Page 21 of Promise Me Never

“You can’t just take me away from a party.” Her little fists hit my back. “Put me down.”

“Are you going to do what I ask?”

“No.”

“Okay, then,” I say as I jostle her back into position. I realize that her ass is showing from under her skirt, so I whip my hat off and use it to cover the sexy pink panties she’s wearing.

“Look who we found,” Sam says, with my angry little sister tossed over his own shoulder.

“Careful, she looks feral,” I drawl.

“They both do,” Colt walks over and pushes up some of Eli’s hair. “Are you okay? Should I beat anyone’s ass?”

“Yeah. Start with the idiot carrying me away from the party.”

“No can do.” He stands and straightens. “He’s my boss. Can’t risk my job.”

“Can you guys get Janey home?” I ask them.

“Sure thing.” Colt rifles through her purse until they find her keys. “See you Monday.”

“Are you seriously going to carry me all the way to your truck?” she asks as I continue back down the road.

“Yes.”

“You are so irritating.”

“So I’ve been told.”

I reach the truck and wrench open the passenger door. She drops limply to the seat, all her anger and fight seemingly dead for the moment. She’s so docile she doesn’t even get pissed when I fasten her seatbelt for her.

As I pull out onto the road, I feel like she’s close to falling asleep. Her eyes are closed, but she’s chewing her lip and running her fingers in circles over her thighs. The skirt she’s wearing is so short it’s hiked nearly up to her hips, leaving all her smooth skin on display. I’ve never noticed before, but her quads are so well defined. I vaguely remember her mentioning being a former volleyball player, that must be where those came from.

“Pull over,” she says suddenly. “Now.”

I haven’t even fully stopped when she pushes the door open and stumbles onto the shoulder. I put the truck in park as the sounds of her heaving fill the silent night air around us. When she doesn’t stop after one round, I unbuckle my seat belt and walk around the back of the truck to where she’s bent over losing the contents of her stomach.

“Just when I don’t think this night could be any worse,” she says between heaves. “I don’t usually drink.”

“I can tell. What’d you have?”

“Some beers at the rodeo and then whatever Wyatt gave me at the party.”

“You took drinks from a stranger?” I yell. I know I shouldn’t but fuck. She’s too smart for this.

“Screw you,” she says right before heaving again. She falls to her knees as her entire body wretches.

With a deep sigh, I crouch down beside her and gather her hair in my fist. The long dark waves are impossibly soft under my calloused hand. The thought of what it’d be like to have her hair wrapped around me in another position flashes into my mind momentarily. I shake it out, berating myself silently for the incredibly inappropriate thought.

She finally finishes and settles her weight back on her heels. She looks around at the ground beneath her like she’s trying to find something.

“What are you looking for?”

“My dignity. I seem to have misplaced it.”

I snort a laugh and push to my feet, taking her with me. It’s hard to stay mad at her when she’s so goddamn funny.

“Now he laughs,” she mumbles as I help her back into the truck. “All it takes is my misery and suffering. Fucking sadist.”

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