Page 63 of Nuts

And, I was free.

Chapter Twenty-Two

P-Nut

I sat in a wooden chair in the corner, slightly weathered from the 13-hour trip, half of which was in a torrential downpour.

She came out of the bathroom wearing a tee shirt and shorts. The occasional streaks of blonde that were woven through her brown hair gave hint that she’d spent time at the beach, but her pale skin told another story.

I’d always believed her to be attractive. Attractive, but off limits. After learning she wasn’t lesbian, the age difference between us was the only hurdle that remained.

With each passing day, it seemed the bar was being lowered. At the rate things were going, by the end of our trip, I’d be able to step over it without effort. The thought of it excited me.

And scared me to death.

“Sorry they only had a single room,” I said.

She flopped onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “Okay with me.”

“I just don’t want you to think--”

She turned her head to the side. “Stop it. I don’t think anything.”

“I was just saying--”

“Stop it. We’re both adults. Act like one.”

“You smart mouth little--”

“Little what?” She sat up. “Bitch?”

I started to respond, but she interrupted my thoughts.

“When you call me a sexy bitch? I like that. If you’re just going to call me a bitch, prepare to fight. I’m not going to let another man run over me. Not now. Not ever.”

Damn.

I raised my hands in a mocked surrender. “I wasn’t.”

“You weren’t what?”

“I wasn’t going to call you a bitch.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

I chuckled. “I’ve already been educated on the matter. If I use the word, it’ll only be affectionately. I was going to call you a smart mouth little shit.”

Her eyes fell to the bed. In an instant, she looked up. “I like that.”

“I’ll forewarn you,” I said. “I do dumb shit sometimes. But. I’m not a dumb person.”

“I’ve never thought that about you.”

“Okay.”

She flopped onto her back and gazed up at the ceiling. “I do dumb stuff, too.”

“It’s human nature.”