Page 28 of A Favor Owed

Finally, all of her hair is loose, hanging down her back in damp, rippling waves that smell like some kind of coconut shampoo. And I have an answer to the question that’s been on my mind for a while: yes, it’s still as long as it was in the pictures of her, back when it was honey-streaked brown.

I swing it back over her shoulder, giving myself access to her neck and shoulders. I can’t help kissing her soft, warm skin. She tilts her head back for more, and that small sign of desire ramps me up all over again. Before I know it, she’s straddling me, her arms wrapped around my neck. My mouth is on hers, and she’s kissing me back with everything she has.

“Jesus Christ, Pines,” I manage to say when I can drag my mouth away from hers. “You’re going to kill me.”

“You don’t feel like a good Catholic boy right now,” she teases, grinding against my raging hard-on.

I growl and fall back onto the bed, pulling her with me and rolling on top of her. “I’m actually a terrible Catholic,” I say. “The worst.”

She laughs and brings those full, perfect lips to mine again. Her licorice-flavored tongue swirls with mine.

“Where the hell did you learn to kiss like that, McDaniels?” she asks, pulling away from me slightly, catching her breath.

“I’ve never kissed like this in my life,” I say. “It’s all you.”

She laughs. “You’re ridiculous.”

I kiss her again. I want to kiss her all night and well into next week. “I’ve never been a big fan of licorice, but now it’s my favorite flavor in the world.”

“Better than Guinness?”

“Better than anything.”

As she lies there gazing at me with those fake turquoise eyes, she looks relaxed and amused. Happy. It occurs to me suddenly that I’ve never seen Angie look happy before.

“We’d better go to sleep,” I say. “Before you make a liar out of me.” I grind against her to emphasize the point.

“Mmm,” she groans. I cover her mouth with a kiss.

“Don’t,” I warn. “I’m so close to losing it, you have no idea.”

“I’ve got to admit,” she says, her hands running through my hair and down my face. “You’ve got some impressive self-control.”

“Not as impressive as other things I have.”

She laughs and smacks my shoulder.

“Or you, for that matter,” I add, my hand sliding up under her top.

But her hand stops me. “We should go to sleep.”

“We should. Yep.” I slowly, reluctantly withdraw my hand. “Okay, Pines. Try to keep your hands to yourself, okay?”

She nudges me, and I wrap my body around hers. Girls love that shit. And okay, if I have to admit it, Angie’s gorgeous body pressed up against mine isn’t the worst thing in the world.

“Thanks for the first date, Brady,” she says. “I had fun.”

I get that feeling like a punch to my gut again. “This was nothing,” I say. “I’ll take you on a real first date. In like twelve hours, when I wake up.”

“If you insist,” she murmurs, sounding like she’s well on her way to sleep.

I close my eyes and breathe in her coconut hair and citrus perfume and warm girl smell. I feel her body relax and listen as her breathing slows. I wasn’t lying when I said I was wrecked. Partying for an entire day in the sun, then cleaning up before going to get Angie from work, then making out with her in a jacuzzi, has made me bleary-eyed with exhaustion. But a ton of shit is on my mind, and I can’t fall asleep right away.

Finally, I reach for my phone, careful not to disturb her. I pull up the selfie I snapped of the two of us. Angie has a reluctant smile on her face. She didn’t want her picture taken, but she let me do it anyway.

I sent the picture to Lou from the parking lot of BevMo after dropping Angie off at work.

A few minutes later, his reply had lit up my phone.Nice work. I’ll be in touch.

---