Page 46 of Sundowners
“Was he just singing the song fromGrease 2?”
“The bowling scene? ‘Score Tonight’?” I asked, and Creed nodded. “Probably. He spends a lot of time watching chick movies with my titas.”
Creed laughed out loud and shook his head as I once again moved between his thighs. I brushed his hair out of his face, and he tilted his head up to look at me.
“What was that about the doctor?” he asked. I was surprised he wanted to talk now that we were alone. That didn’t necessarily vibe with his hand now running over my ass.
“Oh, the PD hired me to consult on these weird attacks. They found a connection between my research and a local biotech firm.”
Creed sat up a little straighter and placed his hands on my waist.“Is it safe? For you to be involved, I mean. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
I smiled down at him, running my fingers through his hair. It was soft and smelled so good, like sugar cookies. I wanted…
“I’m fine. But I do want to talk to this doctor. Maybe she’ll open up to me as a colleague rather than the police.”
“If she’s involved with a cult, Roman, then you must be careful. Trust me, I know how manipulative those people can be, and if they see you as a threat at all, they have ways of neutralizing that. If they’re anything like…well, sometimes they have a far reach, beyond the police.”
His fingers were digging into my waist. I reached for his hands to relax his grip, and he stood suddenly. Rhonda sprang up and whimpered, pressing close to his leg.
“Please, Roman.”
“Hey,” I said, pulling him into an embrace, and once more he nuzzled my neck in that way he seemed to love. “Hey, I’m going to be okay, but you’re not. What happened, Creed? What happened to you?”
He pulled away a little and his smile was back. “I’m fine, it was a long time ago.”
It was my turn to frown. “But it’s obviously still affecting you. Maybe it would help if you told me about it? I’m not going to push, but I told you, I’m a good listener. I kind of get paid to teach people how to be good listeners, you know.”
He ran his hands up and down my back and stared at my chest as if he wasn’t sure how much or what to even tell me.
“Okay. I’ll tell you, but you’re probably going to think I’m—”
“Stop,” I said, pressing a finger to his lips. “Creed, I’m not going to judge you on something from your past. I’ve had my share of dustups and fuckups. I was a shithead as a teenager, for real. I can tell you stories… But I want to hear yours, and you won’t get judgment from me, okay?”
He slouched a little, which made him seem not as larger-than-life. Nurse Creed was gone and in his place was a troubled young man.
“Alright. I’ll talk, but I’m also fully aware you might not want to see me anymore when I’m done.”
I pressed a kiss to his bottom lip, and then another, and he moaned a second before he had me pulled up against him, his fingers digging into my ass as if there was no such thing as close enough. Somehow he maneuvered us over to the couch and lay on his back, pulling me down on top of him. Rhonda wandered over and lay on a rug next to the heater vent on the floor. Right where my Bunny used to lay.
A twinge in my chest nearly pulled me out of the moment, but Creed held me tightly, overwhelming me, and Iwantedhim. His kisses were so drugging I could have easily forgotten we were supposed to be talking, especially when he ran his hands under my lounge pants and his fingers grazed my crack. I shuddered and ground against him, so fucking turned on I was ready to throw all caution to the wind.
“Roman,” he breathed, and then his hands were gone.
I opened my eyes to see he’d placed a hand over his own and was struggling to breathe.
“Hey,” I said, scrambling off of him to kneel beside the couch. “What’s wrong?”
He smiled for me and reached for my hand. “Nothing is wrong, not even in the slightest. We just…we were talking today, right? Not fucking.”
I laughed and ran a hand over his chest. “But wecouldbe fucking.”
He let his head fall back and chuckled. “Wecouldbe. And I’dliketo be. But I won’t feel right going there with you if you don’t know even the basics about me.”
“I know that you’re a fantastic nurse, that my grandmother and aunties love you. I know you’re quick on your feet and have a good heart. I know you like to do this whole mysterious shit, but I don’t know what that’s all about.”
“And that’s why we need to talk. Here, come here,” he said, and he rolled onto his side to make room for me next to him on the couch. “I like you close like this.”
“Okay,” I said, sliding my knee between his. “You talk, and thenwe’lltalk about how much I hope you like to bottom.”
