Page 64 of The Bridges I've Burned

I guess I will never know.

Well, if that was a mood killer…

My breathing began to normalize, and I sat up and let out a sad sigh.

Grabbing the towel, I made quick work of cleaning up my little toy in the bathroom. After it was put away, I picked out some clothes and blew my hair dry. I skipped makeup, not knowing what I was doing for dinner.

I grabbed my phone off the dresser, deciding it was time to check in with Marin, and realized she’d already texted me.

Guessed she’d finally left the gym…

Marin

Zander came back! Macon just called me after they met at the coffee shop. Crazy, right? Anyway, he’s on his way back to the rental. Just wanted to give you a heads-up!

I stared at the text for far too long.

He’d come back?

And then my eyes went wide as I noticed the time.

“Shit!” I exclaimed under my breath.

It had been well over twenty minutes since Marin had sent that text. In any normal city or town, that wouldn’t be anything to sweat over. But in Ocracoke, where it took less than five minutes to get anywhere…

I took a panicked look around the room, my eyes landing on the nightstand, where I’d just tucked away my freshly cleaned vibrator.

I swallowed a nervous lump in my throat.

Surely, he hadn’t heard anything. I mean, I’d had the music up really loud, and…maybe he wasn’t even here yet.

I looked out the window and found his empty rental parked on the curb.

For fuck’s sake. Of course, he’s here.

How in the world had I not heard him come in? Had I been that into my fantasy that a fucking intruder could have marched right through the front door?

My mind drifted briefly back to that earth-shattering orgasm.

Yes. The answer was yes.

I looked down at Marin’s text again and then back to my nightstand.

Oh, you know what? Fuck it.

I was a grown-ass woman, and if I wanted to masturbate in the middle of the day on my damn vacation, well then, try and stop me.

I straightened my back and flipped my hair behind my shoulder. I marched toward the door and opened it.

Remember, I thought, you command courtrooms. You eat men for breakfast. You are fierce.

I stepped into the hallway and turned. I slowly walked to the living room and found him sitting on the sofa, a book in his hand. He looked very comfortable, like he’d been sitting there awhile.

I inwardly groaned.

“Marin texted me that you were back,” I said, squaring my shoulders.

I tried to come off as bored and unaffected by his presence. But in reality, the mere sight of him affected me.

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