Last Call (2 page)

“Bye, guys! See you later!” Joanne waved through the back window. “Thanks for the pens! Hope you catch the yellow-pen thief!” She continued to bounce and giggle as they drove down the dark street.

“Why don’t you tell me your address so I can take you home?”

She rattled it off, detailed the recipe for a slippery nipple and reminded him again that she’d dropped her gum on the asphalt. He had to promise her that he didn’t step in it before she clapped a few times like a two-year-old at a birthday party; then she froze.

“Oh…oh, no.” Her mouth dropped open, and she covered it mischievously. “Uh-oh.”

Eric smiled. “What’s the matter?” He stopped at the light on the corner and looked over at her.

“I need to tinkle.”

Eric screeched to a stop at the closest all-night convenience store. From the way she squirmed in the seat, he thought she might not make it, and he’d end up with a mess in his truck. She tried to get out of the truck before releasing her seat belt, and he laughed out loud watching through the store windows while she wiggled and danced through the aisles toward the restroom. A few minutes later, she emerged, then spent some time in one of the aisles before making a purchase at the counter.

She weaved back to the truck, swinging a small plastic bag and wearing a big smile. “I bought more bubble gum!” She pressed the bag against the passenger window and pointed at the pink package inside. “Bubble gum,” she enunciated, waiting for his nod before twirling around with her arms in the air.

It took her a few tries to get the door open, but she finally flung it wide and announced, “Bubble gum! Brand new and strawberry flavored. Want some?”

“No thanks. I’m not a big fan of bubble gum. We need to get you home.”

She settled in her seat. “And you’ll tuck me in, right? You promised.” There was that sexy laugh again.

“I never promised—oh shit.”

Her hand trailed a path from his knee to his hip, then back down again. Eric gripped the steering wheel. The image of her tight ass covered only with a thin strip of pink lace flashed through his mind. He sucked air through his teeth.

“If you’re my big brother’s friend, you must be a pretty good guy.” She dropped the bag of gum onto the floorboard and crawled across the seat. “I didn’t know my brother had any cute friends. What’s your name again? Joe?”

He didn’t correct her. It didn’t matter. He’d just take her home and drive away. “Sit down, Josie. Get your seat belt on.” Eric refused to look at her. He stared at the splattered bug on his windshield. “Anyone waiting up for you?”

“Are you up for me?” She rubbed him through the seam of his jeans, and his cock started to pull on his pubes.

The bug started to blur, so he blinked until it came back into focus. Like a naughty child, his cock disobeyed direct orders and continued to grow stiff. Refusing to give the convenience store cameras a show, Eric shoved his truck into reverse and then continued down the street.

“How will I ever thank you for the ride?” She spoke into his ear, her breath sending a wave of shivers down his spine.

Not much farther. Thank God.
“Sit down. I don’t want to get pulled over.”

“Just pull over, then. And I’ll sit on your lap.” She cupped his balls, and Eric swerved.

“Shit.”

“Mm, you like that. I can tell.”

Yeah, it was pretty obvious when his cock throbbed for more attention. “We’re almost there. Sit back, Joanne.” He tried to keep his voice steady, but his gut had clenched with each stroke of her hand.

“Say please.” She licked his earlobe.

“Fuck…please.”

She giggled. “You said ‘fuck, please’.” She settled in beside him and even slid her knee on top of his. “Mm, I think slippery nipples make me horny.”

That was a visual he didn’t need right now. “Alcohol makes every woman horny.” God, he wished she’d stop licking his earlobe. Or maybe just a little lower. Her breath in his ear sent shivers down his spine.

“Really? No wonder why all the guys were buying me drinks and stuff.” She rubbed up against him, her nipples poking through her bra and T-shirt hard enough for him to feel. He tried like hell to ignore her pumping hips reflected in the windshield. “Ever had a slippery nipple, Joe?” she whispered.

It took superhuman strength, and he figured he’d be canonized, but he was able to move her hand off his lap, settle it onto hers and pin it there.

Her apartment complex came into view.
Almost done, Eric. Focus
. He parked and unlocked the door. “Here we go. Time to sleep it off, Josie.” She needed to get the hell out of his truck before he put her hand back on his dick.

“Okey dokey, Joe.” She turned toward the door, but before he could breathe a sigh of relief, she turned back and went straight for his crotch. “But first I want to play with you.”

