Page 39 of Unleashed

Once everything was settled, I unwrapped the towel from my body and slipped into a black silk robe that barely grazed my thighs. The material felt cool against my skin as I tied it loosely at the waist. Just as I finished, my phone buzzed—it was the lobby calling to announce his arrival.

The anticipation thrummed through me. Slade was here, and as much as I tried to keep him at arm’s length, I couldn’t deny how much I wanted him.

CHAPTER 9

Slade stayed the night. After making love, neither of us had the energy to move. I slept tangled in his arms, too exhausted to protest. When morning light filtered through the curtains, I woke to his hands already on me, gentle but insistent. He made love to me again before sliding out of bed to get dressed. I watched him, sprawled out on my stomach, my cheek pressed into the pillow, savoring the lazy contentment in my limbs.

Slade caught me staring, a smirk playing on his lips as he pulled on his red basketball shorts. "Keep looking at me like that, and we won’t be going anywhere."

I raised an eyebrow, my voice teasing. "Like what? I’m just lying here."

"You look beautiful," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. His hand glided over the exposed skin of my back, sending a ripple of chills down my spine. "Your skin is perfect."

His touch was tender, almost reverent, but I knew we needed to get moving. I smiled lazily into the pillow. "You better get going then. The Abbott house is legendary."

He raised a skeptical brow. "Says who?"

I snorted. The stories floated around the company about how beautiful the house by the ocean was. "Says all the executives who get to attend the annual Abbott retreat."

Slade chuckled, shaking his head. "Is that why you wanted to be a manager?"

I reached out, playfully swatting his arm. "Idiot. You know that’s not true."

He leaned down, trailing his lips along the curve of my spine, his breath hot against my skin. When he gently bit the top of my ass, I let out a soft hum, feeling the familiar spark of desire stir inside me.

"Get out of here, Abbott," I murmured, fighting back a grin. "Before you get yourself into trouble."

He nipped me again, this time with a playful growl. "I like trouble—especially the kind that involves you."

"Go," I urged, pushing at his shoulder. "I need to finish packing."

He stood and stretched, his toned muscles rippling as he moved. "I’ve got to pick up the car I rented. Should be back in about an hour. That enough time for you to do everything?"

I gave him a wicked grin. "Doesn’t take long to pack bikinis and lingerie."

Slade groaned, running a hand over his face. "You’re going to be the death of me."

"Go before I change my mind," I said huskily.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Change your mind to what?"

"Potato sacks and flannel pajamas."

He grinned, leaning down to plant a kiss on my cheek. "Doesn’t matter. Anything you wear is sexy."

As soon as I heard the front door close behind him, I stretched, feeling the pleasant ache in my muscles from the night before. Slade had a knack for putting me through mypaces, and while it wasn’t always easy keeping up with his appetite for certain... positions, I wasn’t exactly complaining.

I took a quick shower, letting the hot water soothe my body, then slipped back into the black silk robe I had left discarded by the bed. It only took me about thirty minutes to pack, throw on a pair of pink shorts and a pale blue tank top, and pull my hair up into a ponytail. Slade texted me just as I was lugging my suitcase to the door. When I didn’t respond immediately, he called.

“You’re impatient,” I answered, rolling my eyes but smiling as I spoke.

"I wanted to make sure you didn’t change your mind," he said, his voice warm but teasing.

"That’s silly. I want to go," I said, pausing at the door. "And since you dragged me off that hike, I really have no choice."

"Face it, you’re better off coming to Montauk where we can sun and swim. We’ll make love with the waves crashing around us and the breeze off the Atlantic," he purred, clearly trying to entice me.

I laughed softly. "You’re quite the poet, aren’t you?"

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