Page 47 of Wicked Love

“Answer the question, Joe. Am I only a fuck to you?”

“I’m not answering you.”

“I’m withdrawing the invitation. Tonight, I’m going caroling. Alone.”

“No.”

“Yes. And don’t try to stop me.”

12

JOE

I checked the time for the umpteenth time. It was almost two in the morning and still no sign of Grace. And all my calls had been going straight to voicemail and my texts, unanswered.

I should have never seduced her earlier. It was a rookie mistake. She looked so hot and enticing, spread on my bed, that I had trouble resisting and let my dick lead the way. I blurred the lines even more than they already were. I might have screwed up our relationship beyond repair. Grace wasn’t a toy I could play with or some nameless girl I could fuck and forget all about the next morning.

She lived under my skin. And it messed with my composure.

I almost did something I knew I would have regretted later, and now she had chosen to push me away.

Fucking amazing.

Why was I still hung up on her after all this time?

Stupid heart, it got involved when it should have stayed out of the equation.

I checked if the ringtone was turned on. Again.

Then I dialed her. Voicemail.

This was becoming ridiculous.

She shouldn’t be allowed to stay out this late.

Fuck, I wasn’t the boss of her.

The girl was driving me insane.

On my feet, I paced the living room. I should drive around town. Find her. But if she came back while I was out, I would worry while she was safe and sound.

Fuck my life.

My hand buzzed, and it took me a second to realize my phone was vibrating inside. Unknown number.

“Hi.”

Loud music played in the background, and I heard voices. “Is this Joe?”

“Yeah. Speaking.”

“Hi, this is Lea from the Stardust Inn. I think you should pick Grace up. She’s pretty wasted. We were drinking…” A hiccup. “And soon we were both drunk. Anyway, I think you should come and get her.”

Drunk. Grace’s answer to fights.

A déjà-vu I didn’t expect. As if getting loaded fixed all her problems.

“Coming. Where are you?”