Decker snorted and continued down the hallway, me still glued to his back. He pushed open a door that led into a small storage room. It was filled with boxes, some that appeared empty, some full of books, and on the far wall sat a large metal cabinet.
“There we go,” murmured Decker, edging around the cardboard boxes while I shuffled nervously behind him, my eyes dancing over the shadows around us. I was so anxious about stumbling across a rat that I couldn’t care less that I was standing so close to him that my breasts brushed across Decker’s back. The phone that he had been using to light our way went out. Under the sudden darkness, I thought I saw something horrifyingly furry, and I screamed. Not a little sophisticated scream, nor a quick short yelp. No, my scream was long, loud, and earsplitting. If there were dead buried under this concrete floor, they would surely rise. As Decker spun around to face me, I launched myself in his direction, scaling his hard, firm body like it was nothing more than a tree made for my escape.
“What the fuck?” Decker shouted as his hands automatically grabbed under my ass, holding me in place.
“R…r…rat,” I stammered, my heart beating so damn hard I thought it might beat itself right up my throat and out of my mouth.
Holding me with one arm, Decker reached for his phone and used it to light up the room again. After a quick sweep of our immediate area, he chuckled before turning back to the fuse box with me still attached to him like a clingy bear. After a minute of fumbling with the fuse box, I heard a switch flick, and the room flooded with light. I immediately scanned the boxes around us in search of the devious rodent who had destroyed my almost fearless composure. Okay, I hadn’t been all that fearless, but I had managed to keep my feet on the ground for the most part. Decker turned around, both hands once again under my ass as he took a few steps forward and kicked the boxes in an attempt to unearth the ungodly creatures. It only made me cling to him tighter.
“Air, Country,” he gasped out.
“Oh cheese and rice, I’m sorry.” I tried to convince my body to let him go, and my tight hold relaxed ever so slightly.
“What the hell does cheese and rice got to do with anything?” Decker asked as he kicked a couple more boxes.
“My daddy had a pet peeve about using the Lord’s name in vain, cheese and rice sounds like—”
“Jesus Christ, got it. Alright, Andi, no rats. If there were, your scream scared the little fuckers away.”
“You sure?” I asked, trying to check the ground before my feet were placed down on the floor. As my body shifted, I noticed Decker’s rigid length pressed firmly against my most intimate of parts. Holy shit, Decker Steele was hard as steel. What was I supposed to do in this situation? It’s not like I could pretend it wasn’t there! He was huge, like a heavy, hot piece of wood shoved right up against my pinky pie! I pulled back and took in Decker’s face, hoping for some clue as to how this moment of considerable awkwardness should play out. The look on his face was indiscernible. Surprise? Awe? Confusion? When the corner of his mouth lifted into the cocky grin that I was familiar with, I gave him my best impression of nonchalance.
“You get turned on by rats?” I asked with feigned shock.
Decker snorted before letting me go. “It’s a normal male response. Pussy gets close, dick gets hard. It’s how we keep you women happy and satisfied.”
I followed Decker as he made his way back to the store front, still close, but not close enough to touch. Touching was bad in a very good way.
“If you think a hard whistle is all it takes to keep a woman happy and satisfied you, my friend, are sorely lacking.”
Decker smirked but didn’t say anything as he switched on the lights in the store. Pulling the door open behind the counter, Decker took the stairs behind it two at a time. I followed closely behind the rat seeking destroyer.
The upstairs studio was large; the bedroom, living room, and kitchen were all in one wide open space. I smiled at the simplicity and run-down beauty of this old building. At the far end of the room, an enormous arched window stretched from floor to ceiling. I peered through the window to take in the street down below. It was perfect. I could just see myself sitting here, a book in my lap, the light from the windows spilling over me, warming me in the winter. I turned around to look over my new home. Light spilled in from the enormous window at my back, illuminating the dust motes floating lazily through the air. Simply stunning, it was perfect. Decker’s grunt from the kitchen at the opposite end of the room broke my moment of awe.