my throat. I jumped off Scooter’s lap and promptly crashed into the table.
One of the bottles fell over. The piney smell of gin filled the kitchen.
Morgan cursed and stared down at the growing wet spot in his lap.
Ronnie grabbed a wad of paper towels and started mopping up the spill. “Ms. Walker apparently can’t handle her liquor.”
“Are you okay?” Cami and Scooter asked at the same time.
I held my hand up to my mouth, afraid if I opened it, I’d start projectile vomiting.
“Dude, she’s going to hurl.” Morgan slid back from the table.
Scooter stood. “Come on, I’ll take you to the bathroom.”
Reed was suddenly standing between us. “You’re not taking her anywhere, man.”
The two men scowled at each other.
I stared at Reed in confusion. He never acted like this. He hated conflict. My stomach lurched again. There was no time to analyze his behavior. I took off down the hallway and made it to the bathroom just in time to spill my guts into the toilet.
After my stomach finally stopped spasming, I laid my head down on the floor.
The cool tile felt wonderful.
Someone rapped at the door a few minutes later. “Are you okay, sugar?”
“Yeah,” I called back to Cami. “I just need a minute.”
“Take your time. I’ve got someone to keep me company.” She giggled.
“Not Ronnie. Please Cami, anyone except Ronnie,” I pleaded, but she’d already walked away.
I don’t know how long I lay there, but eventually I felt well enough to use the bathroom sink to pull myself up.
The face that stared back at me in the mirror made me cringe. My long hair was tangled around my pale, clammy face, and my eye makeup was smeared. Deciding to clean myself up, I brushed my teeth and took a long hot shower. The water felt amazing beating against my sore muscles and the sweet scent of my vanilla body wash burned away the smell of alcohol and vomit.
Oh, God. I should’ve stopped drinking an hour ago and I never should have played that stupid game. What if the others noticed my reaction to Morgan’s statement?
My stomach rolled again.
Only Reed, Eden, and Uncle Duncan knew the dark truth about my past. And I needed it to stay that way. I turned the water off with a hard yank. Pissed that I let myself get into such a situation, I toweled off with a fervor that left my skin pink.
Then I grabbed a comb and ran it through my hair with punishing strokes.
Scooter had probably left by now. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. His muscular arms had felt really nice around me.
What would his kiss feel like?
I brought my hand to my mouth and traced my fingers over my lips. I shivered, my nipples hardening.
I moved my hand down to my breasts. Passion sparked through me as I caressed them.
They’d been so swollen and achy tonight as if begging for someone’s touch. For some reason, I thought of Javier. What would it feel like to be with him?
My breath caught as I slipped a finger between my legs.
Would he touch me like this?
Pleasure arced through me as I circled my clit.
Love I didn’t need. Love led to pain. But maybe there could be lust.
What if I took Javier up on his offer? He’s sexy as hell and he’d pay me forty grand for the weekend.
I put one foot on the edge of the counter and imagined his amber eyes looking up at me as he licked and sucked me senseless. I felt myself drawing tighter and tighter like a bow about to snap. I moved my fingers frantically over my nub, chasing an orgasm that was so… very… close…
Someone knocked on the door.
I froze, hoping whoever it was would go away.
“Lee, are you okay?”
It’s Reed. Crap. My cleft throbbed with a deep pressure that left me feeling frustrated.
“Lee?”
“I’m fine. Leave me alone.” Maybe he’ll go away so I can finish.
“Can you open the door?”
I glared at him through the wood. “No. Go away.”
“Lee, please.”
Annoyed, I brought my leg down, toga-wrapped myself in a towel, and jerked the door open. “What is so goddamn important I can't get a moment to myself?”
11
Reed
The sight of Lee fresh from the shower stole my breath.
She was ravishing with or without makeup, but dressed in only a damp towel she was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
I quickly took mental snapshots of the water dripping down her flushed skin.
Lee flipped her wet hair back, and her towel