The Other P-Word Page 15

  “David.”

  “Evan David Wright. I like it. Is it a family name?”

  “Yes,” he said, his smile disappearing.

  I decided it was best to move on. “Your turn, Evan.”

  “How many guys have you been with?”

  My mouth gaped and snapped shut in an instant. “Wow, don’t hold back or anything.”

  “Holding back is not my style. Or at least not in conversation, anyway.”

  And there was that bad boy that made my skin prickle and my breath hitch. I reached for my cup and brought it up to my lips, but something made me stop from drinking it. “Two.”

  Evan looked pleased by my answer. “I’ll drink to that,” he said, taking a swig right from the bottle.

  “What about you?”

  He raised his eyebrow before taking another long swig.

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Sure it is. Your game and your rules. Next question.”

  “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

  He took another swig.

  “Seriously? That’s not even that personal.”

  “Sorry. What about you?”

  “Antarctica.”

  “You’re joking, right?”

  “Nope.”

  “Why the hell would you go there, Price?”

  “I think it would be an adventure.”

  “How would you get there?”

  “They do cruises there.”

  “Is that a fact?”

  “Yeah, on these old ice cutter boats. Mostly Russian built. It’s typically scientists that go, but I always thought it might be interesting to go one day. To see land that’s still naked and untouched. I guess that’s a bucket list thing for me, but it’ll probably never happen.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “It costs about a hundred grand per person.”

  He let out a low whistle. “That’s insane.” I geared up for him to make a joke, but instead he just grinned. “I hope you make it there one day.”

  “I’ll send you a postcard.”

  “Yeah,” he said. He was quiet for a while, almost wistful.

  I cleared my throat. “My turn—what’s the craziest sexual thing you’ve ever done?”

  He chuckled softly, probably recounting the event. “I let a girl drive my bike and then I made her come.”

  “That’s not crazy.”

  “While she was driving it.”

  My mouth gaped. “That’s so dangerous.”

  He shrugged. “We had our helmets on.”

  I took a long, unladylike gulp from my glass.

  “What about you, Price?”

  “I had sex with a girl once.”

  Evan choked so hard, I had to smack him on the back.

  “I don’t count her in my two. Should I?”

  “Trot back a few sentences. I need a few more details.”

  “It was something I wanted to try.”

  “Like a bucket list thing?”

  “More like a college list thing. I figured I should do at least one impulsive thing during college.”

  “And how was it?”

  “It wasn’t horrible, but it’s not for me. What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “Ever been with a guy?”

  “Nope. Can’t say I’ve ever had the inclination.” I was glad he didn’t make a disgusted face or anything. “Although, I guess I can say I’ve kissed a guy now.”

  “I don’t think Mike counts.”

  “I’d agree.” He drummed his fingers against the metal fire escape. “My turn.”

  “Shoot.”

  “What’s the best sex you’ve ever had?”

  This time I did take a swig. After all, how could I possibly explain that it was with myself, accompanied by his mad guitar skills? Nope, that was definitely not something I wanted to reveal.

  “What about you, Evan?” I asked, almost not wanting to hear the answer.

  “My philosophy is that the best is always yet to come.”

  “Cop out.”

  “If you say so,” he said, taking another swig. “But it’s true.”

  I refused to analyze his statement or the way he grinned at me when he said that.

  “My turn again. Why did you take this job, Price? A college graduate like you could have held out. We both know you’re overqualified.”

  I thought about my reasons. There seemed to be many, what with the timing of things, but I couldn’t explain that to Evan. I took the bottle from him, but I stopped before it reached my lips. I did have a reason I could tell him. “I feel like I belong here.” That was truthful. I was drawn to The Lost Souls’ Club.

  “Whatever it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here, Price.”

  I sucked in a deep breath, trying to drown out his seductive drawl. “It’s worth a lot.” I opened my mouth and snapped it shut again. I meant the words, but I did not mean to voice them. I had no idea how to follow it up.

  “Your turn,” he finally said.

  I decided to make my question innocent. “How did you get the scar?”

  “What scar?”

  “This one,” I asked, rubbing my thumb across his jaw.

  His fingers clasped mine, caressing them. So much for innocence.

  “Surfing. I wiped out on my board.”

  “You surf?”

  “Used to. I loved it once upon a time.”

  We looked at each other. The wind picked up, blowing my hair.

  “I’ll answer your other question now. If I could go anywhere in the world, I’d go to Orange Beach, Alabama. The water stretches as far as your eyes will allow. Whenever I looked inside that deep blue abyss, I felt peaceful and calm. When the sunshine dances on the water’s surface, it looks like millions of tiny jewels. I’ve seen all kinds of water, from lakes to oceans to seas, but none of them hold a candle to the water on Orange Beach. I never thought I’d see that color again…until I looked in your eyes.”

  I gulped and leaned into him. His breath washed over me, pulling me in. Then a cat meowed and broke the trace.

  Evan backed away so swiftly, I felt suddenly cold. “Hey, Buddy,” he greeted the midnight-colored interloper, which now occupied the fire escape with us. Normally, I loved animals. I hated this cat. It sat in the corner, licking its paws.

