My laughter was loud, and I couldn’t do much to get it under control. Clapping my hand to my chest, I glanced around absently and sucked in a sharp breath when no one seemed to care about my volume. The place was still essentially empty despite the fact that Ally and I had been here for two hours, and I sighed heavily.

She looked so much more mature than I remembered; the more she spoke, the more little bits and pieces of our first three dates came back to me. Watching her spear a piece of cold shrimp with her fork, I shook my head as I reached for my wine.

We were both drinking a little more than we should’ve, but I had a driver. No worries.

“You and your brother sound very close, Ally. He couldn’t have made it less embarrassing for you?” As terrible as it was that Ally’s brother was forced to be a man so young, it was even more hilarious how he dealt with her ‘girl problem’s. Grinning as she shook her head, I held back a laugh knowing I probably wouldn’t have done anything any differently.

When in doubt, get everything- at least, that was how I saw it.

“I’m not sure he could’ve. At least it wasn’t at school or anything, or I might’ve died.” Humor and embarrassment were both very evident in Ally’s voice, and I covered my mouth with my hand as she sighed wistfully. Our deserts were melting in front of us, but I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off her. “I miss him. He was arrested after shooting a woman that tried to throw her kids in front of a semi… not because he shot her, but because he owned and operated a gun two days before his permit arrived in the mail.”

“Oh God- how long did he get?” The sudden turn in the conversation was enough to give me whiplash, and I leaned in to watch a dark shadow fly across Ally’s expression. She had no father figure, so it made sense to me that her brother would do something like that. Of course, I didn’t know the circumstances, but if they only charged him with unlawful possession of a firearm, the woman couldn’t have died.

Talk about grotesque.

“Three years. That was about six months ago, and they’re already talking about putting him on probation. The woman is actually in the same prison for attempted murder, and the city didn’t charge Matt with assault because he was blatantly protecting children. He won’t let anyone see him- my mom, or our siblings, or me. Every so often we’ll get a voicemail from his lawyer.”

“He sounds like a great man.” Truth rang in my words, and Ally blushed as she took a long sip of her wine. “Do you want more wine?”

“Oh- no… I’m lucky I only live two blocks from here or I wouldn’t be able to get home.” Draining her glass with what I could only describe as elegance, she caught my gaze over the rim and held me captive. My heart pounded hard in my chest, and I licked my lips as a harsh wave of want rushed through my torso. This was exactly what had happened during our first date, if my memory served me; some bits were still dark, but most were there and all too revealing.

“… That’s your queue to ask me if you can walk me home, Roark.” Blinking hard, I straightened as Ally’s obvious hint penetrated my wine-fogged mind. Her eyes widened, glazed and begging, and I held my breath as I tried frantically to push a response out of my mouth.

“Can you walk me home?” Fuck. “I mean… can I walk you home…?” Holding my breath, I clenched and released my fists under the table with anxiety thrumming through my veins. Slowly she nodded, and I let my lungs deflate in a gust before I shuffled to pull my wallet from my back pocket. Furrowing my brows as I caught sight of my less-than-firm cheesecake slice, I glanced across the table just in time to watch her giggle.

“I’m sorry- we ordered dessert but didn’t eat it.” A sluggish, drunken smirk floated across my face at Ally’s apology, and I reached to touch the back of her hand. The contact was so light, I almost wondered if she felt it in her state, but a fraction of a second later, she stilled. Through half-lidded, wide eyes swimming with wine, she watched me pull out a few bills from my wallet.

I’d seen sultry before, but her look didn’t shoot straight to my cock like I thought it would. Proof that I’ve drank too much.

“You ready?” Slipping out of my seat, I helped Ally out of hers as she nodded silently. Her fingertips were rough when they slid along my palm, and I relished the absence of long, manicured nails. Glancing down as we walked slowly from the table, I admired her shortish fingernails the same color as her dress. The color popped against my palm, and my lip twitched at the simple fact that I was holding her hand.

I didn’t suspect Carla ever did something so plainly intimate, even when we were dating.

“Roark?” Humming as we left the restaurant, I faltered slightly before Ally took a sharp left down the sidewalk. My hand ached to wrap around her waist, and I shoved them in my pockets before she spoke up. “I wish I’d never taken this job, but… I’m glad I got to see you.”

“Maybe we could see each other again?” I couldn’t squash the hope in my voice, and I glanced over as Ally bopped her head in a nod. Her smile was soft, happy, when she cast it my way, and I sucked in a sharp breath to keep my accomplishment from suffocating me.

“I’d like that… you know- tonight doesn’t have to end. You could stay… we don’t have to do anything… but- I-… I want you to stay.” Tripping over her slurred words, Ally ducked her head to stare at her shoes, and I clenched my jaw. Regret slammed into my gut- a physical reminder of what happened the last time I’d said ‘no’ to her.

“Yeah- I’ll stay.” Tension slithered from my shoulders, and I kept my eyes in front of me. I had no idea where we were going, but that didn’t matter much when I had much more pressing concerns.

Why was I acting like a fucking idiot? If the question had an answer, I couldn’t see it in my intoxicated state. When Ally suddenly disappeared from my peripheral vision, I froze, twisting to watch in a slight panic as she wandered down a pathway to a three-story building. Dazedly I followed, and the alcohol circulating through my system caused me to stumble on the first step to the porch.

“Shit-“ Grumbling to myself, I stomped my feet slightly to catch my bearings before long, slender fingers wrapped themselves over my shoulders. Finally, the stiffness in my arm was relieved as it slung across Ally’s waist, and she giggled close to my face. Her sweet, wine-stained breath flowed across my cheek, and I turned into the smell as we shuffled across the porch to the front door.

“You can’t handle your liquor, huh, Roark?” Another giggle, and I tightened my grip on her reflexively while we crossed the threshold through an open screen door. “It’s a good thing I live on the first floor.”

“I don’t drink much.” Leaning on the wall when Ally pulled away, I reached to run my hand through my hair roughly while she fiddled with a door directly to our right. “I actually haven’t drank since waking up from my coma.”

A soft, fuzzy feeling tickled behind my eyes, and I rubbed them with my palm to shake my head wildly. I knew from stories that my alcohol tolerance was high; or it had been before my accident.

“It’s not much, but I didn’t want to get a bigger place.” Shuffling into her tiny apartment behind her, I shirked off my jacket and let it fall to the floor. Ally did the same, and I put both my hands on her shoulders to rub generously. She lost a few inches on the short walk to a futon-slash-bed, and the win coursing through my veins drove off any inhibition I had. Pushing her gently, I smiled at the surprised squeak she let out as she dropped onto the mattress.

Kicking off my shoes, I tackled the buttons on my shirt as Ally’s golden silhouette wiggled out of her dress. The idea of taking off my pants didn’t even pop into my head, and she held out her arms for me. Taking the precious moment in through watery eyes, I smiled wide, and my chest filled with something warm and heavy.

The alcohol I’d consumed weighed down my eyelids, and I took a deep, satisfied breath as I trapped Ally against me. Her bare legs tangled with mine, and she moaned softly against my neck. She fit perfectly against me, the fabric of her bra soft against my chest, and I savored the entirely non-sexual closeness we shared even while a deeper black crept up to engulf my consciousness.