Page 54 of Tequila & Lace
“I gotta go.”
I started to walk away and Vanessa grabbed my wrist. “PJ, wait!”
I stared down into her dark eyes. “I gotta go.”
“You’re still mad after all this time?”
I reached up and ran my fingers along the hem of the sash. “I don’t know what I am, Ness.”
“Can we talk, please?”
I stared at her, not saying anything. When she left my house our senior year, we’d never spoken again. We’d never had closure. Now she was staring me in the eyes, wanting to talk, and for what? I’d thought about this moment so many times, wondered what I’d say, what I’d do. But now that the moment had arrived, I realized I had nothing to say. None of it mattered anymore. I just wanted to go home and be with Andi.
“PJ…”
“Nothing to talk about, Ness.” I knew what I wanted. What I needed—whoI needed. And she wasn’t anywhere in this nightclub. “I gotta go. My girl’s waiting for me.” I smiled a genuine smile. “I really am happy for you, Vanessa. Congratulations.”
I turned toward Nick to give him a head nod, letting him know I was out. I was going home. Fuck the closure. She’d killed us and whatever future we may have had when she’d had the abortion. End of story. We didn’t need to talk. I’d moved on—finally. I didn’t need women, tequila or a pocket full of cash anymore.
I only needed Andi.
I was on autopilot as I pulled into the garage and killed the engine. I didn’t have a plan. My heart was pounding. My throat was tightening. My eyes were stinging, and if Andi walked out because she got the wrong idea, I was going to lose my fucking mind.
I took a deep breath, got out of theJeepand walked into the house. Andi was laying on the couch watching TV. “Hey. Youarehome early.”
I didn’t say anything. I still wasn’t sure what I was going to say. I felt as though I was hiding the situation from her, but I just couldn’t come out and tell her. I reached my hand out to her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Come with me.”
She looked down at my hand and then took it. “Are you okay?”
“Just… I need you.”
“Okay.”
She took my hand and I led her to my room and then the en-suite bathroom. I smelled of smoke, sweat, and I wanted her naked.
“Paul…” she uttered.
“Please,” I begged, turning her so her back was against the wood bathroom door. She looked up at me, her beautiful amber colored eyes staring back, questioning me. “We can go slow. No sex. I just want to feel your body against mine.”
She finally nodded and I stripped her of her shirt, followed by mine, then took her mouth. She whimpered, her back pressed against the door, my body aching to be inside her. When I lifted my head, I realized shewaswearing a bra.
“Rhinestones?” I smiled.
She bit her lower lip. “Do you like it?”
“You wore this for me?”
“I thought about what you said. About how you used to sleep with clients and since this one was a regular and you—” I silenced her with my mouth. “I’m not sure about sex, though,” she mumbled against my lips.
“That’s okay, gorgeous. We’re gonna go as far as we can.” She nodded and I grabbed the elastic of shorts, looking her in her eyes. “Ready?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
I pulled her shorts down, revealing black lace panties that matched her black lace bra, minus the rhinestones. It was a sight that I would forever have burned in my memory. “Fuck, baby. You’re beautiful.”
