soaking right now.
“Or when they’ve come to their senses.” I retreat and pick up my purse and put it between us like a shield. “If you really need to get laid, why don’t you get someone who’s interested?”
A corner of his lips tilts as he stalks toward me. “I already have. Your mouth says no, but your body says yes.” He pulls me to him, purse and all.
My heart beats frantically, blood roaring in my head. A finger glides along my slick folds, sending electric frissons of want through me.
Elliot licks his wet finger. “Sweet. Just as I suspected.”
I’m so hot I feel like I’m about to combust. I should be totally outraged, furious that he put a finger down there, but instead I want him to do it again. What is
wrong
with me? I haven’t even been drinking. I have no excuse.
“You’re a smart girl,” he purrs in my ear. “You’ll figure out what you really need. Meanwhile, think about it…”
Letting me go, he looks at my moist, tingling lips, and I can feel the need pulsing through the sensitive flesh. My legs are shaking so hard I don’t know how I’m standing upright.
He pulls out a business card, folds it lengthwise in half, and sticks it into my bra. “Call me when you’ve thought enough.”
Chapter Ten
Annabelle
“You’re really late,” says Nonny, looking up from a textbook when I finally get back home. She’s on her belly on the floor, ankles crossed in the air. Her hair’s damp from a shower. The oversized yellow nightshirt and blue cropped pants are relatively new—something I bought from Target before I got laid off. The sight of them makes me feel slightly better…even though they aren’t really proof that I’m doing a good job of taking care of my sister.
“Sorry. Really bad traffic, and I made a wrong turn on top of that.” The lie slips out surprisingly easily. But what can I say? I can’t tell her the truth. “Did you eat dinner?”
“Uh-huh. I had some of the leftovers.” She rolls over and sits up. “So how was it?”
“How was what?”
“Your first day at work. Duh.”
“Oh. Yeah, it wasn’t too bad. Actually pretty easy. No irate diners to deal with,” I say, looking through the fridge for something to eat. Nonny left me a portion of casserole from yesterday, which I decide to nuke.
“Really? Okay, well…cool.” She waits until I pull out my dinner before continuing, “I’m going to study hard and go to a kickass college and make lots of money.”
I raise an eyebrow.
What is this about?
“Good for you,” I say finally. “But you should find something you’re really passionate about, not just something that can give you a lot of money.”
“What I’m passionate about is a big paycheck.”
I laugh through a tinge of apprehension. “Seriously?”
“Totally. If we had money, we wouldn’t have to live like this, and you wouldn’t have to take janitor jobs.”
A sudden lump fills my throat. I go over and give her an extra-tight hug. “Nonny, I’m so sorry.”
She hugs me back. “You’re doing your share, so I have to do mine, right? I’m going to help you finish college.”
“Don’t feel like you owe me.” I look at her. My lower jaw quivers, but I put on a smile. “I’m doing this because I love you. It’s you and me against the world now.”
“But if you didn’t have me, you’d be happier. Like Caroline. You could go out and have fun and stuff.”
“I’m happy exactly where I am. And if I lost you I don’t know what I’d do.”
Nonny looks skeptical.
I cock my head. “Did Caroline say something?”
She doesn’t answer.
God
,
that meddling bitch
. I can’t believe this. “Don’t listen to her. She’s not worth it.” I put my hands around her arms. “Just worry about yourself. Not me.”
My poor little sister. She’s growing up too fast, maturing too soon. When I was her age, my biggest worry was how I was going to get away with skipping school and sneaking into parties with the older
“Or when they’ve come to their senses.” I retreat and pick up my purse and put it between us like a shield. “If you really need to get laid, why don’t you get someone who’s interested?”
A corner of his lips tilts as he stalks toward me. “I already have. Your mouth says no, but your body says yes.” He pulls me to him, purse and all.
My heart beats frantically, blood roaring in my head. A finger glides along my slick folds, sending electric frissons of want through me.
Elliot licks his wet finger. “Sweet. Just as I suspected.”
I’m so hot I feel like I’m about to combust. I should be totally outraged, furious that he put a finger down there, but instead I want him to do it again. What is
wrong
with me? I haven’t even been drinking. I have no excuse.
“You’re a smart girl,” he purrs in my ear. “You’ll figure out what you really need. Meanwhile, think about it…”
Letting me go, he looks at my moist, tingling lips, and I can feel the need pulsing through the sensitive flesh. My legs are shaking so hard I don’t know how I’m standing upright.
He pulls out a business card, folds it lengthwise in half, and sticks it into my bra. “Call me when you’ve thought enough.”
Chapter Ten
Annabelle
“You’re really late,” says Nonny, looking up from a textbook when I finally get back home. She’s on her belly on the floor, ankles crossed in the air. Her hair’s damp from a shower. The oversized yellow nightshirt and blue cropped pants are relatively new—something I bought from Target before I got laid off. The sight of them makes me feel slightly better…even though they aren’t really proof that I’m doing a good job of taking care of my sister.
“Sorry. Really bad traffic, and I made a wrong turn on top of that.” The lie slips out surprisingly easily. But what can I say? I can’t tell her the truth. “Did you eat dinner?”
“Uh-huh. I had some of the leftovers.” She rolls over and sits up. “So how was it?”
“How was what?”
“Your first day at work. Duh.”
“Oh. Yeah, it wasn’t too bad. Actually pretty easy. No irate diners to deal with,” I say, looking through the fridge for something to eat. Nonny left me a portion of casserole from yesterday, which I decide to nuke.
“Really? Okay, well…cool.” She waits until I pull out my dinner before continuing, “I’m going to study hard and go to a kickass college and make lots of money.”
I raise an eyebrow.
What is this about?
“Good for you,” I say finally. “But you should find something you’re really passionate about, not just something that can give you a lot of money.”
“What I’m passionate about is a big paycheck.”
I laugh through a tinge of apprehension. “Seriously?”
“Totally. If we had money, we wouldn’t have to live like this, and you wouldn’t have to take janitor jobs.”
A sudden lump fills my throat. I go over and give her an extra-tight hug. “Nonny, I’m so sorry.”
She hugs me back. “You’re doing your share, so I have to do mine, right? I’m going to help you finish college.”
“Don’t feel like you owe me.” I look at her. My lower jaw quivers, but I put on a smile. “I’m doing this because I love you. It’s you and me against the world now.”
“But if you didn’t have me, you’d be happier. Like Caroline. You could go out and have fun and stuff.”
“I’m happy exactly where I am. And if I lost you I don’t know what I’d do.”
Nonny looks skeptical.
I cock my head. “Did Caroline say something?”
She doesn’t answer.
God
,
that meddling bitch
. I can’t believe this. “Don’t listen to her. She’s not worth it.” I put my hands around her arms. “Just worry about yourself. Not me.”
My poor little sister. She’s growing up too fast, maturing too soon. When I was her age, my biggest worry was how I was going to get away with skipping school and sneaking into parties with the older
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