It wasn’t until he swallowed that he noticed the rawness of his throat. Had he screamed? Layla climbed off and took care of the condom for him, which was good because he couldn’t move. His blood had become lead in his system.
She crawled back into bed and curled next to him. As minutes passed, Phin became able to think again. Layla traced over his skin, but didn’t speak until he turned to face her.
“Was it good?”
“Holy fuck was it good. I had no idea how different it would be.” He looked down at her wicked little smile and a sudden pang of guilt smacked him. “But it wasn’t for you. Shit, I’m sorry. You just moved too fast.”
“It’s okay.” She patted his chest.
He looked at her and wanted her to feel as good as he did. But could he taste her? Lick her? Feel her come apart and control her the way she had him? The idea tempted him, but he had no idea what he was doing. Certainly she wouldn’t want to be his first bumbling attempt.
She let out a giggle. “No reciprocation necessary, Phin. I did that because I wanted to, not because I expect the same in return.”
He felt relieved, but guilt nagged him. He didn’t want to use her for his own pleasure and give nothing. “I think I can reciprocate a little.”
“You know, I never expected you to be such a loud lover. Good thing you don’t have neighbors.”
“Let’s see if I can get you to wake the neighborhood.”
Then he stroked her and kissed her. He wanted to thank her for changing his outlook and breaking another barrier from his past. He could never give her the words to express it, but he could give her this.
Chapter 6
Layla heard noise, but burrowed deeper into the pillows. There was no reason to even consider waking up this early. Sunlight in the room was faint, indicating that no normal human needed to move around. A slap on her bare ass startled her. Pushing the pillow away from her mouth, she groaned. “Go away.”
“Give me one minute and then you can go back to unconsciousness.”
She rolled over and squinted at Phin. No one should look that good at God knew how early. Even if he was fresh from a shower.
“I put your phone on my charger.” He jingled keys in front of her face. Choosing one, he said, “Apartment.” Flipping to the other he added, “Truck.”
He was giving her keys?
“I’m going to work if you need me. If you go out, be careful.”
“You’re letting me drive your truck?”
“You’ll get bored sitting here all day.” He set the keys on the nightstand. “Don’t crash it and don’t get robbed.”
Now he was a comedian. “Smart-ass.” She closed her eyes again, trying to reclaim sleep.
The mattress sank beside her, and Phin’s hand ran across her stomach. She eased her eyes open as he lowered his face to hers. “Aren’t you going to be late?”
“It takes thirty seconds to get downstairs. I have time for this.” He kissed her, making her blood race.
Her hips wiggled and she hoped he’d move his hand lower to touch her. He pulled back and she tried not to moan. A little giggle escaped when she saw him adjusting himself. Nice to know she wasn’t the only one who was hot and bothered. “You shouldn’t wake someone up like that unless you’re gonna follow through.”
She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow again.
The bed bounced and Phin was suddenly straddling her backside. “Don’t go finishing without me.” He curled his hands under her and cupped her smooshed breasts. His warm breath skated across her shoulder and then he nipped her neck.
“What time do you get off?”
“ ’Bout the same time as you.”
She laughed and tried to twist out of his grasp. “I mean when do you get out of work?”
“I know what you meant. Usually around four, but I have extra work on a transmission.”
Layla imagined him working on her car, his talented hands fixing the problem, making everything okay. Phin jumped off her, and she heard him shuffling around, and then the door closed.
She lay on the bed, missing the warmth of Phin’s body, the look in his eye when he wanted to fuck, the way he carelessly called her babe. How could only two days with a guy seem so real and right? Pulling the covers over herself, she nestled into the scent of Phin around her and went back to sleep.
When she woke hours later, the sun was bright and filled the room. If there had been curtains or blinds on the windows, she probably would’ve slept for hours more. She scrubbed a hand across her face and into her hair before tossing off the covers and climbing out of bed.
She stumbled to the bathroom to take a shower. Her body ached from all the sex she’d had over the last couple of days, but she felt good—no—satisfied. After her shower, she found Phin’s coffee and started a pot. She’d missed a call from Felicity, so she dialed while the coffee brewed.
“Hey, what’s up? You in Texas?”
“Yes, I’m here and it’s beautiful. Are you going to make it?”
Layla’s heart sank. Felicity was counting on her to have a good time. “I don’t think so. Phin said it’ll take a couple of days to fix my car. Best case, it’ll be done on Wednesday. By the time I drive there, it would be time to turn around and head back to school.”
The thought of returning to school created an odd sensation in her gut. Kind of like anxiety amplified. Not school. She’d never had that reaction to school. School was comfortable and safe. She always knew what to expect and what to do.
But returning after break was the beginning of the end. Only weeks until graduation and starting over.
“No. That’s awful. What am I supposed to do?”
“What do you mean? Have fun. You’re capable of doing this, Felicity. Whenever you’re presented with an opportunity, don’t do what you would normally do. Stop and think ‘What would Charlie and Layla want me to do?’ Then do that.” She ignored Felicity’s groan. “Speaking of Charlie, have you heard from her?”
