Page 78 of Shortcake
He wanted me.
He just didn’twantto want me.
As for me? I didn’t just want Conrad. I was desperate for him. My entire body clenched with desire. It rattled in my bones, trembled my core and every nerve ending from the follicles of my hair down to my toes.
“Why didn’t you ever call or text me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Surprise widened his eyes for the briefest second and the muscles of his columned throat worked a swallow. “I did,” he said. “Once. I called you in the middle of the night once, after I had this really awful night shift. And some guy answered. Honestly, I didn’t even expect you to answer. I was hoping to hear your voice on a voicemail message or something.”
“A man answered?” I asked. I literally hadn’t had a sleepover with anyone in three years. Sure, I’d had hookups, but I never stayed the night. Not with anyone. Not since Conrad. “When was this?”
“New Year’s Eve. A couple months after we first met.”
I shook my head. “Three years ago on New Year’s Eve? I wasn’t with a guy. I went to a party at my brother’s apartment and crashed on his… couch.” I blinked as the fog cleared. “I crashed on Finn’s couch. It was Finn who answered. It had to have been.” Dammit, Finn! “But… why didn’t you text me? Or … or leave a message?”
Thick arms caged me against the wall of the hot tub, sluices of water dripping down veined arm muscles. “I guess I thought you had moved on and I didn’t want to complicate things for you.”
Tears filled my eyes as I slowly dragged my fingers up his arms, tracing the drips of water over the muscled terrain of his biceps and forearms. “I didn’t move on from you,” I whispered. Then, blinking, I looked into his eyes. “I still haven’t.”
“All this time, I thought I was just your rebound,” he growled.
“All this time,” I repeated, “I thought you regretted me.”
He shook his head slowly. “I could never regret you.”
Unsure if I believed him or not, I swallowed the lump that was lodged in my throat.
Lots of men had regretted me. I wasn’t the girl you brought home to Mom. I wasn’t the cute, sweet, girl next door that you slid a ring on and declared to love for eternity.
Dante had taught me that.
I was the quick fuck. The party girl. The hot babe you experimented with. The girl you laid but didn’t bring home to meet the parents.
And for the most part, I was okay with that. After Dante, there wasn’t anyone I wanted to slide a ring on their finger and declare love for eternity with either.
But with Conrad? I wasn’t sure I could handle it.
I wasn’t sure I could survive him moving on. I don’t think I could handle seeing him day in, day out, around town with whatever country-club, pastel-wearing, socialite he ended up with after he’d had his fun with me.
“You say that now, but…”
He pressed a finger to my mouth gently. “Addy,hearme when I say this. I could never …and would never… regret you.”
His scorching gaze trailed over me, studying my face like an out of control fire that blistered my flesh, simmering my blood.
“I don’t think I can do another one-night-stand with you.” Moisture filled my eyes as I trapped my bottom lip between my teeth.
With his thumb, he tugged my lip free. “Good. Because one-night will never be enough for us.”
His lips crashed against mine, swallowing any other objections I might have had as his palms scooped into the water, lifting me up to meet him like I was weightless.
A gasp ripped from my throat as the pads of his fingers deftly slid down the muscles of back and hips, squeezing.
My breasts were heavy, hungry for his attention. Aching and tingling, I arched my back into the kiss.
With his mouth still on mine, he untied the bikini top and peeled it off my body, exposing my hard nipples to the cool, summer night air.
His touch, his mouth, it was everywhere, lighting me on fire.
