Page 35 of Sainte
I shake my head. “No.”
He walks to the provisions Tiny brought yesterday and grabs a banana. “Here, try to eat this?”
“Sainte, please, I can’t.”
“I’ll make a deal with you. You eat the banana and drink some water, and I’ll let you go downstairs for a bit. You can have some coffee too.”
“Really?” I ask. I would love some coffee. Hopefully he is serious.
“Really, but you have to eat and you have to stay away from the alcohol behind the bar. It should be pretty quiet this time of the morning, so I’m not so worried about you bribing brothers for their phones or skipping out.”
I give him a sideways glance, but then when I think about it, he’s right. If the opportunity presented itself, I’d fully take advantage of it. So like a good girl, I eat the banana and drink the water. Surprisingly enough, I do feel better. I think it was more just the thought of it that made me feel bad.
When I’m done, he says, “Why don’t you jump in the shower? It’ll make you feel better.”
I nod and rummage through my clothes that are scattered around. I find a pair of boyfriend jeans, the baggy kind, and a Harley T-shirt, along with a bra and undies.
“And don’t mind me. I’m just gonna clean up your fucking mess.” Sainte calls to me as I disappear into the bathroom.
When I’m done with my shower, I decide to give Sainte a taste of his own medicine. I brought my clothes into the bathroom with me but wrap myself in a towel and carry them out. I notice the room is completely clean, all my clothes put away.
Sainte looks up from his laptop and stares. “Damn, woman, you look good enough to eat.”
I smile. Even though I particularly don’t like him, sex with him is amazing and better than sex with Ice. And that’s sayin’ something.
“So you like what you see?” I ask, mimicking his earlier comment.
He chuckles as he gets up from the chair, and before I know it, I’m in his arms. My clothes and towel lie in a heap on the floor beside me, and he is kissing me.Fuck, he takes my breath away.He pulls my body close to his and deepens the kiss. And then, just as fast as I was in his arms, I am pushed away.
Wait, what?
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” he says as he turns away.
“You don’t have to stop.” I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. I may not like him, but I love having sex with him.
His hands grab onto mine at his waist. “I do. No sex for us right now. You need to stay focused, and so do I.”
I hear the disappointment in his voice, and I find I’m disappointed too. I step away, gather my clothes, and dress.
Sainte walks back to his laptop, powers it down, and closes the lid. Once I’m dressed, he asks, “You ready?”
“Yep,” I reply eagerly.
We walk to the door, but he stops and turns toward me. “Remember your promise.”
I nod.
He opens the door, and we step out. As we make our way toward the stairs, he lets me go first down the steps. Suddenly, I have this overwhelming urge to please him, to not disappoint him. I stop midway down the steps and turn back. “I won’t disappoint you.”
He smiles. “Good girl.”
That’s all I need to hear. I turn back and proceed down the stairs. I stop at the bottom of the steps.
Ice and Emma are sitting at the bar having coffee.Fuck!I’m not ready to face Ice right now. My behavior yesterday was completely uncalled for.Make amends, Honey. It’s number eight,my subconscious reminds me. Number eight of the twelve steps: make a list of all persons I have harmed and make amends. Subsequently, I remember number nine: make direct amends to such people whenever possible.This is so fucking hard.
I look up at Sainte, and as if he knows exactly what I am thinking, he nods. I step up to the bar. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Ice replies curtly. I expected that. I’ve seen him mad before, many times, but it was never directed at me like it was yesterday. And I know I fully deserved his anger.
