Page 37 of Tempted

“Why do you want to know?”

“Trust me, doll. In a few months, I’ll knowyour cycle better than you do.”

“I doubt that.”

“Every man dreads that one week where hecan’t get no pussy.”

“That’s what this is about? You want to markthe week when you can’t get any sex?”

“Yup.”

I bring up the calendar on my phone and wait,but she’s still not forthcoming with the information.

“Fine. Let me put it this way. When did youstart taking the pills?”

She sighs and shakes her head in resignation.“Tuesday.”

“Good.” I put the phone away and pull her tome. “Now, come here.”

She lays her head on my chest and her hand onmy stomach, taking a deep breath. My soul settles. This is justwhat I needed.

“I missed you,” she whispers.

“Were you trying to make me miss you?”

“Did you?”

“I missed you in my bed.”

“That’s not what I asked you.”

She runs her fingers along the patches on mycut. Another first. No woman has ever been allowed to touch my cut.The mere fact that I can allow and do all these things with herwithout even thinking about it confuses me a little. I’m inunchartered territory here. This whole thing is going to be achallenge but not one I’m going to back away from.

“Yeah, doll. I missed you.”

***

A tap on my shoulder wakes me up and I openmy eyes to Ellen’s confounded ones. She jerks her head toward thekitchen and storms off. I carefully untangle myself from Raven andsettle her into the couch, then head to the next room to face mysister.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Shewhisper-shouts.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? She’s seventeen years old!”

“I know that.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“We were watching TV…fell asleep. That’sall.”

“Don’t feed me that bullshit.”

I take a deep breath and pull her to thebreakfast table. “Sit,” I say as I take the chair next to her.“You’re gonna find out soon anyways, so I guess you should hear itfrom me.”

“Oh, God.”

“I swear nothing’s happened. But in a fewweeks, she’ll be eighteen, and we’re going to start seeing eachother.”