“She texted that she was having dinner with Ethan last night, but she hasn’t responded to my texts today to tell me what happened.”
“Wait a minute. You’re on spring break and instead of going out and enjoying yourself, you’re sitting there texting Charlie and calling me? Leave the hotel room.”
“I left earlier.”
Layla thought for a minute. “For breakfast, right?”
Felicity’s lack of answer was confirmation.
“Put on your swimsuit, pack a bag, and leave. Promise me that you won’t go back to your room for at least the next six hours.”
“What am I supposed to do for six hours?”
“Swim, sunbathe, drink, pick up a gorgeous guy, eat, drink some more, make friends.”
“That’s a lot of stuff I’m not good at.”
“Promise.”
“I’ll try.”
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
Felicity laughed. “Don’t you think it’s time to let go of the Star Wars quotes?”
“Blasphemer.” Layla poured a cup of coffee and sipped, relishing the first jolt of the day. “Go have fun. I plan to.”
“I’m sure you do.” Felicity’s voice held a hint of jealousy. “How did you meet this guy?”
“I met him at a bar. We played pool, and, when my bag went missing, he helped me find it and offered me a place to stay. Plus, he’s the mechanic who’s working on my car.” Layla thought about the many ways she’d lucked out by walking into that bar on Saturday. “He’s so much fun, Felicity. We spent the day yesterday playing pool at a bunch of different places. And we made money doing it.”
“Isn’t that illegal?”
“A friendly game of pool?”
“It’s not friendly if there’s money involved.”
“It’s fine. And the sex, oh God, the sex is fabulous. He’s rough and gentle and fast and slow and makes my head spin.”
“Yeah, I got that part when I called the other night.”
&nbs
p; Just thinking about having sex with Phin made her horny all over again. “But it’s more. He’s a good guy. He’s strong, and there’s a hint of mystery around him. He’s a gypsy, Felicity. A gypsy. Can you even imagine what living like that would be like? No responsibility other than to your family, traveling around, no regular job. Most of them are con artists, I think, but it’s such a different life.”
Until trying to explain it to her friend, Layla hadn’t really thought about why she’d been so drawn to Phin and his life. She shouldn’t have been, since he seemed to be doing his best to leave that part of himself behind, at least if she went by what he said. From the outside, it still looked like he lived the life of a gypsy. What did he want if it wasn’t the gypsy life? Why not choose one town, find a regular job, and stay? Plant roots.
Her musings had just given her more questions to ask Phin, and she had no idea if he’d answer them, but she had a deep need to know. She wanted to understand him.
“Are you falling for this guy?”
Falling for him? “I don’t know. I’ve only known him for a couple of days.”
“But you’re talking like you’re all invested in his life. If it was just sex, then that’s all you’d be rambling on about. Don’t get me wrong, I’m kind of glad you’re off that conversation, since I have none coming my way, but you have to know that this can’t go anywhere.”
Layla inhaled the scent of her coffee before answering. “I’m not doing anything crazy. I’m enjoying my spring break. Phin is not a long-term anything. He’s moving on himself soon. Heading to Vegas and who knows where after that.” Her mind drifted to another road trip. She’d loved her drive down to Georgia, at least until her car had stopped working. The relaxation of the open road, with the radio up and the windows down, not having to worry about a schedule, had been freeing.
“I really needed a vacation. That’s what I’m doing here,” she told Felicity. “Spring break. Our last one. I only wish we were together. I found my fling. You need to go get yours. Then we’ll talk next week and compare notes.”
“I love how you tell me to just ‘get one,’ as if I’ve ever been able to do that.”
“You can do it. Channel Charlie. That girl will get you laid faster than anything.”
“There was a time that was true. Not so since Ethan’s been in her life.”
They both quieted. They’d spoken before about how they didn’t understand what Charlie saw in the man. He was okay, but not the kind of guy they’d ever pictured Charlie with. Layla could actually see Charlie with a guy like Phin. She shook her head. She did not need her thoughts going there. “Go hit the beach. I’m going to explore Atlanta. Have fun.”
“You too. I’ll talk to you later. Give me a call if you need anything.”
“Yep.” Layla hung up and rummaged through her bag for a new T-shirt. If she was going to spend the rest of her week in Atlanta, she’d have to do laundry. She’d planned on picking up some new clothes in Texas for the week, but now, with no credit card until tomorrow and a repair bill headed her way, the laundromat would be necessary. She piled her dirty clothes up and found a plastic bag to put them in. She’d ask Phin about where to go later. While she polished off her coffee, she scrolled through her e-mails on her phone.
She sputtered on her coffee as she stared at one. Diane Amato. That was the woman she’d interviewed with on Friday. Coffee burned in Layla’s stomach and she swallowed hard. Maybe Diane was writing to tell Layla they’d made a mistake. She didn’t really have a job offer. Her heart kicked up a notch, and she inhaled slowly before clicking on the message.
Dear Layla, I hope this finds you well. I know when we spoke on Friday you said you wanted a week to think about the job offer. I’m assuming you have other leads that you need to explore. I wanted to get you set up in our system should you decide to accept the job. Follow the link below to fill out a complete application.
