Falling for Trouble

She refused to look at him, and his anger and panic grew. “Kid, did someone hurt you? I’ll fucking kill them. Just tell me who it is, sweetheart.” His voice rose, and he feared he was scaring her. That wasn’t his intent, but adrenaline rushed through his veins, and his muscles tightened. She reached to grab her purse off the counter.

Before she headed out, she stopped and looked back at him, tears still swimming in her eyes.

“It’s nothing, Abe. I’m just having a moment. I’ll call you later.” She headed out the door, and a moment later, he heard her car start as she pulled out of the driveway.

What in the fuck had that been about?9Weeks later“Two Buds, one shot of Jose, and a ruby slipper.”

Sophia filled the order that Tiny’s newest waitress, Bec, rattled off. It had been two weeks since she slept with Abe, fourteen freaking days since she had given him her virginity, and he had walked in the next morning without remembering a damn thing.

To say she had been hurt and humiliated would be the understatement of the year. She had known he was drunk, blitzed out of his mind, but when he looked at her that night, touched and kissed her, she would have sworn he had been looking at her. It was apparent she had just been the willing, convenient body in his bed for the night.

Setting the drinks on Bec’s tray, Sophia looked over to where Abe sat with a bunch of the guys from Red’s. There were also a few blondes loitering around the men, their scantily clad bodies on full, tempting display. They had just gotten off work, and motor oil still stained their shirts. Just looking at him had longing spearing into her.

He said he would do right by her, whatever the hell that meant, and she had noticed a change in him. He didn’t drink as much, and when he did come to Tiny’s, it was more of a social call than to get drunk. The majority of those times were to see her home safely. A lot of her free time was spent with him, ordering takeout, watching movies, and falling asleep in his arms.

Yet here she was, unable to admit what they had done for fear that everything would change between them for the worse. For the time being, Sophia could pretend their relationship was the same, untainted by the scars of their past. How many horror stories had she heard about friends sleeping together and ruining their relationship? No, she could not risk that. Abe meant far too much to her.

She played with the idea that maybe he would take her into his arms and kiss her senseless when she told him. They would live happily ever after, of course. Several times, she opened her mouth to confess it all, but fear stopped her. What if he thought she was lying? Since he didn’t remember, he might not believe her.

The doubt that would most certainly fill him would come as a devastating blow to her heart and their relationship. Watching him laugh with his coworkers melted her heart. Deep down, he was a good guy, her good guy. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen him with any girls since their time together.

For the hundredth time, she thought, How could he so easily forget something that means so much to me? Letting her thoughts take control would only make her feel even more awful. Sophia needed to tell him, but she could never find the right time to do that, and she still didn’t know how she would broach the subject.

Drunk, Sophia. He was drunk, and you knew that when you let it go as far as it did.

She exhaled, and as if he sensed her stare, Abe looked at her. He wore a white-and-red baseball cap with the OSU logo on it. He had obviously been the only one to change after work. His dark T-shirt was clean and stretched tight over his chest. His whole demeanor was relaxed as he held her eyes and brought his beer to his lips.

How could he make taking a drink of beer look so damn sexy? His smile was slow and all for her. Even though he wasn’t physically near her, her pulse raced, and her palms started to sweat. All she could think about was that night two weeks ago, how he had brought her to orgasm over and over again. He had touched her more than just sexually.

The image of his hands skimming across her body, touching areas where no man had ever touched before, had opened her eyes to paradise. She still dreamed of that night, still touched herself in her cold, dark room, picturing that it was Abe’s hands getting her off instead of her own.