Page 6 of Don't You Want Me, Baby?

‘Yeah.’ He reached up for her hand at lightning speed, pulling her to the floor and into his arms. ‘But I’m your idiot.’ He brushed back a tendril of wet hair between two fingers, moving them to her chin and lifting her lips to his. He kissed her so softly, she almost forgot she was mad at him. He tasted like mint and Champagne. ‘Forgiven?’ he murmured when he pulled back. She was sitting on his lap now like side saddle on a horse, one hand holding the tenuous bit of towel tucked in under the seam. ‘Come on, you can’t be mad.’ He kissed her again, a little more forcefully this time. ‘I came to see you, didn’t I?’ He looked down at his rather damp suit. ‘And took a beating. Look at my suit.’

He wiped at a spot of wet on his suit sleeve and she rolled her eyes.

‘I’m sure your dry cleaner will be able to get a water stain out, James Bond.’ She tapped his bow tie with her finger before getting to her feet. He rose with her, and they stood together in the tiny doorway. ‘How did you get in, anyway?’ He’d always insisted that they didn’t need to swap keys.Another sign you ignored. What partner doesn’t have a key to their other half’s place? Or want one?She’d offered. He never had, and it was another brick in the wall between them.

‘I used the key in the lock box.’ He tilted his head to one side. ‘Wait, are you mad I came?’

‘No,’ she scoffed, pushing past him to get to the bedroom. ‘It’s not that; you just scared the bejesus out of me. I wasn’t expecting to see you. You also now owe me a loofah.’ She looked at the clock on her bedside table. It was now nearly one in the morning. She had been hoping to have the big talk after she’d slept on it, worked out what she wanted to say. ‘I have to be up for the brewery delivery first thing.’

‘Sorry, babe. I thought you’d be in bed, all snug by now. I rangyou on the way home; when you didn’t answer, I thought you were either asleep or still annoyed with me.’

‘I was.’ She moved around her room, looking for something to sleep in. Her drawers offered two different options: her sexy nightie collection and a pile of comfy, flannel-type pyjamas she saved for cold nights and lazy days off.Hmm.Definitely a flannel type of talk. ‘I am. It’s pretty late, and you didn’t reply to my message. After blowing me off again, I didn’t exactly expect you.’

She felt him close behind her. Reaching for the black nightie, he pulled it out of the drawer. ‘I had it on silent, baby. Please don’t be mad.’ He ran his hand over the material. ‘Hmm. No granny clothing tonight,’ he whispered against the shell of her ear, making her shudder. Not in the good way either. He really didn’t give a shit that she was mad. Thought he could come here for some late-night booty call. ‘I came straight here after the event, to see you.’

‘Well, partners who care show up when they make plans. And if you’d bothered to ask for a key, I would have given you one. We should be doing those kinds of things by now if we’re going to be together.’ She ignored his look of affront as she went on. ‘I mean, it’s worth a discussion, right? If only to save my future loofahs from damage. Things can’t go on as they are, Brad. I’m not happy.’

‘Well,’ he shrugged, starting to undress. ‘I’m here now, and the lock box is fine.’ He dropped his bow tie to the floor, starting on the buttons. ‘See, no need for a discussion. I just want to see you. Less talking, more undressing.’ When she didn’t answer him, he rolled his eyes. ‘I won’t come next time if this is the reception I get.’

He was on the third button of his shirt before she spoke again. ‘Yeah, well. Maybe you shouldn’t.’

His fingers stilled on the button. ‘Shouldn’t what?’

‘Come over.’ His brows furrowed, and she cut him off before he could spout more fake platitudes. ‘I just told you I wasn’t happy, and you didn’t even flinch.’

He sighed, dropping his hands to his side.

‘It’s late. I’ve had a drink. Can we just leave it for tonight? I’ll make it up to you then.’

He went to undo the next button, and that’s when she knew. The man she thought he was didn’t exist. He wasn’t going to change, because he didn’t want to. Didn’t feel the need to. He was not what she wanted. Not like this. She wasn’t about to be anyone’s afterthought a minute longer.

‘I think you should leave.’

His laugh was like a slap in the face. ‘What?’

‘You heard me, Bradley. I’m not some late-night sex buddy. You either treat me as a partner or we call the whole thing off.’

He didn’t say anything for the longest time. ‘Has someone said something to you?’

‘No,’ she frowned. ‘Should they have?’

‘No, no,’ he ran a flustered hand through his hair, ruffling it out of place. ‘I just don’t know where all this has come from all of a sudden. You were fine when we spoke earlier.’

‘I was mad earlier, Bradley! I’ve been mad for a while, actually. I thought we were okay, but the more you’re not here, the more you check out, the madder I get. I’ve been mad more than happy for a long time. You just don’t notice! This is not what we planned. Since the eatery, I have to practically make an appointment to see you. It’s changing me, and I hate that. I’m not this person, Brad; I’m not the girl who waits by the phone for a man to give her the time of day. I have my own life, you know. Stuff I want to do. I’m not getting any younger, and?—’

‘Oh,’ his shoulders slumped in relief. ‘You had me going there for a minute.’ He huffed out a laugh, and Amber felt her spine stiffen at the noise.He was laughing, when she was pouring her heart out.‘I get it. It’s your birthday making you feel like this. Turningthirty isn’t that bad, babe. You still have a few good years left in you yet.’

Nice.She shook her head, wondering what she ever saw in the man. ‘Thanks for that, and it’s not about my birthday. Not only about that, but it’s true that it’s made me think.’ She locked eyes with him.Now or never. I don’t have another loofah if he keeps talking like this.She was still smarting from the derisive dismissal in his voice when she drew in a breath and spoke again. ‘This relationship, if you can call it that, is not what I want. You have to choose, Bradley. I won’t sit around for the next few months waiting for you to bother to spend time with me.’

She watched his brows furrow, his eyes taking her in as if he was seeing her in a new light.Trust him to notice me now.

‘So you want me to choose between my business and you?’

‘No, I want you to realise I’m part of your life! If I was important to you, it wouldn’t even be a choice. We’re all busy, Brad, but I still make time for you. For my friends.’

‘Yeah,’ he scoffed. ‘And we all know your friends are not fans of mine.’

‘That’s not tr?—’

---