“Jesus.” The back of his head hit the headrest, and he white-knuckled the door handle. Thirty seconds. He’d let her play for thirty seconds, and then he’d stop her. She pressed her palm against his ridge, then dragged slowly down.
Nope. Won’t make it.

His traitorous arm actually protested with a tremor when he forced her hand away again. He dug her keys out of his pocket and pressed them into her palm. “Here ya go. Let Kevin know your car is still at the Ranger. Which apartment is yours?”

“Six B.”

He ducked to look through his windshield. He found the door at the top of a flight of stairs, and noticed the lights were all out, including the one by the front door. Damn, he didn’t like that.

“It’s an ‘fish-en-see’,” she went on. “Know what efficiency means, Joe?”

“Yeah, I know what that means.”

“It means cheap-ass-crappy puny place for losers who live alone. But guess what, Joe? It’s all I can afford, and now I can’t even…” Her face crumpled, those big blue eyes suddenly heavy with tears. “I lost my job today.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. My boyfriend fired me. Right before he broke up with me. Or maybe after. Actually, it might have been at the same time. I can’t remember.” She stared at the keys in her hand, turning them over before clutching them tight enough to leave a mark. “Dumb to date your boss. My mom told me that. I don’t listen, I guess.”

“Shit. I’m sorry, Josie.”

Her voice changed. No longer cheerful and fun, it had dropped to a low rumble that he had to strain to hear. “Yeah, well, Kevin told me I’d feel better if I went out for a few drunks…drinks with some friends. They were all busy, though, so I went by my”—she sniffed—“by myself.”

No tears. Please.
Eric could fight a mean fire. He could drag a three-hundred-pound man down four flights of stairs, but he was weak as fuck when it came to a woman’s tears. He gave her arm a friendly slug. “But you had fun anyway, right?”

She didn’t answer. She just stared at her keys. When a tear rolled off her nose and splashed onto them, she reached up to wipe her eyes.

Fuck.
Eric shut off the engine. How the hell had he gotten involved? Although he was used to his sleep being interrupted, he’d been looking forward to a good solid eight-hour stretch. He figured he could just drop the woman off, watch her walk inside, and then drive away. He didn’t need this shit, but glancing over at her in his passenger seat, he knew he was already committed. This was someone’s kid sister, someone’s best friend. Someone’s daughter.

Strength of body to deliver to safety all those placed within my care.

“Come on, let’s get you tucked in.”

She didn’t move, even when he slammed his door and walked around the truck to open hers.

“I wanted to drink enough to pass out.” She wiped her keys on her jeans. “How much do you have to drink to pass out?”

He tugged her out of the truck, and she slumped against him. “You don’t want to know.”

“I just don’t want to feel anymore. It hurts.” She dropped her keys, and he held her steady as she picked them up.

“You’ll
really
hurt tomorrow.” He smirked.

“I’ll just get drunk tomorrow, then.”

He managed to get her up the flight of stairs and propped on the railing. He took her keys, trying like hell to ignore her sniffles.

“Yeah, but hold on a minute, Joe. I don’t feel that good.”

Before he could swing her door open, she’d leaned over the railing and vomited on her neighbor’s barbecue grill.

“Oopsie.”

“Oh nice.” He chuckled.

“Linda’s gonna be pissed.” She spat.

He dragged her inside and flipped on the light switch. She wasn’t kidding. Cheap-ass crappy puny place it might be, but at least it was clean. It looked as though she’d already moved out. There were no pictures on the walls, no plants in the windows. The furniture consisted of a huge mattress set on a metal frame in the far corner, next to what might be considered a kitchen, and a desk which must double for an entertainment center, since a small television sat beside a laptop.

She rushed to the bathroom, where she continued to purge.
Poor girl
. He shook his head and went for a glass of water. He stood in the bathroom doorway until she flushed the toilet.

“Here. Drink this, it will help.”

She lifted her head from the bowl.

“Go on. Half the pain of a hangover comes from the alcohol dehydrating your system. The best thing to do is rehydrate before it hits you.”

“I deserve to be in pain. I suck. My whole life sucks. I’m a failure and a flop, and I puked on Linda’s barbecue.”

He smiled. “I’ll go hose it off. Drink the water.”

