a few."
You're out of your element. In way, way, way over your head, Lisanna thought and almost took Pepper up on her offer, but she didn't want to be alone and she didn't want to go back on her word. She bit her tongue, then shook her head. "No, I'll come."
"Sure." Pepper watched Lisanna get her coat, then waited patiently for the takeover mage to do it all the way up to the top button to ward off the cold. Then she grabbed her around the hip once more and led the way. Outside, the air burned in Lisanna's lungs.
Pepper dragged her around the side of the building to where the street lights didn't quite reach. Lisanna lagged behind when she saw three figures silhouetted in the shadow. "Pepper—"
"It's okay, Lisanna, it's only Macon, Ant and Grady," Pepper said, as if that should relax her. It didn't.
Lisanna stuffed her hands deep into her pockets and clenched her fingers so tightly that her nails bit into her palm. Relax. Her magic was right there, pulsing under the surface, ready if she needed it.
As they drew closer, their faces became clear. Just like Pepper promised, one was Macon and the other was Ant. The third man she didn't recognize, but he was of average build, with hollow cheeks covered by a thin dusting of dark beard. He looked like the kind of man she would advert her eyes from if they passed on the street. She didn't look away now.
"Did you get Courtney's cut?" Macon asked.
"Yeah, I got it," Pepper agreed and went digging through her bra to produce.
"Who's the chick?" hollow cheeks asked.
"This is Lisanna—she's good shit," Pepper told him. "No need to worry."
The man—Grady, Lisanna had to presume—still looked as twitchy as a gopher.
"This new guy—he's not like the other one. He'll pull out the second he thinks something shifty is happening," Grady said. "If this girl's a snitch—"
"I told you, she's good," Pepper insisted. "Now just shut up and give me the stuff or fuck off and we'll find another dealer."
Both Ant and Macon looked at her like she was crazy. Pepper was steadfast, unwilling to be bullied. More than ever, Lisanna wanted to have the same sort of grit and determination as her. She kind of reminded her of Mira in that way. She pushed her big sister from her mind—otherwise she'd balk and race off and she'd never, ever see Pepper again.
"Fine, but if this all comes crashing down, I'm telling Klaus it was your fault," Grady said. "He doesn't like to take chances—he wants to know that his customers are legit after his brother—"
"Honestly, Grady, you talk more than my grandma," Pepper snapped. "Just give me my shit and get going, I'm sick of looking at you."
Grady glowered. "Some fucking mouth you have." Though he grumbled and complained he still went rooting through his pockets for a packet of small, white pills. As soon as Lisanna saw them she wanted to hyperventilate and run the opposite way, but then she reminded herself that just because Pepper was buying them didn't mean that she was guilty too.
Money exchanged hands, then Grady went away. It was just the four of them standing out there now.
"Where's Courtney?" Ant asked.
Pepper frowned. "Dunno. She said she'd be out here, but…" She shrugged. "I can keep her cut until later." She took out one small white pill and looked at it closely, as if examining it for defects. When she caught Lisanna looking, she explained. "It used to be really great quality stuff, but the cops got involved and took out the main supplier. Now his brother runs the show and shit's gotten pretty dismal."
Lisanna didn't know what to say so she said nothing at all.
Pepper popped the pill into her mouth. Immediately, her body danced with bright white light and emanated magic. Lisanna watched the spectacle in confusion while the drugs melted on Pepper's tongue. The other girl shivered and clutched her elbows, then tipped her head back to the sky and closed her eyes, as if trapped somewhere in euphoria.
"What is it?" Lisanna asked curiously.
"Magicfire," Ant explained. He grabbed the bag from Pepper and took a pill of his own, then passed it to his brother. Macon followed suit and tried to pass it to Lisanna. She dug her hands deep into her pockets and shook her head.
Macon shrugged and handed the bag back to a recovering Pepper. She was dull and dopy now, a dazed smile on her face. The magic had slowly started to peter out, so now she only glowed a little. Macon laughed at her dysfunctional state then elaborated, "It's made from other's magic—it makes you high and gives you the ability to use magic for a brief amount of time without ever having to learn it." He dropped it on his tongue. "It's amazing." The way his face glowed seemed to say it all. For the briefest of seconds, Lisanna almost snatched the bag out of Pepper's hand to try for herself,then she found some reason and clenched her fists even tighter.
"Are you disappointed, Lisanna?" Pepper swayed into her as the last of the light left her skin. Lisanna caught her by the hips and felt the wall at her back. Pepper had her trapped in no time, fingers tangled in her short hair.
"W—why would I be disappointed?" Lisanna made herself ask. Her heart beat hard while Pepper brought her mouth so close she could feel the tickle of her lips.
"Because I'm not a sterling kind of girl. I'm not good like you." Her hands dropped out of Lisanna's hair then went for her hips and tucked up under her coat.
"Sometimes," Lisanna admitted a little shyly, "I don't think being good is all it's cracked up to be." She was aware of the two men watching her. It made her nervous, but not enough to pull back.
