I stood up and looked from Eddie to Hank. Eddie was also not feeling in the mood to be polite, so I fol owed Hank to the door.
“Thanks Hank,” I said, when he’d cleared the door.
He turned, winked and he was gone.
I locked up behind him, started to turn back into the room and my shoulder bumped into Eddie.
I looked up at him.
Uh-oh.
“Have fun?” he asked.
Actual y, I did. Hank beat the shit out of me hand after hand in poker, but since we were playing for pretzel sticks, I didn’t mind too much. He also flirted with me outrageously, which, at first, freaked me right, the hel , out. Then I realized he was just playing with me and I found that kinda fun too.
I didn’t tel Eddie any of that.
I was reading loud and clear that Eddie wouldn’t have thought any of that was fun.
“Eddie—”
He didn’t let me finish, his hands came to my waist and he pul ed me to him, and then they came up and with them came my t-shirt. Then it was gone.
“Eddie…”
“Sat down with Marcus tonight,” Eddie said, walking backwards and taking me with him, “Marcus who runs guns, drugs and whores. Dabbles in drugs, mainly focuses on flesh and sel ing shit that tears through it.” Eek!
We cleared the coffee table and couch and I thought we were heading to the bedroom but I was wrong. Instead, he turned, my back came up against the wal and Eddie pressed into me.
“Made a deal with him. He finds Vince, Slick or your Dad, he hands them over to me. Since he’s lookin’ for al of them, mostly for Daisy, this wouldn’t be so bad, ‘cept he has to hand them over to me.”
His hands were at my jeans, he undid my belt and then my jeans while he was talking. When he stopped, he bent low to pul them down, snagging my underwear with them and keeping me against the wal with his other hand at my bel y.
Dear Lord.
“Eddie…” I said.
He came up and both of his hands went to my bottom and he yanked me up. I threw my arms and legs around him to hold on and he pressed me tight against the wal . My stomach pitched in a not altogether unpleasant way (in fact, it was altogether pleasant).
His mouth went to my neck and he kept talking.
“Problem is, Marcus doesn’t do somethin’ for nothin’.” His teeth gently nipped my earlobe and I shivered.
He went on whispering in my ear, “So, in order for him to give me these guys, and there’s a good chance he’l find
‘em before I do, I gotta do something for him in return.” He paused to run his tongue down my jaw and, I couldn’t help it, I wanted to be angry or outraged, but I was turned on. I didn’t know what that said about me but I didn’t care.
His lips went from my jaw to my cheek and then he said against my mouth, “I don’t like owing Marcus.” I held my breath, opened my eyes and looked into his.
They were glittery and liquid. Another new look.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He let go of my bottom but I held on tight.
His hand went between us and worked at his jeans.
“Sorry about me owin’ Marcus or comin’ home to you with your head in Hank’s lap?”