Bet on It (71)

She knew what it meant if she won. Understood fully that the pact she and Walker had made was still intact. And while either of them could pull out of it at any time if they didn’t want to participate, the option was there. The chance to have him again dangled in the balance. That felt exceptionally precarious, since she had so few chances left for it to happen.

Her eyes scanned her sheet with sharper and sharper focus at every ball that was pulled. Each time a number she didn’t have was called, she became slightly more demoralized. There were only three balls left spinning in the cage. That meant three very close, very real chances for her to walk out of the hall with a win and an excuse to have Walker inside her again. She shivered. It was so close, but she refused to let herself believe it would actually happen. She would save herself from the disappointment when she had to crawl into her bed alone again. She wasn’t going to win. She was not one of the lucky ones. Hadn’t she learned that already?

It seemed to happen in slow motion. The caller’s thin lips formed words that she couldn’t read from across the room, no matter how hard she tried.

“N69—either way up.”

Aja gasped, sucking in air so hard that she nearly choked on it. She’d gotten it. She’d won. She’d fucking won.

She looked over at Walker, eyes wide in shock. He looked confused for a second before he looked down at her sheet and saw the horizontal row of dauber prints right in the center. His eyes widened too, realization flooding into his gaze.

“Say somethin’,” he said quietly.

“What?” She was too stunned to comprehend much.

“You have to tell them you won, Aja.”

She swallowed. Was there anything someone with an anxiety disorder hated more than public speaking? Well, yes, tons of things, but it was still pretty fucking far up the list. She wanted this too much not to claim it though. Wanted to be able to say that she’d won, wanted the prize and recognition that came with it. And more than anything, she wanted the chance to be with the man she loved again.

“Bingo!” A few heads turned to stare, but the caller made no move to show that he’d heard her. It was mortifying. “B-Bingo!” she said again, louder. Raising an arm up, waving it around to draw more attention to herself.

It seemed to take the caller forever to make his way to her. When he got to her side of the table, he had to squeeze past the large pole to her right to get to her. It made her cringe.

She held her breath as the caller looked over her sheet. His slightly shaky index finger tracing the bingo as he made sure it was legitimate.

“B13, I24, N36, G50, O69. Well”—he straightened—“looks like we’ve got a bingo. Congratulations, young lady.”

“Th-thank you.”

The confirmation only made her heart beat faster. She took the proof-of-win with trembling hands, turning to look at Walker and Ms. May again. The older woman was grinning, reaching a hand across the table to congratulate her with a warm pat. Walker’s gaze was heavier; he’d moved past the initial shock and settled on something else entirely. She knew exactly what because it was mirrored in her own. This win of hers was worth more than the $300 prize. It meant heat and pleasure and closeness and intimacy. It meant everything.





Chapter 24


“You know, I’ve never actually had sex in this bed before,” she said.

Walker’s hands seemed to be everywhere, stroking and plucking and caressing her so sweetly that she was breathless without any kind of exertion.

“Wait, what?” He pulled his lips away from where they were sucking at the skin of her collarbones. “Seriously?”

Aja nodded. “I haven’t been with anyone since I got to Greenbelt. The only person I’ve been fucking in this bed is myself.”

“Damn.” His breath came out in a rush. “That definitely shouldn’t be as hot as it is, but fuck if that doesn’t make me want to screw you into this mattress even harder to prove I was the first one here.”

It was unrealistic to assume she’d never have anyone else in her bed, especially after he left. As hard of a time as she had connecting with people, she still didn’t plan on being alone forever. But she might have to toss this mattress for a new one once that happened. This was only the second time Walker had been in her apartment, and his first time in her bed, but already it felt like he belonged there, as if allowing anyone else to encroach on this mattress would be a betrayal to the man who had unwittingly taken ownership of it.

After the bingo game was over, Walker had dropped Ms. May off at home and met Aja back at her apartment in under twenty minutes. Aja had been waiting in her doorway, and the second he’d reached the top of the stairs they had jumped on each other. Chests pressed together, arms tangled, they’d kissed like it was the first and last time. He had walked her backwards, his mouth firmly attached to hers, until the backs of her knees touched the edge of her bed and she descended into softness.

It was the first time she’d felt the luxury of his full weight on top of her. Pressing into her body so exquisitely that she flooded her panties instantly. She spread her thighs, her short button-down denim skirt so stiff that it moved to the top of her legs as Walker slid between them. His length was stiff behind his jeans, and she moved her hips up so she could rub herself against him. The edge of his zipper brushed her clit through her panties, the relief of it so intense that it made her throw her head back.