Page 69 of Oh, Hell No

Hands flew over mouths, eyes bugged out, and, “Holy shit,” and, “Oh my God,” and even a smothered laugh came from the group.

This felt gross. Anya might have attacked me in a nasty way, but if this was true, her life had just come crashing down around her, and I didn’t wish that on anyone. I stepped back, telling the others I needed to get my things set back up on my desk, and hurried away before one of them could stop me.

Sure, Anya had for some reason tried to get me fired and almost succeeded, and I did get a little satisfaction over her being fired. Although I felt kinda bad about Principal Clairton; he had been a victim too. But the wholehusband having another familything? That was awful. She had been trying to get pregnant for years. I only knew that because the group I’d just left had been talking about it in the break room one day. She had started her period and was upset. To find out that your husband had not only cheated on you, but had a kid with someone else too? Ugh.

I saw Toby coming out of my peripheral vision and sped up.

Not today, buddy. Not. Today.

Thirty-One

Winslet

Marley

What time are we leaving tomorrow?

I read her text as I sank down onto my sofa with my box of Goldfish. I sighed and set my snack down so I could reply.

Winslet

I can pick you up at ten. Sound good?

Once I sent it, I stuck my hand down into the box and got a handful of the small cheddar fish. I wanted chocolate, but I didn’t have any.

Yesterday and today had gone back to normal for the most part. People would keep talking about Principal Clairton and Anya getting fired for a while. No one really cared about Mrs. Warlow. That wasn’t juicy enough gossip, although I had overheard someone say that they heard she had embezzled. It seemed like everyone that had been involved, other than Dr. Voy, had a turn of bad things happen to them. Almost as if their secrets and sins had been unleashed.

My shoulders sank as I chewed. I was sulking. It was Friday night and officially forty-eight hours since I’d seen Oz. He hadn’t stopped by again to check on me. He didn’t know I got my job back and my name cleared. His not giving me his number and not showing back up to see how I was doing were making it entirely too obvious that I had been a booty call.

I didn’t think I could even classify it as that. He hadn’t even kissed me. We hadn’t had sex. Just his very talented tongue between my legs. I swallowed, and my favorite snack felt heavy in my stomach. I didn’t want anymore. Food wasn’t helping. I was…sad.

Might as well just admit it and face it—my heart hurt. The ache in my chest and the fact that I could cry right now, if I would allow myself, were signs that I’d been a fool. All my bravado about enjoying Oz and living in the moment had sounded great when he was here, touching me. Distracting me. Making me crazy with the need to have him all over me.

But I wasn’t that girl. It was something I couldn’t change. For all my independence and a life of fighting my and my brother’s battles, I had a weakness that I hadn’t realized until Oz.

It wasn’t just the fact that the man was sinfully beautiful and that his smile hinted at wicked things you wanted very much to experience at his hands. Maybe if that was all it was, then I could have done the fling thing and been fine. But he had taken care of me. Even when he’d locked me up, I hadn’t truly suffered. Imean, not that long. The bucket thing and dying of thirst had sucked, but he’d gotten me out of there. He had wanted me out of there.

UGH! I dropped my face into my hands.

The man had dropped me off and gone poof for two months. He said he had been giving me time. That he’d thought about me. He had brought me the sloth—paid close enough attention to such a small detail. Then the wine and the other night. The way he had looked at me and touched me. I’d thought he was feeling something deeper. More. Because I was.

The ringing of my doorbell had my head snapping up. I dropped my feet back to the floor and stood. A small flurry of excitement sent hope sparking inside me, and I rushed to get the door. Just before I swung it open, I paused and composed myself. It might not be him.

I checked the peephole, and there he was. Looking like every wet dream there ever was. I bit my lip, knowing the thrill at seeing him pumping through my veins was not a good thing. Especially with the power he already had over me. The man was going to break me when he walked away, but I was too far gone to stop this. I would break my own heart if I did.

Turning the knob, I opened it, and his smile as he looked back at me with hooded eyes, as if I was all he had been thinking about, made the worry and concern float away. He was here.

“Hey,” I said as he closed the space between us, moving me back with his hands on my hips until he was inside.

The door fell shut behind him.

He tilted his head, and his gaze dropped to my mouth. “Hey,” he replied in a husky whisper.

Sweet Jesus, there was no woman on earth that could resist this. I wasn’t stupid or silly.

He lowered his head, and my lips parted in a small intake of breath just before his mouth covered mine. When his tonguewith its metal bar ran along my bottom lip, I might have moaned. My feet left the floor as he picked me up and set me on the counter, not once breaking the kiss. He tasted of cinnamon. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing against him. My fingers tangled in his hair. He had the best hair.

His hands ran up my back and fisted my top. This was bliss. I could die now and be happy. Lived the best life had to offer. Oz’s hard, warm body heated mine, and another sound came from me. It was somewhere between pleasure and a plea for more. His mouth left mine as he trailed kisses to my chin before moving down until he buried his face in the curve between my neck and shoulder. He let out a soft growl that was just louder than a low hum as he held me tightly.

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