Page 74 of Fierce Storm
“Come on, we’re leaving,” he snaps when he reaches me, grabbing my hand to pull me up from my comfortable stool.
“What?” I shake my head, confused until his voice registers in my mind.
“We’re leaving.”
“Sal?”
He pauses, his eyes wide and he stares at me, confused. “Who the fuck did you think I was?”
“Why are you acting like Easton?”
“Easton? Trust me, you don’t want to be making that comparison right now.”
“Why not?”
“Because I want to throw you over my lap and spank you. What did you think was going to happen when you messaged me drunk and alone at a bar in the middle of the night?”
I don’t even remember doing that, but since he’s here. “Take me home, Sal.”
“Fuck, Keeley.” Sal covers his pained expression with his huge palm, and I study the veins bulging on his skin. “That’s why I’m here.”
“Good.” My eyes lift to his and I smile. “I’m ready. I have been for a while now.” I frown at my own words, not even sure if I mean that to say I’ve been ready to go home, or ready to go homewith Sal.Both are true.
And from Sal’s quiet groan, that I’m sure he thinks I can’t hear over the music, I’d say he thinks the latter, and he’s not at all happy about it.
My mind spins as I stare out the window of Sal’s sports car, the passing lights making me drowsy as I close my eyes to block out the brightness.
“Thank you for coming,” I say softly, fighting a yawn. “It would have sucked to have no way home on top of everything else.”
“Everything else? What’s everything else?” Sal tries to keep his tone even, but the slight uplift at the end makes me laugh as I glance his way, catching his frown before he schools it.
“Despite pissing me off, you’re a good man. But you don’t have to worry about me. I can handle staying in a luxury hotel for a few more nights. It’s not like it’s a hardship.”
I yawn and turn back to the window, resting my head against the glass.
“What do you mean by hotel?”
“I’m staying in a hotel.” Another yawn escapes me as my eyes drift shut. “My bed is like a pillow.” I picture the cloudy goodness and imagine myself snuggling against the mountain of pillows right now. I sigh as my body sinks into the softness, my throbbing feet finally getting to rest.
Bright lights assault my eyes, and I scrunch my face before rubbing them and slowly opening them just a touch. Through the slit in my eyelids, I can see we’ve stopped moving.
“Where are we?”
“My apartment building.”
“What?” I straighten in my seat, getting caught by the seat belt. “I thought you said you never take anyone to your apartment.”
“I know what I said, Keeley. This is different. You passed out after mumbling something about staying in a hotel, and I couldn’t wake you.”
“Wow, I must have been out of it. I’m not usually a deep sleeper.”
“No, I mean, I didn’t try. To wake you.”
My chest tightens as I stare up at him, seeing through the man I have no reason to be pissed off at. My Sal. My gentleman.
“Thank you. We can go to my hotel. It’s?—”
“We’re here now.”
