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They were talking about her dad. She was telling them about one of his deployments, and I was shamelessly eavesdropping. When she’d said her dad had been in the Army, I realized what she’d meant that day about detectives not being her type. She’d said it jokingly, but paired with her comment today about understanding my sister’s worry, and her insistence on the day we’d bought the alarm that my looking around was making her uncomfortable, there might be some truth behind it.
That didn’t sit well with me, because I liked Paige. The sweet way she’d reached out to me in the church completely took me by surprise. The way she’d goofed around the entire day, pushing my buttons even more than usual... somehow she’d known I needed that today. And that kiss... how she’d surrendered to me. My dick twitched at the memory.
When all of the guests had left and only family was around, Paige rose to her feet. She was beyond tipsy. Her gait was steady, but other things gave her away. She grabbed her phone too tightly; her movements were too brusque.
Over her shoulder, I saw her pull up the app for ordering a cab.
“You don’t need to order anything. Those cars we all came in are waiting outside.”
“Oh.”
“I’m taking you home, Paige.”
She blinked up at me, giving me a dazzling smile. “That’s nice of you. Thanks.”
On the way to the car, I tucked her into my side, half supporting her weight. I’d been right about her level of tipsiness.
In the car, I became aware that I wasn’t faring much better. The champagne had gone straight to my head. Not touching Paige took a huge effort. Her dress slid off one leg, revealing all that creamy skin. I sat next to her, careful not to make any contact. If I kissed her, the driver would be in for quite a show.
“How did you like the wedding?” I asked.
“It was great. I’m so glad you talked me into going.”
I leaned in, whispering right in her ear. “I’m quite good at talking you into what I want.” I could feel her wanting to argue with me, maybe dish some more of that sass. Almost without thinking, I touched her bare thigh on the spot where I’d slid the garter on her other leg. She let out a sound between a sigh and a moan, and when I cocked my head in her direction, I nearly lost all my control. Her eyes were hooded, full of lust. It took all I had not to kiss her.
It became clear quickly that she was also tired. She slid lower in her seat, and her head kept lolling to one side or the other as she dozed off.
“You’re tired. Relax, I’ll hold you.”
I slid my fingers under her chin, tilting her head on my shoulder. Before long, she was asleep. I would have liked to talk to her, but this worked just fine for me too. She made an adorable sound, like a purring cat. Her hair smelled like strawberries.
When we arrived at her building, I rocked her gently.
“We’re here, Paige. Wake up.”
She blinked her eyes open, straightening up. I climbed out of the car, then opened her door, helping her out.
“This is me,” she said unnecessarily.
“I’m walking you to the front door.”
I scanned the area and decided it was semisafe. It was a sleepy residential area, with an inner courtyard and free access to the staircase. The corridor didn’t have a full wall, so I could watch Paige walk to her apartment, but there could be plenty of creeps waiting somewhere along the way.
Paige was fidgeting. “Will, I had a great time tonight, but....”
She glanced to the building, then at the car. I realized she thought I was inviting myself into her apartment or her bed. I stepped closer, taking her head between my hands, looking her straight in the eyes.
“Let me walk you to the door. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
She bit her lip, then nodded. It was a testament to how tipsy she was that I got no sassy reply. Paige lived on the second floor, and I was satisfied there was no creep inside.
I walked her to the door and stood right behind her while she searched for her keys. I felt the heat of her body against my chest.
“Here is where I leave you, Paige.”
She turned around. “You really just wanted to walk me to my door?”
“Yes. You should get an alarm, by the way.”
