Page 22 of Certified Heartthrob

As soon as my glass was empty, I tossed a tip down on the table and walked out. It was a cold night out, and couples were bundled up in each other’s arms everywhere I looked. It was getting to be what some referred to as “cuffing season”—the winter holidays when people who didn’t want a relationship before suddenly wanted someone to cozy up with at night. I guessed my ex had wanted the same thing, just not with me.

Hailing down a cab, I gave the driver Camille’s address. I had a twisting feeling in my gut the whole ride over. I didn’t even know if I’d find her at her apartment. Some parts of me were tingling with the anticipation of seeing her again, even if only for a moment. Those were the parts that were desperately trying to convince the rest of me to show up and say something far different from what I had planned.

But most of me accepted that even if I could promise something better to Camille, we’d be right back in this boat weeks or months down the road. And each time, it’d hurt worse than the time before because our feelings would be stronger. I didn’t have it in me to take the ride again, not even with her. I didn’t think I could survive the inevitable crash at the end.

I could give her something else she wanted, though: a promise to put all this nonsense to a stop and leave Heartstring alone. But the moment she answered her front door, I felt my whole planned speech catch in my throat.

11

Camille

“Ugh, what are you even doing here?” I scoffed at Mark standing at my front door. I wished he didn’t look so damn good when I was so pissed at him.

“Sorry to bother you. I won’t take up much of your time. Can I come in for a minute?”

The whole reason I had suggested we meet at the bar was to avoid being alone at my place. I didn’t want things to unravel the way they had last time, with us ending up in bed together. But now here he was. I couldn’t get away from the temptation, despite my best efforts.

“Fine. Come in. But only for a moment.”

He stepped inside and eyed the open bottle of wine on the counter and the glass in my hand.

“I’d offer you something to drink, but since you’re only going to be here for a minute…”

“Right. No, that’s okay.” He smiled politely.

My heart was pounding as he stood over me. Our bodies swayed with each breath, like at any moment we would go crashing into each other all over again. And yet it felt like he was worlds away. Nothing about Mark Silver’s actions made any sense to me.Hedidn’t make any sense to me, and that was the most infuriating part.

“Get on with it then,” I sighed, crossing my arms. I was determined to be immune to the magnetic draw between our bodies that only seemed to intensify the moment we were alone together.

“I’m sorry I put you through all of this,” he offered. “But I’ve come to tell you...that I’m going to stop pestering your company and your customers. I’ll back off.”

“It’s a shame you couldn’t have done that from the beginning, without dragging me through all of this first,” I huffed. “But good. Glad you came to your senses. Lucas was talking about bringing the lawyers into it, so if you don’t keep your word…”

“I will,” he insisted. “No more trolling. No more botched dates.”

I nodded and waited. Secretly, I was hoping he came to promise more. That maybe my words at the bar had sunk in deep enough to make him rethink some other things as well, like love...or me. But that was obviously beyond his spectrum of feeling.

“Is that it then? I’m tired. I should…”

“One more thing.” He cut me off, stepping in closer.

His head dropped, and I knew I should pull away from him. The last thing I needed to do was stand there and let his lips press into mine. His impossibly soft lips and the taste of whiskey on his tongue rolled over me...taking my breath away. And, apparently, any ability I had to refuse him.

Our bodies seemed to slip seamlessly into the motions of what had transpired in my apartment last night. I bit into his bottom lip—a little punishment for all the trouble he’d caused, and he moved to inflict the same torture on my hardened nibbles, which slipped out of my bra with one smooth, gliding motion of his hands. He flicked his tongue across each one as I clenched my fingers into his hair. He stopped only long enough to set himself to ripping off my clothes.

I rolled my head back and closed my eyes, relishing in the heated arousal rushing through me. It was intoxicating and he was addicting. He dropped down to his knees, stripping away the last of my clothes as he went while I tugged his shirt over his head.

“I like the sight of you kneeling down in front of me like that,” I teased.

He smirked. “The least I can do after everything is bow down at your feet.”

“I hope that’s not all you plan on doing while you’re down there.”

He flashed a devilish grin and flattened his tongue against my folds, licking me from top to bottom. He sucked me into his mouth, making my knees weak. But his hands wrapped around my thighs, steadying my shaking legs.

“You taste so good, Camille,” he growled against me, licking his lips before sucking me in again.

I rolled my head back with a moan, fighting off the pesky thoughts that threatened to ruin the moment.Apparently not good enough, I thought, already resenting myself. Not good enough to convince him that not everyone was a heartbreaker just waiting to destroy him.

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