Just Her Luck (59 page)

You couldn’t miss the sucker.

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I, uh, the condom I used when we had fun in my truck…”

“Yeah, it broke.” I shrugged. “Shit happens.”

“Well… it was kind of old…”

Kind of old?

My brows quirked up at that.

“How
old?”

“Don’t hate me, honey, but, well, you know… I…” He blushed, looking away.

Ohhhh.

“You did it on purpose.” I stated it bluntly, keeping my voice carefully neutral.

“Uhm...”

“Just nod. Nodding works for me,” I instructed.

He nodded.

“You didn’t care, though, did you?” I told him, “Because you wanted to fuck my brains out or you were hoping it would break?”

He spluttered, mouth opening and closing in an odd gape.

I shut it for him, my finger tucked up under his chin.

I’m really not surprised at all.

And why should I be? Didn’t their mama warn me they were relentless when they wanted something?

I should have listened.

“Are you going to ever do anything like that again?” My finger tightened on his chin, keeping it pinned in place.

“Just nod, Dr. Sawyer.”

He nodded.

“Good,” I said sweetly, grinning triumphantly.

I gave his face a hard, patting slap and let go.

I proceeded to get comfortable, laying my head over his heart, snuggling up flush against him in his warm bed, getting ready to veg out.

He let out a relieved breath, his face relaxing.

“You aren’t mad?” he asked tentatively, stroking my hair gently.

God, how I love his big, strong hands, handling me so tenderly.

Ahem. And sometimes so roughly.

I grinned against his chest, lips pulling back wide.

He stroked along my smiling lips, then my cheeks, and I nuzzled into his touch.

“I’m not surprised, not really. I mean, at least you
attempted
to put one on, even if you did hope it would break. I shouldn’t be pregnant and won’t be getting that way unless I will it. So we’ll just forget about it-
this one time.
Do it again and I can’t guarantee you’ll come out whole.”

I gestured at the condoms.

“You want some of
this
, lion man,” I thrust my pantie clad sex against his thick, naked, hairy leg suggestively, “You’ll have to wear one of
those
from now on,” I pointed at the jar meaningfully, “otherwise,” I shook my head, “it’s no dice.”

He chuckled and flipped me over onto my back, caging me in with his much larger body.

I relished his warmth, breathing deeply of his masculine scent.

All male, all man, and all mine.

I ran my hands greedily over all those miles and miles of taut flexing muscle and man, my eyes and fingers devouring every inch.

“I can do that.” His voice got all deep and smoky, smooth as molasses.

My hand reached between us and I stroked his length, pulling my hand back when he let out a purring growl.

Merowr!

He slowly settled himself down on top of me, giving an experimental thrust.

Mmm, yes.

“Mmmm,” I moaned eagerly, rubbing myself back against him, “Show me what you’ve got, goldie locks.”

He growled his sexy growl, making me shiver, and I gave a throaty laugh.

He immediately reached for the condom jar, almost knocking it over in his haste.

Mmmm, Mr. Harrison, make me purr!

And boy did he ever.

Two Cents In

“You’re up late.”

Reeve plopped down next to me on the front porch and wiggled a can at me.

I shook my head.

He wiggled it again.

“I don’t drink.” I shook my head again.

“I know. It’s a soda pop.”

He turned the label so I could see it, and I took it and held it between my knees.

He popped open another beer and sighed after he took a long, slow sip.

We sat there quietly and I popped open my tab and took a sip, enjoying the cool night air, listening to the crickets chirping away in the background.

“I like it out here,” I said into the quiet, staring off at the pretty night sky, all lit up with bright shining stars, the constellations clear out here, “I used to wish on every shooting star, hoping my wish would come true.” I took another sip, not expecting him to answer.

I don’t really know why I’d even told him that much. I’m not really one to talk about my childhood, at all.

Guess I’m just feeling gabby right now.

Sawyer and I had gone a few rounds, a quick hard coupling, followed by a slow, sweet loving, then a break and then another hot quickie.

My sweet man of the golden locks and warm brown eyes had fallen asleep with a smile on his scrumptious mug, back to his old Sawyer-licious self.

Happy and sated, I’d lain there wide awake, listening to his deep, even breathing.

No matter how hard I’d tried though, I just couldn’t sleep, so I’d come out here, hoping the calm would lull me.

“Did it work?” Reeve asked, breaking in on my thoughts.

I looked at him blankly for a minute.

He motioned at me with his beer, his expression earnest.

I was closest to his bad eye, staring sightlessly at me, so he angled himself more to get a good look at my face.

“Your wishes, did any of them come true?” he asked quietly.

I laughed bitterly and looked away from him, staring off again.

“Not once.”

We settled into a comfortable quiet again and I tapped on the side of my can idly.

“What did you wish for?” Reeve asked softly, rolling his beer can from side to side in his hands.

“Why are you being so nice to me
now
? Why now?” I let my incredulity bleed out of me, turning to fully face him.

“What do you mean?” he asked evasively, coughing uncomfortably.

