Page 41 of Desperate Haste
“Hmm?”
“Can we just have sex with each other? No one else…just you and me?” If her eyes were open she would see the smile that spreads across my face as I realize what she just asked me. It might not be to be her boyfriend, but it’s an ask to be exclusive, which, for a girl like her, is a big step. I wrap my arms around her body and hold her tighter.
“I think we can make that happen, princess.”
21
MALCOLM
Iended up staying at her place the entire weekend, too afraid to leave her until I knew she was done vomiting. Thankfully, she woke up the next morning after our middle of the night shower feeling like a new person. I could tell she was feeling better because she didn’t skip a beat when busting my balls or telling me not to be dumb. As much as she tried to tell me to go home, I refused and told her that if she wanted me to leave, she would have to physically remove me herself. We ended up spending Sunday together, watching TV, and slowly introducing normal foods back into her diet. When she managed to keep all three meals down, I knew we were in the clear. It wasn’t how I intended to spend my weekend off from the bar, but I would do it again in a heartbeat if she needed me to.
“Are you sure you’re feeling up to going to work today? It’s okay to call out, you know. You did spend all weekend barfing into a trash can.”
“Okay, one, it’s too soon to say any words associated with food poisoning. And two, I’m fine. I ate all day yesterday without getting sick and I haven’t felt nauseous since Saturday. I’m going to work.” She looks at me in the mirror of her vanity which she is sitting at getting ready for the day. Her hair is done and in loose curls down her back and she is wearing a black pantsuit that looks like it costs more than my monthly rent. I stand up from the bed where I’ve been watching her and step up behind her, our eyes catching in the mirror.
“Are you sure you can’t stay here? I could give you a job to do. Or I could do a job on you if that’s what you wanted.” I bend over at the waist and wrap my arms around her center, resting my hands gently on her soft stomach. She bumps into me before turning so that her nose is in my neck, making me wish desperately that she would kiss it. Or bite it.
“No way. I might feel better but I don’t think I feelthatmuch better.” As if she heard my prayer, she takes my ear in between her teeth and nips it. “Maybe tomorrow if you’re good.”
“Consider me on my best behavior,” I hum, kissing the top of her shoulder and letting her stand from the stool.
“Are you at the bar today?” she asks, walking into her closet and coming back out with a pair of high heels dangling from her fingers. They are bright pink and match the lipstick she just painted on.
“Yep. I open so I was going to run home to shower and head there. I’m off at six and plan on going to the training center after work.” We move into the living room as she collects her things and slips on her heels.
“You can just shower here if you want, I can leave you my key and you can just put it under the mat.”
“Are you sure?” My voice picks up at the end, surprised by her offer.
“You spent your entire weekend taking care of me while I expelled my entire body weight worth of puke. The least I can do is let you use my shower so you don’t have to rush home and be late for work.” She’s standing at the kitchen island where her work bag sits patiently waiting for its Monday commute. Reaching in, she digs around until she pulls out her keyring and removes her house key before handing it to me. Instead of just taking the key, I take her entire hand in mine and pull her into me.
“Careful there, little fox, someone may think you like me as more than just a casual fuck if they see you giving me a key to your place.” I give her a cocky smile as I look down at her.
“Oh please, I would just tell them that I’m giving you a key so you can sneak into my place in the dead of night so you can have your way with me,” she chides as I hold her against my chest. I love that I can tell her cheeks have turned the faintest shade of pink.
“Just say the word,” I muse, dropping my hands down her back and settling them square on her ass. She pushes me back gently and looks at me with a sideways smile.
“Nice try. Here”—she presses the key into my chest—“take this. I have to leave or Dale will ask questions I don’t want to answer.”
I take the key from her hand before she turns away from me and grabs her bag from the counter. She’s about to open the front door when I stop her again.
“Hey.”
“What?” She turns around to look at me. When she does, I close the space between us and pull her into a kiss. When she pulls away, her eyes are wide and staring back into mine.
“I hope you have a good day,” I offer with a lazy smile. For a fraction of a second I see her lips twitch into what could be considered a smile before she rolls her eyes, trying to pretend like I didn’t just make her swoon.
“This is way too fucking domestic for me. Goodbye, pretty boy. Enjoy your shower.”
“I’ll be thinking about you while I do,” I call out as she closes the door behind her, shaking her head at me as she does.
Twenty minutes later I’m stepping out of the shower, my hair dripping water onto the floor, when I hear a key turning in the front door. I wipe my body off and am scrubbing my head with the towel as I step out into the doorway. At the same time, I hear the front door close.
“Did you forget something?” I ask, waiting for Ophelia to answer.
“Ahhhhhh!” A blood curdling scream rings out through the condo and I look up to see Bailey covering her eyes with her hands and quickly turning around to face away from me.
“Shit,” I exclaim, furiously bringing the towel from my head to my crotch, trying to cover myself even though I’m pretty confident she’s already seen everything she needed to see.