She took the glass and rinsed her mouth out, spitting into the toilet a few times before taking a few swallows. “You’ll hose my puke?” She looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. “I like you, Joe.”

“You’d like anyone who’d hose your puke. Let’s go. Time to brush and get ready for bed. I’ll be back to tuck you in.”

“I’m sleeping in here.” She hugged the toilet, giving the lid a friendly pat.

“At least brush your teeth. You’ll be sorry if you don’t.”

“Yeah, that didn’t taste as good coming up.”

He helped her to her feet and left her leaning over the sink, brushing her teeth.

A few minutes later, he was surprised to find himself hosing Joanne’s vomit from some lady’s barbecue grill at three o’clock in the morning. A smart guy would hop in his truck and drive away. She was safe and sound; his conscience should be clear. He could be back in bed within twenty minutes. After rubbing one off.

His cock twitched behind his fly. Joanne had some talents. Even sloshed, her hand knew exactly where to go to drive him to the edge. He wrapped the hose around the spigot and, like an idiot, adjusted his cock, went back up the stairs and into her apartment. He’d just wait until she fell asleep. Then he’d go.

Thank God he didn’t work tomorrow.

He found her lying on her bed. A T-shirt covered her hips but left her long legs bare, curled up against her chest as she lay on her side in a fetal position.
She’s asleep.
With a grin, he took a step backward toward the door, but then he heard the whimper.

“Josie?”

“What am I going to do?”

Against his better judgment and every damn warning blaring through his brain, Eric crossed the room and sat beside her. “It won’t look so bad tomorrow. I promise.”

“He left me. He said I wasn’t any fun. I can be fun, can’t I?”

“Sure you can.” She’d made him smile multiple times already, and he’d only just met her.

She blew her nose and threw the Kleenex toward the trash can but missed. “Maybe I’m not pretty enough. Do you think I’m pretty?”

“Yes.” He didn’t even hesitate. She was pretty. Even with a red nose and tearstained cheeks. “I think you’re very pretty.” He moved one strand of hair aside and tucked it behind her ear.

“Maybe it’s the sex. I thought he was happy. I tried to keep him…well…you know.” She blushed.

Sobering up. Getting some inhibitions back. Eric pulled the blankets to her shoulders. “Maybe he’s just an asshole who doesn’t know what he had.”

Her eyes snapped back up to his. “You think so?”

“Sure.” Who was he to say? He didn’t know the guy. Hell, he didn’t know this girl. “You’ll feel better after a few hours’ sleep.” He leaned over her, tucking her in like he’d promised. When he stood, she reached out and grabbed his hand.

“Will you stay?”

“I don’t think—”

“Please?”

Damn it. He needed to jack off.

“Just until I fall asleep. Please, Joe. Just hold me. I don’t want to feel so alone.”

I promise strength—strength of heart to bear whatever burdens might be placed upon me.
His indecision must have shown because she lifted the blankets and scooted to the center of the bed.

“Five minutes,” he pledged, kicking off his shoes.

“’Til I’m asleep,” she corrected, tugging him against her until she had her legs wrapped around his and her face buried in his chest.

Fuck.
His cock reacted in the expected manner.

“Thank you, Joe.” She sighed, her breath warming the cotton of his shirt.

“Good night, Josie.” He willed his hands to stay still on her back.
Now go to sleep.
He closed his eyes and replayed last week’s drills at work. He worked out the epinephrine dosage for a two-hundred-pound man in anaphylactic shock. Anything to keep his mind off the soft-as-hell body tangled with his
. Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep.

And so he did.

Chapter Two

Joanne smiled. Waking up in the warm embrace of a man had to be one of the best things in life. She snuggled against the hard body. Clothes? Andrew?

She opened her eyes and looked up into the face of the man in bed with her. Angled jaw, whiskers, full lips slightly parted, and strong brow. It wasn’t Andrew. It was Kevin’s friend Joe, who had picked her up from the bar.

She moved closer and closed her eyes again, listening to his deep, even breathing and the steady beat of his heart. Not many men would have driven across town to pick up a friend’s little sister. Or treated her with the compassion he had. Kevin must be a very good friend of his. She’d have to grill her brother about this guy. She thought she knew all of his friends. Maybe Kevin was keeping her from him, knowing she’d be lust-struck.