him.”
Dammit!
She stood, wiping her palms on the front of her pants. “Maybe. So what?”
Faith tapped something into the phone, held it to her ear and then said, “Oh, hi. Sorry. We got disconnected. Was there something I can help you with?”
“Faith,” Gloria whisper-yelled.
“Gloria? Sure. She’s right here.” Faith handed her the phone again. “Speak to him. It’s the only way to clear this up.” She made a fuzzy gesture at Gloria’s torso. “You’re all...muddy.”
Rolling her eyes, Gloria took the phone but placed it next to her chest, covering the mic because Faith stood exactly where she was, waiting to listen in. She waved her off, mouthing the words, “Go away.”
Saluting, Faith left and Gloria raised the phone to her ear. She took a deep breath and then huffed it out. “Dillon. What can I do for you?”
“Are you asking for real? Because the list is long.” His voice was deep and suggestive. He also sounded strangely out of breath, reminding her of a very vigorous, very intimate moment she’d spent a good portion of the past three months trying to forget. So far she’d been unsuccessful.
“Why are you calling?” She bit her thumbnail, realized what she was doing and stopped.
“I’m in town, doing some business, visiting my cousins. Thought I’d give you a call. See if you wanted to get together.”
“Really.” She chewed the inside of her lip, realized what she was doing and stopped.
“Uh-huh. Coffee. Dinner. Or...somethin’.”
“I’m not a hook-up girl, if that’s what you’re looking for.”
“Never said you were. Just, we had some fun last time I was here,” he drawled. Slow and easy. Reminding her of the movement of his tongue against her lips and in her mouth.
Mmm.
Ugh!
“Kind of hoped we could recapture it. You know?”
“No, thanks.”
“Why?”
“Do you want an honest answer?”
“Yes.”
“What happened between us was desperation.” She gnawed her lower lip.
He chuckled. That was not the response she was going for.
“I’m not interested in whatever it is you have in mind,” she hurried on.
“You don’t even know what I have in mind. Aren’t you curious? Even a little?”
She shut her eyes, sucking her whole top lip into her mouth while erratic visions of nakedness popped into her head.
She was not curious. Not one little bit. Honest she wasn’t.
His voice began, soft and low, reminding her of the naughty whispers from that night. “I’m going to take your clothes off, nice and slow, kissing you as I go. Tasting every inch of you...”
No.
“Goodbye, Dillon. Don’t call me again. You want a booty call, try someone else.” She hung up, dropped the phone on the bed—the one that was positioned all wrong—and expelled the big breath she’d been holding.
Faith came in seconds later, obviously having overheard the entire thing. She looked Gloria up and down, shook her head and said, “You are in trouble, girl.”
“No. I’m not.”
Giving her another sweeping gaze, Faith’s expression said different. “You want him. I can tell.”
“No, I don’t. Now, let’s—”
“When’s the last time you had sex?”
“None of your business.”
“Three months ago. Daisy’s wedding.”
Gloria sputtered. “How’d you know?”
“Because you’ve been weird ever since.”
Straightening herself, Gloria said, “Whatever. Now help me—”
“How about before that? Before the stupid cowboy from Wyoming?”
“Again, none of your business.”
“Greg.” Faith moved over to the bed, squatted down and began to shove, a smug expression lighting her face. “Boring, predictable, accountant Greg, right?”
“Why did I hire you, again?” Gloria tugged while Faith shoved and the heavy bed inched across the floor.
“Because I have an eye for detail.” She tapped her temple. “And an amazing memory.”
“Quiet and keep pushing.”
“Didn’t you two break up, like, a year ago? Or was it two?”
“Something like that.” The bed was moving at the speed of a glacier and Gloria grunted. “How about you focus your energy on pushing instead of talking?”
Ignoring her, Faith said, “Why’d you break up again?”
“He was transferred.”
“Oh, I thought it had to do with the fact he only knew one position—missionary, in the dark, no talking.”
Gloria stood, giving up any pretense of moving the bed. “Look. Enough about my private life, okay? We’ve got work to do.”
“I’ll stop as soon as you tell my why you aren’t accepting the stupid cowboy’s offer for hot sex. Because, no offense, but, you need it.”
“What does that mean?” Hands on her hips, Gloria glared at her employee.
“You’re wound really tight right now. A smokin’ hot sex session with a cowboy sounds divine.” Faith gasped and put a hand to her mouth. “I bet he has rope, too, doesn’t he?” She shut her eyes and rocked back and forth, like she was imagining bondage shit behind those closed lids.
Leaning against the bed, Gloria sighed. “Enough.”
“Why?”
“I lose control when I’m around him, okay? Are you satisfied now?”
Faith hugged herself. “Sounds delicious.”
“No. Not delicious. The way I lose it is not a good thing.” That wasn’t completely true; a flash from three months ago stole her breath, in a good way. Dillon holding her legs wide while he moved inside of her... Gloria recalled feeling complete and utter abandon at
