Page 31 of All Bets are Off

“Fuck you,” I mumble, but settle down and close my eyes again, wincing at every thorn West withdraws with what seems to be excruciating slowness.

“Shit, West, are you trying to gouge them out?” I complain. It feels like he’s fucking digging the sharp tips of the tweezers into my skin.

“This one’s stuck. Just a second…got it! One more left.”

Fortunately, that thorn comes out easily, but a minute later, West dabs alcohol on my wounds, lighting my skin afire.

“Holy, fuck! You have a terrible bedside manner.”

“And this is new information to you?” West asks easily as he continues to torture me with the cotton ball.

I can’t help but chuckle, thinking of the many times West patched me up in the field. “I’d somehow forgotten.”

West dabs ointment into my wounds, and of course is stings like hell, too. Then the bed moves as he stands.

“Lie there a minute and let that dry. I’m going to go check on Felix.”

“Mmm,” I murmur into the pillow. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know, it’s dark. I ease up on my elbows and peer across the room. Making out West’s form on the other bed, I sigh and settle down again, drifting back off to sleep.

****

We stay at the Borings until the trial wraps up, keeping the kids confined to the house. They don’t even complain, as I guess they’ve had enough action to last them a while. They’re really not bad kids. We get to know them a little better and even teach them to play poker.

On the drive back to Redding, West suddenly comments, “If Jase wasn’t expecting us back, I’d suggest we stop at a hotel.” His right arm drapes lazily over the steering wheel and his left rests on the open window. He looks completely at ease with the cool morning air sending his blond hair flying in all directions.

“What for?” I ask.

When he glances at me, his eyes are heated. “For a littlealonetime.”

My mouth goes dry.Oh.

Shit. Now I’m getting hard.

West chuckles, knowing perfectly well what he’s done to me. I decide to give him a dose of his own medicine.

“Damn, you’re right. I would have liked a nice, hard fuck.” My words have more than the intended effect: West swerves the SUV, cursing under his breath.

I sit up straight, my seatbelt pulling at me. “Dammit, West, be careful!”

“You’re the one who made me do it!” Both hands on the steering wheel now, he shakes his head. “Jesus, Logan.”

I chuckle. “Sorry. I guess I let my competitive nature get the best of me.”

He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “You really want that?”

“Do I really want what?”

He glares at me. “Anice, hard fuck.”

My face heats. “Uh.” I stare out the windshield. “I mean, yeah. Eventually.”

West curses some more, and we don’t talk for a while.

“There’s a sign for a Motel 6,” West suddenly says.

“I saideventually!”

“I know that, but we could fool around a little.” His cheeks are pink, which is kind of cute.

---