Page 5 of Tempted
“I said shewill. Anything else?”
After a chorus of “no”, I dismiss them alland push my chair back. I have something important to tend to in myroom. E grabs my hand before I can leave, and I drop back in mychair with a groan. “Let me guess…you wanna talk?”
“I do.”
“When did we become bitches? You wanna have asleepover and braid each other’s hair?”
“Shut the fuck up.”
He waits until everyone else is out of theroom then looks me right in the eyes.
“What are you doing?” He asks, concern in hisvoice.
“What do you mean?”
“With Raven.”
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
“It looks like we might be getting a FirstLady.”
First Lady? He must be out of his fuckingmind. The whole world knows I don’t do old ladies. “What? Fuck off,E.”
“No? Then what? I don’t want to see her gethurt.”
“I’m not going to hurt her, and she’s notyour concern.”
He leans back with a cocky grin and a glintin his eye. If he wasn’t my best friend, he’d be on the receivingend of a throat punch right now.
“Like I said…First. Lady.”
“And likeIsaid…fuck. Off.”
I walk away to the sound of his laughter.Dickhead. First Lady, my ass.I’m seriously in to her, butI’m still not looking for an old lady. On the way to my room, Ronstops me and hands me Raven’s phone and jacket. “You took care ofher friend?”
“Yeah, boss.”
“Good.”
I bump into Chopper coming out of my room andraise a brow at him. What the fuck was he doing in there?“Pop?”
He closes the door quietly and narrows hiseyes at me. Yeah, he’s about to drop some “fatherly advice” onme.
“That girl in there? She’s not the type youplay with, son.”
“I know.”
“So, you plan on keeping her aroundthen?”
“Maybe.”
He places a firm hand on my shoulder andholds my stare. I haven’t seen Chopper this intense in a long time.Since he stepped down as president, he’s been doing the wholeretiree and grandpa thing. Even though he still attends church, herarely speaks and only gives advice when I ask for it. For him tooffer it up on his own is serious business, so I listencarefully.
“Consider this. She just shot a man, almosttook a bullet for you and she’s in your bed right now. She didn’trun for the hills, or worse, to the cops.”
He gives my shoulder a squeeze and leaves mein the corridor. He’s right. She didn’t have to do what she did.Afterwards, she could have told me to take her home and fuck off,but she didn’t.
I open the door and the sight before me stopsme in my tracks. This is definitely some shit I never expected tosee – a woman asleep in my bed. I close the door and approach herquietly. She’s curled up under the blanket, her face peaceful andabsolutely beautiful. I contemplate going to sleep in E’s room butI don’t want to leave her alone, so I undress and slide under thecovers. I lie there for about two minutes before I give in to thecall of her warm body. I need to feel her. I curl my arm around herwaist and pull her against me, her back to my front. She sighs inher sleep and settles into my arms.Jesus, she feelsamazing.I close my eyes and drift off to E’s words swirling inmy mind.First Lady.
