“Your phone is dead.”
“No, it’s not.”
I balance her weight on one arm just so I can pluck the phone out of her hand and flip it around to let her see the screen is black. She curses and snatches it out of my hand, which makes me laugh.
“It’s okay, angel. You must have forgotten to charge it when you were downing wine coolers.”
Sloane slaps me on my arm. “Shut up! They weren’t wine coolers.”
There’s no heat in her eyes when the blow lands, only playful annoyance and a slight glassiness that reminds me of her current condition. A happy silence stretches between us as we approach the door to her building. I stop outside the doors to set Sloane on her feet.
She pulls a set of keys out of her purse and sways a bit as she uses her student ID to let us into the building. I reach out to steady her.
“Thanks.”
Her smile is all perfect teeth and full pink lips, so tempting I have to look away or else I’m not going to be able to do what I need to do, which is see her to her door, maybe kiss her good night, give her my number, and leave.
Luckily, she’s staying on the first floor, and I’m treated to a prime-time view of her hips swinging as I follow her to her room. As soon as she unlocks the door, I release a long breath.
Sloane pushes the door open and glances back at me. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Looking at you is just making it hard for me to do what I need to do.”
A knowing smile tugs at the corner of her lips. She leans against the partially open door. The room is dark, except for a sliver of light coming from somewhere inside. The beam spills out into the hallway and illuminates Sloane’s silhouette. I stare at her, so caught up in her beauty, I almost forget she’s drunk.
That is until the door swings out from behind her and sends her stumbling into the room.
I reach for her, but I’m too late. Her body hits the floor with a dull thud, and then she’s flat on her back laughing at the ceiling. The sound reminds me of just how far gone she is.
“Well, that should make this next part a lot easier on you.”
All at once, I’m shocked by how gracefully she managed to land and charmed by her sense of humor in what has got to be an extremely embarrassing moment for someone as confident and self-possessed as Sloane.
I step into the room, bend over her prone form, and extend a hand. “Actually, it makes it harder, since now I have to consider whether it’s safe to leave you when you might have a concussion.”
I pull her up and as soon as her feet touch the ground, I scoop her up into my arms again. Our faces are mere inches apart, and I brush my nose over hers, leaving her eyelids fluttering when I pull back and stare at her some more.
“I need to brush my teeth.”
“Where’s your bathroom?”
She points at a partially open, and well lit, doorway on the other side of the room with a perfectly manicured finger. I follow it just like I’ve followed her all night long. Like I plan to follow her for the rest of my life. The tangle of emotions in my chest hums its assent.
Crossing the room takes no time at all, even with Sloane in my arms. When we enter the small bathroom, I drop her on the countertop by the sink. “Where’s your stuff, angel?”
She indicates her toiletries with a flick of her finger and then watches with a dazed look on her face as I place a tiny dab of toothpaste on her toothbrush, run it under water, and bring it to her lips.
“Open.”
The order lights a spark in her eyes, and I know she intends for me to take it as a nonverbal challenge, but I don’t. I’m not sure why I need to do this, but nothing is going to stop me from taking care of her.
Something in my expression must tell her this isn’t a battle she’s going to win, because she gives a dramatic roll of her eyes and opens her mouth. With a triumphant grin on my face, I brush her teeth, making sure to bethorough, so the taste of Jack Daniel’s and any other alcohol she consumed is no longer in her mouth.
When I’m done, and she’s finished glowering at me, I try to pull her into my arms again.
“I let you brush my teeth, but I draw the line at your carrying me around like I’m incapable of walking two feet without running into something.” I raise a skeptical brow at her, and she rolls her eyes. “Dom, I’m fine. And I could use a minute with the, uh—”
She gestures toward the toilet, and I get the hint. “Shit. Sorry. I’ll just wait out here.”
