What the hell was wrong with me? I was an intelligent, capable woman. So why had lust so fully consumed me that the need for an orgasm from this man trumped the fact that I didn’t like him. He was annoying and shady, and yet, once again, I let him touch me. It had to be his sweetness toward Mo that was making me vulnerable.
Seeing a big-ass man that could kill with his pinky be soft and gentle to an infant was hard to resist. But now that the orgasms were over, regret filled me again.
He pushed himself up with his arms straddling me as he looked down at me. He shook his head. "No. You can't get away with feeling regret this time."
I pushed him away, jumping off the table searching for my clothes. "You can't tell me what to feel or not to feel."
He smirked as he tied off the condom and found the trash can. "You should just accept the fact that even though we don't much like each other, we know how to fuck."
I pulled my dress on getting the straps over my shoulders. Then I glared at him. "You're vulgar, you know that?"
He pulled on his jeans. "That doesn't mean I'm wrong."
I wanted to smack that smug look off his face.
He tugged on his shirt and then stared at me with his hands on his hips. "There's nothing wrong with what we just did, Harper. We both enjoyed it. Why not just accept it and move on?"
For some reason his words made me feel cheap. I began to wonder if maybe this was the real purpose of his visit. He wanted to fuck me and he came up with an excuse by using Mo. If that was true, he was a worse man than I thought.
"Why are you here?"
He turned toward the living room where Mo continued to sleep in his car carrier on the coffee table.
"Why are you really here? You must have some ulterior motive. Was it just to get in my pants?"
He flinched, but then quickly recovered. "I should get Mo home. Thank you for your help, and by help I mean with Mo. I'd thank you for the orgasm but clearly that would be too offensive to you." He left the kitchen, and I wished I had something close at hand to throw at his back.
I stayed in the kitchen until I heard the door open and shut and knew he was gone. I immediately went to my bedroom stripping off my clothes and getting in the shower to wash Noel off me.
Why did I have so little power to resist him? My brother was paying him to spy on me, and here I was letting him take me on my kitchen table. Clearly there was something wrong with me.
When I finished washing up, I exited the shower, toweling off and putting on my robe. I shuffled into my bedroom and collapsed back on my bed. I was supposed to be getting my life together, but it felt even more chaotic than before.
Noel St. Martin was wreaking havoc in my life, and I seemed powerless to stop him. Yes, he was sexy as all get out, and he definitely knew his way around a woman's body. It was sort of sweet how much he doted on Mo and how vulnerable he looked when he was uncertain about how to care for Mo. But I couldn't let that soften me toward him which clearly, I had. I needed to build up a stronger barrier.
My phone rang and I picked it up off the bedside table where I'd left it when I'd gotten into the shower. Anne’s phone number flashed on the caller ID.
I poked the answer button. "Hi Anne."
"I just needed to apologize again, Harper, for canceling tonight."
"If I remember correctly, I'm the one that suggested canceling."
"I know, but it was for me. I just didn't want to leave Brandie tonight. But I feel terrible because I know it's been a while since you and I have gone out together to have fun."
I sighed as I settled back in my bed. "It's fine. We'll just do it another time."
"Are you okay? Did something happen? You don't sound the same."
"It's nothing that more willpower won't fix."
"What does that mean?"
I could hear the concern in her voice, but also intrigue.
"I seem to have gotten myself entangled with a man that I can't trust."
"Oh my. It has been a while since you and I have gotten together. I had no idea you were seeing anyone."