with a grunt and went to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He glanced over his shoulder at Layla in his bed, soft and sated and still really fucking hot. Totally trouble. And in that moment, he knew he was going to be rebuilding her transmission in order to get in her pants again. He cleaned up and found that he was hungry for more than another round with Layla.
When he emerged from the bathroom, he saw that she hadnât moved and thought she mightâve fallen asleep.
Her left eye opened and she said, âAre you going to stand there all night staring, or are you going to play?â
Hearing his own words echoed back at him made him laugh. âIâm going to get something to eat. You hungry?â
She pushed herself up to a sitting position. âWe just ate.â
âI think I burned through that. Maybe next time you should do all the work.â
She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. He caught it easily.
âThat was your choice. If you recall, I was on top and poised to do the work on the couch. You changed the venue and position.â She stood. âDo you mind if I take a shower? Itâs been a long day.â
âGo ahead.â He reached into the closet and tossed her a fresh towel. In the kitchen he pulled out leftover pizza and ate it cold. He heard the water running and thought about Layla dripping wet, making his dick twitch. He considered how long heâd need to rebuild her transmission. While he contemplated whether he wanted to get deeper into Laylaâs problems, her phone buzzed. It was a text from someone named Felicity.
Â
Plane delayed. Call me and Iâll wire money ASAP and get you a hotel room. Be safe.
Â
So Layla wasnât as stranded as heâd thought. She had family or friends or someone whoâd rush to help. He missed that feeling. It had been five years since heâd left his family, and that was the one thing he missed the most: knowing that someone always had his back. He might have grown tired of the cons and the scams and the stupid rules that guided his fatherâs decisions, but even now, Phin missed having someone to turn to that he could count on. He kept hoping that feeling would disappear.
Layla stayed in the shower a long time. Heâd pulled on some underwear and already drunk one beer waiting for her. He was about to pop the cap off a second when she finally came out with nothing but a towel wrapped around her. Drops of water dripped from the short ends of her hair and skated over her shoulders.
âSorry. I left my bag in here with my clothes.â
He watched as she attempted to hold the towel closed with one hand and dig through her bag with the other. The towel and the bag took turns slipping from her grasp. He twisted the cap off his beer and said nothing, just waited for the frustration to get to her. Finally she said, âFuck it,â and dropped the towel.
Her hand came from her bag clutching a T-shirt and the purple panties heâd picked up from the floor at the bar. Standing in front of him, she stepped into the panties and pulled the shirt over her head, oblivious to how hot she was making him.
Or maybe not. With the Math Ninja shirt in place, she smirked at him and snatched his beer. She took a drink and sat next to him on the couch.
âA text came in while you were in the shower. Someone named Felicity.â
Layla hopped up. âGood. Sheâll get me cash so I can get out of your hair.â
He liked the feel of her hands tangled in his hair and was about to tell her so, but she was already dialing.
âSheâs not answering. I mustâve missed her. Sheâs probably on the plane now.â Layla tapped her toes while clutching her phone. âHey, Felicity. Iâm fine. Iâm with a . . . friend for now. I was hoping to catch you. I hate to ask for help, but Iâm really stuck. Iâm not sure when Iâm going to be able to get back on the road. Give