She scoffed, “I always wear something pretty.”
Smart-ass.
I shook my head playfully and kissed the corner of her mouth. “I’ll pick you up at seven, okay?”
She grinned, leaning into me and looking up into my eyes.
“Okay.”
I bent down and kissed her properly, until I could taste the soft little sound she made in the back of her throat that drove me crazy.
“Check the room,” I murmured when I pulled away. “I left a few gifts in there.”
“What kind of gifts?”
I smirked. “Hmm. I guess you’ll just have to go see.”
She pouted. “Stay with me, Teddy.”
Fuck.
The guilt chewed at me again.
Because if I stayed, we’d sleep together, and if we slept together, I’d have to explain why I pulled out. And Ineverpulled out.
“I can’t, baby.”
Then, with extreme difficulty, I forced myself to step back.
“I love you, Carmen.”
Her pout deepened, but she replied anyway, “I love you, too.”
I grabbed my keys off the counter, tossing her one last look over my shoulder as I headed for the elevator.
The last thing I saw before it shut behind me was her smiling, waving at me from the couch as she lowered her zipper.
And fuck did that make leaving the hardest thing in the world to do.
Now Leaving Finger City.
Still Arrival Day.
When I get my hands on that man…
He’s gonnabegto stay with me.
And I meant it in the most nastiest, toe-curling, make your eyes roll back in your head kind of way possible.
As I sat alone in the living room of the penthouse, the echo of the door clicking shut still rang in the air like it couldn’t quite believe he’d walk away either. He’d kissed me like I was his everything. Then, he told me he loved me, as if he couldn’t hold it back.
And then just left.
The audacity.
I was still smiling though, my pulse buzzing in that delicious way that only he could summon.
God, I loved him too.
