middle of the night. Andrea being beaten up. They had been appro priately horrified and troubled, but thankfully, they didn’t ask Patrick about her, letting him drink his beer in peace. I raised an eyebrow at him. “You are drinking tonight?” I asked softly, leaning towards him so no one else at the table could overhear. “Not on call?”
He shook his head. “I’m in no condition to operate,” he replied. “Petra’s on call for the next couple of days.”
“Andrea?” I asked.
Patrick grimaced. “I’m not ready to talk about it right now, baby,” he said. His hand rested on my thigh. “Later?”
I nodded. “I’m glad you are here,” I said instead.
He smiled at me, and reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Me too.”
***
We ended up having a blast, just hanging out, eating dinner and drinking pitchers of beer. Finally, at ten, Patrick turned towards me. “Lisa, I’m totally wiped out. I’m functioning on just a couple of hours of sleep.” I nodded, and got ready to gulp down my beer. He looked at me, slightly puzzled. “No, no, stay with your friends, I wasn’t suggesting you leave,” he said.
I leaned close to him. “Do you want company?” I asked him softly.
He smiled at me. “I always want you around, Lisa,” he said quietly, and my heart stopped for a second as I absorbed the simple romance of that statement. I looked at him, and then away, suddenly shy.
“Guys, we are out of here,” I announced instead, reaching for my wallet to toss some money on the table.
Patrick shook his head. “Let me, it’s my turn,” he said. I rolled my eyes at him. I think I’d paid once the entire time we’d been out, and that was because he’d been on the phone when I’d settled the bill. A fight for a later time.
“See you tomorrow?” Mandy asked me. I nodded.
“Band practice,” I explained at Patrick’s puzzled look, and watched his expression clear. We put our coats on, and headed out, and Patrick flagged down a cab. “Remember that first night we necked in the cab?” I giggled as I slid in the back seat. I might have been a little tipsy.
He smiled at me. “How can I forget?” he asked. “It isn’t every day a beautiful woman sends me a drink and then comes home with me.” He pulled me into his body, and his lips met mine, and I turned to him seeking his touch like I was parched for it. I moaned my desire into his mouth, and I felt the wetness seep from my pussy. Just from a kiss. From the feel of his hands on the back of my neck, pulling me towards him. From the slight tug at my hair, pulling my head back.
“How can I be this hot for you all the time?” I groaned into his ear. He moved his hand on my lap, up my thighs, and rested it at my inside thighs. I cursed my jeans. He was so close to my aching pussy. If I had been wearing a skirt, he could have pushed his fingers into me. Made me come right there in the cab.
With his other hand, he grasped a hold of my fingers, and pulled it over his dick. He was hard. I groaned again, and rubbed my palm against his erection, and I felt his sharp inward draw of breath. “Same way I am for you,” he grated.
“Cab,” I muttered, giggl ing slightly. I felt like the horny teenager I had never had the opportunity to be. I pushed back the bitterness that that thought brought; the horrible memories from the acne still had the power to hurt.
Thankfully, the cab pulled up at the door before I had time to get too introspective. Beer did that to me sometimes. But right now, there was a very sexy guy sitting next to me who was sporting a massive erection because we kissed. The wounds of the past didn’t matter.
Patrick paid the cab guy, and we both got out, and he reached in his jacket for his keys.
“Hey,” I said, as we entered his house. I’d just remembered. “I have your key.”
He gave me an even look. “Ms. Preston,” he said. “Is there a reason we are talking about house keys right now?”
Oh fuck.