Page 25 of Justice for Aleta

“Nope. Gotta go. Come on. Get your bag, sugar.” She reached for it and missed, but Tiki pulled the strap off the back of the chair and handed it to her.Thanks, Jack mouthed to her, and his friend’s girlfriend nodded. “Say goodbye, Aleta.”

“Goodbye, Aleta!” Aleta sang out to Matt and Tiki’s laughter. “I’m funny, huh?” she asked as Jack gripped her arm and steered her out of the brewery.

“You’re a real riot. Come on. Time to get in the car.”

She snored all the way back to the house. He hadn’t made it out of the brewery’s parking lot before she was sound asleep, with her face plastered to the glass on the passenger’s side window. Jack looked over at her every once in a while and smiled. She was right?she was cute as a bow, and he couldn’t look at her enough. By the time they pulled up to her apartment, she’d roused a little. “Where are we?”

“We’re at your place. Come on. I’ll help you get inside.”

“Jack?”

“Yeah, sugar?”

“Will you stay with me?”

“You mean will I help you to bed?”

“No. Will you stay with me tonight? I want you to stay?”

Well, that’ll be one night I’m sure she’s safe, he told himself. “I dunno. Let’s get you inside and see what we’ve got to work with, shall we?” By the time he got around the car, she’d gotten the door open and was trying to get out, but every time she’d get about halfway up, she’d fall back into the seat again. It took everything he had to keep from laughing his ass off right there on the curb.

Ten minutes later, they were inside and he’d gotten her a cup of strong coffee. She sat on the sofa, shoes off, dress hiked up over her knees, and head lolled back on the sofa’s cushions. “Come on. Drink some of this,” he cajoled as he held out the cup.

“What is it?”

“Coffee.”

“I want more beer.”

He chuckled. “You don’tneedmore beer. You’ve had all the beer you can stand.” He headed back to the kitchen to get another cup of coffee, and when he turned back around, he almost dropped his cup.

She was standing there, the dress pooled around her feet, in the beautiful lingerie she’d been wearing in the picture, just as she’d promised. “Well? Does it look good in person?”

“Holy hell. Aleta, you need to get a robe.”

“I don’t want a robe. I want you. Forget about the robe and wrap me up in you, big boy,” she slurred, then wobbled just a little.

“Not like this. Not while you’re tipsy. Nope.”

“Then take me to bed. We can sleep,” she offered.

“That I can do. Come on.” An arm around her waist, he helped her off toward the bedroom.

It took him five minutes to get her into bed. She kept trying to crawl out for first one thing and then another. As soon as she seemed settled down, he slipped off his shirt, boots, socks, and jeans, and slid in beside her. He reached for the light, but then she announced that she needed to go to the bathroom, so he got out, helped her out, and walked with her to the bathroom door. She was in there all of two minutes, then back out she popped and headed straight for the bed.

Under the covers in her little full-size bed, his feet almost hanging off the end, Jack listened to the wind in the tree outside the window and soaked up the warmth of her skin. She was still in the beautiful lingerie, but he knew the bra couldn’t be comfortable, so he unhooked the back and pulled it off under the covers, careful not to look or touch. Tossing it on the floor, he rolled back to spoon her, his arms wrapping around her waist. “Jack?” she whispered in the darkness.

“Yeah, sugar?”

“Do you love me?”

He didn’t want to crush her, but he didn’t want to lie. “Aleta, it’s a little early for me to tell, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if I love you, but I want to.” She was quiet for a few seconds, then said, “Will youtryto love me?”

He chuckled internally. “Babe, I don’t think I’ll have to. You’re going to make it too easy for me.”

“Good. Easy is good. Goodnight, Jack.”

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