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"We had a few drinks," I admitted.
"Did you fuck him?"
"Do you care?"
He licked his lips, wrinkles crossing his brow. "Guess I do or I wouldn't be asking."
Grace be damned. I flopped back on the sofa, leaning my head against the cushion and closing my eyes. "Is it the penis that makes you all such abhorrent shitheads? It must be. That bit of anatomy is the one real point of universal commonality between you all, isn't it?"
Nothing from him.
I opened my eyes, rolling my head in his direction. "Do something for me?" I asked.
"What?"
"If you honestly believe there's a chance I had sex with Eric tonight, be a good boy and shove that guitar where the sun doesn't shine."
His expression hardened. I daresay it matched mine. We were two angry emotional people. One of the main problems with being female, however, is our propensity for tears. Even when we'd rather not, those sucker glands get all worked up, squeezing out the salt water, making us look and feel weak when we'd rather be going medieval.
"Night." I struggled to my feet, subtly wiping my face with one hand. Or apparently not so subtly because he immediately followed.
"Lydia, wait," he said as his strong arms turned me, hauling me against his body. I face-planted into his chest, sniveling all the while because I'm cool like that. If only we'd kept our pelvises separated. We got along well before sex became part of the equation.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled.
"You shut me out last night."
"I know."
"You disappeared on me today without a word."
"Yeah."
"Then you have the gall to act all entitled and pissed off over Eric?"
He rubbed his face against my hair, squeezing me tight. I had to turn my face sideways to breathe. Even then, his octopus hold made it tricky.
"Who gains entry to my pants is none of your business," I said, stomping one foot. The foot did not appreciate it, but bad luck. "There's no commitment here."
"I know, I know." A pause. "But you didn't sleep with him, right?"
I kicked the man in the shin with everything I had. All of my pent-up rage and drunken anger. Bastard was lucky I didn't try and break his nose. Then I shoved him off.
"Shit, Lydia."
"Good night."
I tried to strut to my room with style, but I'm reasonably certain I flounced. It felt like a flounce. All loose limbs and dubious morals. Slamming the bedroom door shut was also quite juvenile, but whatever. I kicked off my shoes. It took several attempts. I only fell over once, though. Go, Team Lydia!
I dealt with my black skinny jeans while still on the floor. Because let's be honest, odds were I'd wind up back down there anyway. And go, brain, for being coherent enough to work that one out. My drunken ass was on fire, I tell you. On fire!
"What are you doing on the floor?"
I looked up to find him standing there. Uninvited. Ugh.
"Go away," I said.
Chances were, if I attempted the removal of my work shirt and bra, I'd somehow manage to take out an eye. Best that I quit while I was ahead.
Now, time for some rest. I climbed up onto the mattress and stretched out on my back.
"Seriously, how awesome are beds? Beds are just the best."
"Are they?" he asked.
"What are you still doing here?" I threw my pillow at him. Which he caught and replaced on the end of the bed. Pity, it was the only pillow I had and the bottom of the mattress was like miles away. Oh well, I'd just have to sleep without it. "Go away, Vaughan."
"Christ, you're plastered," he muttered. "Again."
"You and your friends are a bad influence on me."
"Right." He cocked his head, giving me a long hard look. Idiot male. "Are you going to throw up?"
"No."
"How many drinks did you have?"
I held up three fingers.
"He make you cocktails?"
"Yes." I sighed and closed my eyes, linking my fingers over my belly. "I'm not plastered, just tipsy. I drank lots of water, paced myself, and ate. Go away."
Instead of hearing the door clicking shut, I felt the mattress shifting beneath me. Mostly on my right-hand side. I opened my eyes and sure enough there he was, sitting next to me.
"I had a lot of stuff to do today," he said. "I wasn't avoiding you or anything."
I scoffed.
"All right, I was avoiding you a little."
"No shit. Well, now I'm avoiding you a lot," I said, reclosing my eyes. "Go away. And turn off the light on your way out, please."
Callused fingers stroked my arm, the touch lingering, loving, even. I slapped madly at the hand, doing my best to chase him away. Except of course this was Vaughan so that didn't quite work. Next thing I knew he was crouched over me, swift fingers tickling my ribs, under my arms, my belly. Everywhere, the bastard. I wriggled and squirmed, getting nowhere.
"Do not tickle me! Leave me alone," I bellowed. "You suck."
The tickling continued.
"Get away from me, Hewson. I don't even like you anymore."
He lay his long body down on top of me, effectively thwarting my ability to fight back. Of course, the feel of him rubbing himself against me woke up my inner horn dog. The desire to arch into him, to stick my tongue down his throat and get me some was mighty. But no! My girl parts would not be so easily swayed. No sex for him.
By god, the jerk was heavy. Elephants, the Titanic, think that kind of weight range.
"You're squishing me!"
Warm lips pressed kisses all over my face. "Do you forgive me?" he asked.
"No. You're the worst. I'll never forgive you."
I beat at him with clenched fists, as best as I could. Unfortunately, not only was he heavy, he was strong. The asshat caught my wrists, pressing them down above my head. But I wasn't done yet. Oh no. Like some fearsome, deadly, half-drunk creature, I waited for my chance to strike. Then ... my sharp teeth bit hard into his hot salty skin, holding on. A full frontal attack on the base of his thick neck.
Hahahahaha.
"Ouch," he bitched.
A hand held the back of my head, almost cradling it, but this was war so it couldn't be that. Regardless, I bit on.
"Fuck, babe." He wrapped my hair around his fist and tugged hard. "All right, you've made your point. I already said I'm sorry. That's enough."
I released the hard flesh between my teeth. Victory was mine. Plus, my jaw was starting to ache.
"Am I bleeding?" he asked, trying to look at the wound.
"No. You're going to have a doozy of a bruise, though." I relaxed back against the mattress, taking a deep breath. At some stage he'd taken most of his weight on one knee. So I actually could breathe freely now. "I told you not to tickle me. And if that was you trying to start something, think again. I can get myself off just fine without your help."
A grunt of much unhappiness. Then he climbed off of me, collapsing onto the bed at my side, making the mattress shake. For a while, we just lay there in silence.
"I thought about you today," he said eventually.
I didn't know how to respond.
"I am sorry about leaving you alone last night. I just..."
"You just what?" I asked when it became clear he wouldn't be finishing the thought on his own.
"It was serious, going to get the pill."
"Yes, it was." With a heavy sigh I rolled onto my side, facing him. There might come a day in a thousand years or so when the sight of him didn't move me. I doubt it, though. He addled my brain and made the butterflies inside me come to life. What effect he had on my heart, I didn't even want to ponder.
"I think it shocked me." There was such honesty in his eyes, in his unguarded expression. "I've always been careful about protection. Always. Dad lectured me constantly about it and growing up, I saw friends become fathers way ahead of their time. Then there's all the STDs. But last night with you..."
"You were upset, Vaughan
."
"Yeah." He stared into my eyes, giving me a sad smile. "You look tired. Lie down, I'll get the light."
I didn't ask him if he was staying or retreating to his own room. Being needy annoyed the crap out of me. We didn't have that kind of relationship. He rolled off the bed and flicked off the light. Then he wandered out into the hallway. One by one, the other lights in the house disappeared and full darkness crept in. Heavy footsteps came my way and then the mattress squeaked as he sat at the end.
That wasn't relief rolling through me. It was something else. Something complicated and beyond my control.
The palms of his hands slid up over my bare legs, all the way up to my panties, where they lingered with obvious intent.
