Page 26 of Wild Card

Jen threaded her fingers with his. Compared to his hand, hers was so tiny…and cold. At once, it began to suffuse with borrowed warmth.

How she wanted to push the pause button on her feelings, and continue through this night without worrying about them anymore. How she wanted to think she was strong enough to lock it back and race to heaven with him, reveling in the sprint. How she longed to be sure she could spend even another fifteen minutes with him and not spill every stupid thought in her head…and impossible feeling in her heart.

She turned the thought into motivation. Lifted her mouth and gave him one final, melding kiss. Pushed herself into it…and felt him pouring just as much in return.

She fought the craving to jerk him back down to the bed and let him do more dirty, wonderful things to her. Barely.

With a conflicted moan, she backed away. Wobbled to her feet. Deciding this was no time for more practice in the damn heels, she kicked them off then picked them up. Silver lining: the move gave her something to hold on to. She clutched the pumps to her chest while jerking her gaze back to his for one last time.

“I had an amazing time. I won’t forget it. Ever. I promise.”

Her sincere words didn’t diminish the man’s glare. “Jenny.” It seethed between his locked teeth. He rose up, braced like a prisoner about to kneel over a guillotine. “Jenny!”

But she’d already turned.

And raced from the room on bare feet…and a breaking heart.

She’d let a workplace crush cross way too many lines. And as hard as she fought to get pissed at Sam for offering the damn eraser, she couldn’t. She longed to spin around, run back to him, throw herself against his golden monolith of a body, and beg him to show her every inch of heaven for the next eight hours.

But if the agony ripped like this now, how deep would it go after two hundred and forty damn minutes?

It was the only jab of motivation her legs had for continuing forward.

One step at a time.

One step at a time.

One step at a time.

By some miracle she made it inside her room. She walked into the darkened space, one slow step at a time, before plopping to the window seat and waiting for the next refrain to kick in.

One tear at a time.

One tear at a time.

One tear at a time.

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