textbooks and study while Paul watched TV. I knew that I’d have a really hard time getting into a good med school since I’d dropped out of college, so I had to lower my expectations just a little. But with Paul’s help, I found a satellite campus of University of California right outside Dos Palmos. Unbelievably, the first time I applied, I got in. I still remembered the day like it was yesterday. I’d come home with the acceptance letter in my hand, cheering and crowing. Paul had somehow guessed that I was gong to get in, and he’d prepared a feast with chicken fried steak and a big dessert. That night, I felt happier than I’d felt in a long time.
Now, sitting in the front seat of my rig, I couldn’t believe that it was coming to a close. Only a few more semesters and then I was done, I’d be a real doctor. I couldn’t ever think of how to repay Paul for all of his kindnesses to me, but I figured that medical care at home in his comfortable cabin would be a good place to start. I couldn’t wait to start repaying him for all of the little things. During my first few rough months of rigging, Paul hadn’t even accepted any money for his truck. I was ashamed; part of me felt like I’d taken too much advantage of his kindness. But the other part of me felt like he’d been put in my life for a reason. Either way, I intended to spend the rest of my days helping him as much as I could, whenever he needed it. After all, Paul was the closest thing to a family or a friend that I had.
The moon was stretching high overhead and I looked for any sign of Mickey. He was still prowling around in the boulders outside of the yard, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him and his muscular bod. He was one of the sexiest men I’d ever seen, and although I hated to admit it, his arrogance really turned me on. There was something amazingly hot about a guy who knew he could please you even if he knew nothing else about you. I shivered when I closed my eyes and thought about all of the dirty things that Mickey could do to me. Stop it, Ella, I ordered myself. You don’t even know this guy. He could be dangerous, really dangerous!
Shivering, I pulled his jacket closer around me. As much as I hated to admit it, it smelled amazing. Like tobacco and sweat and musk. Like man . I imagined Mickey’s body would smell the same way, only stronger. When I closed my eyes and envisioned the two of us tangled up together, fucking hard, I shuddered. Darts of pleasure swarmed through my lower belly and I let out a low moan, safe in the confines of the cab. You talk to one man and you’re already fantasizing about him fucking you so raw that you can’t walk for a week. Pull it together, Ella.
I shook my head to clear my mind of the torrid fantasy. It didn’t go away so easily, and by the time Mickey was walking back towards the truck, I felt a throbbing in my crotch. Damn it , I thought, shifting around in the seat. This isn’t going to go away on its own. All plans of relaxation were dashed; it was already past nine o’clock. I probably wouldn’t get home until midnight at this rate, and I wouldn’t be able to take my mind off the handsome, hulky stranger who had somehow smuggled his way into the back of my truck. Thinking of the word ‘smuggled,’ even in a funny context, reminded me that this wasn’t to be taken lightly. What if he’d done something illegal? Could I be implicated?
At last, Mickey reached the cab. “Hey,” I told him shortly. “I found my phone. I’m gonna call the cops. They need to know about this.” As I talked, I toyed with my phone in my hands, eventually calling the non-emergency number for Dos Palmos. Before I even saw what he was doing, Mickey launched himself into the cab and grabbed my phone away from me. I cried out and struggled against him, but ultimately he was both stronger and quicker than I was. We tussled for a moment and I yanked my arm back just as he pulled me into his
Learning to Kill: Stories