Joel winked. “If that smile is any indication, I didn’t blow it too badly for your first time.”
Contentment poured over her. “Score. One hundred percent.”
He cupped her face and kissed her one last time. Like a blessing, and a thank-you. Something for what they’d done and confirmation he couldn’t wait to do it all over again.
Or maybe she was putting her own thoughts into his actions.
He leaned their heads together. “I don’t want to get out of bed, but I have to.”
Vicki collapsed lazily onto the mattress as he rose to his feet and dealt with the condom. “There are towels in the bathroom cabinet if you want a shower.”
“I’m not going to be gone that long, darling, so quit hogging the covers.”
He vanished into the bathroom for a minute, sink water running. Vicki found the energy to adjust the bedding and pull back the quilt. Half the pillows usually got shoved to the floor at night, so she rolled over to rearrange them.
The sight of blood made her swear. She’d forgotten. So much for simply rolling over and falling asleep.
Of course Joel returned at the exact instant she had a fist full of bloody quilt.
“I was coming to get you.” He glanced at what she held, his smile fading but not to discomfiture, more to understanding. She was all ready to get embarrassed and shit, but he took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Grabbed the quilt with his free hand and led her to the bathroom.
“Crawl in the tub,” he ordered. “Shower or bath, whatever you want.”
He caught her under the chin and took her mouth again, catching her with her lips open in protest. She decided to simply enjoy the moment, whatever the hell he was up to.
Joel stepped back, his gaze dropping over her body. The self-satisfaction on his face made her happy. “I have no objections to washing you up if you’d like, but you tell me what you’d prefer. I’m not going asshole on you or do anything to make you uncomfortable.”
Vicki glanced at the blood on her thighs. Jeez, how sexy was that? No, this one she wanted to be in charge of. She caught hold of the curtain, winking at him. “I totally want to fool around in a shower sometime, but right now? I won’t be long.”
He nodded, and she pulled the curtain across, flipped on the water and ducked from the first cold spray. By the time it warmed to tepid, she was impatient to get back for some cuddling. She hurriedly washed her legs, going carefully over the tender folds of her sex.
She hopped out and dried off, ignored the mirror and simply grabbed an elastic for her hair.
Strolling from the bathroom butt-naked took guts, but she figured what the hell, he’d already seen it all. Seen it, and enjoyed it.
Joel was smoothing the quilt on her bed, his taut ass flexing as he reached to the corner and tucked the material in.
Vicki could have stood there all night admiring the view.
“You ready to sleep?” He asked the question as he pivoted, and this time it was her turn to glance away from what she shouldn’t have been staring at. Joel grinned. “Or at least, are you ready to crawl back into bed for a while?”
She eyed the quilt. “You get the…blood out okay?”
He did a Vanna White hand gesture over the surface. “You see anything? Don’t worry. I have five brothers, remember? On any given day growing up we had to hide the evidence of us fighting from our ma, and knowing how to get out blood stains was vital.”
She could see that. She could also see everything else about him, as he seemed comfortable being naked in front of her. Vicki stepped closer and pressed a hand to his chest.
“I never really got to touch you,” Vicki protested. “Although I loved what I did get to touch very much.”
Joel pulled the quilt back. “More touching is on the agenda, but we’ve got time. Come on, get in.”
Vicki peeked down at her naked self. “Should I pull on anything?”
Joel’s eyes widened. “Not for my sake. I think you’re wearing exactly what you should to go to sleep.”
She crawled on the bed and shuffled toward the wall. “You sleep in the buff all the time?”
“Saves on laundry.” Joel joined her, somehow fitting his bulk next to her. “What are you doing way over there?”
“Yeah, right, this bed wasn’t made—oh, for a person your size.”
He’d caught her around the waist and pulled her tight to his body, tucking them together like two spoons. She wiggled but couldn’t go far, not with the weight of his arm over her torso and the slight angle of his hips. He had her well and truly pinned in place, his breath caressing past her cheek.
She wanted to ask him all sorts of things, questions and ideas for other activities they could do sexually and otherwise.
But somehow the warmth of him wrapped so close shoved all her plans to a future agenda. “I had fun tonight, Joel.”
And she had. Incredible fun. It wasn’t until she was teetering over into sleep she remembered the entire evening hadn’t been wonderful.
Amazing what good sex could erase. What a caring touch could move into the less-important list. And like he’d instructed her earlier in the evening, she didn’t try to analyze it, just accepted it.
Vicki gave in to sleep, satisfied that the day had finished with far more highs than lows.
Chapter Sixteen
Vicki’s breathing slowed as she drifted into sleep. Joel, on the other hand, was wired.
Physical satisfaction had calmed him for a moment, but now there was too much time to think through all the things he should have done differently. Like being far more careful as he took her virginity.
The other day when they’d fooled around he’d suspected she’d told him the truth, but he hadn’t been hundred percent sure. Not until tonight. Not only the response of her body, but her face—part of him felt like a shit for taking her innocence.
Another part wanted to stand up and cheer because she’d said what she’d wanted, and he’d listened. That didn’t seem to have happened very often in her life.
They had over five months to spend together, and at the end of it, he was sure they would be successful in changing some people’s minds about Vicki’s reputation. For those who refused to budge from their thinking, well, with her leaving town she could still feel successful.
Only how was he going to keep her safe until she left?
The light from the street lamps sent a dim glow into the small apartment, and he adjusted position until her face was visible. The shadows made it difficult to see if the blue mark on her cheek was a bruise or bad lighting. He’d be making a few inquiries regarding who the hell had been involved in attacking her. Maybe she didn’t want to press charges, but knowing why it happened was one step in making sure it never happened again.
And she was never going to be unchaperoned in public around him.
The ass across the way was more difficult to deal with. Joel couldn’t see anything that could be done. Getting her to move into his trailer was out. Jesse would never go for it even if it would defeat the purpose of setting a new path. No one would believe Vicki wasn’t sleeping with them both.
She rolled, and the bed creaked forebodingly. Joel held his breath until she settled, one palm pressed to his chest. A happy sigh escaped her, and Joel gave up. For tonight there were no solutions, just the warmth and comfort of being there with her.
Tomorrow they’d deal with some of the chaos.
Or at least that was the plan. Unfortunately, morning arrived at about three a.m. He opened his eyes, not sure what had woken him.
It sounded again, metal on metal creaking ominously, and the bed quivered.
Shit.
He scooped Vicki up and attempted to roll to safety, but it was too late. They crashed downward, her body hitting into his with enough force a gasp escaped.