Chapter 3 – Remington #2
The store is dingy, and the soles of my shoes make squelching noises as we walk up to the counter. I do my best not to think about what could possibly be the source of the stickiness.
Minnie scans the plexiglass cases filled with colorful scratch-offs. “Hmm, do you have a preference?” she asks, looking up at me.
I’ve never bought a lottery ticket in my life, so I defer to her. “You pick.”
She nibbles on her bottom lip, driving me absolutely insane because I want to be the one tasting her.
Then a wide grin breaks over her face. “We’ll take two Big Wieners,” she announces to the clerk, and I choke on my own spit.
Minnie simply wiggles her eyebrows at me suggestively. God, she’s fucking cute.
The man tiredly pulls two tickets featuring a large cartoon hot dog at the top from the dispenser. When I try to pull out my wallet, Minnie stops me with a hand on my arm.
“Let me. You’ve already bought me drinks and breakfast. I want to buy these.” When I open my mouth to protest, she does this damn puppy dog eyes thing, and I push out a sigh.
“How about I buy yours and you buy mine?”
She smiles softly. “I like that idea.”
We each slap down two dollars on the counter, and Minnie takes our purchase. There’s a sign that reads, “No scratching lotto tickets on counter,” so we head outside.
Minnie retrieves two coins from her purse and gives me one before holding up the two tickets facing her like she’s a magician doing a card trick. “Pick one,” she orders.
I choose the one on the left, and we proceed to scratch off the small hot dogs scattered across the thick paper.
“I got three mustards,” I announce, checking the bottom of the ticket for the key to see I’ve won five dollars. I absolutely don’t need five dollars, but winning still gives me a little thrill.
Minnie finishes her scratching and shimmies her shoulders. “I got three pickles.” Her smile is radiant when she looks up at me. “Fifty smackers. I guess we’re each other’s lucky charms.”
I can’t help myself. I pull her close to me and kiss her right there on a downtown Houston street.
Because I do feel lucky to be with this gorgeous woman tonight.
She takes joy in the simplest of things, and seeing her smile makes my heart ache with happiness.
I have no idea what that’s even about. We only met a few hours ago, but there’s something about her that draws me in, makes me want to talk to her for hours.
The kiss goes on so long, two cars honk as they’re passing by, and we finally break apart with a laugh when we hear hooting from another passing vehicle. We look toward the street to see a limousine passing by with a group of girls hanging out the sunroof.
“Get you some, girlfriend,” one of them yells, and Minnie waves like they’re old friends.
“I plan to!” she hollers back, drawing catcalls from the women as their limo turns at the next corner. When Minnie looks up at me from beneath her lashes, her smile is so damn flirty and sexy it almost drops me to my knees. “You heard the lady,” she says, pulling me toward the hotel next door.
“Aren’t we going to cash in our winning tickets?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “No, silly. It’s bad luck to cash them in immediately. You have to wait till the next day.”
“Who knew there were this many rules,” I reply with a chuckle.
When we enter the lobby, I’m not impressed. It’s nice enough, but it’s not the luxury I’m accustomed to either. Why the fuck couldn’t Phoenix have chosen a fancier place for me to take Minnie?
“I’m going to use the restroom right quick,” the beauty beside me whispers as I approach the reception desk. I watch her ass as she goes, the curves of her hips swaying with every clack of her black high heels against the tiled floor. Goddamn, I’m certainly a lucky man.
“Can I help you, sir?” the man behind the glass partition asks, and I pull my gaze away to look at him.
“Yes, I have a reservation for Hale. It should be the penthouse suite.”
The man looks at me like I just told him the moon is filled with whiskey. “We don’t have a penthouse here, sir, nor do we have suites.” He glances toward where Minnie just disappeared down a short hallway. “But I can give you a king room on the top floor to share with your lady friend.”
“That’s fine,” I say through clenched teeth, pulling out my wallet. I’m going to fucking kill my brother.
As soon as we enter the elevator car, the anticipation lies thick and heavy as a fog between us. When I look down at Minnie, her eyes are on me, and she’s biting that full bottom lip.
Thinking completely with my dick, I swivel, pinning her to the wall and crashing my mouth to hers. I think I could kiss this woman forever, but unfortunately, this hotel only has four floors, so the ding behind me cuts our kiss just as it begins to heat up.
“Dammit,” I curse. “Room. Now.”
I’d like to think I’m a well-spoken guy, but Minnie has turned me into an uncouth grunter, and when her short legs and heels can’t keep up with my long strides, I fall farther into the caveman role and bend to scoop her over my shoulder.
“Joe!” she shrieks with a laugh, spanking my ass.
“Shhh, you’re going to get us kicked out of here,” I reprimand, but I’m laughing too. I all but sprint to room 418, pressing the key card against the reader while every cell in my body hums with need for this woman. I can’t remember ever being this worked up before.
The light on the door flashes red, so I try again. Still red. Motherfucking fuck. The goddamn Hampton Inn is trying to kill me.
I set Minnie on her feet and practically grind my molars into nubs as I try again and again. Letting out a defeated sigh, I turn my head to find her smiling softly at me.
“Do you want me to go exchange it?” she asks, and I shake my head.
“No, I’ll do it. He might need my ID.” Glancing up and down the hallway, I frown. It’s well lit, and I don’t see any shady people lurking in the corners, but still… “I don’t want to leave you up here all alone.”
Her small hand against my cheek tames some of the annoyance out of me. “I’m a grown woman, Joe. I’m perfectly capable of standing in a hallway by myself for two minutes.” Then she presses her lips firmly against mine.
I should really go downstairs and get a new key card, but her kiss makes me do stupid things. So I press her back against the door and take my fill, nipping at her bottom lip like I wanted to do back in that convenience store.
Dropping my hand, I slide it up the back of her leg to cup her ass. It’s round and firm in my hand, and I use it to pull her hips forward, grinding my insistent erection against her stomach.
“Jesus,” she mutters against my lips.
My hand slides between us, edging that tiny dress up until I feel the lace of her panties between her legs.
She whimpers my name when I drag my fingers back and forth against her sex. “Joe…”
“Your panties are awfully damp, Minnie.” My tone is lightly scolding, though I’m secretly thrilled to find her wanting me as much as I want her. “What have you been thinking about to get your pussy all wet like this?”
She blinks, her eyes slightly glazed with desire. “I don’t know.”
My thumb slides against the warm flesh at the edge of her panties. “Mmm, I think you do. I think you have a dirty little mind that’s been thinking about getting fucked.”
At that, Minnie’s legs try to close, but I nudge a knee between her legs and widen them. “J-Joe, don’t you need to go get the key card?”