Page 188 of Traitor

I'll always follow her.

Temper

I sink deeper into my couch, legs folded under me, wine glass in hand, feeling real fucking good. A little tipsy. Maybe a little more than tipsy. Okay, fine — drunk. But it's girls' night, and I deserve it.

Ria's beside me, her own glass nearly empty as we work our way through the second bottle. It's been almost a week since we last saw each other, and that's just unacceptable. But if I'm being completely honest, it's my fault. I can't seem to stop wanting to spend time with Bones. It's insane. Irritating. Like my body and mind conspired against me without my consent. I keep checking myself, making sure no ghosts of the past creep in when I'm with him, and the bastard is so far past the"maybe a bad memory will spring out of nowhere"line.

No. He's at the"makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside all the fucking time"line.

It only took him three months.

And ever since I kissed him? I can't fucking stop. Neither can he. My hormones have been throwing a goddamn revolution every time he's around. It's ridiculous.

But I've been playing it cool. Making him sweat. Wait. Because I'm a lady and don't give in so easily.

Or maybe, just maybe, I'm a little jealous about the women who came after me. Hypocritical? Absolutely. But when the hell has jealousy ever been rational?

I sigh dramatically, tilting my head back against the couch, staring at the ceiling like it holds all the answers to my life's problems.

"Ria," I mumble, swirling the wine in my glass, "I think...I think I can see a future with Bones." I pause, frowning. "It's like this tiny speck of light at the end of a long, dark, fucked up tunnel, but it's there." I sigh again, deeper this time. "How the hell did he do it? I mean, I chose to give this a shot, sure. But I didn't..."— I hiccup —"...didn't fucking expect things and feelings to happen this soon!" I throw my free hand up in frustration, nearly sloshing red wine onto my couch. I freeze, staring at the potential stain, my lower lip wobbling.That's permanent, isn't it?

When I turn to Ria, she's staring at me like I just confessed to murder. But she recovers fast, because of course she does.

She sips what little wine is left in her glass, watching me with those too-perceptive eyes over the rim. "So..." she hums, dragging out the word. "Is the sex as good as you remember it?"

I choke. Cough. Gasp. My voice comes out meek — which never happens. "Umm...we haven't done it yet. I've been waiting..."

Silence. Then chaos.

Ria howls with laughter, nearly dropping her glass as she slaps the couch. "For what?" she wheezes. "Is this another form of revenge? Waiting for cobwebs to grow down there and then sending him in for a cleanup job?"

I'm laughing now too, shaking my head as I throw a pillow at her. "You are fucking terrible!"

It takes us minutes to settle, both of us wiping tears from our eyes.

Then her face gets serious.

"Tempe," she says, softer now. "Do you want to have sex with him?" She holds up a hand before I can answer. "Because if you do, then that's okay. You don't have to keep waiting if you don't want to. And if you do want to wait? That's also okay. Biker boy is so far gone for you he'd probably die a born-again virgin if it meant he could stay in your orbit." She squints at me. "It's pathetic, really. I've never seen a man so in love. Ever."

I groan, rubbing my face. "Heisextra, I have to admit that."

"This isn't extra," Ria corrects. "This is full-blown obsession. And unfortunately for you? You're the one he's obsessed with." She tilts her head, studying me. "Or fortunately? Depends on what you want."

I stare at my half-full glass, feeling the warmth of the wine dancing through my veins.

What do I want?

...Shit.

I might be too drunk for that answer.

This is it. This is fucking it. I've been wanting to climb him like a tree for over a month now, but I just wanted to be sure-sure. And I am. I fucking am. The conversation I had with Ria makes me smile even now, while walking toward my door with Bones by my side.

"Why are you smiling?" He suddenly asks me, amused.

I jump a little. Busted! "Nothing!" I turn to him right in front of my door. "Would you like to come in for a drink?"

He narrows his eyes at me, comes closer, trapping me between the door and his body. I have to look up at him. He leans toward me, his hand on the door, beside my head.

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