Page 54 of Dirty Daria
She cast her eyes down for a moment, then back up at me. “I want to do it.”
My heart threatens to beat out of my chest, I hold my breath waiting for her to continue.
“You and me,” she says. “I want to try again.”
My breath floods out in a whoosh. I want to kiss her. Hold her hand. Hug her. Take her back to my room and fuck her until she can’t move.
She must see something in my eyes, because she plants a palm on my chest as though to hold me back. “We are going slow.”
“Slow?”
“Yes, like no sex for a while. We need to make sure we are careful with your career. So, we will not be bouncing right back in.”
“Jumping right back in,” I correct her.
She nods. “Jumping right back in.”
I settle for holding her hand in mine but can’t stop the grin that takes over my face. “You have no idea how happy this makes me, beautiful.”
“You won’t be saying that when you’re in federal prison for colluding with a criminal.”
I wave her off, even though I know the threat is incredibly real. It’s something I’ve thought about a lot. And have decided that the time I have with her up until then will have to suffice. I’ll make the most of every second in every day ensuring she knows she’s loved and adored, taking my fill of all that is Daria.
And when the time comes that we’re found out, I’ll leave her and pray she finds love again. Hopefully back in Russia when she is extradited, where her father will keep her safe. She can move on with her life and forget about me. Because no way in hell am I having her visit me in prison. Waiting in line on visiting days only to wait some more in a waiting room, only to try and have a conversation in a large concrete room filled with dozens of other people trying to do the same thing? Not a chance.
Seeing her and not being able to touch her would be worse than prison. It would be better to just remain in my cell with my memories of times like today to fill my time. Maybe a picture or two tacked to my wall, along with the knowledge that she’s safe. That’s my future if I continue down this path with her, and I’ve made peace with it.
So, however longthislasts even if we are taking it slow will be enough. I lean over and nuzzle her temple with my nose, then kiss her cheekbone. She turns to smile at me, transforming her face from motionless beauty to radiance in movement with upturned lips and sparkling eyes.
“You’re beautiful, you know that?” I tell her.
She leans in to kiss me, tasting of coconut and cherries, her tongue still cold from her frozen drink. I refrain from taking control of the kiss. Refrain from taking it further, because of what she’s just said. Instead I let her take the lead and feed on the pleasure she’s offering.
She slows the kiss and rests her forehead against mine, pulling her lips from me in the process. I suppress the groan that threatens to leave my chest at the loss.
“Mack and Daria, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Quinn comes skipping to the table and flops down next to us. “Man,”—she fans her face with the drink menu—“dancing is hot.”
“It is getting warm in here,” Daria agrees.
“No, hot, like H-O-T, like getting a girl all worked up.” She winks at us.
“Reed being nice to you, Cutie?”
“Nice is an understatement, mister.”
I chuckle. “Good. That changes, you let me know.”
“Or me,” Daria adds.
“Aw, you guys are the best. Always looking out for me.”
“Where’d he go?” I ask Quinn.
“Restroom.” She looks around for a moment, then back at us. “I’m going up to the bar to get a drink and catch my breath. Let you guys get back to—” She spins her finger to indicate whatever it is that she’s thinking.
“I can get the waitress,” I tell her.
“I know, I just feel like going to the bar.”
