Free Primal Heat by Kimber White

all over for you.”
    “Well, here I am.” I dropped my shoulder and slid out from under his
arm.
    “Are you partied out? It’s only ten. Why don’t you let me take you for
a cup of coffee or something?”
    “I’m tired, Cal. It’s been a long week. I’m heading home. I’ll see you
in class on Monday, though. Thanks for the drink and the dance. You know, I
think I saw Mary Fink from Contracts checking you out. Last I saw her she was
over by the D.J.”
    Cal’s eyes widened, but he didn’t take the bait. He slid off the ledge
and stood directly in front of me, planting his hands on the wall on either
side of my head. This close, he was taller than I realized. And I didn’t like
the look in his eyes one bit.
    “Come on, Abs. Tell me how you like it working for the congressman. Is
it everything you hoped it would be?”
    I tried to duck out from under his arms, but Cal wouldn’t budge. His
breath blew hot in my face and something changed in his eyes. Whether it was
the alcohol or something more sinister, it was as if he dropped the mask of
from his face.
    “It’s just you and me now. You can tell me. They picked you because
you’re a woman, and you’re hot, didn’t they?”
    “What?”
    “Everyone’s talking about it. You know that, right? Ask Ken and Barbie
if you don’t believe me.”
    “Kendra and Darby. They don’t appreciate the nicknames, Cal. You want
me to start telling you what people say about you behind your back?”
    Cal’s dark eyes flashed with menace and he pressed his forehead against
mine, the hard bones of his skull digging into me. “Well the rumor is, Dale
Thorp is uh, a little wilder than most men. What’s that like?”
    I shoved against Cal hard. I’d been buzzed before; now I was stone
sober. Blood roared in my ears and it took everything in me not to haul off and
land a right hook against his smugly set jaw. He took a staggering step
backward and nearly fell. The guy was drunker than I realized. And possibly
dangerous. He rounded on me and swung his arm. Wincing, I took a step back
thinking he was about to hit me. Instead, he smacked his hand flat against the wall
behind me and his unfocused eyes widened.
    “You like a little monster in your man? Is that it? The rougher the
better? I get it. It’s all right. Nobody’s judging you. Well, maybe they're
judging you a little. Can you blame them?”
    “Cal. You’re hammered. I’m turning around and I’m walking down to the
street corner. You stay the hell away from me. Whatever you’re trying to
insinuate, you’re full of shit. I’m working for the congressman because I’m
good at what I do.”
    “Trailer trash like you? I just bet you are.”
    I put up a hand and shook my head. I was one hundred percent done with
this asshole. Turning toward the street, I gripped my phone in my hand and
started walking. Three steps later, Cal had his hands on me, trying to pull me
back toward him. Adrenaline coursed through me, and this time, when I turned,
my curled fist made contact with his jaw.
    “I said stay the hell away from me. You think you’re the first drunk
asshole who’s ever tried to put his hands on me? You’re right, Cal. Trailer
trash like me? You just bet I can take care of myself.”
    He came at me, his steps halting, ungainly. But, his eyes held cold
fury and drunken lust. I’d seen that look a thousand times directed at my
mother from whatever loser she brought home. This one’s different, she’d say. He’s
got a decent job. He’s going places. She was right, most of the time. They
usually ended up going to jail or splitting the second they realized she had a
kid. I suppose that made me lucky. Better that than them thinking they’d get a
two for one. Except for the one time one of them did. That was Martin. He’d
tried with me once, but I was old enough to put up a fight. As Cal took another
step toward me, I curled my fist, ready to show him how much of a fighter I
really was.
    A shadow fell over