Pepper flicked her tongue over Lisanna's jaw.
"You girls gonna give us a show?" Macon asked eagerly.
Lisanna was going to say no, but then Pepper crushed her mouth against hers and she forgot to be reluctant or wary of the drugs. The girl tasted chemically. Her buzz intensified while residual drug transferred from Pepper's tongue to hers. It wasn't an intense sensation, but it certainly was there. Lisanna almost pulled back to distance herself, but the damage was already done. Feeling light, she fisted her hand in Pepper's hair and pulled it too roughly. You're being watched. She didn't care, not as much as she should. Her only regret was that Bickslow wasn't there. So you can show him… what? That she could be more fun than her sister, maybe. That's mean and petty. But she didn't regret it.
Pepper kissed her until Lisanna's mouth was numb. When she thought she couldn't take any more, that she'd explode or die or something if she didn't have more, Ant grabbed Pepper lightly around the shoulders, eased her away, then took Lisanna's place. The takeover mage watched the two paw at each other desperately and wondered, what the hell am I doing here, but then Macon came in for a kiss and she had a totally different worry. What if he expects…
Too late, his mouth was on hers. He tasted like Pepper had—chemically, yet a little sweet. Lisanna let out a muffled snort, then tried to force herself to relax. It almost worked, until he reached up and grabbed a handful of her breast. Stiffening, she tried to think of the best way to tell him off. She was saved the effort by a sharp voice. "Hey—thought I'd find you in this dingy little dump."
I know who that is. Lisanna almost withered, but then she thought, what the hell do I care? She almost kept kissing Macon on principal alone—let Bickslow see that other men wanted her not just because she was easy to tease—but then she decided against it and let the man take his mouth away from hers.
"So this is the scrub you picked up, eh, Lisanna?" Bickslow sauntered over as casually as he could, though every part of him was looking for a fight. Calm the hell down. His magic was there, his spirits ready to do damage if he asked. Just wait.
"Hey," Macon spoke up. "Shove off, eh? We're busy."
Lisanna found her tongue, though her head felt stupid with the contact high. "What are you doing here, Bickslow?"
"Looking for a sneak," he replied. "Some girl that took off on me in a club. Have you seen her? She was about oh… this tall," he mimicked Lisanna's height with his hands. "White hair, cute red dress, sort of a closet pervert—"
Lisanna's ears roared. "What do you want?"
"Take the hint, eh, pal, and fuck off," Macon said. His hands squeezed on Lisanna's side. She frowned and wondered again, what the hell am I doing here?
"You know this guy, Lisanna?" Pepper asked from the other side of the alley.
Lisanna pushed Macon back and scrubbed her hands over her dress. "Yeah."
"Come on, Lisanna, I think it's time we head back," Bickslow said, trying to appeal to her sense of reason. "It's getting pretty late. If Mira hasn't noticed you're missing yet, it won't be long."
At the mention of her sister Lisanna's heart sank. She's going to be looking for you soon. At first she wanted to say, to hell with Mira, but she quickly realized that she couldn't let Mira think she'd disappeared once more. She'd never trust her again. "Alright."
"Hey," Macon said, "You don't have to let this guy bully you around, Lisanna. If you want to stay, that's cool. You can crash at our place—"
"Not a fucking hope in hell," Bickslow spat out. He knew the look in that guy's eye—he'd be wearing the same one if Lisanna was trapped between him and a wall dressed like that.
Macon frowned. "Listen, buddy—"
"Fuck off and get away from her."
Why is he so bent out of shape? Lisanna ducked under Macon's grip before things could get too far out of hand. "Let's—let's just go, Bickslow, before Mira realizes—"
Bickslow grabbed up her arm, fighting with anger and the need to stake claim to something that was so obviously not his, and pulled her close enough that their bodies touched. Without another word, he turned them both around and dragged her back towards the Midnight Underground.
Before they could get far, a wail of a siren filled the air. Bickslow looked towards the source and saw the flash of red and blue lights. Emergency vehicles… why? They were headed towards the bar. All the more reason to get the fuck out of here.
Lisanna didn't really seem to pay the approaching sirens much mind as she staggered at Bickslow's side. While she walked she seemed to depend mostly upon him to keep her vertical. He did a decent job too, considering how limp she was. Looking down upon her he couldn't help but ask, "You always just let guys kiss you?"
"Mmm… no," Lisanna mumbled. "It just sort of…"
"Happened?" Bickslow said with a roll of his eyes. "Listen… that guy was bad news, Lisanna—" coming from you, what a fucking joke. "—You gotta be careful—there are a lot of people that would take advantage of you—"
"Like you?" she asked facetiously.
Instead of refuting her like she expected, he said, "Yes, exactly." His tone sounded desperate, as if he longed for her to see something that was right before her face.
"You want to take advantage of me?"
"No—" Bickslow said automatically. Liar. "I just mean—"
"When we were together tonight—were you thinking of Mira?" The words bubbled out without her permission.