Layla stared at the words. Air whooshed from her lungs. An application was simple enough. She just needed a computer and she hadn’t seen one in Phin’s apartment all weekend. Did he really live without a computer? She stood and walked through the place, as if she couldn’t already see everything from her spot on the couch. Nothing inside cabinets, under the bed, or in the sole closet. Maybe he kept it in the truck? That would be silly. If he’d been worried about her stealing it, he surely wouldn’t have given her his truck keys.
On her phone she did a search for an Internet café, hoping there would be one close by. She gathered her stuff and Phin’s keys and headed out the door. In the garage, a radio blared over the noise of the drills and air pumps and clanking wrenches. The stench of oil filled the air, and Layla tried to block it as she wandered around looking for Phin. She probably could’ve asked any of the guys wearing blue jumpsuits, but she trusted Phin.
A pair of legs stuck out from beneath a blue minivan. She studied the shoes. They looked like they might be Phin’s. “Excuse me?”
“Hey, darlin’, is there something I could help you with?” a voice called from behind her.
She turned around. It was the guy who had towed her on Saturday. “Hi, again. I’m looking for Phin.”
The sound of wheels rolling near her ankles caught her attention. “You found him.”
The tow-truck driver/mechanic shook his head and turned back to the car he was working on. Phin heaved himself up from the floor. “What do you need?”
“A computer. You don’t happen to have one, do you?”
“Nope.”
“That’s what I figured. Can you give me directions here?” She held her phone out to him to see the address of the Internet café. “The GPS on my phone drains the battery too quickly, so I don’t want to use it.”
Phin wiped his hands on an already greasy rag. “What do you need a computer for?”
“To fill out a job application.”
“Planning on staying in Atlanta?” His mouth kicked up into a smile that made her melt.
“Uh . . . no. I interviewed for an internship on Friday and they offered me a job. That’s why my friends and I were supposed to celebrate over spring break. I got an e-mail telling me to fill out an online application.” She felt silly still holding her phone up to his face when he wasn’t even looking at it. His attention was focused on her, so she dropped her arm to her side. “The Internet café is close, I think.”
“That’ll cost you money you don’t have. I’ll talk to Steve. He’s got a computer in the office he might let you use.”
Phin turned and Layla grabbed his arm. “You don’t have to do that. You guys have already been really nice. I don’t expect any more favors.”
“It’s a computer. It’s not like I’m asking him to give up his lunch.” He pulled from her grasp and walked toward the back of the garage.
Layla stood awkwardly flipping her phone over in her hand, feeling out of place in the noise of the garage. Mumbled curses and grunts acted as background to the radio. A couple of guys stood in the corner talking over cups of coffee. One pointed in her direction, making her even more self-conscious.
A shrill whistle sounded from the corner. Phin waved her over. “Steve has errands to run. He said you could use the computer as long as you don’t fuck with any of his shit and you’re done within an hour.”
She hadn’t even seen the application yet, so she wasn’t sure she could finish in an hour. Even if she didn’t, she could start it and figure out what she’d need to finish. If they wanted specifics about her courses, she didn’t have that information handy anyway. She followed Phin to a crowded back office. File cabinets filled one wall, and hanging above them were various outdated girly calendars.
Charming.
Layla reminded herself not to be a snot. The guy was doing her a favor. “Thanks,” she said as she pulled out the rickety desk chair.
“Need anything else?”
She shook her head, suddenly nervous again.
“I’ll be out front if you need me.”
Sh
e didn’t want to need him. Not again. This was the third day she’d done nothing but rely on him. What would she have done if she hadn’t met him at the bar? If he had been some other guy? She’d lucked out, and she owed him. The computer was a little on the ancient side, but it was already booted up. She logged on to the Internet and accessed her e-mail to get the link.
The NSA Web site stared at her, and she clicked again to get into the application. Her fingers flew across the keyboard filling in identification information by rote. Then the questions became more detailed, and she had to actually read them and focus.
She read the questions and felt like a fraud. No matter how she answered, she felt like she was making it up, pretending to know what she was doing. And they would know.
This was the freaking NSA. They would catch her and know she was faking it.
Her hands sat idle on the keys as she read. Looking at all the blank fields was worse than opening a new document before writing a paper. The boxes and spaces indicated how much she needed to do. The tingle started at the top of her spine and shot across her skull.
No! She had no reason to panic. It was a stupid application. Words on a page. She’d done the work, had the knowledge. She just needed to share it.
But the familiar ropes wrapped themselves around her chest, and her breaths became shallow. She pushed away from the desk and closed her eyes. Her panting echoed loudly in the room, and sweat broke out from every pore.
She needed to get out. The office had no windows so she couldn’t even pretend to grab fresh air. Glancing at the computer, she hit the exit button.
Do you want to save before exiting? If you do not, all information will be lost.
The message glared at her and she pressed no. No, she didn’t want to save any information that would cause a panic attack. She shoved away from the desk on stiff legs. Tears threatened and her throat burned. Outside the office door, she looked back the way Phin had brought her in.
Her Best Shot Page 6