He drove around the store and through the forecourt of the garage to park in front of the Compound. He didn’t delay in folding out of the truck, rounding the hood, and yanking open her door.
“Shy, what are you—?” she started but stopped since he leaned into her, undid her seatbelt, tagged her hand, and hauled her out of the cab. “Dammit! Shy! What are you doing?” she clipped.
Again he didn’t answer. He just tugged her into the Compound and straight behind the bar. He nabbed a bottle of tequila off a shelf at the back then pulled her in front of him.
“Ready to let go of that little-girl-beer bullshit?” he asked, holding up the bottle.
Her eyes went to it then to him. He saw the confusion and he sensed her unease.
He ignored that too.
“Tab, asked you a question. You like to party. You aren’t in high school anymore. You wanna grow up and learn how it’s really done?”
She ignored him this time and asked, “Why are you being so weird?”
He pulled her closer and tipped his chin down to hold her eyes, now ignoring that it was starkly apparent she wasn’t breathing and her body had gone still.
“Didn’t answer my question, baby,” he said softly and watched her swallow then lick her upper lip.
Jesus. Shit.
He’d never seen her do that. Definitely not this close.
The tip of that pink tongue on the perfection of that rosy lip.
Shit.
“Tab,” he prompted, his hand squeezing hers.
“I want to go home,” she replied quietly, being smart for a change.
“Too late for that,” he muttered then moved away, pulling her with him as he moved from behind the bar, through the room, and into the back hall.
She tugged at his hand and called, “Shy. Seriously. You’re more than kinda freaking me out.”
Hopefully, in about two seconds, she’d be a lot more than kinda freaked out. She’d be scared straight and out of this bullshit she kept pulling.
Therefore, two seconds later, he yanked her into his room, tugged her to a stop and flipped the light switch.
The two women were still naked, lying head to foot on the bed, having, since he was gone, tangled with each other.
Briefly, he tried to remember their names.
He stopped trying when he felt Tabby’s hand spasm in his and she gave a rough pull to try to break away but he just held her tighter and turned to her.
“Usually, we throw some back, get loose, in the mood,” he educated her, lifting up the bottle. “I’ve seen the way you look at me, baby, so if you wanna just get naked and go for it, I’m up for that too. They’re out but, we go for a while, no doubt they’ll rally and join in. Sounds extreme but, trust me, you try it, you’ll like it.”
When he started talking, her eyes were on the bed but they moved slowly to him and he saw she was pale beneath her tan. Her eyes were also wide with shock and something else he didn’t quite get, and her full lips were parted.
“What’s it gonna be?” he asked. “You wanna loosen up or you wanna just go for it?”
“Why are you doin’ this?” she whispered, and Shy shrugged.
“This is who you are or who you’re headin’ to be. Might as well quit fuckin’ around, babe, and go for it.”
Her eyes slid to the side then to him before she stated quietly, “This isn’t who I am.”
He looked her down and up and pointed out, “Short tight skirts, too-tight tops. I know it’s not lost on you that I can see most of your tits not only through the shirt but spillin’ out of it, Tab. Then we got your high heels, lots of hair, lots of makeup. You scream you got a wild side, baby. Quit fuckin’ around. You been wantin’ to explore it since you were sixteen. The time is right. The stage is set.” He pulled her closer to him and lifted the bottle again. “Let’s go.”
When he said the word sixteen, she flinched and her hand jerked at his again.
Also, the look in her eyes he couldn’t quite place came clear.
Hurt.
It sucked. He didn’t like to do this to her, but he reckoned that emotion stark in her gaze meant he was getting through.
“Take me home,” she said softly, and he shifted closer to her
She swung slightly back, but her movements were wooden.
“Come on, baby. Don’t bullshit me,” he coaxed in a gentle voice. “I’ve seen the looks you give me. Now’s your shot. You’re hot, you like to have fun, you shouldn’t waste this opportunity.”
“Take me home,” she repeated.
“If you don’t want an audience or this to be a participation sport outside us two, I can rouse those bitches—” he jerked his head to the bed “—send them on their way before we get goin’.”
“Take me home,” she said again.
“Or we can let ’em sleep. Go to your dad’s room,” he suggested, and that did it.
With a violent wrench, she tore her hand from his, turned on her foot, and raced from the room.
Much more slowly, Shy put the bottle on a dresser, snapped off the lights, and followed her. He wasn’t alarmed. She didn’t have wheels and she was in high heels, there wasn’t far she could go.
Surprisingly, when he exited the Compound, she was sitting in the passenger side of his truck, her head turned to look out the side window.