Page 7 of Fast and Dirty

I look down at the black smudge his hand left on my dress and then back at the door he just exited through and then shake my head. I’m really losing it if I’m lusting after a total stranger.

A few minutes later, I find myself without a place to stay as the hotel is all booked up for some event this weekend. I hang the phone up with a sigh, unsure what to do next. I didn’t exactly have a plan B for tonight - hell, that was my plan B. What the hell do I do now? Pitch a tent?

I’d say I’ve been a pretty damn good trooper through this whole debacle, but now, I think it might be catching up to me.

I’m sitting alone in a wedding dress in the middle of nowhere.

Dammit Kira… do not make breaking down and bawling in your wedding dress the cherry on the crap sundae that is your day.…Change into other clothes first.

Fanning away tears with my hands, I take a couple of deep breaths and stand.

With my dress - which is now becoming obnoxious - swishing through the door, I enter the work area to be immediately greeted by West’s ass.

And more filthy thoughts are invading my brain, like how I want to work those jeans down and take a bite out of that sculpted, manly ass; or grip onto it while he rails me on the hood of that stupid car.

“Hey,” I gently announce my return and he does that sexy thing, tossing his hair out of his eyes to look over his shoulder at me.

“Hey, any luck?” He seems about to look back down at his work but does a double take at me. Lines of what looks likeworry etch his forehead as he straightens up. “Whoa, hey… are you okay?” He asks, tossing his wrench aside once again and striding over to me with a determination that overwhelms me.

“I’m great,” I lie, opening my eyes wider both to get the point across and hoping it will dry them out so they don’t look misty. “Yeah, just, there’s no vacancies at that hotel so I’m not sure what to do next, but hey!” I wave a hand, trying to convince us both of my non-chalance. “I’ll figure it out.”

His hands find a resting place on his hips and I see him look away, his jaw set hard. I notice a few beads of sweat dotting his temples and my vagina sobs.

Please… after today … can’t you listen to Toby and just let us have this one thing?

Fuck off, you rebellious, traitorous, horny BITCH!

West decides to further taunt me by pushing a hand through his hair and muttering a curse under his breath.

“Seriously, I’ll be fine. I’m nothing if not resourceful!” I continue, starting to get a little offended by his demeanor. “You don’t have to act so put out.”

Speaking of putting out –

Great, there she goes again.

Shut up, you pitiful whore!

“It’s not that,” he holds his hands up in gentle defense before pushing both through his hair in frustration. “Shit,” he mutters.

“What?” I hold my hands out. “Go ahead and tell me. Believe me, I can take it.”

“You’ve done nothing wrong.” He plants a hand back on his hip and holds the other up in explanation. “That’s just it. You’ve done nothing wrong, and yet here you are, this whole situation is fucked up and it’s pissing me off.”

I’m truly mystified. Other than Toby, no one has ever acted like they give this much of a fuck about how I’m doing.

“I may have just met you, but you deserve better.” He fixes his eyes on me adamantly.

I let out a sigh and shake my head uncomfortably. “Like yousaid, you just met me. You don’t know what I deserve. All you know is that I’m a black sheep that was trying not to be by doing just one thing that was expected of me, and lo and behold, I ran away from that.”

“Because you deserve better,” he says again with even more weight behind it. “You tried to please your parents by tying yourself to someone you barely tolerated—for the rest of your life. When the one person who cared enough offered to come and get you, you let him off the hook so he wouldn’t have to cancel plans you knew were important to him.” His voice gets more emphatic as he steps closer. “So you ran out on your wedding?” He shakes his head with a scoff. “You deserve to be surrounded by people that support you for not handing your life over to a fucking piece of scum-shit who cheated on your fucking wedding day. You deserve a fiancé that respects you, and he’s a motherfucking moron for not being adventurous with you in the bedroom. I mean, if I -”

Oh… that’s right. The word-vomit in the truck ride over here. But I can’t be bothered with that right now. He just said‘I’. “You what?” I ask, urging him with my eyes to please continue. My curiosity over where he was going with that way trumps standing on ceremony now.

“Fuck,” he groans out and drops his head back to look at the ceiling. “Shit, I’m sorry. I’ve crossed a serious line here. I just… you’re beautiful.”

Wow.

“You’re so. Fucking. Beautiful,” he spells out, leveling me with that piercing stare again. “You’re beautiful and breathtaking. You’re alluring, and if I were your fiancé…”

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