And I knew in that exact moment—heated, charged, yet relaxed—that I need this to last forever. A weeklong fling on vacation with her will never be enough.
Not even by a long shot.
Chapter 7
Cassidy
The softness of the Egyptian cotton sheets rubs against my sensitive skin, waking me. The warmth of sunlight streams through the doors, leading to the private terrace off the bedroom. I slowly pry my eyes open, squinting due to the bright light. My head is pounding at the memories of last night.
Channing’s mouth on mine.
His hands roaming down my body, caressing every curve I have.
His mouth sucking my clit. Fingers thrusting deep inside me as his name is spilled from my lips.
Holy shit, what have I done?
Sure, I was going to give into my temptation with Channing, but once I attacked his mouth in the restaurant, God, I decided to stay in my lane. I had made him uncomfortable, or so I thought.
I just got out of a relationship. An almost marriage. Am I ready to move on?
Is it too soon to move on?
I mean what is an acceptable amount of time to wait before moving on?
I let out a loud sigh, rolling over to tuck my face into the pillow next to me—the pillow that has Channing’s faint scent on it. Fuck, he slept in here with me. Gripping the pillow, I hold it to my face, letting out the loudest scream I can.
I groan as I throw the pillow across the room. Getting out of bed, I quickly throw on my robe before padding out to the main living space of the villa in search of the culprit responsible for everything that happened last night. A very shirtless, sweaty one at that. Sitting on the patio in a pair of low-slung shorts, Channing slowly brings a bottle of water to his lips.
Lips so soft as they clasp around my nipples, sucking, pulling, and biting as he sucks each of them into his mouth.
Stop. It.
Focus.
“Morning,” I say, timidly as I approach the double French doors.
Sitting back in his chair, his smile is bright as he roams the length of my body, as if he’s picturing me naked. “Morning,” he says, taking a sip of his water. “I didn’t want to wake you before I went out for my run, and uh… I ordered some breakfast for us.”
I move slowly toward the chair opposite him, a slow smile tugging at the corner of my lips. Is Channing nervous right now? That can’t be. The overconfident sex on a stick of a man nervous? Over what? I was the one who made him uncomfortable when I kissed him at the restaurant.
Oh, God. Does he regret last night?
Oh. My. God. It’s the hotel room all over again.
“Look, I think we should tal—”
“Last nig—”
We both talk at the same time. “You go first,” he says, before offering me some fruit.
I let out a small chuckle as I look at the delectable spread he had ordered for us. Is this his way of apologizing for crossing the line last night? A way to let me down easily. I should have called Hayley before I saw him. I’m not equipped to have my heart broken once again, especially by him.
I let out a deep breath as I take him in. His hard muscles relax under my gaze as he waits for me to speak. Shit. Speaking. I need to just spit it out. Tell him every thought swarming in my head after last night. Try to preserve what friendship we have if we have any left.
“Last night… I think we can both agree that this has been building for quite some time. We have this bond that is… explosive. Insane. It’s hard to explain,” I say, focusing on my hands in my lap. “I made you uncomfortable. You made it clear after our night all those years ago that this was a mistake, and I… took it too far again. And I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have pushed you—”
Oh God, I’m rambling like an idiot, and he’s just sitting there, smirking.
