Free If Not For You by Jennifer Rose

seduction and he’d be trying to slip his hand into my panties before the evenings end, like all the rest. This bastard had already treated me to a shot of rejection and I wasn’t going to let him prick me with that needle twice.
    “Trying a little harder to get into my panties?” I asked, with a bitter tongue. I think he was shocked, the expression on his face looked like it when he abruptly pulled back. Maybe he expected me to spread my legs wide for him and moan take-me-stud?
    “That’s not what I said, Tandy, and definitely not what I meant.” He was angry.
    “I know what it sounded like.” I pushed away only to be pulled back against him, chest to chest, hips to hips.
    “No matter what it sounded like…I meant if you were mine, I’d do whatever it took to keep you mine.”
    Oh, he was good. He knew what to say, knew what a girl wanted to hear. I just so didn’t want him to be like all the rest of the horn dawgs. Gage certainly hadn’t acted like a complete jerk, yet. I figured now was the time to test the waters, throw in the bait and see if the shark took it and swam or hung around for more. Was he just playing the part of the hero or was a Don Juan under that beautiful mask of his?
    “Here’s a scenario for you. I want the truth, answer me honestly, okay?”
    “Okay,” Gage said, not too sure what he had just gotten himself into.
    “You ask a girl out, share a few touchy, feely moments. You want to take it to the next level, what do you do when she says no and says she’s a virgin? Try harder to get into her pants? Is the idea of being the one to bag her an over powering aphrodisiac? What do you do when she says no then?”
    Gage tilted his head to the side and narrowed his pretty blue eyes, “I don’t understand, Tandy. Do you really want me to answer that? Are you playing a game with me? Or is this a subtle way of telling me you’re a virgin?”
    Me and my big mouth, my drank far too much big mouth. That was not the question I wanted to ask but my words were out now, no take backs for me. Why did I do that? Why would I play him like that? He looked wounded, like I had been really nasty to him, and I guess I had. Why did I feel the need to let him know about my virginity? Maybe in the vast recesses of my mind, I wanted him to be the one, the one to take my virginity and run with it, only I didn’t want him to run.
    My mind was getting so carried away and my mouth was a step ahead of my heedless, intoxicated brain. I was being an ass and this poor guy my target for abuse. I felt sick.
    “I’m sorry. I don’t feel good Gage, I need to go.” I started to turn away toward the elevators but he swung me around by my arm and I practically collapsed into him.
    “I can’t talk about this…I need to go, please Gage?” I pleaded, I felt terrible, like such a bitch, I could feel the blood draining from my face.
    “You really don’t feel good? Come on I’ll get you to your room.” Gage wrapped my arm over his and we maneuvered our way back through the many halls to my room.
    Once inside my suite, he walked me to the washroom and I assured him I could handle getting myself showered and changed into pj’s. I felt like a fool, hoping that he would be gone when I came out and wouldn’t ask me anymore personal questions.
    Gage was sitting on the sofa in the living area when I finally materialized and patted the seat beside him with a smile. When I sat, I had the sudden desire to come clean, to explain my entire life to him, the reason I was a twenty two year old virgin. As I opened my mouth to speak Gage’s index finger pushed against my lips and stopped me.
    “You don’t need to say anything, your private life is your own and none of my business. I think the conversation got out of control, a bit too personal. Are we good now?” he took his finger away and handed me a cup of tea, I added milk from a crystal jug and stirred it with a spoon. Gage took the spoon and stirred his tea and sat