Page 31 of Back in the Saddle

I slipped out of my What Will Be, Will Be Mentality and wondered what inthe fuckwas going on here.

“It has,” I agreed.

He squeezed my hand. “Go to bed, Jess.”

“Text me when you get home.”

“Pardon?”

Shit!

I needed to learn to control my mouth around him.

That was something I’d say to Harlow, Luna, Raye (though the last two lived at the Oasis, and Harlow was moving in December first, still).

Also Jeff.

In other words, people I loved.

I shook my head, pulled my hand from his, and waved my other one between us.

“No. Sorry. You’re a big boy. You don’t have to do that. I’m sure you’ll get home just fine.”

“I don’t have your number.”

“Seriously, it’s okay if you?—”

“Jessica, give me your number.”

Gazing into his eyes, I rattled it off by rote.

So much for learning to control my mouth.

“Got it,” he replied.

“Just like that?”

“In my line of business, you make a point to remember important things.”

Totally out of my What Will Be, Will Be Mentality.

Because, what the fuck was that?

“Go to bed,” he ordered. “I’ll see you later.”

“Right,” I mumbled. “Later.”

He chucked me under the chin.

Chucked me under the chin.

Again…

The fuck?

Was this…something?

Or was I like some little sister he was adopting because I was alone and fucked up?