My stomach lurches as I see that Pia’s side of the bed is empty. There’s a pillow wedged into my side right where my little girl should be. I reach my hand out to touch the sheets, like that might suddenly make her reappear. The sheets are cold, and I know that Pia has been gone for a long time.
Cursing under my breath, I throw the covers off and climb out of the bed. I can’t believe she left without waking me. I can’t believe I slept through her sneaking out. What was she thinking? Why would she leave?
Thoughts fly around my head like stray bullets, each one more painful than the last. I sit up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and resting my elbows on my knees. Holding my head in my hands, I try to get myself under control enough to come up with a plan.
My girl is skittish, I know that much. She’s gone through a lot of loss in her life recently, and it shouldn’t surprise me that she freaked out after our intense encounter. Should I have told her I love her? It’s true, but I didn’t know if Pia was ready to hear it. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t, apparently.
I thought I made it clear we were forever, but I guess I’ll have to prove it to her over and over until she believes me. Or, I can just keep her weak with pleasure so she doesn’t have the strength to walk out on me ever again. We’ll have to discuss her disappearing act soon, but right now, I need to find my little trick rider.
Good thing I know exactly where she went. Pia doesn’t have a home or a family, so there’s only one place that she could have gone to.
That means that I’m headed back to the circus.
I tug on my clothes and grab my car keys. It’s a short ride across town to the grounds that the circus is being held on, and I park in the empty parking lot. It’s only a little after nine, and the circus won’t be open for another hour and a half.
Taking a deep breath, I try to get my heavy breathing under control. I can’t scare off my girl with my intensity, but fuck, Ihatedwaking up to an empty bed.
I make it up to the ticket booth, but there’s no one there and the gates are closed. I could try to scale it, but I doubt that I could find Pia before security was called.
I pace outside the gates, letting my mind go wild as I stalk back and forth like a caged tiger.
Why would she just leave like that? Why didn’t she say goodbye? Did I hurt her last night? Did she not feel this connection between us?
I don’t have answers to any of my questions and I won’t until I talk to her. I lean against the fence until a pretty girl enters the ticket booth. She seems shocked to see someone waiting to come inside already, but she sells me a ticket and lets me in the gates.
I make a beeline for the stable tent. I know that that’s where Pia will be. Penny is the only family she has left, and she obviously spends a lot of time with her. I have a feeling she’s talking things out with her best friend.
Ducking under the tent flap, I make sure no one is looking before I enter the tent and head down the aisle toward the horses.
“Ready for another show?” Pia whispers to Penny.
I smile as I hear her melodic voice. A memory of the way she screamed my name last night hits me, and my balls tighten at the memory of everything I did to her body.
“Me too,” Pia continues. “It’ll be a good distraction from…”
She trails off, and Penny huffs before stomping a hoof on the ground.
Pia sighs. “Yes, from Gavin,” she murmurs.
My ears perk up, and I feel slightly guilty for eavesdropping, but I need all the help I can get at this point.
“It’s just that he was… amazing. Like… too good to be true, you know?”
Penny nods as if she really understands.
“And he’s well established, with a booming business in LA and New York and some other fancy city. I wouldn’t fit into his life.”
My heart sinks at her words. Does she really think that? I’d give up all the “fancy cities” in the world and move to a remote ranch if that’s what she wanted. In fact, that sounds pretty great. No distractions, and I can have my little girl all to myself.
“I’ll always have the memory of our night though,” Pia says wistfully.
Yeah, fuck that. One night will never be enough, and she knows it.
I clear my throat, announcing my presence so as not to startle her.
Pia turns, her eyes widening in shock when she sees me standing just outside the stall.
“Gavin,” she gasps.