Misadventures of a Rookie (Misadventures #11)(33)

Either way, the night wasn’t a total loss, and it wasn’t even over yet.

“Yeah, it sucks, but I don’t want to lose my hand,” I said with a small laugh.

She smiled over at me, nodding. “Yeah, that would suck.”

“Exactly. How could I grab your ass or tits with only one hand?”

Rolling her eyes, she looked back at the road. “No one said you’re touching either my ass or my tits.”

I scoffed. “You wouldn’t stop me. Especially if I went after those naughty bits with my mouth.”

She squirmed in her seat, and I fought back my laughter.

“Now, you never said mouth. You said hands.” She smiled as she glanced back at the road. “So, Sweetie?”

I exhaled hard. “Apparently. I would have called her Smooches or something, so it’s good he named her.”

She giggled. “Really? I thought you’d name her Puck or something hockey-ish.”

I shook my head. “No way. She’s too pretty. You’ll have to come over and meet her. You didn’t get a good look at her, and Max gave her a bath, apparently.”

She inhaled sharply as she turned. “He’s been busy.”

“Yep. He has time. He isn’t getting laid right now.”

Her faced scrunched up as she laughed. “How do you know that? Wait, you guys admit that to each other?”

I scoffed and waved her off. “No, but his girlfriend is back home. She’s waiting to see where he gets called up. There is talk he’ll get traded soon, so they’re waiting, and since he isn’t the cheating type, he isn’t having sex, except of the phone variety. FYI, she’s loud.”

I expected her to laugh—I mean, that was funny—but she didn’t. “Do you expect him to cheat?”

Of course that was what she heard out of that whole thing. “No, I’m just pointing out why he isn’t getting laid.”

“Oh.”

“He loves the girl, a lot, and it’s cute, I guess.”

“You guess,” she commented, very sassy-like.

I eyed her. “You’re setting me up for failure here, Bocephus.”

She scoffed. “You’re the one talking.”

I glared at her. “You’re trying to use my words against me so you can figure a way out of this.”

She stopped the car. “Out of this?” She scowled at me.

We were parked outside her apartment.

“Yes, this.” I said. “Don’t ask me what this, but this.”

She rolled her eyes. “That makes a lot of sense.”

I stayed in the car a few seconds longer so I could watch her get out and check out her ass. Then I followed close behind. As she led the way up the stairs, neither of us said anything. I wasn’t sure if it was because we both were anticipating what was about to happen in her room or if she was still pissed. Either way, I was on edge, and my cock was hard as fuck. Especially after the show she made of jiggling her ass as she climbed an endless number of stairs.

Finally we reached the door, and she fished for her keys. “Lizzy isn’t home.”

I came up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and nuzzling my nose in her hair. “Good. Means you can scream as loud as you want.”

She didn’t acknowledge me, just opened the door and went inside. Before I could make it in, she stopped and looked at me. She blocked my entry by leaning her hip against the doorframe.

She wasn’t going to let me in!

“Really?”

“Gus—”

“You aren’t going to let me in because of that comment?”

Holding my gaze, she slowly shook her head. “Actually, no, that’s not it.” I drank in her face, the uncertainty in her eyes and flush that began at her neck, running down her chest. “Listen, it’s actually more.”

I waited as she just stood there staring me down. “And that is?”

She exhaled hard, her face filling with flush as she shook her head. “This is so stupid—”

“It’s not stupid if you feel it. Just tell me, what’s wrong? I thought we were banging.”

She held her hand up to me and nodded. “That. That’s all you want, and somehow, I’ve, sorta, kinda, well… I started… Fucking hell, I kinda don’t hate you anymore.”

I curved my lips in a knowing smile as she let out a long, frustrated breath.

“And if I let you in and take you to bed and do all the naughty shit I dream of doing with you, I don’t think I would be able to handle you ignoring me and blowing me off, like I know you will once you get what you want. What I want too. I’ve been really hurt, Gus, like bone-deep hurt, and I feel like you could do that to me. And I know I’m being pathetic, but honestly, I can’t. You’re too much of a distraction. At least this way, you walking one way, me walking the other way, there are no hard feelings.”

There was so much to say. It was all there, but I was wrung tight, and all I could do was stare at her.

“See? Now I’ve freaked you out. Go on, run away, Gus the Bus. I’m sure you won’t go to bed alone. Thanks for a great night. Hope your hand gets better.”

She tried to shut the door, but I reached out and stopped her. She looked from the door back to me. “First, I don’t want anyone else in my bed but you.” Pushing the door open, I went toe-to-toe with her, capturing her sweet face in my good hand. I ran my thumb along her lip, lost in those blue eyes that rattled me so deeply. “Second, who said anything about blowing you off or ignoring you?”