Page 23 of Silent Cravings

I never understood the contention between Barrett and Colton all those years—at least, not when I looked at it from my point of view. Barrett was hard on him, but at least he gave a shit.

“Years from now…” Barrett continued, “… the partying and the women and the freedom… it will get stale. Trust me on that. No party can last forever. I couldn’t have imagined it at your age, but the satisfaction I got from being a father and a husband? No amount of anonymous sex could top that.”

“Nice, Dad,” Colton muttered, snickering. “Hang on. Let me grab my notebook and jot this down.”

“Be a smartass all you want,” Barrett retorted. “You know I’m right. Or are you not happier now than you were before you and Rose got together?”

Colton rolled his eyes, grumbling. He didn’t like being backed into a corner, which his father had successfully done. “Fine, whatever you say. You’re right. But I’m not goingto be that asshole who finds a woman and decides everybody he knows needs to commit the way he has.”

“Fair enough.” Barrett gave me a wink. “For now, you can be satisfied knowing you’re making Rose extremely happy. The rest of us too. I know it can’t be easy, putting something like this together at the last minute.”

“You can thank Valentina for a lot of that.” Speaking her name had a weird effect on me. My heart swelled, and a warm, peaceful feeling settled over me. “She’s bent over backward, called in every favor she’s owed to make this work. I swear, I don’t know when she sleeps.”

“Well, we always did know she’s the ultimate Type A personality,” Colton pointed out. “We couldn’t have a playdate when we were kids without her trying to set an itinerary.”

I could easily imagine that. “She’s driven,” I agreed.

“Like her mom,” Barrett suggested with a fond smile. One thing was never in doubt. He adored his sister, Evelyn. “Once she gets something in her head, you can’t change her mind.”

Like the idea I would hurt her again.

Like the idea I was some heartless fuck who couldn’t be trusted.

Once Barrett settled the check, I shook his hand and thanked him again for the dinner. “It was a pleasure,” he assured me. “Now, I expect you’ll head out to see who you can find tonight?”

Normally, I would have. Countless clubs and bars to choose from. Countless women too. The problem was, only one woman held any interest since the fateful night I sunk my dick in her again.

“Something like that.”

I promised Colton a phone call soon before setting offon foot from the restaurant. Somebody happened to live only a few blocks away. The only person I wanted to see tonight. There was no way I’d get a minute’s sleep without seeing her and doing a lot more than that.

Valentina was close to the top of my list of text message threads. I pulled her up and sent a message while strolling down Thirty-Fourth Street in the direction of her building.

Me:Where are you? It’s important.

If she wasn’t at home, I would find her. It was starting to become a quest. Something I had to do before my head hit the pillow.

My phone buzzed, and I couldn’t remember the last time my heart leaped at a new text message. She was turning me into somebody I swore I’d never be. At the moment, anticipating her response, I couldn’t be bothered to care.

Valentina:At home, but not for long. Why?

Me:Need to meet you there ASAP.

The foot traffic and passing cars meant nothing. I barely noticed them. She was home, and I was beyond sick and tired of pretending it was possible to ignore the permanent hard-on I had for her.

Valentina:Can it wait until tomorrow? I’m in the middle of something.

Like what? Getting ready to go out so some asshole could try his luck? That wasn’t going to happen.

Me:What’s so important?

Valentina:I just got out of the shower, if you need to know.

What an image.

Me:It’s an emergency. I have to see you. Tonight.

She didn’t keep me waiting long, offering a short reply.

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