Bickslow slowed and looked at her. "That's what you think? I was dreaming of your sister while you were on my lap?"
Lisanna felt her cheeks heat. She couldn't bring herself to respond.
He shook his head and started hauling her off again. While they walked, Lisanna looked up into his pinched face and tried to read his expression. He was always laughing and jovial and carefree, but now he looked downright furious. Seriousness didn't suit him very well.
"Bickslow…"
"Yeah?" he asked cautiously and looked at her from the corner of his eye. Her blue orbs were wide and concerned.
"Are you mad?"
Yes. He swallowed back the answer, not wanting to seem jealous, and asked, "Why would I be mad, Lisanna?"
Maybe because I was kissing someone else after... Are you brave enough to say it? She didn't think so. With some difficulty she ground to a halt and reached across his body to grab his arm. It was awkward, but when he finally stopped and faced her squarely, she asked, "Why did you do that stuff, at the Underground?"
Bickslow was surprised when he opened his mouth and the truth spilled out. "Because you've been driving me fucking crazy." She won't remember anyway. That made him both sad and glad. How embarrassing was it that Lisanna Strauss was getting so thoroughly under his skin?
Lisanna licked her suddenly dry lips. "I am?"
"Yes." He tried to keep going, but Lisanna was rooted in place.
"Oh..." A streak of bravery made her pull him in close.
Bickslow didn't need much convincing. He had her pushed back against the dingy wall of a tattoo parlor in seconds, then tucked his face into the crook of her neck so he could breathe her in. So close, he could see there was a mark on her throat that didn't belong to him, a bruise in the shape of a neat row of teeth. "That guy you were kissing…" He wasn't sure why his mouth was moving or what her answer mattered. "Was he the one you picked up the other day?"
Lisanna clutched his arms in weak fingers and admitted, "Tonight was the first time I'd met him."
Cool rage and hot arousal leaked into Bickslow's chest. He didn't know if he loved or hated that Lisanna was starting to explore her sexuality. Maybe you just wish it was with you. For sure. "I can't believe you walked out on me tonight so you could shack up with that fucking loser." He licked her neck then bit hard, placing his teeth over the other's.
Lisanna shivered and arched her back, rubbing her hips against his. She could feel him pressing hard into her leg. The sudden urge to reach out and grab him was overwhelming. Nervously, she did what her body asked. As soon as the contact was made, Bickslow bucked and hissed through clenched teeth. At first she wondered if she'd hurt him, but then he pushed harder against her and dragged his hands up her sides so he was touching just under her breasts and she knew that he wanted more. She obliged, daring to run her hand gently over his erection.
In response, Bickslow squeezed her ribs until his grip was vice-tight and she whimpered. Then, releasing his hold, he grabbed for the zipper of her coat and yanked it down so he could see her body more clearly. The red fabric of her dress looked bright in the dim streetlight. Her breasts were almost toppling out of the plunging neckline; the skirt was higher than it should have been. He groaned, low and tormented.
"What is it?"
Bickslow made himself meet her eyes. "This thing looks good on you."
Lisanna felt her breath pant out of her lungs. "Y-yeah?"
"Mmmhmm…" Moving in close again, he closed his lips around her neck and sucked hard enough to leave a mark. His immediate thought was, good, as if marring her skin would suddenly mean that she was his. Laxus' words came back to him. Not the kind of girl you hit and quit. He knew he should feel guilty, but he'd never had anything as pure as Lisanna to ruin. "You look so hot."
There was real want in his voice. "Do you think?" Lisanna felt giddy and weightless.
Bickslow licked up her neck until he found her mouth and kissed her feverishly. Before he knew it, he was frantically grabbing at her dress, pulling it up over her rump despite the cold winter air and their location. Lisanna didn't seem to care-she lifted one leg and wrapped it around his hips and pulled him in closer. Automatically he grabbed her under the knee and helped levitate her. Between her legs was warm. He knew without touching her that she'd be damp and ready to go if he wanted.
Drawing in a tight breath, he told himself that he needed to back the fuck off. It didn't do much good, as soon as he dropped her leg and moved off an inch, Lisanna started tugging clumsily at his belt, as if she had every intention of pulling him out right there. She didn't care they were tucked into some semi-shadowy back alley. She didn't care that anyone could walk by. You should stop her.
He didn't.
His body was too hard; he was too eager.
"I'm sorry for leaving you in that club," Lisanna muttered against his throat. Her voice was sultry.
"So am I, but you're about to make it better," Bickslow told her, and hardly felt any remorse.
Hearing his voice scrape out like that, rough and strained, Lisanna's body tightened. The belt came off, the button of his pants popped open, and she was sliding her fingers inside the waistband daringly, feeling the hardened muscle underneath, smooth and throbbing. The thought that it was for her made her eager and frantic. Again she snatched up his mouth and kissed him frenziedly while her hand moved uncoordinatedly.
Sirens still shrilled in the distance.
