R. Mathewson - Perfection

"You lied to me?" he asked stunned, not because she lied to him, well he was, but that she had managed to do it without giving herself away. She was a horrible little liar after all.

"Mmmhmm," she mumbled, already starting to lose interest in him and the conversation as she turned her attention to playing with his radio. He placed his hand over hers and stopped the already annoying channel surfing.

"What did you lie about?" he asked, wondering if she would actually admit to something or if this was just alcohol induced bullshit.

"The book series we're reading. It doesn't have any sex in them until the last book and even then it's only really hinted at," she said, surprising the hell out of him.

"You bitch!" he hissed, but couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, I know. It was really fun to screw with your head," she admitted in an offhand tone. "I also lied last week when I said that orange shirt looked good on you when it really looked stupid. Then last month I lied when I said the bakery was already closed when I just really didn't feel like going and I took a long hot bath instead."

"I see....," he murmured, lost in thought. He'd heard of angry drunks, happy drunks, sad drunks, but this was the first time he'd ever encountered an honest drunk. It made him wonder........

"Has it really been five years since you last had sex?" he asked, deciding to test the waters.

She sighed heavily. "Yes, at least five years."

"Were you really going to have sex with a complete stranger?" he asked, not really believing Zoe would do something like that.

"In a heartbeat," she said without any hesitation, further surprising the hell out of him and pissing him right the hell off.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" he practically bellowed, not even making her flinch in her alcohol induced mellow state. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is, Zoe? What could have happened to you?"

She frowned at him as she opened her small black purse and pulled out a handful of condoms. "But that's why I brought these," she explained, looking confused. "For protection," she clarified when he only glared at her.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to fight back the urge to ring her neck or spank her ass. "Zoe, you cannot go around sleeping with strangers. It's dangerous," he said through a clenched jaw, wondering if she'd remember any of this later or if he'd have to have this talk again with her tomorrow when she was sober.

"Weren't you there to have sex with a stranger," she said accusingly.

"That's not the point, Zoe," he gritted out.

"How is it fair that you can go have sex, but I can't?" she demanded, crossing her arms beneath her ample breasts and unintentionally shoving them up until he swore, prayed, that they'd pop out of her blouse.

"It's just the way it is," he said tightly, pressing the gas pedal harder in an attempt to get her home and out of his hair before she drove him crazy.

"I don't see how it is. I want sex. I miss sex and used to love it. I've decided that I shouldn't have to worry until I'm ready to have a relationship, which probably won't be for another year or two before I have sex again. So, I decided that I should be allowed to enjoy being single and have sex with whomever I want, whenever I want," she informed him in a tone she probably thought would make him think twice about arguing with her. "Now," she said with a slight roll of her hand back towards the direction of the bar, "take me back there so I can have sex."

"Not happening."

"But I want sex!" she whined. "Really good, hot, sweaty sex!"

"Uh huh," he said, ignoring her adorable little pout. "You're really not interested in a relationship right now?" he asked, allowing his mind to go somewhere that he knew was dangerous.

Out of the corner of his eye he looked her over, wondering if he could actually go through with this. When his eyes fell on her large breasts he knew damn well that he could.

"Nope," she said, making the word pop. "That's too much work right now. I want to focus on getting my life together and be in a better position if my life ever crumbles around me again. I want to be able to take care of myself. I also want to live a little. Something I haven't really done," she said wistfully.

"You're serious?" he asked, even though at the moment he didn't doubt her for a second.

"Yes."

"You only want sex, nothing more, right?" he stressed.

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Didn't I just say that?"

"Good," he said, not bothering to hide his shit eating grin.

"What's so good about that?" she asked, sounding confused.

"Because this will work out for me," he said, giving himself another pat on the back for coming up with another excellent plan. If she went along with what he had in mind, and why wouldn't she? he was a Bradford after all, he could work her out of his system and keep her safe. So, really he was doing her a favor by offering to do this.

He sighed heavily, sometimes he was just too damn giving.

"What will work out for you?" Zoe asked, sounding groggy.

He reached over and took her much smaller hand into his and held it, running his thumb over the back of her hand.

"You and I are going to have sex."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Now?" Zoe asked, sounding so damn hopeful that he couldn't help but laugh.

"No, not now, my eager little drunk. When you're sober and you agree to my game plan." And only then. He wasn't stupid enough to completely trust Zoe to make this agreement until she knew what she was getting into and what he wasn't willing to give her.

Oh god........

She was dying. There was no other explanation for the way she felt. Her head was pounding, her mouth felt like something had crawled inside and died and she felt sick to her stomach.

Hoping that today was Sunday and really having no other choice but to lay there even if it wasn't, she closed her eyes and prayed for death or unconsciousness and not really caring at the moment about which wish was granted.

Sometime later she woke up feeling slightly better. Her stomach wasn't as bad and her headache had dulled a bit. She turned her head and stared numbly at her dark windows, wondering if it was morning or night. One look at her alarm clock let her know that it was seven p.m. Sunday night.