  “That’s the cat you fed last night.”

  “He comes around when he’s hungry.” The cat began licking himself in other areas. Well, at least someone was getting off tonight.

  “What’s his name?”

  Evan smiled. “I call him Buddy. He’s not mine.”

  The moon still hovered in the sky but the darkness had evaporated some, leaving a murky light behind. Where did the time go?

  “We should take him to a shelter.”

  His expression turned solemn. “Why? So they can kill him? He’s lived on the streets most of his life. You can’t cage a wild spirit.” His voice had lost its warmth, replaced with a cool demeanor that made me shiver.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s late and I’m cranky. I should get him some food,” Evan said.

  “It’s early,” I replied, pointing toward the paling light of the horizon.

  “Same difference. Night, Billie.”

  “Thanks for dinner, Evan.”

  “Thank you for being so truthful,” he said, putting the last of our trash in the bag.

  I crawled through my window. I headed straight for the shower. I turned on the hot water and tuned him out. But it didn’t work. I couldn’t wash away the hold he had on me. Was there something deeper in his statement or were we really just talking about a cat? A feral cat with no home, much like Evan. Shit…I had to get out of my own head.

  When my skin turned pink, I finally stopped trying. I applied a liberal amount of lotion, listening as the shower went on in his apartment.

  I watched Buddy, the undomesticated cat, nibbling on Evan’s offerings. Wha
t was it about Evan Wright that drove me crazy with lust and more importantly, why wasn’t I giving into it?

  Based on the numerous signals he’d given me, there was an obvious attraction on both our parts, I was young and single. Why couldn’t I be impetuous too?

  Then I remembered that girl at the bar, and all the other girls there. That was the reason, and it was strong enough that I wouldn’t yield. He said sweet things to me, but I would be a fool to let myself believe in them…in him…in us.

  I paced the room wearing nothing but the most comfortable and hideous pink terry cloth robe, decorated in obnoxious red strawberries. The sound of his shower stopped abruptly. A careful girl like me could use a few careless decisions in her life. I took a large swig of instant courage…I mean wine.

  Maybe I could fool the fortune cookie gods and actually have the passion without the purpose.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I padded over to his door, ready to negotiate. I’ll play his game but on my terms.

  Oh God, he wore the glasses…and very little else except for a pair of black boxer briefs. All my composure chipped and cracked away, exposing my vulnerabilities.

  “Howdy, neighbor,” Evan said, a head of damp hair smelling like fresh soap. He hadn’t even had the decency to shave. “What can I do you for?” he asked as he leaned his brawny body against the doorframe.

  I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I waved with a limp hand in reply. I’d imagined the full tattoo many times, but nothing prepared me for the sight of its magnificence. It covered the left side of him, but not in a linear way. More like a yin and yang symbol. In this case, the yang curved in what looked like spiraling waves, covering the rippled muscles of his waist. My gaze involuntarily shifted downward past the snug fit of his undergarments, the bulge between his muscular legs right down to his bare feet.

  “You planning on coming in or you just gonna keep undressing me with your eyes?”

  I shook my head and cleared my throat. “In all fairness, you’re not wearing much to begin with.”

  He leaned toward me, his voice dropping to a whisper, “Then why the hell is it taking you so damn long?”

  I walked past him, brushing his arm. His apartment was a carbon copy of mine, except it had no pictures, colors, or warmth. It was as if he’d never moved in. A double bed with an iron headboard took up one side. It was covered in black sheets and stood against stark white walls, and there was a battered chest of drawers on the other wall. A small glass dining set and a large Papasan chair where his guitar lay made up the rest of the room.

  “Can we talk?”

  He looked disappointed but nodded. “How drunk are you, Price?”

  He closed the door and leaned against it. “I told all truths tonight. I’m sober and sincere, Evan.” Okay…a little drunk too. “But I wanted to answer the question I passed on. The other night was the best sex I’ve ever had. It was my first orgasm.”

  “Are you fucking with me?”

  Not yet. “Nope.”

  “Did you come over to thank me?”

  “Not exactly. I want more.”

  “Let me get the guitar.”

  I held my hand against his chest, but it was too solid and warm. “I don’t want a monologue this time.”

  Judging from his grin, he got the reference I made to his song.

  His tongue swiped across his bottom lip. “Let’s dialogue then.”

  I took a step back. “I have some terms.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Can you sit?” I asked, because I needed him stationary—anything for a tiny bit of control.

  I was hoping he’d sit in the chair but he chose the bed instead, putting his elbows on his knees and waiting for me. I debated between requesting he put on a shirt and demanding that he never wear one again.

  “I can’t handle it if you’re with other girls while you’re with me. Is that a problem for you?”

  “Ordinarily it would be, but since I also have trouble with the thought of you and another dude, I’m gander.”

  “Gander?”

  “Yeah, you’re the goose and I’m the—”

  “Gander, I get it. You sure?” I studied his face for any misgivings.

  “Sure as shade on a sunless day.”

  I’d never heard the analogy but he sounded genuine. I loved the way he worded things. “Good.”

  “Anything else?”

