The Good Girl by Emma Nichols Page B

fine,” I said confidently. “Don’t be mad.” I turned my back on the stranger and focused all my energy on diffusing the situation. “I didn’t speak to him,” I said brightly. His face lightened some. “And it worked. I’m feeling much better.”

    “That’s right, princess. You will,” the guy said with a chuckle before walking off.

    All my attention was focused on the handsome man before me. His brow was furrowed, making him look pained. Stroking his face, I wondered aloud, “Did I put that look there?” Frowning, I leaned close and readied my face for his kiss.

    Only that kiss never came. Instead, he pushed me back some. “Willow, doll, you can’t do that. You can’t take a drink from a stranger. We don’t know what it was. You could have been poisoned.” He held both my hands in his tightly in between us.

    My eyes teared up some. “I didn’t think,” I murmured, staring at our hands, completely unable to meet his eyes. “I’m fine. Really, I am.”

    Lifting my chin with his finger, he forced me to look at him. Concern was evident in those deep blue eyes. Damn it. “Okay. I’m only trying to watch out for you. I brought you here. I’m responsible for you. Get it?” He waited expectantly for an answer.

    Slowly, a smile spread across my face. “Got it.”

    Apparently, he decided to drop it because he released one hand and kissed the one he still held before leading up the stairs at the front of the house. It felt nice being with him. Despite all the preconceived notions I had of him, Wyatt was lovely...a gentleman. One helluva guy. By the time we reached the second story, I was beaming. When he turned to look at me, I could see a wary look flash across his face. “How are you feeling, Willow?”

    Shrugging, I smiled. “Good. Relaxed. Happy even.” Then I saw something out of the corner of my eye. The woman from outside was in the room just behind him. “Oh look!” I commented. Then I pushed past him and walked toward her. “Hi!” I called.

    “Whoa,” he said, grabbing for my hand as I strolled past and very effectively halting my forward progress. Still turned toward her, I stood and waved while he tried to talk to me. “What are you doing?” He asked.

    “Let me go,” I murmured. “My list,” I explained.
    “There’s no same sex on the list,” he said in a light sing-song voice.

    Pausing, I glanced at him. “No?”
    “No. The closest is a threesome,” he announced while shaking his head.

    Tilting my head, I looked at him, and quickly closed the distance. “So, have you ever…”

    With a disgusted sigh, he replied, “I have, but it doesn’t mean you should, that we should.” He held me a little more tightly. “This isn’t you,” he explained. “This is the drink, and whatever was in the drink, talking. You get that, right?”

    Whimpering, I looked at him. “You don’t understand...I’m just so...hot. It’s like I have to do this, to quench this need that is driving me crazy .”

    “Well, that cinches it,” he said as he picked me up and carried me toward the stairs. “We need to go now.”
    “Right now?” I cried.
    The look on his face. He didn’t answer me. Instead, he grew more intense, more determined to get me out of The Estate. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I buried my head in his neck, a combination of shame and security. There was something so comforting about his scent, utterly male, uniquely his own. It tickled my nostrils and had me nibbling along his throat soon enough. We were descending the stairs at a rapid speed. I’m generally not good with stairs. Thank God I wasn’t responsible for making it to the car. At the moment, my vision was strange...blurred. Hell, everything felt strange...except Wyatt. He felt just right. Oh, and since I couldn’t stop rubbing my hands up and down his arms and all over his chest, I would know.
    Soon we were at my vehicle. Setting me down for the briefest of moments, he opened the door and