BATES
“May I come in?” I ask through the darkness. Squinting, I can just make out the bed in the shadows. A pale sliver of moonlight has streaked through a gap in her curtains.
“You’re already in,” Lana says, sounding kind of stunned and breathless.
“I… yeah, I didn’t want to wake anyone else by knocking on your door. I guess I’m asking if it’s okay that I’m here, in your very… flammable-smelling abode? Should I wait until you’re sober to apologize for today and then stress to you that my intentions last night were pure? Well, as pure as a man twice your age deflowering you can be. I think. Um… How much did you drink tonight?”
“Not enough to need the bucket Martha left, probably not enough to forget you being here now, but definitely more than enough to impair my judgment, which is likely the reason I’ll allow you to come in,” she replies honestly.
There’s a rush of movement, the sound of fabrics shearing together, and the muttering of a few choice words before the bedside lamp clicks on.
Lana hurries to tidy her hair as I stare at her lush breasts almost bursting out of some frilly little thing that barely covers her, let alone keeps her warm when it’s fucking freezing outside.
“Whatare you sleeping in?”
She glances at her tits.
Her gorgeous, full, round breasts have their tight little nipples on high-beam from the chill in the air.
“I’m a magnificent woman who’s incredibly sexy at all hours of the day. These are my pajamas. I definitely wouldn’t wear anything as pedestrian anddeep-northas thermals and sweatpants to bed.” She glances to her left and nudges something off the bed that looked remarkably like sweatpants.
“You are magnificent,” I agree, coming closer and picking up the clothing items she’s apparently just shed. They’re still warm from her body heat. “And incredibly sexy,” I add as I turn her clothes the right way. “Atallhours of the day. Even while wearing such pedestrian anddeep-northfashion items.” I pull her woolen thermal over her head and wait to see if she’ll send me packing for it.
Nope.
She lets me dress her.
Lets me thread her arms through the sleeves and brush my fingers down her waist as I pull down the body of her thermal wear.
She also lets me slide my rough hands along her bare legs as I guide her sweats up and over her fucking edible-looking ass.
It’s torture to cover up all of her soft, smooth skin, and she watches me suffer as if enjoying herself.
“Better?” she asks when I’m done.
“Not really. Yourcome-and-suck-me-Batesnipples are still taunting me to the point of a very aggressive erection I have no chance of hiding, but at least there’s a chance you might think I’m serious about what I’m going to say now.”
“Which is?”
“I realize that today revealed some — well, let’s face it —shockingrealities, and I worry about how you’ll take them. I’m going to set aside the issue of your dad for the time being, to just focus onyoufor a minute — as a woman, entirely separate from this fucked-up situation. Can I do that?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Nodding, I tuck a wild lock of hair behind her ear. It’s still damp. Cold. Looking around, I can’t see a hat, so I take off my toque and pull it down over her ears to keep her from catching a chill.
“I… I don’t want you to think that last night didn’t mean anything to me. It meant more than I can say. To me,” I clarify — in case I’ve completely misread the situation, and she actually has no regrets about things ending the way they did before the wholelearning we’ll be working together in the middle of nowhere,with her dad,thing. “You made me feel things I’d forgotten I could feel, and I didn’t know how much I needed reminding of them. It was special, and I can’t bear you thinking otherwise.”
Lana rubs her cheeks and lets her misty gaze travel over me.
“I’m sorry you lost your baby,” she whispers, lowering her head. “You must be…” She shakes her head. “I’m sorry.”
My finger strokes beneath her chin, and I lift her face to meet her eyes.
“There was no baby, Lana. She faked it. Lied to me to manipulate my choices. Caused irreparable damage to our relationship with her lies and betrayal and brought us to an end.”
“Oh?” Lana’s eyebrows rise and then plummet. “Oh.”
My heart leaps into a sprint as I see her inner cogs working — and not in any way that looks positive for me. “Tell me what you’re thinking, Lana.”
