Page 17 of Carver's Obsession

“If I fit in, I guess.”

“From what I hear, you already do.”

Erica wished that was true, but she wouldn’t hold her breath.

“I am trying to get to know the women. I really like them.”

“They’re good people. Before I came back a few months ago, I hadn’t really been around decent women. The only ones I’ve had to deal with are the whores that were in every bar I stopped at.”

“You lived here before?” she asked.

“Yes. I had to leave for a while to get my head on straight.”

“Now you’re okay?’ she asked.

“Yeah. I’m not ready to kill anyone this time. I’ve mellowed.”

She studied his strong facial features. His green eyes looked like the color of a forest. His skin was tan, and his hair dark. He kept it very short, so it was hard to tell exactly what color it was.

She could see his five o’clock shadow. He hadn’t shaved it so far, but he did keep it close to his face. The tendons in his neck and hands stood out, showing his strength. His hands made tingles race down her spine. To have those on her skin would drive her mad.

Erica tried to concentrate on his words, but it was becoming harder with each passing minute.

“Are you planning on napping this afternoon?” he asked.

“I hadn’t thought about that. The girls were going to teach me poker.”

“Fuck.”

She looked surprised. “What?”

“Usually when they play, they get stoned or drunk.”

Erica’s eyes widened. “I would have never guessed those women did that.”

“Oh, yeah. They keep the men on their toes.”

“Do they like that?” Erica asked.

“They act all pissy at first, but I can tell they enjoy when the women push them, and they have to punish them.”

“Punish?”

“Yeah. From what I understand, the girls like it as much as the men. The guys would never hurt them.”

Erica yawned.

“Lay your head down for a bit.”

“I don’t want to go to sleep on you,” she said.

“I want that very much.” He tucked her face against his neck and had her curl into him. “Are you comfortable?”

She hummed and nodded. “I’ll just rest for a minute.” The heat from his body wrapped around her, making her even more tired.

“You’re fine. It’s a great day out.”

She had no more energy to answer, so she fell asleep.

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