Page 16 of Confined Space

I have the bags in my hands and go outside to see Coral standing at the bus stop. I stop at my truck and drop off the groceries. When I shut the door and turn back toward her, she’s getting on the bus. My girl is always running, and I need to put a stop to that.

"Fuck," I exclaim again, and jump into my truck. I dial my mom's cell.

"Hello, Son. When are you going to be here?"

"I'm running late. Did you say you knew where Coral lives?"

"Yes, I do know where she lives. Why?"

"I just need to know." I don't want to embarrass Coral, so I don't tell Mom what happened at the store.

"Do you remember where Georgia lives?"

"The apartments over on Val Verde?"

"Yep, those. She’s in the unit across from Georgia. I'm assuming you’re going over there to finally ask her out again?"

"Not exactly, but I'm heading that way."

I make it to the apartment complex and see her walking down the street from the bus stop. She walks right by my truck with her head down and her shoulders slumped. My heart clenches knowing that she's feeling defeated. I want to help her. She has no one.

I get out of the truck and unload all the bags. I think about her riding a bus and walking with all of this in her hands and Archer on her chest. My little Mouse is a tough one. I climb the stairs two at a time and walk over to the door she just entered. I knock, expecting her to answer right away since she just closed the door. If she hadn’t been so in her head, she would have seen me climbing the stairs.

After a few moments, I knock again. This time I hear a small thump against the door.

"Open the door, Coral," I demand.

"Go away, Rowdy," she says through the door.

"I'm not leaving. Open the door, little Mouse."

"Don't call me that." I can hear the sass in her voice. "Go back to your girlfriend. Archer is taking a nap, and I'm tired too." Archer lets out a cry right then.

"Liar."

"Fine." The deadbolt clicks and then the door is opened, but she leaves the chain in place. She looks at me and sees the bags. Anger flashes in the sliver I can see of her eyes.

"Open up."

"No." Her voice is firmer. "Take that all back. I don't need or want your handout."

"Can't. Sales final." I smirk.

"If you can't return it, donate it to someone else." Damn, the spark of her anger is sexy.

"Open the door, I'm tired of standing here fighting.”

Her emotions flash across her face as she decides if she’s going to let me in or not. She looks at me and the bags again before she slams the door closed. I hear the scratch of the chain as she slides it back, then the door opens wide. My girl is standing there with her hands on her hips. The neckline of her sexy tank top is low enough I can see the swell of her breasts. The need to cover her is instant, and now I know what Marco struggled with when Calysta wore bikinis. Gently I push her back and step into her world. I kick the door closed behind me and wrestle the bags past her into the kitchen. I drop them on the counter and try to calm myself. I can’t go at her like I want. I see the walls that she has up as if they were real in front of us. But her sweet scent is everywhere. I can't stand the fact that for the first time something in me wants to claim this woman and let others know she is mine.

"I don't need your pity," she says.

I drag my eyes up and down her sexy body in that moment. Her anger makes her look sexier than I could have imagined. Her hands are on her hips still, her feet braced apart. Her arm with the brace on it stands out against her lightly tanned skin. Her breasts are now spilling over the top of her shirt. My cock jumps behind my fly, and I have the urge to adjust myself. As my eyes reach her face, she flushes and looks everywhere but at me. She must have been checking me out when my cock moved, and she saw it. I advance on her.

"It's not pity. I'm going to kiss you now, so work out whatever you need to behind those sexy eyes." I come toe to toe with her and snake one hand down to her hip, pulling her closer to me. The other cups her cheek, and I tip her head back. Her breasts are heaving. I lean down, intent on her lips this time, not her forehead. My lips brush against her soft, plump lips in a flutter. I press against them again, a little harder this time, and she pushes up into me more, her hands gripping my shirt. Her brace pressed between us is awkward. I pull back for a second, remembering her fear, but right now all I see are her flushed cheeks and her passion-filled eyes.

Needing her lips again, I lean down, wrapping my big hands around her sweet ass, and pull her up to me. My lips are firm against hers. My tongue slips out and she sighs, opening her mouth. I angle her head so I can take her deeper, but I can't get her close enough. I push her back against the wall and lift her body. She's so slight in my arms. Her legs wrap around my hips, and I press my body into her as a jolt moves through me. I eat at her mouth, taking from her as much as she'll give me. She's moaning and moving against me without fear. I want to fist bump myself that she's not afraid of me, but I'm so focused on not stripping her right here and taking her.

A cry sounds through the room, and I pull back from her. She's trying to squirm out of my arms, but I keep her pressed against the wall.

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