  Although the robe wasn’t pretty, he skimmed over me, slowly pausing in all the right places, his impatience apparent. That look made me drunker than any bottle of wine could.

  I fished out the folded paper from my pocket. “Here,” I said, handing it to him with a shaking hand. He stilled my hand with his before taking it.

  “What’s this?” He unfolded it slowly.

  “My STD test. I got one after…after Preston. Would you consider getting one?”

  I was quiet while he looked it over. He folded it back up, creasing the folds a few times with his fingers before handing it back to me. I watched as he stood and walked to the other side of the room. He rifled through a drawer for a moment before sauntering back to me with his own piece of paper. “Already done. I was at the doctor’s recently. I haven’t had sex since that day.”

  I skimmed it over, especially the date. The same day I’d run into him at the café. He hadn’t been with anyone since that day? I will not read into this. “I’m on birth control but I think we should use condoms, just in case.”

  “I agree. You got anything else for me?”

  I sat on the bed this time, wringing my hands together. “I don’t want to feel like your booty call—someone you use when you need a warm body.” He opened his mouth to speak, but I interrupted him, blurting out the sentence. “I want it to feel real even if it’s not and I want to cuddle afterward. That’s what I need.”

  He digested my words for a moment before bending toward me. The feel of Evan’s hands on each of my knees caused them to wobble. “I’m happy to give that to you.”

  “Okay.”

  He tilted my chin toward him. “Don’t you worry, Billie Marie Price. I aim to cuddle the fuck out of you.”

  I swallowed, pulling my robe tighter. “That’s all I have. You have anything?”

  He sighed and ambled toward the window. I tried not to leer at the intricate ink marking the roped muscles of his back. He looked through the open slats of the blinds. I wondered what could be so interesting out there. “Only one thing. I got an opportunity to go on a European tour with this band.”

  My heart dropped but I managed to catch it in time. My voice came out squeaky, strained and too high-pitched for my own good. “Europe. That’s amazing, Evan. When will you leave?”

  “Depends on when they want to start practicing. Probably around the time the leaves turn. Here’s the thing, Price…once I’m gone, I’m gone. No prolonged goodbyes. No keeping in touch. I don’t hold on to anything. Can you handle it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Sure?”

  “Don’t give me the fucking speech, please. I’m not a stupid moth, Evan. I won’t get zapped by your fire or whatever other stupid analogy you have for me. I get it.”

  His stride was purposeful and fast. Before I knew it, he fell to his knees on the floor before me. “You are not a moth, Billie. You are the butterfly. You carry yourself with dignity, grace and beauty in all things. When I tell you this is all I have to offer you, I fully realize that you deserve much more than I am capable of giving.”

  I sucked in a breath, letting the last shred of my guard slip with his statement. “It’s enough for me.”

  “I’m relieved.”

  I held out my hand. He looked at it uncertainly.

  “You wanna shake my hand, Price?”

  “Would you rather high-five?”

  Before I had a chance to even make the signal, he had me on my back, pressed against the mattress.

  “What do you say we seal it with a kiss?”

  “Yes.” Yes. Yes. A milli
on times yes.

  I expected him to be rough but he wasn’t. He placed his hands on either side of my face and drew me in. His lips crushed mine with slow, soft exploration. My body reacted to his touch, hyperaware of everything. The solid mass of his weight. The warmth radiating from his skin. The coiled muscles of his abs against my arm. The scruff of his stubble as it grazed my skin. His hard erection alongside my hip. The taste of his mouth as his kisses became more aggressive, leading with his tongue before his mouth claimed mine.

  He broke contact, staring at me. I was barely breathing and he seemed to be having the opposite reaction.

  “You’re naked under this,” he said, more of a statement than a question.

  I nodded. He skimmed his fingers down my neck, over the curve of my left breast, cupping it for a moment and causing my nipples to harden. Each part of me responded to his touch then ached for it as he moved lower. He released the sash. My tummy did a backflip as his gaze traveled down my body as if he was memorizing every inch. Then his lips followed the same path, his tongue tasting my skin.

  “You’re beautiful, Billie Marie. When I watched you eating that chocolate in that state of bliss, I kept thinking what you’d look like when I showed you real pleasure.”

  He looked at me with lust-laden eyes. “Spread these beautiful thighs, sunshine.” The words, although sweet, had an unrelenting demand behind them. My body complied before my head even analyzed the statement. He penetrated me with his fingers in a slow, rhythmic way. I could not only feel but also hear my own slickness. I squirmed but he kept me in place. When he placed those fingers in his mouth and sucked them, I moaned.

  He licked his lips. “Damn… I thought you’d taste good, but you’re fucking delicious.”

  “Help yourself.”

  He leaned his forehead against mine. “I plan to.”

  He dropped to his knees on the floor. He grasped my ankle and pulled me toward him, hooking my legs over his shoulder.

  I closed my eyes, grabbing a fistful of sheets.

  “Sit up for me. I want to you watch what I do to you.”

  Again, I did what I’d been told. He kissed the inside of each thigh. I shrugged off my robe, and he flung it across the room. He cupped my ass, lifting me. He circled the area but fell just short of where I wanted those lips—teasing me with his mouth.