Free Tangled Web by Jade C. Jamison Page A

orgasmed so easily, let alone
twice in such a short time. And just thinking about it made her
feel giddy and guilty at the same time. There was no way to undo
any of it. She didn’t know that she wanted to.
    “Christ,” Johnny muttered from the bed, half
his mouth muffled by the pillow. “I had no idea you had such a
smokin’ hot body.”
    She hadn’t even known he was awake, and she
felt startled. She inhaled, taking her time sucking the air into
her lungs. What the hell could she--should she--say to that? If she
hadn’t been so wracked with guilt, she might have taken that as a
compliment. Instead, she just wanted to bury her head in the
drawer. And she felt so...naked. It didn’t matter that he’d seen
and felt all of her last night. She spied her bra on the floor
beside the dresser and snatched it up.
    She wasn’t sure how to handle this situation
yet. She would have to say something in response to Johnny. She
just didn’t know how or what. And at some point she’d have to tell
him everything, whether she wanted to or not. She knew her morning
run would clear her head. She’d be able to spend the time running
figuring out what to say, how to say it.
    And how would normal Katie respond to
something like Johnny’s comment? She just couldn’t think. Would she
tease him and make a joke about what a slut he was? Would she be
shy and embarrassed that he pointed out his newfound admiration of
her body? Would she be proud that he noticed the hard work she’d
put into it? Would she compliment him on his body too? She was
clueless as to how she’d respond if she hadn’t had to deal with
this new albatross. It would be best to just let him know right now
that she was not at the top of her game, that the drinking last
night was taking its toll, and just leave it at that.
    She looked over at him. “Thanks, I think.”
She sighed. “Sorry. My head is throbbing. I don’t usually drink
like that.” She got into the bra, feeling like Eve, hiding behind
the bushes, hoping she could hide her crime.
    He grinned and rubbed his forehead. “That
was my fault, I’m afraid. Why don’t you come back here and curl up
so I can make you all better?”
    She mustered a smile. “I can’t. I have to
get ready for work. And I jog most mornings, so I’m going to run a
mile or two before my shower. I’m hoping that’ll help.”
    He feigned a shudder. “Crazy. I don’t know
how jogging could help anything. Guess I’ll keep the bed warm for
you then.” He sat up slightly, running his fingers through his
hair. She continued dressing, sliding on a pair of pink jogging
pants and jacket. She stared at Johnny’s tattoo sleeve through the
dresser mirror--it was a mishmash of color and design--greens,
reds, blacks, and blues, one design blending into the next, his arm
a canvas for an enthusiastic and expert artist. Grant had been in
that spot on the bed just three days ago, almost in that very
position, delivering an insipid monologue about how they needed to
spend their Saturday in Denver at Pier 1 looking at furniture.
    She forced herself to look away and slipped
a pair of socks on before grabbing her running shoes from the
closet. Johnny said, “It’s kind of weird, huh?” Katie’s back was to
him, and, after a moment, she just nodded. He kept talking. “I
mean, we’ve known each other for how friggin’ long? More than
twenty years? And we never did anything like this? Never even
tried.” Katie laced her shoes, her silence feeling leaden. Maybe
they’d never actually done the deed, but he had no idea how much
she’d thought about it over the years. Johnny shook his head.
“Sorry. You’re not ready to talk about it. I keep forgetting. I’m
used to drinking like that. I didn’t mean to get you so hammered
you felt like crap.”
    She stood up, adjusting her socks to avoid
looking in his eyes. “Don’t worry about it. I knew better.” She
started to leave and then realized she was being rude, even though
all she’d