Free Against the Tide by Nikki Groom Page B

was going to say is, he went to get a haircut and should be along any minute now.”
    “To watch?” I ask curiously.
    “You’re funny,” he grumbles sarcastically.
    “Okay, I’m sorry. Let’s start again, I’m Megan.” I extend my hand out to him. He takes it, encasing mine with his. He has hands like shovels.
    “Kyle.”
    “Good, now we have the formalities out of the way. So, we are piercing your …”
    “Yes. My…”
    “Look,” I say, placing my hand on my cocked hip. “I understand that you’re nervous. Having a woman coming at you with a hollow needle is unnerving, I’m sure.” He winces at my choice of words. “But, I’m going to need you to actually tell me what you’d like me to do for you today.”
    He takes a deep breath and says, “I’d like my cock pierced, please.”
    “Okay,” I say, fighting back the laughter at his formal request. “And what type of piercing would you like?” He frowns, so I elaborate, “Well, there’s three main penis piercings, the Prince Albert, the Ampallang and the Apadravya. Basically the Albert goes through−”
    “Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it right there. I don’t want to know the ins and outs of how you’re going to do it. I just want a piercing. Which one is more, you know, sexual?” He gives a small, shy shrug and looks in to his lap.
    “Well, since I don’t have a penis, I couldn’t tell you. But I’ve been told that the Price Albert is pretty effective. It has a faster healing time and is less painful but still pretty high on the badass scale.”
    “Okay. Do it. Do that one,” he says quickly unbuckling his belt.
    “Hey,” I laugh, holding up my hand to stop him in his tracks. “Hold up there, fella. We need to go through consent forms, I’ll go get them.” He falls back on the chair dramatically and I laugh as I exit the room.
    I lift my gaze as I go out the studio floor, and see him standing right in front of me.
    He looks tired, and thin, and … his gaze bores intensely in to me.
    I let my eyes roam over his face, recalling every part of him and I realise this is the first time I’ve seen him in the daylight. Instinct has me drawing my hand up to touch his cheek but I stop myself. What a ridiculous reaction. I don’t even know him. I don’t even know his name. But this is the reaction I have every time I’ve seen him before now.
    “Hi,” I say softly.
    He seems to break out of whatever thoughts he was having and quickly slips a mask on “Is there a guy called Kyle here?” he asks coldly, looking around the room and not even acknowledging that he recognises me. Maybe he doesn’t. Is that even possible after what we did?
    “Uh, yeah, just through that door there,” I answer quietly, his distant, cold demeanour making me feel uncomfortable and small.
    He strides forward and nudges my shoulder as he passes, he doesn’t apologise, just marches into my room. “We’re leaving, now,” he barks before turning on his heel and walking past me so fast I feel the air turn cold behind him. 
    “You’re just going to act like it never happened?” I call out from the same spot that I’ve been locked to since he entered. He stops, hangs his head, and takes a deep breath. Then he’s up in front of me before I can blink.
    “Yes. I’m going to act like it never happened,” he spits at me. His tall frame towers over my five foot two height and I feel anger pulsing off him, stabbing me in the heart. “Why?” he laughs bitterly before grabbing my jaw firmly and forcing me to look up at him. “You want a re-run? Was it that good that you want me to fuck you in another alley? Hell, I’ll take you right here if you want me to?” His voice raises and Torran comes running out of the back room. I’m speechless. I’m blindsided by the viciousness his words are laced with, and I’m confused at the change of direction he’s taken with me.
    “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get your hands off her and leave before I have