Slut - Woodruff Jettie - Страница 22

“Good evening, Mrs. Pierce. How are you?” Paxton asked through a sneer and narrowed eyes, his body barricading the door.

I turned my lips to the left, giving him half a smile while I wondered if this new ‘Mrs. Pierce’ was because he didn’t know what to call me anymore. Izabella or Gabriella.

Neither one of us spoke. I crossed my arms while he stayed planted, keeping me from entering through the screen door with his rock hard body. No doubt about it, I was doomed.

“I said, good evening,” he repeated.

I looked up, wishing he’d drop his hands from the door. The position zoned in on too many of his good qualities. Like the tan line around his waist and his jeans, hanging loosely over his hips. Like the way his abs showed every possible, defined muscle. Like the way his chest and arms bulged, reminding me of how they looked when he towered above. The image of my legs wrapped around him staring at the same build refused to leave my mind.

“Jesus, move,” I said as my hands touched him, one on his chest and one on his ribs. His solid body stayed still, unmoved by my attempt to sidestep him. My fingers relaxed and my senses heightened, feeling him, really feeling him, his skin warm against mine. The folder in my hand made a crinkling noise as I unconsciously slipped it to my armpit.

He didn’t move. Not at all. His eyes bored into mine, but I refused to look. I stared past his right arm, to the pink Lego underneath a chase lounge by the pool instead.

I bit hard on my bottom lip when his hands moved from above to me. His fingers wrapped lightly around both my wrists, and he pulled them away from his body. It wasn’t until then that I realized I was still touching him, and enjoying it.

“Kiss me.”

I tried like hell to hide my laugh, biting harder on the inside of my jaw. “You’re crazy. Like batshit crazy.”

Paxton laughed that time. A real laugh. Not the fake kind I was used to. “I wonder what that makes you.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat while I watched his mouth move toward mine. “Good point,” I agreed as our lips met. Who was I to call anyone crazy? The fact that I was now kissing the man who had me arrested a few days before deemed me crazier than anyone I knew. Raging lunatic. I didn’t kiss him back, not at first. Paxton parted my lips with his tongue and I let him. I was okay with that. It wasn’t until he lifted my shirt and ran his hands up my ribs that I liquefied into him. Stupid, stupid, endorphins. Just like that, I became a puddle of erotic hormones, a lovesick teenager in heat.

I kissed him back while my body melted into his, sending an array of ecstasy searing between us. Things heated up quick, and I completely forgot about my problem. Paxton did not. He pulled away first, leaving me panting with a steady thump between my legs, and soft words to my lips. “Do you want to shower before you eat? Take care of that vagina problem you have going on?”

“That’s not my vagina problem anymore.”

Paxton snickered and kissed me with one more soft peck. “I know. Your clothes are on your bed. Don’t wake the girls,” he ordered as he slid the envelope from my arm. I tried to grab it, but he was faster and taller. Damn. I didn’t want him to have that first.

“Don’t open it until I get back.”

Paxton kissed me again and took a step back. “I don’t think you do the telling around here.”

I walked past him, shaking my head and rolling my eyes, not at him though, at myself. What the hell was wrong with me? Had to be the head injury, nothing else could explain my stupidity. I mean, come on, I had to fight the urge to take my clothes off. Geez. My internal verbal abuse halted when I walked into the house, a sense of unbelonging fell over me as I entered. It felt strange being there, like a lie, like I was a stranger. Unable to help myself, I did throw away a half-eaten pop tart and picked up Lucy the Lioness from the floor, tossing her to the sofa.

As hard as it was, I refrained from opening either door as I made my way to the end of the hall. Not because Paxton told me not to, but because I had the other problem to deal with first. I needed a shower and a tampon, and then I planned to open the doors, both of them.

The shower felt amazing, my lavender scented body wash was a missed delight, and my expensive shampoo beat the hell out of the cheap stuff I’d been using. I thought I was just spoiled, turned out to be the truth, you get what you pay for. I didn’t even mind the thongs Paxton laid out for me, they too felt missed. I decided then that I had indeed lost my mind. I seconded the motion when I applied makeup and lipstick. I didn’t even know why, it wasn’t like I could even seduce him, I was on my period.

I disobeyed, opting out of the clothes chosen for me. I didn’t need a nightgown because I wouldn’t be staying. The lie left my mind as I slid a psychedelic, green, blue, and orange, sundress over my head. Paxton wouldn’t let me leave. I knew it as much as he did.

My heart warmed as soon as my hand came in contact with the cold doorknob. It warmed even more when I saw my sleeping Rowan, curled in a cute little ball with a new stuffed cat cuddled in her arms. That explained why Lucy was all alone in the living room. She’d been replaced by her feline cousin. I brushed hair from her face and kissed her little cheek.

Her eyes fluttered open and then closed right before she realized I was really there. “Mommy! You got home. Daddy said you wasn’t leaving the hospital until the morning. Are you all better now? Why didn’t you call me? You said next time you would.”

I sat on the edge of her bed and hugged her tight, taking in the same lavender scent as my own hair. “I’m sorry, the phones weren’t working there. I told your dad to give you a big hug and tell you I love you every day.”

“Well, he did, but I still missed you.”

“I missed you, too. A whole, whole bunch,” I admitted as I squeezed even tighter. These two little girls sure did change things. They made me want to stay. I never wanted to be away from them. Ever.

“You don’t listen at all anymore,” Paxton said from the door. His demeanor had changed and I knew he looked. He wasn’t playful Paxton anymore, even his posture was stiffer, and his body was covered with a Florida State t-shirt.

“I couldn’t help it. I missed them,” I admitted to Paxton while turning to Rowan. “You go to sleep and I will see you in the morning,” I promised with a kiss to her nose.

“Promise?” she questioned, arms fighting to be freed from the tight cocoon, I’d tucked her into.

“Pinky swear. Night sweetie. I love you to the moon and back.”

“I love you, too,” she said through a yawn.

“Night, Row. Love you,” Paxton said as I walked past him and straight to Ophelia’s door, the nickname noted with a smile.

“You called her Row,” I accused.

“Shut up. Don’t wake her,” he ordered with a hand around my wrists, trying to keep me from going in.

“I have to. You go four days without seeing them. Tell me how you like it,” I said as the doorknob turned in my hand.

An audible breath was heard when he breathed deep, letting me go. I’m sure he knew he wouldn’t win this one. Lucky for him, it took two minutes with Phi. Unlike Rowan, she didn’t move a muscle. Not even when I moved her leg from an awkward position and covered her up. I kissed her forehead and whispered that I loved her while Paxton waited at the door.

“Your food is outside,” Paxton said with an open palm, letting me walk in front of him.

“And the drink?” I questioned, hair flipping around my shoulder as I tried to flirt and read him at the same time. He didn’t answer and the expression on his face was unnatural. Not like I was used to seeing from him. It wasn’t angry, it wasn’t smirky, and it wasn’t playful. That’s all I knew. This one looked like he’d been punched in the gut, causing me to worry about the evidence he knew and I didn’t.