“Really?” I laugh. “So what made you decide to spend your precious free time at a no-name bar in New Jersey?”
He laughs.
“Hey, it wasn’t so bad.” I shoot him a look. “Okay, it was bad,” he agrees with a chuckle. “But I met you, so the night turned out well.” But then his brow furrows, and I realize he must be remembering the same things I am right now. Remembering our off-the-charts chemistry, and the way we made love, like nothing else mattered. Remembering the way he claimed my body, loosening me before easing his way inside, and then coming so hard afterwards that we were both dizzy. But there are other memories too: the way I woke up in an empty hotel room, the mattress cold from where he’d lain. The way his seed was still caked on the insides of my thighs, and even a bit around my mouth. The vague memory of a dark man kissing me before he departed for good, and then the sound of the hotel door clicking shut.
I was a little relieved at that moment, if I’m being honest. I knew he had spared me any awkward, frustrating goodbyes, not to mention explanations about why we would probably never see each other again. I remember feeling a bit disappointed, but then shaking it off. After all, I was only a teenager, and I’d had sex with a dark, handsome stranger. Little did either of us know, but that night had repercussions.
Of course, now things are completely different and my eyes shutter as he gazes at me in the elegant bar.
“What is it?” I ask tentatively, my heart beating fast.
He takes his time replying.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish things had gone differently,” Bruce speaks in a slow voice, running a hand through his thick, dark hair. “The truth is, I was just passing through Springdale that night, and I didn’t plan on bringing anyone home. My life was busy back then, and I didn’t have any time to date. I still don’t have time. That’s why I’m using City Girls.”
I nod, swallowing hard, and he continues.
“I remember waking up that morning - I had a breakfast meeting,” he continues. “I didn’t mean to sneak off, but when I saw you sleeping, you looked so peaceful and so beautiful with your hair spread on the pillow. I couldn’t bring myself to disturb you, sweetheart.” His expression hardens again, and he turns so he’s completely facing me, those sky blue eyes boring into mine. “But make no mistake, Annemarie Norton,” he says, his voice full of conviction, “I’ve never regretted what happened that night. I just wish … well, what I wish doesn’t matter.”
I shiver, a premonition coming over me.
“What do you wish?” I ask in a low tone.
He’s thoughtful, looking down for a moment at his bourbon.
“I just wish we’d kept in touch,” he says finally. “I’m not sure it would have become something, or even that anything would have worked out. You were very young, sweetheart. You still are young. But now, you’re here,” he says with a wry smile. “Who would have thought?”
I take a deep breath, my heart leaping.
“But what are you looking for?” I ask.
His dark head angles away for a moment, that jawline firm.
“Again, I don’t have a lot of time. Vapopen is my wife in a way, and I’m fully committed to my marriage. As you know, we’re under a lot of pressure from the government, from public health officials, and from the media every day. It consumes my life, and I’m not ready to give up on my baby just yet. I can’t,” he emphasizes. “As a result, I’m not looking for a relationship. I can’t offer that to any woman, and it wouldn’t be fair.”
“Therefore, City Girls,” I say in a low voice.
“Therefore, City Girls,” he agrees. “But it’s led me to you, sweetheart,” he adds in a low voice, leaning close to brush a hand over my cheek, those blue eyes flaring. “And if you like, I can show you just how much I’ve missed you these past two years.”
My cheeks go hot and goosebumps cover my arms as Bruce closes the distance between us. His lips are deft and commanding and his tongue insistent when he nudges it between my closed lips. It slips inside, and I breathe gently against his insistence, remembering this man’s dominant ways. When we pull apart, I’m breathing fast.
“Come up to my room with me,” he rasps.
I look up at him, eyes wide. What am I doing? This man is the father of my secret baby! But he’s ungodly handsome, and I feel myself falling.
“Yes,” I breathe without thinking, and with that, it’s done. I follow him to the bank of elevators at the hotel, and soon, I’m ensconced in Bruce’s arms upstairs. The sex is just as good as I remember, if not ten times hotter. He’s older now, but his physique is carved from stone, those muscles seemingly made of wood. His blue eyes flare as they take in my curvy figure, and he worships me with his mouth and hands before making me scream with his cock. Oh god, what’s happened? I feel like I’m falling through mid-air … but I never want it to stop.