Page 31 of Make Her Mine
I shook my head slowly. “Not a thing.”
“Do you recall talking to a guy at the bar?” he asked with a frown.
I shook my head again. “Did I talk to some guy last night?”
“You sure did.” He stood over me, towering and somewhat imposing. “And that guy put his hands on you. He was going for a kiss. In the state you were in, it seemed like you might just let him do it.”
“I didn’t, did I?” I felt sick thinking about my first kiss with some random dude that I can’t even remember.
“No. I wouldn’t let you do something like that.” He smiled. “You’re lucky I was there.”
I wouldn’t have been there if he hadn’t been there, but he didn’t need to know that. “Thank you for preventing that, Brandon.” I couldn’t remember how he stopped it, but I was appreciative. “And what did we do after getting back here?”
His smile went devious. “You don’t remember a thing, Ella?”
“Brandon, please don’t tease me. I am appalled. If we… um… uh… did anything, please tell me.” I braced myself for the worst. I was attracted to the man. In an inebriated state with my inhibitions all gone, I was sure at least a kiss happened at some time or another.
“I should be truthful about everything that went on last night.” He took a seat next to me on the bed and put his hand on my thigh, sending chills all through me.
Oh, God, what have I done?
Chapter Fifteen
Brandon
Ella and I hadn’t done a thing, other than me carrying her up to my room as she passed out. She should be more careful about getting into such a state! “What if you’d gone home with that guy at the bar, Ella?”
She looked at the floor. “I wouldn’t have done that.”
“If I hadn’t been there, you might’ve gotten yourself into terrible trouble.” What would’ve happened if I hadn’t been there? “You were out of it, Ella. So inebriated that you didn’t wake up when I carried you up here to my bedroom. What if someone else had done that? What do you think would’ve happened then?”
Her entire body shuddered. “I don’t know.”
“You wouldn’t have known a thing. You couldn’t stop anything from happening.” I wanted to be sure she never did anything so reckless again. “I took your boots off, I untied your shirt, then buttoned it all the way up, and you had no clue. That could’ve gone the another way, you know. Someone else might’ve taken your clothes off, and you would’ve been at their mercy. Let me tell you, most drunk men have little, if any, compassion.”
“So, we didn’t do anything?” She couldn’t even look at me.
I pulled her face to where she had no choice but to look at me. “Ella, do you honestly think I would ever take advantage of you, or anyone else, for that matter?”
She shook her head. “AndIdidn’t try anything either?”
“You passed out after you threw up.” I brushed her hair back off her face.
“I threw up?” She really didn’t recall a thing!
“You did, in the parking lot. You barfed it all. Then you promptly passed out and stayed that way.” I felt she had learned her lesson. “You worried me, Ella. Promise me you’ll never drink so foolishly again.”
Nodding, she whispered, “I promise. When I woke up feeling worse than ever, I swore I’d never drink again.”
“You can drink, Ella, just do it responsibly. You were downing shots like a frat boy.” I laughed, recalling the way she’d taken the shots. “And they knocked you on your ass almost immediately. Now, would you like to tell me why you went to a place you told me wasn’t the best choice?”
Her eyes glazed over as she looked away. “I just felt like going out...”
“You came home yesterday in a dreadful mood,” I reminded her. “That’s not really what a person in a bad mood does. What’s the real reason?”
“That’s it.” She got up. “I’ve got to work. It’ll take me until midnight to catch up.”
“I could help you!” I got up, then went to get my sneakers.