Well, she thought, carefully getting out of bed, at least she hadn't missed work. She stumbled over to her bathroom and flicked on the light and winced when it nearly blinded her. Why was everything so bright, she wondered as she relieved herself.

A few minutes later when she was more oriented and coordinated she turned on the shower, thankful that it was at full blast and loaded her toothbrush up with toothpaste and began the job of getting rid of the taste of old gym socks. After she brushed her teeth once more she gargled with mouthwash for an extra two minutes. She climbed into the shower and groaned as hot water poured over her and made her feel more alive.

What the hell happened last night?

She really couldn't remember much, but she knew that would change. The few times she'd gotten drunk in her life she had the misfortune of remembering everything that happened the next day, a rather nasty side effect of having a photographic memory.

A rather frightening thought occurred to her. What if she'd had sex? Did she make him wear a condom? Did she enjoy it? After a minute she relaxed. No, she definitely didn't have sex since she didn't feel tender between her legs, but that didn't mean she hadn't done something equally as stupid.

If she didn't push it she'd remember sooner rather than later. She knew the key was just to relax and let it come to her.

"You feeling better?" Trevor suddenly asked, making Zoe wince. Damn hangover making everything sound sharp and loud.

"Yes, I think so," she said loud enough to be heard over the sound of running water and through the wall. She wondered if Trevor had been a witness to anything stupid she may have done.

"That's good," he said absently. "I took care of Toby today."

"Oh, thank you," she said loudly, feeling horrible that she'd neglected the poor baby.

"Zoe?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember anything about last night?" he asked, sounding a little more than simply curious.

"Not yet, but I will," she said, swallowing nervously. "Did I do something monumentally stupid?"

"You mean besides going to a bar to have sex with a complete stranger and getting drunk?" he asked, dryly.

She sighed with relief. If getting drunk was the only stupid thing she'd done last night then she'd count herself lucky. Then she cringed when his words sank in.

He knew.

"I'm guessing I was pretty chatty last night," she said, trying to sound casual about the whole thing and praying she'd been able to keep her mouth shut about some of the more embarrassing details.

"No. Not really unless you count letting everyone in the bar know how badly you wanted to have sex last night."

"Damn it," she groaned. "Next time I'll have to make sure to pass on the liquid courage."

"There won't be a next time," Trevor said firmly, making her frown.

"That's not really your decision," she said tightly. She'd been bullied enough over the last three years. She wasn't about to let Trevor think he could boss her around, well, and not pay her for it that is.

"You and I came to an agreement last night so I think it's safe to say that it's very much my business," Trevor said, making her more than a little nervous.

What had her drunken big mouth gotten her into now?

"Um, and what agreement is that?" she asked, trying to sound cool and collected when on the inside she was freaking out and hoping that whatever he was about to tell her was insignificant like promising not to drink, which at the moment she was completely on board with.

He ignored her question and asked one of his own. "Is there any hot water left?"

"Plenty," she said, knowing there was at least ten minutes of hot water left. The water pressure might suck, but at least the hot water tank was huge.

"Good," he said, sounding really close. "Pass the soap would you?"

She was about to roll her eyes at his lame "shower neighbor" joke when she realized two things. He just said that in her ear and there was something hard and thick brushing up against the middle of her back.

Swallowing hard and praying that this was some kind of alcohol induced hallucination, she slowly looked over her shoulder and may have screamed.

* * *

"Are you done yet?" Trevor asked as if stepping into the shower naked with her and sporting the largest erection she'd ever seen in her life was perfectly normal and maybe in his world it was, but right now she was still gasping for air and holding a hand over her chest, trying to make her heart stop pounding erratically in her chest.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" she demanded once she didn't have to fight to breathe.

"I own the house," he explained as if she were slow as he reached around her and snagged the soap out of the soap holder. He held the soap up to his nose and smelled, frowning. "Strawberries and cream?"

"Yes," she answered automatically as she did her best not to let her eyes drift over the most amazing body she'd ever seen and failing miserably. When she somehow managed to pull her gaze away from the rather impressive appendage that seemed to be reaching out to her she gave herself a mental shake and forced herself to focus.

"I meant what are you doing in my bathroom?" she demanded, only remembering now that she was naked too late and only because she caught him running his eyes over her naked body and licking his lips hungrily, which was pretty flattering and hot, but something she needed to really ignore if she expected answers anytime soon.

"Why wouldn't I be in here?" he asked as he washed his body. "You and I have an agreement."

"To save water by sharing showers?" she asked, confused and wondering just how much she'd drank last night.

He chuckled as he stepped forward, giving her no choice but to step backward or have that monster between his legs whack her in the stomach. She turned slightly so he couldn't get a good look at her body as she watched him rinse off.

"You know what agreement," he said, leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to her mouth that left her confused and really turned on. It had been five years after all and Trevor was one of the hottest men she'd ever seen. Any woman would be turned on to find herself naked in a shower with a man she'd never thought would look at her twice never mind look as though he was ready to pounce.