Lust (Vegas Nights 2)

“Is that right?”

“Yes. That’s only fair, Mommy. We both get sleepovers or nobody does. That’s how it works.”

“Is it, now?”

I covered my mouth with my hand.

“Well, yes. I’m very upset I can’t play with Zac, and you’ve been playing with Adrian!”

Holy fucking shit.

I couldn’t look at Perrie. My shoulders trembled with restrained laughter, and if I looked at her, that would be it. Lola was presenting a very compelling argument, and I couldn’t deal with that on so little sleep.

“Well,” Perrie started. She paused. “We didn’t play…”

“I bet you did! I know adults have secret play fights.”

“Secret play fights,” Perrie echoed, confusion in her voice.

“Uh-huh.” Lola hopped up, arms folded, Dolly forgotten on the bed. “Sasha said she was at her daddy’s house and she went into his bedroom and he was playing with the neighbor in their bed. Her daddy said they had watched the fighting and they were having a playfight.”

“Uh-huh. Maybe we shouldn’t listen to Sasha and her daddy anymore, okay?”

“Why? Did you have a real fight and not a play fight?”

I reached for my jeans and tugged them on, barely getting up. I leaned back on my hand and looked at her, then patted the bed in front of me. She climbed over and knelt in the spot I’d just picked for her.

“No fighting happened, okay? I finished work and come to see your mom, then we watched TV, and she said I could sleep over because it was late. Is that okay?”

“No,” she said flatly. “You didn’t bring Zac.”

“He was already asleep at his aunt’s house,” I explained. “How about tonight? I don’t have to work tonight, so why don’t me and Zac sleep over here?”

She tapped a finger against her lips. “Can we sleep at your house? You have the mine game.”

I slid my gaze to Perrie. She looked at me, helpless.

“I have an idea. Why don’t we get dressed and pick up Zac for breakfast, then me and Mommy will talk about it, okay?”

“Fine.” She slid off the bed, grabbed Dolly, and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Really, Mommy, you should say yes. You owe me for last night.”

Perrie stared at her in disbelief as she skipped out, happy as you like, and turned down the hall to her room. Slowly, she dragged her attention to me. “Well, that was awkward.”

I grinned. “Wanna play fight?”

She hit me with a pillow before standing up. “I wasn’t expecting her to get up already. Will Zac be awake, or should we wait here for you?”

“He should be up.” I reached for her hand and pulled her down onto the bed with me.

“Adrian. I have to get—”

I shut her up by covering her lips with mine. “Dressed, I know,” I finished for her, peering down at her. Yesterday’s make-up smeared in black shadows under her eyes, and her lipstick was smudged and cracked. It only added to the wild, sleepy look that her messy hair gave her.

She looked tired, but she looked beautiful, too. As beautiful as anyone could look in the morning with panda eyes.

“Come stay tonight,” I said in a quiet voice. “Let Lola and Zac play. I’ll grill in the backyard and we’ll set up the pool and then we’ll watch movies and shit.”

“And shit,” she said.

“That’s what will happen when they go bed. Last night was a preview.”

“I don’t know.” She hesitated, pushing herself up to sitting. “I just—I don’t know, Adrian.”

“Come and have dinner at least.”

“That’s sneaky, because then you know I’ll give in to Lola when she ultimately begs me to stay over.”

Shit. “Yes. I know.” I grinned.

She pursed her lips, but they twitched, giving away the smile she wanted to share. “I have to think about it. I have stuff I really need to think about today.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Stuff?”

“Yeah, stuff.” She shifted uncomfortably.

“You wanna talk about that stuff?”

“One night of sex and now you’re my therapist?”

I danced my gaze over her body—her pert tits where her nipples were obvious through her shirt, and the thing strings of the thong that disappeared when she bent forward. “I can help you with therapy in every way but talking. I can fuck the frustration out of you, if you’d like.”

She blushed and got up. “Stop it.”

“Are you going to stay tonight?”

“I told you I’ll think about it.”

I grabbed my t-shirt and stood, intercepting her on her way out of the door. With a smile on my face, I said, “No. I won’t stop it, then.” I tapped her nose and kissed the corner of her mouth, stepping away before she could do anything.

“You play so dirty!” she shouted.

“Who does? Is someone in the yard?” Lola followed up.

I stopped halfway down the stairs to laugh.

“Mommy? Who’s playing dirty? Can I play, too?”

I glanced up to see Perrie pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’re doing nothing until you have underwear on. Go. Now. Get dressed.”