I grabbed my clothes from the dresser and shoved them into my suitcase.
"Nicole, stop. I don't want you to go." He took one last quick look around before lifting his suitcase from the bed and walking swiftly to the door. "My life was already derailed once. I can't allow myself to get caught in a relationship that will distract me from my goals." He turned and left, leaving the door to close softly behind him.
His final words were like a sucker punch to the stomach. When I was eight years old, I had climbed from the back of my uncle's pickup truck and my foot got caught on the tailgate. I ended up kissing the pavement. For several minutes afterward, I remained on the cement, unable to breathe and convinced I was going to die. The pain from the fall had been intense, but the fear of not being able to take a breath eclipsed that. Alec's statement had done the same thing.
I slumped to the floor, gasping for air. Dragging my knees up to my chest, I bracketed my head between my legs, wishing the pain would stop. There was nothing I could say or do. Alec had already hurt me once when he rejected me the first time. The fact that he had done it again was on me. I had set myself up for heartbreak.
Chapter Eighteen
I snatched up one of the extra pillows next to me and pressed it against my face. The sun was just beginning to rise and my eyes rejected the light. I'd tossed and turned the entire night, unable to get comfortable. The bed was too big. The room was too quiet. It seemed like everything was bound and determined to keep me up.
I squeezed my eyes closed beneath the pillow, wishing for a few hours of respite. The signing wasn't until later that afternoon. If I could have just turned my brain off and stopped thinking about Alec, I could have at least slept the time away.
An hour later, I finally gave up in frustration. I threw the pillow across the room, knocking over a table lamp and a half-empty can of Diet Coke I'd left there the night before.
Sighing, I grabbed tissues from a nearby box and tried mopping up the mess. The tissues were cheap and did nothing but fall apart as I blotted the carpet. Tossing a handful of shredded tissue pieces into the trash can, I stood up and headed for the bathroom. I was sick of this room. It was nothing but a constant reminder of our fight the night before. I wanted out.
I turned on the harsh and probing bathroom light, refusing to look at the oversized tub in the corner.
I climbed into the separate shower stall and made quick work of brushing my teeth and washing my face before leaving the bathroom in a hurry. There was a vanity mirror over the dresser near the bed where I did my hair and makeup. I opted out of blow-drying my hair, sweeping it up into a high ponytail instead. It may have been too casual for the signing, but I was past caring. I just wanted to escape the oppressiveness of the room.
Grabbing my gear for the signing, I decided to leave my banner behind. Putting it up was never easy, and I had gotten used to Alec taking care of it for me. I stowed my laptop in my shoulder bag, along with my phone and wallet. The signing wasn't for several hours, but the hotel had a Starbucks in the lobby, and I planned on getting a little work done.
With the exception of the day after the release of Wicked Lovely, I'd been slacking on my social media time during the past few weeks and figured I would take the opportunity to catch up. If I still found myself with extra time, I'd start to draft out the second book in the series.
Glad to have a plan that would keep me busy, I left my room and headed for the elevators. I felt a brief stirring of déjà vu as I heard the sound of a door opening behind me. My pulse quickened as my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I could hear the sound of shoes swishing across the carpeted floor, but I couldn't bring myself to turn around. It was the first time I had found myself alone in a hotel hallway since the attack. An overwhelming sensation of fear clawed its way up my throat like a hungry beast. I was ready to scream.
"Hey, Nicole. Is that you? I didn't know you were on this floor," a familiar voice called after me, dousing my fear.
Turning around, I spotted Karen, an author I'd been friends with since the beginning. She was closer to my mom's age, but we'd formed a close bond after discovering our shared love for books and cats. "Karen," I said, exhaling. "I didn't know you were doing this signing."
She gave me a quick hug. "I signed on at the last minute when they had a cancellation. Where's the steamy cover model I've heard so much about? I've been stalking all the pictures these past few weeks. You two are too adorable for words. If my Stan and I weren't getting ready to celebrate our twentieth, I'd be awfully tempted to get my own hunk."
I blanched at her words. Up until now, I hadn't considered the fact that Alec and I weren't very discreet about our affair. Affair. It seemed like an odd choice to describe what we had shared, but I guess it was accurate. I had set out to lose my virginity, and Alec had given me more than he probably planned. That was all I should have expected and asked for. It certainly wouldn't be healthy to regret what happened. He'd made my first time special and hot as hell. >Alec grabbed my hand to comfort me. "Shit, babe. Is it bad news?"
I looked up, unable to hide the smile that lit up my face. I turned the phone to show him Olivia's text that read: ROCKSTAR!!!!!!!!!
Alec was up and out of his seat, pulling me into his arms before I could catch my breath. "Holy shit, babe, you did it. New beginnings." His enthusiasm caught the attention of just about every table in the small restaurant. Any other time I would have been mortified over such a display, but at that moment I felt nothing but pure joy.
***
"I think I need a tub like this," I said, using my foot to turn off the water of the oversized tub Alec and I were sharing. A mix-up in reservations had resulted in us getting a deluxe top-floor corner room with a king-sized bed, a sixty-inch television and a tub that was easily three times the size of the one in my apartment. We spent our first night in Atlanta christening the bed with the blinds open, which provided a spectacular view of the city's lights.
I sat with my legs stretched out in front of me and my back tucked against Alec's chest. He plucked my bottle of bath gel off the side of the tub and poured a liberal amount onto his palm. Rubbing his hands together, he reached around my shoulders and began slowly soaping my breasts. "It definitely has its perks," he agreed, using his thumb to circle my nipples that were already hard.
I tilted my head to the side as he moved my hair to lick a droplet of water off my shoulder. "A regular bath alone will never measure up again," I purred.
"Is that a way of telling me taking baths together will be part of my regular duties?"
I tilted my head back to look at him. "You'll obviously have to apply for the position."
"I'm sure I have the proper skills," he murmured, smoothing his hand in slow circles across my lower stomach. "Consider this my audition."
"Mmmmm, I don't know. I can be pretty demanding." I could feel him pressed against my lower back, making it clear he was enjoying his work. His hand dipped below the mound of suds around us and I moaned with pleasure when his finger slid inside me. Tilting my head so I could find his lips, I gripped the side of the tub, rocking my hips against his hand that was taking me to the edge.
"I want you, now," Alec whispered against my lips. He stood suddenly, pulling me to my feet. We stepped over the side of the tub onto a plush bath mat where he scooped me off my feet and carried me to the large bed. Neither of us cared about the water and soap dripping from our slick bodies.
I waited on the bed as he prepared himself before climbing on top of me. He slid slowly inside, filling me completely. We stared intensely into each other's eyes as he moved. The emotions of the last few days welled up inside me, bringing me on the verge of weeping. I'd been trying to hold back my feelings for him, but they were screaming to be expressed. We were so close and I couldn't help crying out. "I love you." The words spilled from my lips as we both found our release.