Page 64 of Mine for a Moment

She looks at me like she doesn’t believe me, and I don’t know how to make her understand that she is it for me, despite everything. “I’ll give it all up for you,” I tell her. “The company. Ezra. Everything. I don’t need any of it as much as I need you, Sera.”

Her arms slide around my neck, and she looks up, tears in her eyes. “You know it’s not that simple. It’s not just the company or Ezra, and you know it.”

I drop my forehead to hers, wishing I could make her stay and knowing she won’t. “Please,” I whisper, dipping my head until my lips brush against hers.“Please.”

Her fingers slide up my neck and into my hair, and then she rises to her tiptoes, her lips meeting mine. I groan as I tighten my grip on her, my hands roaming over her body as I part her lips with my tongue.

She moans, and my heart begins to race as desire rushes through my body. Serenity gasps when I lift her up, taking a moment to moveher skirt enough so her legs can wrap around my hips as I carry her to my desk, my movements filled with desperation, almost like every fiber in my body knows this’ll be the last time I get to have her.

My breath hitches when I slide my hands underneath her skirt to find her wearing those stockings I love, and I pull back to look at them, my breathing erratic. “Fuck,” I moan as she reaches for my slacks and undoes them, that same desperation in her eyes. She looks at me like she thinks she’ll never see me again, and it fucking kills me.

My eyes flutter closed when her soft fingers wrap around my cock, and I push her panties aside impatiently as she lines me up. “I love you,” I whisper as I push into her, my thumb pressed against her clit. “I love you so fucking much, Serenity. I always will.”

Her head falls back when I thrust into her, making her take all of me. I’m near delirious with the need to mark her, to make her remember me no matter where she goes. My touch is rough as I push her to the edge of an orgasm, enjoying every pant, every moan. I commit it all to memory, terrified this is the last time I’ll witness her lose control for me like that. “I can’t,” she pleads, her hips rocking.

“You will,” I tell her. “Come for me, darling. Show me my favorite sight. Make me the happiest man alive, even if it’s only for a moment.”

She obeys my command, her pussy contracting around me in that way I just can’t resist. I moan, not giving a damn about the sounds we’re making as I come right along with her, my forehead dropping to hers. How am I supposed to live without this connection between us? How am I supposed to live without her?

“Stay,” I whisper. “Please stay.”

She pulls back to look at me, her breathing uneven. “I love you,” she whispers. “I love you, and I’m sorry.”

“You love me,” I repeat, bitterness bleeding into my voice as I pull out of her. “But you love her more.”

My heart fucking shatters when she doesn’t refute my words, regret written all over her face.

Fifty-Four

Serenity

“Excellent job,” Mark says, his eyes roaming over my face, a hint of pride in his eyes. “You’ve grown so much in the time you’ve been working here. Truly, I don’t know of any other design intern that’s so rapidly become invaluable. It’s a shame you’re leaving.”

I force a smile, glad my misery isn’t obvious. I get it now—why Archer was so obsessed with work for so long. It’s an endless loop of adding things and crossing them off to-do lists, and I love that, always have. It keeps my mind off the things I don’t want to think about, and it keeps me from walking into Archer’s office and telling him that I miss him.

The last couple of days have been tough as I started to pack my bags, neither of us sure how to act around each other anymore, and all the while, we’re both trying to be there for Tyra in our own ways. It’s hard to smile through the pain, and I’m glad I won’t have to do it for much longer anymore.

“Serenity?”

I look up to find Theo walking back in from lunch with a huge,beautiful bouquet of tulips in one hand, a vase in the other. He spent all morning trying to convince me to have lunch with him, but I’ve been too listless to even pretend, and the thought of having to make conversation was just too much for me.

“For you,” he says, handing me the bouquet.

I stare at it, taking in the gorgeous tulips with wide eyes. “For me?” I repeat dumbly.

He chuckles and places it in the vase for me. “Yeah, Ser. For you.” He glances back at me, a sweet smile on his face. “I thought it’d make you smile.” He leans against my desk and reaches for me, his touch gentle as he cups my face. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but the way you’ve been focusing on work isn’t normal, and I’m worried about you.”

I lean into his touch, needing the comfort he’s offering me. Truth be told, I missed him. I missed our friendship and knowing that there was one person in the world who understands, even when I can’t find the right words to explain what I’m feeling, what’s bothering me.

“I’m sorry,” he says, his voice filled with regret.

“For what?”

His hand moves to my hair, and he gently wraps one of my curls around his finger, the movement so reminiscent of Archer’s usual tenderness that it nearly brings tears to my eyes. “For allowing this distance to form between us. It’s why I never even tried dating anyone, you know? Because the thought of anything changing between us wasn’t worth it. It never has been. If not for the way…” He shakes his head. “Never mind. All I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry things changed between us when I promised myself they never would. I’m going to do everything in my power to get us back to where we were, and if I’m lucky…maybe somewhere even better.”

I see the hope in his eyes, and just a few months ago, it’d have been everything I’d ever wanted. I’d be lying if I said that no part of mewants to see the dreams I’ve had for years materialize, but somehow the dreams I had before pale in comparison to the reality of Archer.

“Hey,” Theo says, his voice soft, snapping me out of my thoughts.

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