Page 65 of Surrender
Instead, I slip one hand into my pocket, grab my keys, and hold them in front of her. “I have practice until five and I assume turkey takes a while to cook.” I slide the key off the ring and hold it out. I say against her hair, “Front door key…for your convenience.”
“Thanks,” she husks like we just had thirty minutes of foreplay and she’s ready to come. She wraps her fingers around the key and nearly moans her next words. “I’d really love for you to kiss my neck, Gareth.”
My body roars to life from the gentle command. I push her hair back with my nose and lightly brush my lips beneath her ear. My tongue slips out and draws a line up to her earlobe. When I pull the tender flesh between my lips, she sags against me, rolling her body in my arms and grinding her supple arse on my groin.
Just when I think she’s going to give me round three, she pulls away and opens the door, leaving on wobbly feet. I watch her, regret and yearning stronger than I’ve ever felt coursing through my veins.
I watch her car drive away, then close the door, realising with a nervous thud of my heart that I can’t wipe the smile off my face.
“YOU ARE WHAT?”FREYA PEALSas she follows me to the foyer.
I bend down to grab my brown ankle boots up off the floor. “I said I’m going to be spending the night at Gareth Harris’ house tonight, so I won’t be home until tomorrow.”
“I need to sit down.” Freya drops down on the staircase and cradles her head in her hands. “You haven’t told me a word since we made that suit for him, and I’ve been cheated some very delicious details.”
“Freya, you knew something was happening between us.” I slip my feet into my shoes and slide the inside zippers up, my eyes narrowing on her. “You even encouraged it!”
“I know! But to be spending the night with him must mean it is getting serious!” She looks up at me with wide, hopeful eyes.
“It’s not getting serious,” I correct.
“You’ve been out every night this week,” she states like it’s a confirmation that what I’m saying isn’t true.
“That doesn’t mean it’s getting serious,” I scoff. Yes, I’ve been back out to Gareth’s. Yes, I rode him reverse cowgirl when we fucked in his media room last night during reruns ofShameless. That doesn’t mean anything has changed. I’m just insatiable. I’m in the middle of a sexual awakening I didn’t even know I needed, and I can’t seem to stay away. And I’ll be blowing him off for another week straight when Sophia comes home, so I’m trying to get it while I can.
“So, why are you spending the night?”
“Because we’re having sex.”
It’s as if I electrocuted her. “You’re finally shagging him?”
I want to laugh at her innocence. If she knew the full truth, she’d probably pass out from shock. “Yes, Frey. You didn’t assume?”
“Well, I don’t know. You said he held out on you that one time you wore the skimpy knickers, so I thought maybe he was impotent or something.”
“No,” I groan. “We’re sleeping together, but it’s just a friends with benefits thing.” I shrug. The description doesn’t do it justice, but it’s the best I can do.
Her face crumples. “Friends with benefits is something kids in Uni do. Not nearly thirty-something-year-olds with children.”
“Gareth doesn’t have children.”
“You do!”
“Only for fifty percent of my life!” I exclaim, my hands fisting at my sides. The notion of missing part of Sophia’s life every other week still makes me crazy. I don’t need it shoved in my face. “You are the one who wanted me to do something with my time when Sophia is with Callum.”
“Yes, but I didn’t think it meant friends with benefits and putting yourself at risk of having your heart broken. Sloan, Gareth Harris is like a steel vault. Even the media can’t get a personal detail out of him.”
“What do you mean? I thought he is only private about the women he dates?”
She shakes her head. “It’s so much more than that. His dad used to play for Man U, and if the media ask a question about him, Gareth shuts down the interview straight away. On top of that, he’s never seen with mates. Only his family. Now you’re telling me that you’ve been sleeping with him on a regular basis. I just think that has to mean something.” Her green eyes are intense on me.
“It doesn’t,” I reply sharply and ignore the pit in my belly that forms over the fact that Gareth has opened up to me about his dad. Feeling anxious, I move to sit beside Freya on the steps and try to explain this in a way that won’t freak either of us out completely. “What Gareth and I are doing is so different from traditional. He even held off in the beginning to ensure that our lines didn’t get blurred. I’m totally detached and living in the moment.”
“In the moment,” Freya tuts, clearly disbelieving.
“It’s just sex.”
“It’s just sex.”
