Page 36 of Lovingly Restored

“Like I had a choice.” My voice is too loud, ears still recovering from the club.

His skin glows from the colourful marquis, eyes tracking down to the slit in my dress then back up to my face. I gulp, heat rising in my cheeks. I won’t avert my gaze. I’m not ashamed. My empowerment only grows under his perusal. He breaks eye contact first, and a sense of satisfaction slithers through me. His knuckles pale as he grips the steering wheel and stares straight ahead.

Chapter thirteen

Isaac

“Ashlyn?”

I wave a hand through the direction of her far off gaze. She’s lost in thought and seems tired. I grab her seat belt and draw it snugly across her lap, clicking it into place, knuckles brushing across her hips. The contact breaks her back to reality.

“I could have done that myself.”

“Yeah, yeah. You like to do everything for yourself. Drink this.” I hold out a bottle of water and pull away from the curb, flipping off the bouncer even though his back is turned. The decision to take the scenic route is easy. I want her to drink that water and sober up the rest of the way. Selfishly, I want her to myself for a while.

I was waiting up for her. Chris and I enjoyed some beers and talked business. After the tenth time looking at my watch, he called me out, asking me what time Ashlyn’s curfew was. There’s something good about knowing everyone is safely home before I head to bed. Since I moved in I’ve been walking around checking doors and windows each night. I have Mummo and Ashlyn to think about. I’m not the “man of the house”, or some shit, but I can’t seem to quell that protective urge. Hell, it started the night I met her, and it was even stronger when she walked out the door in that head-turning dress with a condom in her purse. When she called at 12:30 in the morning, I answered on the first ring. Her slow, relaxed voice told me she was at least buzzed. Good, I wanted her to enjoy her night out and relax. Hadn’t I told her she needed to stop trying to be so controlling? Then she mentionedJasonhad been sweating all over her and kissed her, and my happiness turned into jealousy.Ihadn’t even kissed her yet. And that did something to my head, heart, and dick all at once. Despite telling myself that it wasn’t any of my business who Ashlyn got with, my body disagreed. Chris stayed to keep an ear out for Mummo, and I hightailed it out of there like the house was on fire.

“How you feeling?” I ask when she places the mostly empty water bottle in the cup holder.

“Better. It was boiling in there. Thanks.”

“Check the glove box.”

When she opens it, she gasps and I’m suddenly smiling.

“Are you serious?”

She tears into the granola bar wrapper, moaning at the first bite. I may have grabbed her a snack on the way out, too.

I rub the back of my neck. “Listen, I’m sorry I went off on you back there. It doesn’t matter what time it is. I’ll come and get you if you need a ride, okay?”

Her mouth is still full of peanuts and granola.

“Okay, Ashlyn?”

“I understand,” she mumbles.

Now that I see she’s alright, there’s something I want to ask her.

“Did you mean what you said?”

She finishes the last bite and takes another drink of water.

“About what?”

“On the phone, you said you wanted to bring someone home tonight.”

I can’t think about it in too much detail.

“Oh.” She tucked some hair behind her ear. “I was dancing with that guy–”

“Jason.”

She cringes. “Good memory. I was dancing withJason,and thought about the stupid condom that I put in my bag when his erec–”

Nope.

I clamp my palm over her mouth to cut her off. “Let me stop you right there.”

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