Page 8 of Archer (Dirty Misfits MC 3)
Even if her words said something differently.
But I took my time. I cleaned up the leftovers and put them in the oven I had turned off, just in case Josie wanted seconds. Or myself, really. And after wiping everything down, I grabbed another bottle of water and headed back up the steps.
“Josie?” I asked.
I eased her door open with my elbow and heard her say goodbye to Astrid.
“Am I interrupting?” I asked.
She cleared her throat. “You coming to keep me company or something?”
I stepped inside of the room. “I mean, if you want the company, sure. But if not, that’s okay, too.”
She giggled softly. “Come get your phone and have a seat.”
I grinned as I walked out onto the balcony and sat in the other lounge chair. I set my food off to the side and retrieved my phone, then eased my way onto the plush cushions of the chair. I plopped my tray into my lap, picked up my silverware, and then the most bone-crushing question hit my ears.
“So, why do you feel so protective over me?”
My soup spoon stopped halfway to my lips. “Come again?”
She snorted. “You heard me the first time.”
I took a bite of my soup. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She sipped her water. “That juicy, huh?”
“Not really something I wish to talk about.”
“So, you do admit that you’re being weirdly protective of a girl you don’t know, right?”
I shrugged. “You just remind me of my sister.”
She didn’t press the subject, and I was glad for it. Mostly, because it wasn’t something I wanted to talk about. Ever, in fact. The memory of my sister and the last time I saw her was a painful one, at best. And it wasn’t something I wanted to rehash with a woman I barely knew.
But that didn’t stop my lips from flapping anyway. “So, why do you feel the need to strip for money?”
I looked over at her and watched her sesame chicken stop halfway to her mouth. “What?”
I chuckled. “You heard me.”
She slowly looked over at me. “There an issue with women stripping in your eyes?”
I shrugged. “You just seem like an intelligent woman. I’m wondering why you chose that route for your life.”
She put her fork down. “What, intelligent women can’t strip? That some sort of unwritten rule or something?”
“No, I just—”
“Let me tell you something about what I do for a living before you judge me any further for it: I enjoy what I do. Really. I get up on that stage every night in makeup I love and outfits that make me squeal with glee and I get to make men pant over not being able to have me. I get to dance, swing around, and enjoy myself, all the while praising my body and paying my bills. It makes me feel empowered. Strong. Like I can do anything in the world since I bring men to their knees for my career. So, you and your traditional ways can suck my dick.”
And the more I listened to her rattle on, the more amazed I became. She was an incredibly strong woman.
Which reminded me even more of my sister.
Four
Josie
After filling my stomach with the absolutely mouth-watering food Archer cooked for us, I fell asleep out on the balcony. In fact, I didn’t wake up until I felt him scoop me into his arms and place me in bed. He softly shook me awake and wanted me to take a few sips of water along with my pain medication, but the second I got it down the back of my throat I fell right back to sleep.
And didn’t wake up until I smelled coffee.
“You a caffeine drinker?”
I groaned as I rubbed my eyes. “Does a duck with a boner drag weeds?”
He chuckled with sleep laced in his voice. “Another Letterkenny fan.”
I yawned. “Great show.”
“Very great show.”
I grunted as I pressed myself up. “Wow, that was a lot easier than it should have been.”
He handed me my mug of coffee. “Here, I’ve got your pain pill, too. We’re right at that twelve-hour mark, so I want to get this in you before the pain creeps up.”
I lazily took the pill and chugged back the coffee, allowing the burn to pull me from my sleep. The sun shone through the glass balcony French doors and the sloshing of the ocean waves could be heard from the window that had somehow been cracked.
“Did you open my window?” I asked.
Archer sipped his coffee. “I did. I figured you might enjoy the sounds. Want me to shut it?”
I shook my head. “No. I like it. Thank you.”
He patted my knee. “You’re very welcome.”
I watched his connection as his hand tapped against my body. And granted, I was still beneath the covers of my bed, but damn if it didn’t feel wonderful. It felt like a jolt of lightning rushed up my muscles, causing my back to twitch.
