Page 17 of Red Queen
“Shit, I left my phone at the bar.” I hear Nathan speak up from behind me. “I think Liam has it. Can you text him?” I nod and send a text to Liam. A couple of minutes pass by, but he doesn’t answer, so I send him another. Then another.
“Forget it. I’ll go back to the bar. See if it’s still there.”
“What about her?” I ask as I furrow my brows. Rosa doesn’t even know me. I’m sure she wouldn’t want to stay alone with a stranger while being intoxicated.
“Rosa.” He shakes her gently, and her eyes pop open with a quiet humming sound. “I have to go back to the bar. I’ll come back soon, will you be okay with Mateo?” She starts nodding …quite excitedly? That’s weird. Maybe she forgot about my rude move from earlier.
“But…she’s your friend! I can grab your phone.” I protest. I don’t want to get involved in anything I shouldn’t. And I have a feeling Rosa is one of those things.
“Rosa said she’ll be fine with you. I’ll be right back, okay? Just a couple of minutes,” I grumble, but with a wave of my hand, I shoo him away.
“What did Ivy say?” Rosa asks softly, still resting on my hand.
“She wants to talk to you when you feel better.” She nods, but I see that something’s bothering her. I wait until she replies.
“I was…working tonight. This was my chance to do a big gig, and I messed it up. Again.” A painful tear leaves her eye. “I’m not usually this bad with alcohol, Mateo.”
And we’re back to my worries. Fuck. “Do you think… he put something in your drink?”
“I don’t know. And I’m not sure I even want to know.” I see the worry in her eyes, but they soften when she looks up at mine.
“You’re safe now. No one will get to you. Not him, not anyone else.” She mutters a quiet thank you and rewards me with a beautiful smile. “I’m sorry I was a dick before. It’s just—when I meet new people, they usually know about my lifestyle already, and they’re biased. They don’t want to know the real me. And then I met you. I thought you didn’t know me either…but you do. And I got this urge to push you away.”
“I—” She can’t finish her words, her eyes widen, and she turns to her side, puking into the bowl next to the couch. Almost got my hands. At least whatever was in her is out now, mostly. I grab the towel and wipe her mouth. She leans back to the pillows, but I turn her back so she can drink some water. “That…was not meant for you.” We chuckle, and she starts gulping the water. When she’s done, I go to bring another one for her.
“Here.” She just nods, and I put it down on the coffee table.
“It’s okay. You’re forgiven. But I won’t bite, and I’m not biased.” She smiles at me again and grabs my hand to put it back under her head. “You know, you can go back to the bar. I bet partying is more fun than taking care of a drunk stranger.”
“Nah. I’m good. I’m having more fun here, believe it or not.” I smile back and watch as she gets comfy. “Are you feeling any better?”
“A little. Thank you. But I still feel dizzy.” Great. Means we can count on more vomit.
“That’s alright. You can keep resting here and wait for Nathan to come back.” Suddenly, a wicked smile appears on herface, the wheels turning inside her pretty head before she speaks up with a sultry, angelic voice. Even now that she’s drunk, she’s flirty.
“Whew. It feels so hot in here.” She slowly sits up and starts fanning herself, but I only frown.
“It’s literally 70 degrees,” I reply as I look up at the thermometer. But when I turn my attention back, she’s already taking off the shirt I gave her. Thank god she has another one underneath. She is reaching for now to pull it off. Did I jinx it? “Rosa, I—” I can’t even finish, and her top is already off.
I turn my head away so quickly, I almost snap my neck. What’s with me? Why am I acting like a gentleman now? Fuck, this woman is confusing me in every single way. She tries to turn my head back, but I’m not letting her. She’s still drunk. I’m not taking advantage of it, unlike a certain someone.
“Mateo.” She coos with honey dripping from her voice, like a siren inviting me.
She walks closer, the sound of her clothes rustling making me go crazy. She’s stripping. Fuck. I’m in trouble.
“We can’t. I can’t.” I let her turn my head back to her, but my eyes are locked on her face.Don’t look down, don’t look down… She stands up on her tiptoes and gives me a sweet kiss on my jawline.
“I’m going to shower. I’ll wait for you there.” She grins at me again and sashays her naked body away. I can’t look. Don’t.
I drop back to the floor next to the couch and grab a pillow to shout in. We’re basically strangers. And she’s drunk. But we’re adults. And one-night stands are normal. So what am I so afraid of? Have I gone crazy? Oh my god, is there a parasite inside me? Mierda. I’m fucked.
I hear the shower turn on, and my train of thought rattles toward some very unholy scenarios. How her body looks naked, and wet… The water flowing down her curves, her handsfollowing, which could be mine—No! Stop it. Is she thinking of me, as well? Surely, or she wouldn’t have invited me to go with her.
I shout into the pillow again, trying to ease my frustration and the tightness in my jeans, but the sound is surpassed by a loud thud. Was that her? Is she hurt?
“Rosa! Are you okay?” I call out, but she’s not responding. Screw me! Why was I so stupid to let her go in alone? I make my way to the bathroom, and just before I open the door, I hear her voice.
“Yeah, I am. I just tripped. And fell.”
