He pulled away, carted us both into the bed and he settled me against him, full-frontal.
“I didn’t mean to flirt with Eddie,” I told his throat. “It was a reflex action.”
One of his arms tightened around me, the other hand started fiddling with my hair.
“I’ll try to do better… with the flirting,” I said.
“I’d appreciate that.”
“You need to do better… with the jealousy thing, not every guy wants to get in my pants.”
“You’re wrong, every guy does want to get in your pants,” Lee said.
“Tex doesn’t.”
“Tex isn’t every guy. Tex is a crazy guy and he’s old enough to be your father.”
“Duke doesn’t,” I tried.
“Dolores would chop Duke’s dick off if he so much as looked at another woman and he’s old enough to be your father.”
“Hank doesn’t,” I persevered.
“Hank doesn’t count. He thinks of you as his little sister.”
“Darius doesn’t.” I was a dog with a bone.
“Darius doesn’t f**k white women.”
Jeez.
I tried a different tact.
In a quiet voice, a very quiet voice (because I kinda hoped he wouldn’t hear me), I whispered, “You know it’s only ever been you.”
He heard me.
His body went still. Then his hand fisted in my hair and he tugged my head back. He kissed me, long and sweet and when he was done, he tucked my face back into his neck.
I took in a deep breath and then let it out.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” he asked softly.
It was harder than hell, it was scary and it made me feel vulnerable.
Since I felt I’d done my sharing for the night, I stayed quiet.
Lee let me have my emotional space.
“Ally tried to take the earrings back to Tiffany’s. They refused the return. I’m not approaching Coxy, for various reasons. You’re stuck with them.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “I’ve decided to give them to charity.”
“Good plan,” he said and then, “I was in the surveillance room and saw them come in. You thought they were from me.”
“Yeah.”
“You want anything, just say and we’ll get it. You can pick out what you want.”