“Uh-oh,” Sammy said as I made my way back, her body stiffening at something she heard. It took me a second, but the echoes of retching drifted down the hallway.
“Go on. I’m just gonna make sure she drinks this, then I’ll head out. You can check back every two minutes if you wanna.”
Sammy looked conflicted, but eventually had no choice but to rush out when a smush-faced dog went rushing past Steph’s open door.
“Shit. Meatball!” she called, running out into the hall.
“I love Meatball,” Steph said, eyes going round, almost a little sad.
“Yeah? Why don’t you get one?”
“Work. Charity.”
“You work from home,” I reminded her.
“Maybe after Christmas. Is that for me?” she asked, pressing her hand to her heart as I offered her the glass of water. She was looking at it like it was five dozen long-stemmed roses.
“Yep. You gotta drink it all.”
She sniffed it, her nose wrinkling.
“That’s not a margarita.”
“No, but it might help you prevent a hangover from those margaritas. Beside, it’s a mocktail flavor. Cranberry cosmo or some shit like that.”
“I like how you talk,” she said, taking a sip. “Some shit like that,” she parroted, dropping her voice low. “I can’t do the gravel.”
“The gravel?”
“There’s gravel in your voice. I like it. It’s hot.”
These were not things a sober Stephanie would want to say to me. I felt guilty hearing (and enjoying) them.
“I got him!” Sammy said, making me turn to find her standing in the doorway with a wriggling, unhappy dog. “I’m going to check on Andy, then take him to pee. I’ll check on you right after.”
I didn’t bother to tell her that Stephanie was safe with me. Overprotective friends were a good thing for a woman to have. I wasn’t going to insist Sammy let down her guard.
Especially not with dicks like Craig sniffing around Steph.
“I’m not gonna head out until you’re gone. I’ll keep an ear for your woman, too. Just in case she needs something.”
“Okay. Thanks,” Sammy said, but I was aware of her checking the doorknob on her way back out, making sure it was locked. “Five minutes!” she called, rushing down the hallway.
“She’s the MVP tonight, huh?”
“Sammy doesn’t like getting drunk,” Stephanie told me. She paused, swallowing the last of her water and handing the cup to me. Sideways. The dregs spilled down onto my thigh. AndStephanie? She panicked and tried to wipe it away with her fingers.
“Babe, gonna need you to stop that.” The drops were too damn high on my leg. And my cock was getting ideas.
“I ruined your pants!” she whimpered.
Her gaze cut up to mine, all round eyes and a pouting lower lip that I really wanted to taste again.
“They’re fine,” I assured her, removing her hand myself.
“Why wouldn’t you let me take my pants off?” she asked.
“I believe that was Sammy.” Though, yeah, I’d have tried to stop her too.