“Gee…
I dunno…
why defend me from ass wipe when you yourself have said the same damned things? You hate me, I ruined your life, and according to you, your brothers’ now too. You already got what you wanted from me and you’re never going to fucking get it again, so why waste your precious breath? Why is the oh, so great Reeve Harrison deigning to talk to the pierced, cousin lovin’, whoring, white trashed home wrecker who’s not good enough for his brothers, but is good enough for a few nice fucks.”

My chest heaved a little as I let it all out, my eye twitching madly.

I thought I’d gotten rid of that shit- the eye twitch.

It didn’t do it when ass wipe was trying to assault me, so why now?

I must be fuckin’ defective.

I sat my can down and cradled my head in my hands, pulling at my hair in frustration.

“I’m sorry, Genevieve. I was wrong. So fuckin’ wrong about you…”

“Just like that?” I snorted, shaking my head in disbelief.

What? He just woke up and changed his mind?

I don’t buy it.

I laughed, a self-deprecating bark that had his once down turned head shooting up to stare at me.

“What changed your mind? The fact that I didn’t fuck that guy? Or do you just feel sorry for me now?”

“NO!”

“Then what? Huh? What was it
I
did-
me
- that changed the adamant mind of the immovable Reeve of the Harrisons?”

“I just thought about things… a lot of things… and I changed my mind.”

So vague.

I snorted derisively.

He just wants to get on my good side.

But why?

Fuck me! Does it really matter?

Like I’ll ever let him hurt me again
, I thought angrily.
I’ll build a mental wall so thick against him he’ll have to dig through China to get to me.

He probably just wants to know if I’d be willing for another fuck or something.

I clinked my can with his, mocking him. “Cheers to you, then.”

He scowled at me.

“I’m trying to make amends with you,” he gritted out, gripping his can hard.

Restless and looking for a fight now, I kept on.

Bring it, old man.

“Why? Couldn’t come up with anymore good quips and don’t want to look like a fool in front of your peers?”

“Genevieve…”

“What? I’m just supposed to believe you’ve suddenly had a quick turn around?
Pfft
. Save it. I learned my lesson the first time with you, I’m not so stupid to fall for it again.”

I got up like I was going to leave, but he hopped up and followed me.

“You think that’s what I’m doing? Trying to get me some?” His voice was laced with derision, but it was more inwardly directed, sounding more pissed at himself than me.

It gave me a moment of pause, but I brushed it aside as I went to the kitchen, hoping he’d take the hint and leave.

It had been a long day and it was late. Everyone else had already called it a night.

Right now, it was just he and I.

I ignored him and rinsed out my can, walking outside to put it in the barrel of recyclables.

Yes, we recycle.

Now they do, I should say.

His arm wrapped around my upper arm and he brought me around to face him.

Even though it was dark out, he saw the hurt and vulnerability I always try so hard to mask, his face shadowed in the moonlight.

I glanced away, embarrassed by my slip.

I shrugged and tried to play it off.

“Fine. Whatever. We can call it a truce. Cool.” I yanked my arm away and tried to breeze past him and into the house.

“Not everyone is like your mother, hell cat,” he called softly, his voice low and quiet, almost hushed.

I stopped and walked back out, pivoting slowly.

“What did you just say?” My blood thrummed in my ears, making me think my ear drums were going to pop, heart beating fiercely, eye twitching madly like at any second it might make my eye ball pop out of my head.

“You heard me.”

“What the fuck would you know about
my
mother?” I growled, advancing on him quickly.

My finger thrust out to point at him accusingly. “You don’t know shit. So mind your own damn business.”

“You gonna push them away too when they hurt you, gremlin? Whether it’s on purpose or not?”

Taken aback, I opened my mouth to answer, blast him, give him what for, but nothing came out.

“Isn’t that what you’re doing? Pushing me away.” He walked up to me calmly and his fingers brushed mine, a light caress.

They were just as warm and calloused as I’d remembered.

A zing zipped through me at his touch, just like it had all the other times, but I jerked and pulled my hands back as if I’d been burned.

He noticed the action and dropped his hands to his sides.

I shook my head at him and backed away.

“You asshole. You don’t know shit. You’re just trying to fuck with my head. The mom bit was just a lucky guess.”

He looked at me sadly, pleading at me with a beseeching look for something.

What though?

“
You
told me.”

“NO! No, I didn’t,” I insisted, gob smacked, “I’d never trust you with something…” I trailed off, my voice quivering slightly at the end.

I’d never trust you with something so private, so personal. Never him.

My hands trembled a teeny bit and I shoved them into my pockets.

“You did.”

He stepped towards me, but I jumped back, my butt hitting the wall.

“NO!” I put a hand out to still him.

“When you got your stitches and flipped your shit they gave you something to calm you down, remember? Well… you talked the whole way home, Genevieve. You
did
tell me.”

“Just… just, shut up!”

“I’m right, aren’t I?” he whispered.

I swallowed hard.

God, what did I say?

My breath left me in a whoosh.

I looked at his face and the sympathy swimming in his eyes.

I told him a lot, judging by that.

Too much, in fact.

A surge of anger rushed through me, boiling up and out.

Right at this moment, I hated him, hated the pity I knew he felt for me, saw it in his face.