Strike Read Online Free Page A

wings.
Call and apologise anytime.
- Spencer.
     
    Hah! His number is scrawled in the corner and underlined. I can’t believe he slipped me his number. When did he get the chance to do it? When we kissed . When my world was focused on that mouth of his. Sneaky. Very sneaky.
    I save his number in my phone, and send him a text.
M E : F UNNY, I WAS DOING MY WASHING AND NOTICED YOU ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED A NAPKIN IN MY POCKET. J UST IN CASE YOU WERE MISSING IT, I THOUGHT I ’D LET YOU KNOW I HAD IT. A PRIL.
    A few minutes later, my phone beeps.
S PENCER : R EALLY? I DID? I ’VE BEEN LOOKING HIGH AND LOW. M EET ME AT THE CAFÉ AT 7PM TOMORROW AND YOU CAN GIVE IT BACK TO ME.
    I try not to get excited, and fail abysmally as my heart decides to work harder in my chest. He wants to see me again. Tomorrow night. Should I? Is he just going to be another disaster? I breathe out and then drag air in deep. What’d be the harm in replying?
M E : O H, I ’LL GIVE IT TO YOU ALRIGHT. I WOULD HATE TO BE ACCUSED OF STEALING.
    He replies, almost immediately.
S PENCER : I THINK YOU STOLE MY HEART
    Really? Cheesy much? I didn’t think he was that kind of guy. I madly type a response.
M E : I F YOU PROMISE NOT TO BE SO CHEESY, I ’LL MEET YOU, AND HOPE TO HELL YOU DON’T PRESS CHARGES.
S PENCER : S URE. U NTIL THEN FEEL FREE TO USE IT.
M E : M AYBE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN YOU CAN WORK ON YOUR SELF-CONTROL. N OTHING WORSE THAN A MAN WHO THROWS HIMSELF AT A WOMAN.
S PENCER : I ’LL TRY, BUT I MAKE NO PROMISES.
M E : W HEN I WANT YOU TO KISS ME, I PROMISE YOU, YOU’LL KNOW.
S PENCER : H OW ABOUT NOW? I BET YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT HOW GOOD IT FELT WHEN I SLID MY TONGUE INTO THAT PRETTY MOUTH OF YOURS, BECAUSE I ’VE THOUGHT OF NOTHING ELSE SINCE.
    I throw myself back onto my bed and squeeze my legs together. He’s got me worked up with a few texts. No, Spencer. There’s been more on my mind than that . I close my eyes, thinking back to that night and how close I came to giving in to what my body wanted and dragging him back here. I wouldn’t have cared about the mess, and I’m sure neither would he.
    My phone beeps again.
S PENCER : S ORRY, I TELL A LIE. T HAT’S THE PG VERSION OF WHAT I ’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT.
    Funny man, huh? I type my reply, and hope I’m not going too far.
M E : I THINK YOU’D PREFER MY VERSION. S EE YOU TOMORROW.
S PENCER : W HEN I SEE YOU, I WANT A PLAY-BY-PLAY ACCOUNT.
    If I do, in no time I’d be tearing his clothes off. We’d be kicked out of the café. And I’m not giving up that pork belly for anyone … least of all for someone I barely know.
    I need to be smart about this. I’m sick of being treated second best. It’s about time I put myself first in every aspect of my life. Spencer needs to know this before we take it any further, because even though I’ve done the one-nighters, it doesn’t matter how much I pretend—each one took a piece of me, whether I let them or not.
    ****
    * SPENCER *
    She texted me, thank Christ, because I was starting to go mad. All I can think about since then has been her: her laugh, her lust for life, and the way she rode off into the night straddling a bike . Was I starting to lose it?
    When I set my sights on a girl, they never say no. They never say no to Jones . But maybe that’s just it. I’d tried a different tack. Spencer. I’d actually had a conversation with a girl that didn’t involve me propositioning them in the first few minutes for some kind of sexual favour. Can’t say I didn’t want to, but April was just … different. She’d surprised me, and I want more.
    I’d driven past the café last night, more times than I should have, to see if her bike was there. I couldn’t bring myself to go inside. I was worried that if I did, it’d be that one step closer to turning stalker, something I never thought I had in me. But besides that, I didn’t wanna seem desperate. I’m not. I know where to go when I need a release, but April is different, and the