One Night A Real Man - Jenika Snow Page 0,3

leaned back in the seat, and I could tell she wasn’t just concerned to tell me, she was also embarrassed.

“I got fired today, Devon.” She let those words hang in the air between us, but I knew that wasn’t just it, so I waited until she told me the whole thing. “I didn’t get fired because I couldn’t do my job.” There was a long pause. “I got fired, because I wouldn’t fuck the boss.”

It took a second for those words to really to sink in, to penetrate my slower alcohol-soaked brain, but when they did, these filthy fucking degrading images crossed through my mind. I saw fucking red.

I gnashed my teeth together, curled my hands into tight fists on top of the table, and leaned in close. “Did he fucking touch you?” Those words were nothing but a distorted growl from me, but Leila didn’t seem fazed at all.

She leaned forward as well, her knuckles brushing against mine, her skin warm and smooth, her hands half the size of mine. She was tiny, and the fact that someone tried to take advantage of her, fired her because she wouldn’t put out, had me wanting to go kick his ass.

“No, but I have no doubt that was what it would have led to.”

I breathed out slowly, feeling so pissed I could’ve spit nails, but I didn’t want to make a scene. I didn’t want Leila to feel any worse than she did.

Tonight wasn’t about this; it was about obviously letting Leila let loose enough she wasn’t weighed down by these problems.

“Then let’s drink up so we forget about this night, yeah?”

She gave me a smile so fucking sweet it made my heart hurt.

If she wanted to get piss-ass drunk, so be it. Because I’d be right there with her to make sure she was safe doing it.

3

Devon

I told the cab driver to just go to my house. Leila could crash in my bed, and I’d take the couch, but I didn’t want her to be alone tonight, especially since we’d been drinking and she clearly had an awful day.

I paid the driver, probably more than what was owed, but everything was blurry, my vision doubling. But I felt pretty fucking good.

We all but stumbled out of the cab, and I walked around the front of the car. I took Leila’s hand in mine, not only because I wanted to keep her steady, but just because I wanted to touch her, and together we headed to the front door.

Booze was a bad combination with my desire for her, amplifying it tenfold, which was pretty fucking insane as it was. She was giggling, continuously bumping into me, and she couldn’t catch her footing. I slid my hand around her waist and curled my fingers into her soft body, pulling her in close. I fished my keys out of the front pocket of my jeans, unlocked the door, and kicked it open.

“What about your truck?” She stepped into the darkened house and turned to look at me, her face shrouded in shadows.

She tipped her head back, the light from the porch showing how fucking beautiful she was. Although I didn’t need a light on her to see that. She was ingrained in my mind and body.

Her eyes were red-rimmed and glassy-looking. She asked me this twice in the cab.

“What about my car?” There was a little bit of panic in her expression, and I chuckled softly, shaking my head before shutting the front door, sealing us in.

“Peanut, I already told you. I’ll just have Braxton take us to pick them up tomorrow.” My partner at the firm was more like a brother and always willing to help me out, seeing as he knew exactly what I felt for her. He was the only person I’d ever told about Leila, that I loved her… that she was it for me.

I was surprised I used the endearment I’d given her when we were just kids. Peanut, because she was small, and although she had a tough exterior, she was pretty delicate on the inside. She either didn’t take notice that I called her the nickname, or she was too drunk to care, because she ended up rising up on her toes and kissing me on the cheek before turning and heading into the kitchen.

I was frozen in place, feeling her lips on my skin even though she wasn’t in front of me any longer. I placed my hand on my cheek, closing my eyes for