Page 32 of Force of Nature

“What do you mean?”

“What happens after I fuck you?”

“Hopefully you’ll do it again.” I smile wider.

“You know what I mean. What exactly do you want from me? I can’t give you more than sex.”

“Well lucky for you that’s all I’m asking for.” I try the door again, and to my surprise, Thad lets me push it open, stepping out of the way to let me slide out. “No strings. No attachments. Just two adults acting on a mutual attraction.” I step up in front of him.

“And when you move back to L.A.?”

“Then I can say I had one hell of a good time while I was home. You say you can’t give me more and that’s good with me because I don’t want more. But right now I do want you.” I fist his shirt, pulling his face close to mine. “Now what are you going to do about it?”

“I can’t,” he tells me, taking control as he backs me into the truck. “Not tonight,” he says, calming the rejection he delivered by sliding my tank top strap over my shoulder and pressing his lips to my collar bone. My head falls back and warmth instantly spreads through my body.

“Yes tonight,” I pant out breathlessly as his mouth works slowly up the side of my neck.

“No.”

His eyes come up to meet mine, his face so close I can feel his breath hot on my lips. He holds my gaze for what feels like an eternity before he finally closes the distance between us.

The instant his mouth is on mine my entire body zings to life as if being zapped by a thousand volts of electricity. It surges through me causing every hair on my body to stand and every inch of my skin to prickle.

I open for him immediately. Wanting to feel him, to taste him. He kisses me deep, his tongue swirling against mine. His fingers wrap into the back of my hair and hold my face in place, forcing me to take the full brunt of the kiss. It’s hard and punishing and hands down the most powerful kiss I’ve ever experienced.

I’ve barely processed the intensity of it all before Thad steps away, his mouth leaving mine so abruptly that I nearly whimper at the loss of him.

He pulls in a few deep breaths before speaking.

“We should go.” He pulls open the driver’s door forcing me to step out of the way.

“What?” I question, my voice a mix of anger and confusion.

“Laken.” He turns his gaze on me. “I already told you, not tonight.”

Disappointment instantly settles in my gut.

“If you wake up tomorrow and you still wanna do this, I’m in. I may not be much of a gentleman, but I have enough class not to take advantage of a woman who clearly isn’t in her right mind.”

“Money says if any one of the women that was hanging all over you earlier threw themselves at you, you’d have no problem fucking her.”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t have. But that’s because I respect you enough not to take advantage of you right now. I won’t be something you wake up to regret tomorrow. I’ll be that guy for some women. But for you I won’t.”

I consider that for a long moment. No matter how all over the place my drunken emotions are, I can’t deny that he seems to really be struggling with this. Whether it’s because I’m drunk and somewhat offended so he’s trying to talk me off a ledge, or because he really means what he says, I decide to give.

“Fine.” I huff, turning to climb into the truck when suddenly my stomach turns viciously.

It hits me out of nowhere and I barely get my head turned in time before puke spews from my mouth like a scene out ofThe Exorcist. Luckily, my back is to Thad so he can’t see my face but I still burn with embarrassment knowing he’s standing right behind me, witnessing the entire mortifying scene as it plays out.

His hand settles on my back as heaves continue to rack my body, but I shake him off, holding my hand up to keep him at bay.

I don’t know how long I stand hunched over next to the truck–a minute, two minutes, ten–all I know is that when the vomit finally subsides it feels like it’s been hours.

When I’m able to straighten my stance I sway, the alcohol seeming to hit me twice as hard now that it’s out of my body.

“Whoa.” Thad moves to support me when I nearly fall turning to climb into the truck. “Careful,” he says softly as he helps me up.

I slide into the passenger seat and instantly lay my head against the open window, feeling like I might be sick again and yet having no idea how there could be anything left in my stomach at this point.

“Laken,” Thad starts the moment he’s settled into the truck next to me.

“Just don’t, okay? I’m mortified enough as it is,” I grumble almost inaudibly.

I don’t look in his direction, my eyelids too heavy to even think about opening again.

“Just let me know if you need me to stop, okay?” he says, the truck swaying as he pulls back out onto the road.

I don’t answer, afraid what will come out if I open my mouth. Instead, I curl into myself in the seat and pray that I can make it home without any further embarrassing incidents. Though I think it’s safe to say the damage has already been done.

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