Page 129 of Sweet Temptation

I disappeared into the bathroom to get dressed. I splashed cold water on my face, just trying to cool the fuck off and make the morning wood melt away.

When I came back out, I barely looked at her. The curtains were now open and she was awake, sitting cross-legged on the bed in her robe, staring out the window.

I felt her turn to look at me as I headed for the door.

“I’ll get breakfast for all of us.” I was already putting on my boots. “Text Andre if you need to go anywhere.” I met her eyes, briefly.

She was watching me, and she’d definitely noticed my conspicuous hurry to get out of here.

“Do not go out alone, even in the hall,” I told her. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

I pulled on my jacket and I left.

Like a fucking coward.

But the whole morning-after thing was making me feel awkward as shit.

I really shouldn’t have slept with her last night. She was my client, I already knew I was attracted to her, and it was a very, very bad idea to let her into my room in the middle of the night, and even worse, into my bed.

And now my dick had clearly decided that I either needed to fuck her—preferably hard and often—or it was gonna keep standing at attention every time I got near her.

By the time I got back to the hotel with takeout, she was no longer in my room. I headed over to her room and knocked on the door, really fucking hoping that she’d put on some more clothes by now. “It’s Ronan,” I called.

Summer answered the door wearing a fuzzy cream-colored sweater with a relaxed turtle neck and black leggings that hugged her shapely legs. Really didn’t matter what she wore; the woman would’ve been sexy in a garbage bag.

My eyes dragged down her body and back up again without my permission.

“Did you get Andre to walk you here?” I asked her. It was abrupt. Rude, even. No Good morning or small talk to lead into it.

No Hope my hard-on didn’t jab you in the night.

She bristled a little, though she tried to hide it with attitude. “Yeah. He actually had to fireman-carry me at one point. Good thing I had him to help me make it those fifteen steps.” She crossed her arms at her waist, dropping the sarcasm. “I texted him like you told me to. Safety first, right?”

“Right,” I said, unsure if she was serious or what.

At some point, this whole situation had become so confused for me, I wasn’t even sure when she was giving me sass anymore. If she still resented my presence or was glad to have me around. If she liked me or was growing to hate me, one fuck-up at a time.

I held up her takeout bag and coffee. “Do you want to come eat with us?”

“I have some work,” she said, unsmiling. “I’ll eat and then we can head to the airport.”

“Okay.” I passed her the bag with the smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel that I knew by now was her favorite indulgence breakfast. And the latte, exactly how she liked it, half-fat with cinnamon on top.

She took them with a small, “Thanks,” and disappeared into her room.

Andre was right.

I really was an asshole when it came to women.

I actually liked this one, and I couldn’t just be nice to her and not make her despise me.

I couldn’t afford for her to like me… that much.

I had a job to do. And if I failed at my job, she got hurt. Which made my job the only thing that mattered right now.

Or at least, the only thing that was supposed to matter.

Which meant I had to stop thinking with my dick. And getting pissed off every time she flirted with other men in front of me.

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