Page 62 of Take You Down

“I’ll just be a second,” I say, rising from my knees and walking over to the phone, catching it close to the last ring. “Hello?”

“Hello, Miss Whelan, this is Salvatore from the front desk. I apologize for the call, but you have missed your checkout time. Do you need a team member to assist with anything for your departure?”

Shit, what time is it? I cock my head to the side, reading the digital clock on the nightstand. It’s 12:20 pm, officially twenty minutes past checkout.

“I must’ve lost track of time this morning. Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be out of here.” I sigh, making eye contact with Walker as he leans against the doorframe, watching me closely.

Wash your hair out, I mouth to him, listening to Salvatore chatter away on the other end of the phone.

Walker throws his head back like a child, throat corded with veins as he lets out a groan I hope the poor hotel employee can’t hear. He then strips his briefs down, letting his cock spring free and I can’t hide the widening of my eyes as I take him in.

Holy shit. My entire body runs hot, and I squirm where I’m standing, thighs rubbing together at the thought of him trying to fit every inch inside of me.

My dirty thoughts must not be well hidden from my face because Walker shoots me an arrogant smile, along with a stroke of his cock, the tip glistening as his hand slides upward. Before giving me any more of a show, he turns around and walks back into the bathroom. I hear the shower start up a moment later, before I realize I’ve completely zoned out and have been ignoring the phone conversation I’m still apparently a part of.

“I’m sorry again for the delay,” I interrupt, hanging up the phone and start to quickly pack up my bag and get dressed.

I have the room tidied up by the time Walker is hopping out of the shower and back into his clothes, rubbing a towel over his wet hair.

“I can’t see any green,” he says.

“Not while your hair is wet. You’ll be able to tell when it’s dry and probably best out in the sunlight.”

He does one last glance over in the mirror, before shrugging and chucking the towel on top of the soiled ones stained with dye.

“If I get billed for those, you’re covering them.” I point at him.

“Oh no, I don’t know if I’ll ever financially recover,” he jokes and grabs my backpack from my shoulders, slinging it onto his own.

I raise on my toes, pressing a kiss to his lips. “Don’t think I’m not going to finish what I didn’t even get to start in there.” Pulling back and patting his ass quickly, I add, “Just not right now or else we’re going to have Salvatore up here rapping at the door to kick us out.”

“Fine.” He lets out on a deep breath, but before I can take a step away, he pulls me back into his arms, wrapping them around my shoulders. “But one last thing before we close out this conversation.”

I focus on his face, studying the serious, small lines that have appeared around his eyes, reaching out and tracing them with my finger.

“No matter what people say online, to our faces, or what is to come with this out in the open, I’m happy to have you by my side. And I’m proud to get to claim you as mine.” His voice is soft but strong, the truth of his feelings in his words.

Flutters explode in the bottom of my stomach, words I didn’t know I needed to hear until he just said them.

And I smile as I get to tell him, “I’m proud to claim you as mine too.”

We stare at each other in silence for a moment, letting everything that has happened over the last twenty-four hours sink in, the realizations and confirmations of our feelings for one another. There’s a lightness to my body that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced before and I want it to last forever.

“So what number public girlfriend of yours am I now?” I tease, lightening the mood and recalling back to what Vik told me about this not being his first public relationship.

Walker holds my face gently, brushing a thumb over my cheekbone. “The only one that has mattered.”

26

WALKER

Mom: James, do you ever plan on calling your mother to fill her in about the new woman in your life?

Shit. She first named me. I quickly type back a response to her text, knowing that if I’m not speedy with it, she will start calling me.

Me: Sorry. You know how busy it gets on the road.

Her text bubble starts bouncing immediately.

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