Shit, I think I’m a little pussy-whipped.
Fuck it.
I don’t even care. Not when I haven’t seen Stone in so long that the very sight of her has me feeling all warm and shit.
“Sorry I’m late, pretty boy. I had some stuff to sort out,” she exclaims, and the worried scowl on her face is enough to take me out of my lust-filled reverie, allowing me to realize that my girl is a mess.
Hold up! Did I really just refer to Stone as my girl?
Snap out of it, you pussy! You’re going to scare her off before you’ve even set foot out of her dorm!
“What’s wrong?” I ask, instead of revealing the chaotic thoughts rummaging around in my head.
“Nothing. It’s sorted. Or at least it will be, once we’re done with this date.”
“Oh no, you don’t! Like hell, do I want you spending our night with whatever shit you’ve got going on hanging over us. I know exactly how this is going to play out. You’ll act like you’re present when, in reality, you’re miles away. Then you’ll do everything in your power to end the night faster and send me packing, just so you can deal with whatever clusterfuck has got you pissed off. Not going to happen, Stone. Whatever it is, out with it. We can deal with it now and go on about our date after.”
“Kind of bossy tonight, huh, quarterback? Just because I’m going to let you pay for dinner, do you think I’m going to let you in on my personal affairs and order me around?” she says teasingly, with no heat whatsoever behind her reprimand.
I eat up the small space between us and lift her chin so she can tell that I’m not playing her little games. Not tonight.
“I haven’t seen you in almost a week, Stone. Now, that shit might not affect you as much as it affects me, but no way in hell am I starting our first date together on a sour note.”
“Okay,” she susurrates, her long lashes batting a mile a minute.
My hand goes to cradle the back of her neck, and for a minute, I get lost in her green meadows.
“Tell me what’s wrong. Let’s see if two heads work better than one, and sort out whatever problem you’ve got going. We’re friends, right? And friends look out for each other,” I explain hoarsely, feeling my eyes smolder as her cheeks begin to flush.
“Friends, huh? Is that what we are?” She mauls at her lower lip, her eyes becoming just as hooded as my own.
“Yes, friends.” I nod, licking my own lips, my gaze lingering on her plump mouth.
“You mean friends who fuck?”
“Whatever label you want to put on it. I don’t give a shit,” I answer, tugging at her waist so that she’s rubbing right up against me.
The little sigh that leaves her lips is all I’m able to handle. My hand puts some small pressure on the back of her neck just so she can crane a little bit further as I lean down to kiss her. My cock jumps to attention the minute my tongue breaches through and wrestles with its counterpart. Her soft body melts seamlessly into mine, and it takes every ounce of restraint to pull away from her. We aren’t alone, so I can’t just take her here in the middle of her dorm’s foyer.
“Is this how tonight is going to go? You’re just going to take what you want, when you want it?” she asks, her tone thick and heavy with the same desire I feel burning through me.
“Don’t tempt me, little girl. I’ve made plans for us tonight. But if you keep looking at me like that, I’ll just put you over my shoulder and go back to your room to fuck some submission into you.”
“You can try.” She laughs softly.
Always my little brat.
“Tell me what’s wrong, Stone?” I ask, instead of falling for her well-laced trap. She can seduce me later when we’re alone.
Stone looks over my shoulder to where little Miss Pigtails and Bubble Gum is and throws her a dirty look, obviously not being a fan of hers.
Didn’t know Stone my ass.
“Not here,” she hushes low, and my spine instantaneously reacts to those words, going ramrod straight, directly into protector mode.
Without a minute to lose, I take her hand in mine and walk us out of the building, ushering her into the passenger seat of my Porsche. I open the door for her, even though I know she hates that type of chivalry. Yet I can’t help but want to do it. She either humors me and doesn’t call me out on it, or is too into her own head to even notice. I run to the other side of the car, slamming the door, impatiently wanting to get down to the reason that has her all bent out of shape. But just as I’m waiting for her to come clean, my stomach begins to twist in knots.
Fuck! Is this about The Society? Is that it? It must be. What else could have Stone all red in the face and upset like this?
“I’m not hearing any words coming out of that gorgeous mouth of yours, Stone. Start talking before I put you over my knee and make you.”
“Such a charmer,” she rebukes, feigning annoyance.
I know the idea of her sitting on my lap to get spanked already has her squirming in her seat. But that will have to wait for later. I’m all too interested in whatever shitstorm is going on now.
“Stone!”
“Alright already. Geez! You are one impatient asshole when you want to be.”
“Don’t act offended or surprised. You know that about me already.”
“Yeah, I do,” the enticing Southie replies huskily.
“Don’t sweet-talk your way out of this one, either. Just tell me what’s going on,” I plead in earnest, clasping her hands in mine.
After a long, pregnant pause, her shoulders deflate, and she bows her head, not wanting to look at me while she confesses her worries.
“It’s my mom,” she mumbles under her breath.
“Your mom?” I ask, surprised.
I was expecting the words stumbling out of her mouth to be about The Society, not her mother.
“Stone? What about your mom?”
She releases a long-winded sigh, her head falling to the headrest.
“She let that ass of an ex-boyfriend in her trailer again last night. Probably for one last hurrah, a hate fuck, or whatever. I don’t know, and I don’t care. Thing is, when she woke up this morning, she saw he had gone through her stuff and took the little money she had stashed away,” she explains, aggravated. “And since I’m not working tonight, I can’t get any tips to run over to her place and give them to her. I’m on my last twenty as it is, after leaving her most of what I earned last week,” she adds subdued.
“You give your mom your paycheck? Why? Can’t she work?”
“It’s not that simple.” She shakes her head. “It’s hard getting work in this town when you have a disability. And welfare only goes so far. The measly food stamps she gets don’t exactly cover everything.”
“Where does she live?” I ask, pulling the seatbelt over her, locking it securely in place.
“Why?” she questions suspiciously, scrunching her eyebrows together.
“Because we’re going to her house now. We’ll get this sorted, and then we can start our night.”