Page 19 of The Penalty

“Yeah.” Her voice is soft and dreamy. “Just sleepy.”

Shit, she can’t be comfortable pressed up against the glass, all slick with our combined sweat. She squeals as I scoop her up in my arms, carrying her to the bed before I place her carefully down. I reach up to wipe the damp hair off her rosy cheeks, tucking it behind her little shell-like ears.

I’m staring at myself in the mirror, studying each and every one of the tattoos I’ve gotten over the years. Taking a minute to breathe and try to enjoy the moment. The euphoric haze before the thoughts come racing back to me. I’m not good enough for a girl like her. But it’s fine. I’m only borrowing her for the weekend. She’s the kind of girl who deserves someone special.

I head back to see her, a little cleaner than before, but my limbs are heavy, stretched out like after a hard game or a tough workout. I’m also starving, so I reach into the backpack I placed carefully beside the bed, fingers fumbling until they land on the baggie of snacks I always keep handy.

“What’s up?” she asks.

When I sit up to look at her, she’s blinking at me through eyes hooded and content with sleepiness.

I hold out one of my precious granola bars to her. “Snack?”

A laugh bubbles out of her as she twists into a sitting position. “I can’t believe I forgot about dinner. I’ll order us something. Let me just...” She reaches for the phone, and can’t help checking her out, as sheleans down.

“It’s okay. I’m good.” I hate being a burden. She’s already bought me food today. I don’t want her thinking I’m mooching off her. The rumble of my stomach betrays me and turns her adorable giggle into something more akin to a cackle.

She slaps a hand over her mouth as if she’s embarrassed, so I reach out to pull it away. I love the sheer joy of the sound. My laugh might be rare, but it doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate someone else’s.

“Uh huh. Sure you’re not hungry.” She rolls her eyes as she scans a QR code, bringing up the room service menu on her phone. “I guess I’ll have to eat alone, and I’m not afraid to admit I’m freaking starving. I’d eat my brother’s dirty hockey socks at this point.”

I do a double take. “Your brother plays hockey?”

She groans. “Oh no. Are you a fan? Or wait?” She pauses, narrowing her eyes to sweep a critical eye up and down my body. “Don’t tell me I’ve hooked up with a hockey boy?” Her head falls back to the pillow, a hand falling to her forehead. “I came here for the nerds, the geeks, the weirdos, and artists.”

“Don’t like hockey players?”

“It’s not that I don’t like them, but...” My eyes lock on her lower lip tucked between her teeth as she nibbles away, a little crease popping up between her eyes. “I dated one of his teammates once. It did not end well. He was a witness to the aftermath, and he’s been pretty good at keeping me away from them ever since.”

“Got it.”

She tilts her head, studying me, and holds a finger to her lips. There’s a mischievous twist to them. “But I’ve never been a big fan of rules. And this isn’t exactly dating. We’ll just have to make sure not to tell him.” Her laugh is bright and contagious. Clearly, she’s gotten over the heartbreak.

I relax back onto the bed, swinging an arm over her soft torso. “Not a word.” Nothing to worry about. We already agreed this is only for the con. I’m never going to see this girl again, no matter how delicious she tasted.

“Excellent. Now for the feast.” The bright glare of her phone is suddenly in my face as I blink at the room service menu.

They’ve got an evening menu filled with the usual pub type stuff. Wings, fries, and chicken fingers. And a handful of entrees. My mouth is watering at the thought of a burger. I would do bad things for a big juicy burger right now, but the price is a kick to the gut. How do they justify charging that much for such a basic food item? I shake my head. “I’ll just have some fries.” My limited food budget runs through my head. I still need lunch and dinner tomorrow. But I’m sure I can find a store nearby to grab some grocery type items to supplement the protein bars and snacks I brought along. There’s enough wiggle room to give Cece the money for fries.

The urge is strong to swipe the damp pale blonde strands behind her ear when she tilts her head to the side. “Are you sure? That can’t be enough to sustain a guy of your size.”

Her eyes dart down to my dick for a moment, and a pink flush creeps up her neck, staining her cheeks as she looks back up at my face guiltily. There is no need to be guilty about that.In fact, my guy twitches to life again in response. He’s more than happy with the praise and admiration.

“Nah. I’m good.”

“Okay. Well, I’m famished. I’m ordering one of everything.”

She picks up the hotel phone, dialing a number, but she doesn’t take her eyes off me even as she’s talking to the front desk.

I sit up, propping myself on a pillow to snack on the granola bar I pulled out of my bag.

After she hangs up, she accepts the bar I offer her. “Keep your strength up until your feast gets here.”

My stomach is still begging when I polish off the bar, but I’m not ready to finish my weekend supply yet. As she leans over me, her breasts press into my chest, causing another kind of sweet ache. It’s an excellent distraction until she bends down lower, snagging my backpack off the ground.

“What the fuck!”

She drops it, startled, as I yank the fabric away, tucking the bag under my arm.

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