Relief exploded in my chest, and I almost grabbed her and hauled her to the bed.But the ringing of my phone stopped me from it.
Jerking it out of my pocket, I saw Lula Mae’s name.Shit.I’d forgotten about her.I wasn’t done with that job yet.Where was Locke?!
Looking back at Elsie, I winked.“That’s the best damn news I’ve had in a long time.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she smiled so sweetly that my cock reminded me exactly what he wanted and who.
Down, boy.Not yet.But soon.
Thirty-Four
Elsie
Agreeing to “all of it” and then having to watch Forge leave my room to go back to the Louisiana princess was disappointing.But he had called her a chore, and I was choosing to believe him.Besides, we were friends.He’d made that clear.He’d also made it clear he wanted to do sexual things with me.Not sex.At least, I didn’t think he’d meant that.I couldn’t say I’d be against it if I wasn’t so terrified of his size and piercings.
I’d had some time to think about all of it and mentally coach myself for the evening.I read a little more of Noa’s book to get me more prepared for the “things” Forge wanted to do.I felt like it was an instruction manual of sorts, although I’d never admit that to a soul.And I would avoid Ransom for the rest of my life.I felt as if I had seen him naked.
With all the other taking priority in my thoughts, I hadn’t taken the time to write Calvin back.But I would tomorrow.My focus was elsewhere tonight.Besides, it wasn’t like I had much I could tell him.I was pretty sure that explaining that his cousin and I had decided to be friends with benefits wasn’t going to go over well with him.
That was something he never had to know.
There weren’t as many voices coming from the great room this evening as the last game night that I’d helped with.In fact, all I heard was the announcers on the television.Where was everyone?
Passing the kitchen, I glanced inside to see it was clean and empty.The light was off.
When I reached the great room, the only person in there was Forge, and he was sitting on the edge of the sofa with the coffee table moved closer to him.Tonight he had two laptops and an iPad placed in the middle.He was busy looking at something on the screen, and it gave me a moment to appreciate the view.Thinking about that man in my bed again tonight, doing those things we’d done last night, sent a rush of warmth between my legs.
He glanced back at me, and a slow grin spread across his face.“You gonna come sit, Pickles?Or stare at me?”
Crap.He’d known I was here.
“I didn’t want to interrupt you,” I lied.
“Sure.That was it,” he drawled.“Come sit.I’ve ordered food for us.Everyone else is out—at least for now.They’ll all return eventually.”
We were alone in this house?Had it ever been this empty?
Walking over, I took the spot in front of the second computer, seeing it had the spread already pulled up on it.Score updates were on the iPad screen between us for every basketball game currently happening.They had all just started, it seemed.He had told me to meet him in here at six, and I was a few minutes early.There must have been some games that started early.
“Oz is handling most of the ones right now over at Ransom and Noa’s outside setup,” he told me, pointing to the scores on the iPad.“They have their back patio finished, and the couples are all over there tonight.”
Winslet had mentioned today how excited Noa was that things were almost completed at their house.She had lived in Manhattan before moving in with Ransom.Living with all these other people must have been an adjustment for her.Although I didn’t hate it.Not the way I’d thought I would.I did miss getting to go and come as I wanted.Not having to stay inside the gates of this property, but I was alive.
“Are the Davidsons still here?”I asked.
He cut his eyes at me.“Just Lula Mae.Why?”
“Uh, because I was wondering if they’re going to be able to help me,” I replied.
His jaw ticced, and he nodded.“Yeah.They went back to see what they could do.We are waiting.Lula Mae is here while they deal with things.For her safety.”He paused.“But even if they get confirmation that you’ll be left alone, it won’t be okay for you to just go out into the world again.You’ll need protection for a while.”
My stomach knotted up.“Protection?”
“Yeah.And Calvin doesn’t count.You can’t be alone.You’ll need to stay here until we can be sure the son of a bitch wasn’t lying.”
“And I will be locked inside these gates for how long exactly?”
He shook his head.“Not locked inside.You’ll be able to leave.Just not alone.Like I said, protection.”
