Racked and Stacked by Lorelei James

Author:Lorelei James
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2018-08-07T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Riss ventured into the living room three hours after Bernice left.

Ike was staring at the TV with the sound muted.

“Hey.”

He looked over at her. “Hey. You hungry?” He rose to his feet.

“Don’t get up. It’s fine. I’ll just grab a piece of fruit.”

“I’ll heat up some soup. Sit.”

Riss didn’t want to make a big deal of this, but . . . would he even recognize his behavioral pattern?

Ike stopped. Faced her. “I did it again, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. But you realized it before you got the pan out and started cooking.”

“Sorry. Let’s try this again. Riss, darlin’, what could I fix you to eat?”

“Nothin’. I’ll grab an apple.”

“Would you like it sliced?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Are you sitting at the breakfast bar? Or taking it to your room?”

“I’ll sit.”

She watched him wash the apple and center it in the pie-shaped slicer, gently pushing down until the core separated and the apple was in eight slices. “What time are you planning to leave tomorrow?”

“In the morning. Uncle Bob is taking me home.”

Ike’s frustrated gaze zoomed to hers. “I said I’d take you.”

“Which I appreciate. But Bob felt bad about not doin’ anything for me, so this will make him feel useful.”

“If that’s the way you want it . . .”

“It is.” She attempted a lighter tone. “So what’re your plans once the houseguest from hell is gone?”

His hand movements were smooth and controlled as he arranged the apple slices. “I’ll head to the big stock show in Rapid City.” He smiled as he slid the plate to her. “Maybe I’ll make a few lists.”

Riss smiled back. “I swear it helps to see things differently when it’s literally spelled out in black and white.”

“I agree.” Ike snagged a notebook and a pen. “Let’s list all the things that went wrong today.”

“Don’t be an ass-hat.”

“I’m serious. We fucked up and I wanna know how to fix it.”

“Why?” She snatched an apple chunk and bit into it. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“We can’t let things stay as they are between us. Surely you see that?”

She chewed her apple and swallowed. It was unnerving that Ike’s gaze only left her mouth to dip down to sweep over her neck. As if he wanted to take a bite out of her.

Yes, a big old bite. That sucking mouth seeking out all the shiver-inducing spots as his teeth scraped against her skin would be equal parts heaven and hell.

“Riss? You gonna answer?”

“Do you wanna make this list as a scorecard? To see who was more at fault today?”

The guilty flush to his cheeks gave her the answer.

She pointed at him with an apple slice. “Not the best use of a list. And I doubt you’re prepared for how one-sided—my side—it will be.”

Ike leaned across the counter and neatly bit off half of the apple slice between her fingers. “Prove it.”

Smarmy jerk. “Fine. Items one through ten: Ike making decisions for me without my consent and treating me like a child.”

“You can’t have one example equal to ten items.”

“Why not? I have at least ten separate examples.

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