Page 2 of Dodge

“That and something else was on your mind.”

My eyes got wide. “Oh shit, what did I do? I went nuts, didn’t I?”

“Sort of. You were plastered and falling down yelling about how you hadn’t had a decent fuck in months and—”

“Argh!” I put my hand over his mouth to stop the flow of words. “I didn’t say that out loud. Please tell me I didn’t.”

His pretty blue eyes looked into mine, and he nodded. “You weren’t quiet about it. Pretty much everyone in the bar heard you and watched the show.”

His words came out muffled behind my palm, but I knew he spoke the truth. I closed my eyes and flopped back on the bed, regretting it once my head hit the pillow.

“A couple of men were ready to help you out with that. I got you out of there before they took you up on your offer.”

I groaned and covered my face with one hand while pointing at my crotch with the other. “Thank you. Um… did I dothat?”

“No, I did. You were determined to make it happen, and I was afraid you would cut yourself. You weren’t steady enough to handle a razor.”

The skin between my legs itched as I recalled the event.“Do it. Shave it all off. I’m positive. If you don’t, I’ll do it myself.”

Fisting the pillow, I jammed it around my head. I had no clue what weird-ass demon possessed my brain to give me that idea. I’d been so off-kilter last night that I’d been another person entirely. “I made you doit, didn’t I?”

I heard his chuckle through the thick foam.

“You were very demanding. You said if I didn’t, you’d go back to the bar and find someone who would. Them other two could have still been down there, so I figured I was the better choice.”

“Yes, oh yes. More. Do it again. Oh shit, I’m coming!”My clit twitched at the memory of his skilled tongue, and I wondered what it would be like now—this time with me completely sober.

My face flamed under the cocoon of crisp white linen. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, sweetness, look at me. You’re what? Five foot five, ’bout 120 pounds? Do you really think you can make me do something I don’t want to do?”

I took the pillow from my face and looked at him. He was a handsome man, classic all-American football star with high cheekbones and full lips. Lips that had been on the most intimate part of my body. His eyebrow rose as if he knew where my thoughts had gone.

“I don’t do this. I’m not a slut. I don’t sleep around with strangers.” Words poured from my mouth as a myriad of emotions hit me, embarrassment being the most predominant one. “I’m not into fucking random men I meet in bars. One-nighters. Dammit, I can’t believe I let you do that much.”

“Hey, darlin’, slow down. Yeah, I went down on you, but I didn’t do anything else. It sounds to me like you had a shitty night and needed a break. I do not mind at all, and given the circumstances, I was your safest route.”

I thought about it for a moment. He was right. There were worse things than waking up to a handsome man first thing in the morning. Much worse. And in fact, I’d had a bad night after a really bad week.

Truthfully, it was more like a bunch of bad months. Eight of them. Chase had made work a nightmare. Even worse, we lived together, so we brought the tension home with us every night. The other people working in the massive kitchen of the Omni Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina, recognized I was the better person for the job, but I had two major strikes against me. Number one, I’m a woman. Number two, I’m mixed—my father’s White, and my mother’s Black. I’m a blend of the two, but I favored my mom’s DNA more.

My word vomit continued. “What time is it? I need to go. I shouldn’t be here. I’m… I’m… I’m….”

Shit, I’m going to cry.

Shock number five: I didn’t cry. Ever.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and my nose promptly ran. I didn’t like to lose control. Chase had accused me many times of being a control freak, but I always considered myself as being driven.

Two arms enfolded me, comforter and all. “Hey, Fauna, it’s okay. No harm, no foul. You don’t have to rush off. Let’s take advantage of all the fancy hotel shit they got in here. We’ll grab a shower and order room service. Then I’ll take you where you want to go. Deal?”

His warmth seeped into my body, and I relaxed. I didn’t have a job here anymore, so no schedule to keep, and no boyfriend to rush home to. This man was being incredibly kind and patient with me, so why not? I sniffed and nodded against his bare chest.God, he smells good! How does someone do that first thing in the morning?

“Cool. You get the shower first, and I’ll order some food.”

He kissed my forehead and moved to let me get up. It mildly disappointed me that he didn’t kiss my lips, because I wanted to see how that felt. Probably best he didn’t, as I also had the morning breath of a dead goat.

I cleared my throat as I viewed that elaborate back tattoo again. “Hey… uh… this is really, really embarrassing, but… well… you know my name, but I don’t… um…”

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