Page 85 of Protecting Christina

Will’s chin pressed against my temple, and I closed my eyes. My heart hammered in my throat and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. “I need to go to the bathroom,” I said, using the table to push myself up.

I walked slowly to the bathroom and grabbed the sink with both hands when I walked inside. Why am I freaking out? Why did I feel untethered? Lost?

There was a fear growing inside of me that simmered deep within me and I was afraid of what would happen if I let it grow.

Keep it together, Christina. Don’t freak the fuck out. Take it one day… no, one night, at a time. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.

I inhaled sharply and fixed my hair in the mirror. This was just a date. I would go back there and enjoy the night.

As I stepped out of the bathroom, I nearly ran into Tina.

“Hey,” she said, sidestepping to avoid our bodies crashing into one another.

“Excuse me,” I said and turned away.

“Um… are you Christina?”

“Yes.” Then a thought occurred to me. Had Will mentioned me to her?

She smiled. “I just wanted to say that I think you’re a badass.”

I shook my head. “Excuse me?”

She laughed. “Will told me what you did to him. I wish I could grab a guy by the balls and tell him where to go.”

I recalled the first day I’d met Will and smiled. It wasn’t my finest moment, but Tina seemed to appreciate it.

“Thanks. But I probably shouldn’t have done that. Especially now that I know Will better.”

“Nah. I think that’s exactly what he needed.”

Most men avoided me after my bursts of annoyance. Will wasn’t scared of me. I wondered if maybe that was why I was starting to fear the situation. I couldn’t scare him off so easily.

Tina turned to leave, but I stopped her. Fishing out a card from my purse, I handed it to her. “If you ever find yourself in a tough situation and need to get out, call this number. My friend Gabby will know what to do.”

She stared at the card for a few moments, then tucked it into her apron. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Walking back to the table, I noticed that the lights had dimmed, and the music was louder. A few people even danced in the middle of the floor, as Will had earlier suggested. I still didn’t want to dance, but seeing Will in his seat, his arms stretching the fabric of his white shirt, I knew I wanted something else from him.

I snuggled up next to him again and placed my hand on his thigh. Slowly, I inched it closer to his groin. He covered my hand with his and squeezed it. “What are you doing?” he whispered.

“Making up for something.”

“Last night?”

“Not quite.”

He loosened his hold on my hand and I reached further down his thigh until I gripped him firmly in hand. He swallowed.

I massaged him through the fabric of his pants, running my fingers up and down his length, and felt his dick harden. “Let’s get out of here,” he said, his voice rough against my ear. The sound gave me goosebumps. He lifted me from my seat. Dropped a wad of cash on the table and nearly dragged me out of there. I smiled at him as he rushed us through the door. I didn’t want to go back to his place. I wanted to drive him crazy. I wanted to push his buttons. See how far he’d go.

“Take me here,” I said, stopping on the sidewalk. He looked around. “In the bar?”

I shook my head. “No. Here. On the street.”

He stepped up in front of me and leaned his head down. “I can’t take you in the middle of the fucking street, Christina. As much as I want to.”

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