Page 58 of Until I Have You

“This is what I wanted.”Her hand travels down to my crotch and grips me.“This is what Iwant.”

I hiss in a breath and pull her hand away from me.“Not here, god, not here.”

“My dad–”

“He may not be here physically, but that doesn’t matter to me.”I search her face for a sign of rebuttal, but all I see is the most exquisite beauty.

Her eyelids are low, mouth wanton.Her freckles look like constellations of stars across her cheeks.

I want to pull her hair out of this ridiculous clump of hair and let it free.Want to tear this dress to shreds and get a look at the body I’ve felt shame for imagining.

And I want to ask why.

Why me?

Why now?

Abigail pulls on the lapel of my suit jacket.“Take me where wecan.”

I should end it here.All we could have is a night.Physical indulgence.Nothing more.

Perhaps it would help.Get her out of my system.One night would be better than none, right?

“Under one condition, Abigail.”

Her mouth moves into a swooning smile.“Yes,Theo.”

“Don’t mention your father.My conscience is guilty enough as is.”

She lifts her mouth toward mine.“Whatever you say…”

I black out from ecstasy when she kisses me again.

12

ABIGAIL

Theoand I say nothing to one another in the car ride over nor do we speak on the elevator ride to his apartment.

I think we’re both still in shock from what’s happened, and that getting rid of Miranda and Bridget was as easy as it was.

For her part, Miranda was incensed by the interruption and left before we came back.

Bridget, on the other hand, required some misdirection.

While Theo pretended to go off in search of Miranda, I acted as though I had an important phone call all of a sudden regarding a job.Thankfully, I’ve lamented to Bridget enough that she knows how frustrated I am with the job search, and she encouraged me to do what had to be done.

I feel bad for lying to her.

But this has to be done too.

Theo steps off the elevator first and leads me to his apartment, his keys jangling as he walks.

I still can’t believe what came over me back there.The whole night is really a blur, from conceiving of the idea to drop into the club and see how his date was going tointerferingwith his date and thengrabbinghim–

This is a version of myself I haven’t known in a long time.The gritty, take what she wants Abigail.

I had that attitude coming out of grad school, but the job search has ground down my spirit and hunger.

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