Right, I didn’t have a place to go, but he didn’t know that. “Away from here.”
He waves his hand over me. “Like that? On these streets? You won’t make it to the corner. Shit, you probably won’t make it to the front door before some drunk asshole from downstairs falls on top of you.”
“I have my clothes in the dressing room.”
“The dressing rooms are all locked up for the night, and Ricky already left with the key.”
Shit, hadn’t figured on that either. Another one of my plans that has no chance of succeeding.
“And where the fuck did you learn to do all that?” He rubs his jaw again. “You fuckin’ clocked me.”
“Seventeen years of martial arts, starting when I was five.”
“Shit, you’re only twenty-two?”
“That’s your takeaway after I almost knock you out?”
He huffs out a laugh. “First of all, you didn’t almost knock me out.”
“I got out of your hold though.”
“You also caught me by surprise.”
“Isn’t that the point of self-defense? One of the first teachings is to be ready at all times.”
“True, but since you’ve been grinding up against my hard dick half-naked for the last hour, and just came all over my hand, I kinda thought this was goin’ in a different direction.” Diesel cracks his neck from side to side. “I sure wasn’t expecting to get elbowed in the face.”
I eye the staircase a few feet behind me.
“Look, babe, I don’t know what the fuck got in your head, but I’m not gonna hurt you or do anything you don’t wanna do. I gotta admit, you got my cock all worked up.” He motions to his bulge. “And he’ll probably never forgive me, but I’m not some desperate perv who has to take women against their will. What I am is too boozed up to take you home, so I guess you got two choices. You can go back downstairs and take your chances ‘cause I can’t vouch for all the guys at this party tonight, or you can come back to my room.”
“And if I come back to your room?” The earlier adrenaline seeps out of my body, and I shiver.
“I’ve got clothes you can put on and a very nice leather couch that you’re more than welcome to sack out on till morning. I’d offer you my bed, but I don’t feel like getting elbowed on the other side of my face.”
I consider my choices, which amount to slim and none. I nod because I can’t bring myself to admit he’s right. Childish probably, but I have to grab on to some scrap of dignity.
He pushes open the metal door, and I follow him back to his apartment. He waves me in, and I look around.
Polished wood floors, a large leather couch on a matching area rug, and a coffee table. I’m not surprised by the huge flatscreen TV hanging on the opposite wall, but the overall cleanliness and newness of the furniture intrigues me.
“This is nice.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.” Diesel disappears into the kitchen off the main room and returns with two bottles of water, uncaps them and hands me one.
“No, no, I’m not.”
He tips the bottle to his lips, and I’m entranced as his tan, tatted throat gulps down half the water. “Yeah, you are, but that’s okay.”
When he said outlaw biker earlier, I pictured photos ofnaked women plastered on the walls, duffel bags full of illegal money, and a loop of porn on the big screen TV. Big surprise, Hollywood doesn’t always get it right.
I wrap my arms around myself. “You said you have something I can put on.”
“Sure.” He finishes off the water, then heads down a short hallway to another room, presumedly his bedroom.
He returns a few minutes later with a t-shirt and sweat shorts. I slip the soft Harley t-shirt over my head, and it hits my knees. Then I strategically remove the bikini top and the G-string before putting on the shorts that I have to roll many times.
He motions to the couch, and we both sit a few feet away from each other. Odd how the mood changed from full-on groping and grinding to almost a chaste, platonic atmosphere.
