Page 17 of Pawn's in the Bishop's Game (Checkmate 1)

I mean, she’s into ass play. Maybe she’s into other freaky shit.

Stopping at the lock screen, I type in her birthday and shake my head at the easy access.

So fuckin’ obvious.

I don’t want to give in to her stereotypes, I consider myself a new age kind of guy, but fuck.Get a different passcode, woman!

Sparing a glance toward the pale woman whose bandages are already spotting with blood, I bite off a curse and flip to Jess’ text app.

Pulling up the woman who,surprise surprise,is at the top of her messages, only below a group chat that has forty-three unread messages, I grit my teeth and open the chat for Juliette.

Hovering a thumb over the keyboard, I consider what to say.

Me:Hey, Juliette. I’m not feeling so great. Is it cool that I take a sick day tomorrow?

It takes only minutes before the speech bubbles flash and make my heart thrum wildly.Don’t call. Don’t call my bluff.

I don’t have the time, nor the asshole to go to prison today.

Jules:Juliette? Jesus, girl. You haven’t called me by my whole name since my first day. You must be super sick.

Fuck.

How do chicks talk in text? Should I add kissy faces? Should I talk about the butt plug?

Me:Sorry, Jules. I’m spacing. Feeling weird. I’m just gonna sleep it off. Is that cool?

Jules:No problem. I’ll make it work. You owe me.

Me:I’ll lend you my slut shoes.

Jules:Your slut shoes? LOL. Who calls them that? We’re classy, Jess. They’re called fuck-me shoes. Or Alex’s back scratchers, but not slut shoes.

She tricked me! She said women call them that!

Me:I don’t wanna know about you and Alex’s time in the bedroom.That’s actually true.I’m gonna crash now. I’ll text you tomorrow night and let you know about work.

Jules:No problem. Be good. Don’t put the pot up your nose. Drink lots of water.

Tempted, so fucking tempted to check the still blowing up group chat, I toss her cell aside when the banner comes down and mentions movies and tampons. The chat isn’t in panic. Had the banner mentioned something about SOS or call the cops, I might’ve checked it, but since it doesn’t…

Peeling my socks off and undoing the button on my jeans, I stand from the couch and lean over Jess’ prone form. Prying my belt from between her tight fingers, I slide my thumb along the teeth marks that might never come out.

I’m an asshole for hurting her. But letting her die from infection would be unforgivable, even for me.

Walking away with my dick still standing – stupid fucking ass plug – I walk into my bathroom, but leave the door wide open. I’m not going blindanddeaf and leaving her all alone, so I leave the door open and flip the taps on. Undressing and folding my clothes into a neat pile, I step into the lukewarm spray and work fast to clean another shitty fuckin’ day off my body.

Need to shower. Need to get the stench of bad choices and bad people off my skin, then I’m crashing about as hard as she has.

And hoping I don’t wake in the middle of the night with my cock in my hands.

Or worse.

In her.

Sliding body wash along my skin, I watch the suds run down the drain as the tepid water chases it.

I didn’t know this woman twenty-four hours ago. I didn’t know she’d be in my bed tonight, but fucked if I can get my dick to stand down. Sliding a hand over my hip, my cock twitches with the knowledge that I have a pretty good memory, a matching bra and panty set of baby pink at the forefront of my mind, a pretty girl just feet away, and soap.

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