Page 18 of The Woman

“What about my night with her?”

My hand tightens on her arm. “I changed my mind.”

“Fucker,” he replies from behind me, but there’s no anger in his voice, more like a hint of humor. I’ll send him something as an apology later.

I don’t release her arm until we’re in the elevator, and then I stand on the other side of her in the small space, keeping my eyes firmly off of her and plastered to the door. As soon as it opens, I step out, taking hurried steps to my car. I don’t need to check if she’s following me. I know she’ll be trailing behind like a good companion.

I get into the driver’s side, waiting until she’s gotten in and her scent – that drives me fucking crazy – has filled the interior before shifting the car into drive and speeding off.

Neither of us says a word on the journey home. I don’t even know what to say to explain my actions anyway. Shit, she probably wouldn’t even understand what I’m talking about if I did try to tell her something.

Casting a sidelong glance her way, I notice her hands clasped together in her lap and her face turned to look out the window, so I can’t see her expression. I face the road again with a loud exhale and try to ignore her the rest of the drive.

After parking in the underground garage, I get out immediately. I’m wound tight and don’t want to stay still. I hear her steps moving quickly behind me, trying to keep up with my long strides, but I don’t slow down at all.

Inside my penthouse, I head into my kitchen to pour myself a large glass of water and watch Avery walk quietly into her bedroom. I’m surprised she didn’t stand there asking if I wanted her to do anything.

Without drinking any of the water, I slam the glass back down onto the countertop, apparently trying to break yet another one.

I feel no less out of control now than I did before I decided to go and storm Edison’s place. Pacing back and forth, I make brief glances toward her door in the hallway, clenching and unclenching my fists until finally, I stalk across the room and enter her bedroom, finding her sitting on the bed with her back against the headboard.

The face of someone who’s scared of my reaction and worried about what I might think stares back at me, and it angers me more.

It’s fake.

A deceit.

She doesn’t feel anything.

And I don’t know why I’m in here.

My chest continues to rise and fall in rapid succession as I rake my eyes over her body. It suddenly occurs to me that I’ve felt like this before, but on a much smaller scale when someone else has gotten something that I wanted.

I’m fucking jealous.

And why? Because my best friend got to see her like that before I did? Because he could have had sex with her before I did? I don’t even want her. It makes me furious at myself for feeling that way and angry at her for making me feel it.

Moving close to her bed, I grab her ankle and drag her to the edge. Her startled squeal is the only thing louder than my heavy breathing, but she doesn’t ask what I’m doing. Instead, she pushes up onto her elbows and looks up at me through her lashes. I remain standing over her, looming like a glowering lion, peering down at a little mouse.

“Did he touch you?” My voice comes out low and harsh.

Her head shakes ever so slightly. “No.”

“Did you touch him?”

“No.”

A measure of relief tampers down my fuming but does little to quell my wild thoughts.

My eyes drop lower to find that her chest is also moving faster before drifting back up to those unique eyes that look a deeper shade of blue right now. Her pupils are enlarged as well.

“Were you playing my piano?” I press again, expecting the same answer as the last couple of times I’ve asked.

A pink tongue pokes out to brush along her lips, wetting them. “No.”

We’re locked in a stare-off for a few seconds, neither of us making any moves, until still holding my gaze, she lifts her arms and then pulls her top up and over her head, revealing her round breasts. The ones that have been teasing me for days now.

My eyes drop again, and I scowl while swallowing thickly, my shoulders tense. I didn’t get to take them in when I arrived at Edison’s because I was in too much of a haze. But looking at them now, I feel like I’m feverish. My whole body is hot and buzzing. It feels alive, and my cock is so hard it feels uncomfortable in its confinement.

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