I open my mouth, but he snaps his fingers.
"Aye! Don't answer that. Of course there is something wrong with them. They're boys, not men." He lowers his voice and leans closer. "Am I the first real man you've ever had, Lauren?"
"No," I state.
"Ya sure?"
I stay quiet.
"Ah, I am."
"No, you're not. I've been with lots of older men."
"Lots?" he teases.
I nudge him with my elbow. "Stop. Don't put me into a box and turn me into one of your loose women just because we did what we did last night."
He holds his hands out. "Easy. I'm not putting ya in any box. I never said that. I don't think just because ya have sex that makes ya a loose woman."
"Ya don't?" I ask, not believing him.
"Nah."
"Then what would make a woman loose?"
"If you've fucked every bloke that walked in here, I might call ya loose. Just because ya have some casual sex from time to time, I don't think that makes ya loose."
I ponder his statement, wondering if I should trust it.
"Lauren, chill out. Everything's good." He kisses me, but it's quick and leaves me wanting more. The desperate feeling I had when I first woke up and realized he was leaving reappears. I hate it. I'm not a needy person. I definitely don't need a man, and I don't even know why I like him. He's so arrogant.
He takes his fingers and curls them around my neck but doesn't squeeze. Tingles race down my spine. He stares at his hand for a moment and states, "Ya really are a beautiful lass." He gives me another chaste kiss, then releases me and steps back. He declares, "I'm going to take a shower, although I know I'm going to regret washing your smell off me."
I don't say anything and watch him go into the bathroom. He doesn't shut the door and turns on the water. He glances over his shoulder and smirks. "Ya can watch me if ya want."
"You're annoying," I say and shut the door, but I instantly regret it. It would've been nice to watch him shower. His body's like that of a God. I don't think I've ever been with a man as muscular as Devin. He's not over-the-top with the steroid look some guys in our town possess.
No, Devin's body is flawless.
I glance down at mine, and all my insecurities flood me. "Goddammit, stop it," I curse myself. I walk away from the door and pick my clothes from last night off the floor. I toss them in the laundry basket. Then I grab Devin's shirt and pants and toss them on the bed.
His wallet drops to the floor, fanning open. I reach for it and am about to shut it, but the words on his license make me freeze.
My heart pounds harder. I stare at it.
No, no, no.
This can't be true.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
I keep staring at the license, panicking.
It reads Devin O'Connor.
It has to be a coincidence.
As the shock wears off, I slowly put two and two together.