Page 26 of Reckoning

I cocked my head at her. That “we” was interesting. “I told you, no animals.”

“You wouldn’t have to ride it.”

“That’s beside the point. How many drinks did you have?”

She held up one hand, splaying all her fingers. “At least this many.”

I glanced at Anita, wondering if she could fill me in, but her focus was on Shawn. They had stepped away, and he was whispering in her ear while he put one hand on the small of her back. She licked his neck.

Turning my attention back to the girl I wished was licking my neck, I traced one finger down her arm so lightly she didn’t seem to notice. “You didn’t tell me you were going to get white girl wasted tonight. I would have appreciated the heads-up.”

She couldn’t respond due to her yawn. “I don’t really care, Meyer.”

I checked my watch and saw it wasn’t even midnight. At least this gave me an excuse to leave early. She didn’t protest when I hooked her hand around my elbow. Putting her head on my shoulder, she closed her eyes as I steered her to the door.

“Stay awake.” I tapped her on the head. “You can sleep once we get in the car.”

She nodded but didn’t open her eyes. I sighed and said my goodbyes to Shawn, ignoring Anita, and then pulled Madeline through the house as quickly as I dared. When we got outside, she insisted on taking off her shoes before walking another thirty feet to the car.

“I’m never having kids,” I said under my breath. I texted my father to let him know the driver was taking us back and would return for him and Anita shortly.

Strapping Madeline into the seat belt was another adventure since she insisted on helping, and her “helping” only made things worse.

She dozed off on the ride back to my house, her head falling against my shoulder. I pushed her hair out of her face and dropped my lips to her crown, breathing deeply. All the smoke and other people in the house weren’t able to obscure the tantalizing smell of her.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. She grunted, and panic rose in my throat, but she was still asleep, twisting in her seat and tangling in the belt to cuddle against my side.

As quiet as I was opening the door at the house, she woke up when I tried to pull her into my arms and carry her into the house, insisting on walking inside herself.

“It was a compliment,” she said as she dropped her shoes next to the door, not bothering to even set them upright.

“What was?” I asked as I scooped them up, one hand on her shoulder to steady her as she struggled to remember the way to my bedroom.

“That I avoided you all night.”

I shifted my hand to her upper arm, holding her firmly as she took the stairs with tentative steps. “I don’t know. Ignoring someone is generally considered rude.”

“Is jus’ ’cause I can’t look at your stupid face.” She stumbled, and I pulled her upright as gently as I could. “Not after you kissed me.” She turned around so quickly I lost my grip on her, and she stumbled against the wall again. Rather than right herself, she grabbed my tie and pulled my face to hers. “You’re too pretty to play like that. It’s not fair.” Her voice lost the drunken slur. She was suddenly clear, speaking in such a low tone I had to lean in to hear her. Goose bumps flew up my spine.

“You’re looking at me right now.” I placed my hands on either side of her head, trapping her, but she didn’t notice. She was suddenly laser focused on me; her gaze steady instead of slipping left as it had been all night.

“This doesn’t count.” She nudged my nose with her own. I brushed my lips against her cheek. She leaned into me for a moment, and I moved to her neck, but she pulled away. “You can’t do anything right now. I don’t consent.”

“Yes, well, we’re kind of past laws at this point.” I grabbed her neck and yanked her to me, putting my lips over her pulse. She sighed and spread her hands across my chest, slipping beneath my jacket and around to my back.

“You make me so fucking mad.”

I took one hand and cupped her chin, asserting control but not being rough. I’d expected her to recoil from me, after the night before, but she acted as if she’d wanted this for some time. I brushed my thumb against the soft skin of her cheek, allowing myself a measure of gentleness while she was so far gone. She looked at my lips, and I leaned closer to her.

“Why is that?”

She froze for a second, not even breathing as I closed the distance. I was thrumming with how close she was, but she turned her head at the last moment. “I told you already.” She pulled away and stumbled along toward the room. She paused, considering, then looked back at me. “I don’t think you really would. Rape me, I mean.” She was struggling with the clasp around her neck and let her hands drop when I reached to help her. She let the gown fall to the floor, revealing her perfect ass in a sexy little G-string.

“Don’t look,” she said, wandering to the dresser where she’d stowed the shorts and T-shirt she wore as pajamas.

“Too late.” I adjusted myself, worried about my erection tearing through my pants. I hadn’t taken the time to properly admire her from behind in the shower, too focused on trying to get in her. But now she was bending at the waist as if to tempt me, sticking her ass right up in the air.

Stepping into her shorts was an endeavor, but she managed it. The shirt proved more difficult as she tried to stick her head through one of the arms before finding the proper hole. Clothed, she spun around and fell to the floor at the bottom of the bed, spreading her limbs wide.

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