Bait (Wake, #1)(18)

Like I’d witnessed her do before when I had her full attention, she leaned forward eager for more information.

“It's a hook and a fish,” I said.

Her laugh bellowed and she quickly shut it off, re-masking her face with rapt interest.

I said, “See a fish doesn't want a hook. They'd probably rather not meet one and they're a bitch to get rid of. You follow?”

She bobbed her head with rapt attention. “And a hook, well it's only a hunk of metal. It doesn't know anything. Right?”

“Yeah.”

“You have to add something special to these two to bring them together. Something that one can't shake and the other can't resist.” I wrapped my hands around her low on her hips so I could pull her to me. I wanted her closer. “It's the bait, Blake. The bait is this outside force that brings these two totally different, foreign, objects together. Neither the hook nor the fish have a choice. We have something like that. We have the bait.”

“The bait,” she repeated, almost in a daze. Her brow furrowed. “So am I the hook or the fish? Or am I the bait? Sorry, I'm a little drunk, remember?”

She was adorably lost and I chuckled at her confused expression. “You're the fish.”

“I'm the fish? I'm the fish.” I saw a little light pop on behind her eyes. “I couldn't resist you because of the bait,” she said slowly.

“Right. And I didn't have a choice in the whole f*cking thing because I'm just scrap metal.” I wasn’t sure where it was coming from, but it was true. I had never felt the lesser in a relationship, but with Blake, I was simply the hook. Not in control, and certainly dependent on the bait, or whatever the f*ck it was, to attract the alluring woman before me.

She laughed and for some reason, I felt better.

“Okay. I'll buy some of that, but the hook doesn't want the fish or the bait.”

“See that's where you’re wrong.” I pulled her even closer, placing them over mine, and she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, like we’d sat that way all the time. “The hook's sole purpose is to get the fish. That's what it was meant to do.”

“Okay. That's a little weak, but I'll let it slide because you're cute.” I liked drunk Blake.

“What were you doing up here all by yourself drinking?” In her honey-brown eyes, I saw the sweetness and playfulness I couldn't get enough of.

“I was just thinking. And drinking.” Her eyes darted away and something magical happened. Her nose flushed again, the tip blushing that same pink as it was when I came in.

“What were you thinking about?” She gave me a stubborn look that said ain't going to happen. “You can tell me. It doesn't matter anyway. You're leaving tomorrow and you'll forget all of this happened. So, spill it. What's got your nose all pink?”

“My nose is pink?” She quickly covered it with a small, cupped hand. “Mo mits mot.”

I couldn't fight the chuckle that came from deep within my gut. “Yeah it is and it looked like that last night, too.”

“Whem?” The palm of her hand muffled her embarrassed denial.

“It was a little rosy when I kissed you in the bar, and it was full on red after we—” I stopped as her eyes widened. I moved her hand away from her face. “Stop. Don’t ever hide yourself, it’s you”

“Oh.” Her eyes still eluded mine, until I swerved my head to meet up with them.

“What were you thinking?” I asked.

Her small, pebbled nipples pulled against her shirt as she drew in a lung full of air and released it.

“I think I was tired.”

Tired? Not quite, honeybee. “So you're tired now?”

She shrugged a weak yes. I moved her small body off mine and stood. “Stay right there.” Quickly, grabbing the trashcan on the way, I went to the balcony. Just as I had expected, mini Tequila, Whiskey, and Vodka bottles lined the rim of the small table. I threw them away and straightened up the seats. I returned the receptacle under the desk and headed for the fridge to get two waters and I brought the blanket from the bed back with me.

I planted my ass down on the end of the couch and pulled her down to rest on my lap, throwing the thick white comforter over her legs and bare feet. She lay on her back and gazed up at me.

“Is this what you came here for, Casey?” she asked in the sweetest voice.

“Yep.” And as I ran my fingers through her hair and watched her heavy eyelids battle to stay open, I realized I didn't have it in me to tell her goodbye.

I couldn't evade it. I didn't fully understand it. But it sucked.

“You wanted to come up to my room and talk to me while I am drunk and make fun of my nose and call me a fish.” She brought her hands back to her face, standing as a barrier between her eyes and mine. “You men are all the same.” She was funnier when she wasn't funny at all. She tried to joke again, pretending like she’d heard this song and dance. But this was a brand new song, and I didn’t think either of us had enough footing yet to dance to it.

“Uh-huh, this must happen to you all of the time,” I said sarcastically.

“It does. It's so unoriginal.” Finally, her smile crept across her face and I took one of her hands so she wouldn't eat it whole. I laced my fingers with hers and she placed our joined hands on her chest, right in between her perfect breasts.