“Fine.” I yanked off my towel and dropped it to the floor.
His eyes rolled back before he shoved a pillow into his face.
“You need to behave,” I said, crawling in beside him.
“I can restrain.” He slid his arm around my waist to tuck my body in line with his. “But come sunrise…” He ran his hand down to my buttock and squeezed. “This ass is mine.”
My entire body stiffened.
“Relax,” he whispered before brushing his lips over my ear. “You have a few hours to recover.”
I forced a yawn. “Then I better get some rest,” I mumbled before closing my eyes.
“Night, Tiger.”
I tucked my hands under the pillow and relished the warmth of a body next to mine. “Goodnight.”
Once his head hit the pillow and his breathing grew soft and steady, I stealthily slid out of the bed. I gathered up my sprawled-out clothes and discarded handbag, and tiptoed through the magnificent apartment that overlooked the entire city. I stopped to admire the twinkling lights before gazing back at the bedroom.
However exhilarating another session of uninhabited fucking sounded, I couldn’t risk another influx of raw emotion in front of this man. Not only was it humiliating, but the release he gave me brought up too many feelings. There was something about this man that stirred me up. His energy overpowered my common sense and made me feel something I hadn’t felt in years.Free. Free of responsibilities and free of grief.
It was a fleeting bliss, because my torture endured. This wasn’t my life and I was no more than another notch on this guy’s Armani belt. So, ignoring the unnerving ache in my heart, I crept out of the handsome stranger’s apartment, and threw myself back into my heartbreaking reality.
3
“It’ll only be three months, so I’ll be back before Christmas.”
Finn barely took his eyes off the computer screen. “Okay.”
“So, Pa is going to take care of you.”
“Cool,” he uttered with a shrug.
Dad placed his calloused hand on my shoulder while I watched my son’s avatar prepare for battle. “I told you, he’ll be fine.”
“But he can’t be on screens the whole time,” I grumbled, disheartened by my son’s lack of concern and my father’s easy-going nature. “Did you hear that, Finn?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“I’ll make sure of it, Cass.” My sister’s boyfriend’s voice boomed through Finn’s speaker.
Relief rolled over me. “Thanks for looking out for him, Reed. Tell Amy I’ll call her once I’m settled.”
“Roger that.”
Finn’s jade-green eyes peered up at me and softened. “I’ll be fine.”
I ruffled his hair. “I can’t believe I’m going to miss my baby’s first day back at school.”
“I’m almost eleven, Mom. I got this.”
A laugh burst from my mouth followed by a sigh. “I love you, Finn. Can I at least get a hug before I go?”
With an over-the-top eye roll, he pushed out his desk chair and stood. “Love you, too.” He wound his lanky arms around me. “You’re going to do great.”
“Thanks, baby.” His ability to read my emotions worried me. While his father’s genes conquered his smile, ever-increasing height, and dark hair, his empathetic nature was all mine.
After kissing Finn’s head, he launched back into his game while I made my way out to the waiting car in my father’s driveway.