Page 32 of The Craving

But what makes my cock awaken is the fight that is twitching in her eyes.

Oh, bring it on, Tori, I love a good challenge.

ChapterSeven

VICTORIA

Every morning this week, I’ve been getting on the train feeling nervous I might run into him. Why he was on the train I’ll never understand, considering he has his own personal driver. If I had a driver, there is no damn way I’d be doing this commute with every other unhappy person heading into London for the daily grind.

I can’t get out of my head what happened on the weekend. My ankle still being a little tender is a good reminder of my stupidity.

Although it wasn’t the first thing I noticed hurting when I woke on Saturday morning, in Elouise’s spare bedroom.

Ugh, who invited the jackhammers into my head to take up residence. The throbbing isn’t pleasant, and it won’t even disappear if I keep my eyes closed. I knew I shouldn’t have started drinking with Theo last night. Gwenda did warn me.

I roll to my side and reach for my phone on the charger, wondering what time it is, but all I can feel is empty space. No bedside cabinet that is usually there. My brain starts racing. I’m almost scared to open my eyes because it is obvious I’m not in my own bed.

Very slowly opening just one eye, I breathe a sigh of relief at seeing the curtains of Elouise’s spare room, a place where I have crashed many a night in the past when we have had girls’ nights in. Opening both eyes, I stretch my arms above my head and my legs straight out. My arms don’t move that easily because I still have on a business jacket. Crap, last night must have been messy, and how the hell did I end up here?

I need to find Lou to fill in the blanks for me. As I pull back the soft blanket that I’m wrapped nicely in, the smell wafting around me is familiar, but right now, I just need to get to the bathroom and then maybe I can think straighter. Standing and taking the first step, pain shoots up my leg. Great, what have I done? Limping down the hallway toward the bathroom, my head is still pounding from a killer hangover, and my mouth is as furry as it gets after a big night. I feel like rubbish as I enter the bathroom, and oh my, looking in the mirror, I look like it too.

I finish up in the bathroom after using my spare toothbrush Lou keeps here for me. Trying to tame the rat’s nest on my head, I’m in search of my friend to find out how fabulously I made a mess of myself last night.

“And she has risen from the dead.” Lou laughs as I pull out the stool at the kitchen counter, resting my head on the countertop. That’s exactly what I feel like, death. I don’t remember being that drunk at the bar, but hell, this morning it feels like I drank a bottle of tequila last night.

“What the hell happened?” I ask, lifting my head to see her placing a bottle of water in front of me and two painkillers.

“Take those so I don’t get in to trouble.” She giggles as she turns back to the stovetop.

“What?”

“Never mind.” Her laughing continues, and I’m so confused. “I’m frying you up some breakfast, the fat will help with the hangover.” I’m not totally convinced of that, but who am I to complain when she is looking after me.

“Spill the beans, Elouise, how the hell did I end up here?” I ask, swallowing down the pills and hoping to God they work quickly.

“Do you remember going out for drinks after work?”

I nod once but discover that doesn’t make my head feel great. “Yeah, with Theo and Suzi and some of the other staff. I can’t remember their names.”

“Right, well, I wasn’t there for that obviously, but perhaps next time I should be. Anyway, that’s for another discussion. But all I know is you started messaging me after midnight, that you were in a car with a stranger and getting driven home.”

“What the actual fuck, why would I do something so stupid like go somewhere with a complete stranger? Why didn’t you stop me!” My head is spinning trying to remember any slither of information.

“Well, technically, he wasn’t a complete stranger. You had met him before.” Lou grins at me like she is enjoying my pain and panic.

“Come on, woman, no riddles, spill it!” I snap, getting frustrated.

She lifts the frying pan off the flames so she can concentrate on our conversation.

“All I know is you turn up in some luxury SUV and get carried into my house by the incredibly hot Australian god that you met on the train yesterday morning. You told me in the message he wouldn’t let you catch the train, as it wasn’t safe. He went all alpha caveman on you, and the next thing I know, you turn up on my doorstep fast asleep in his arms, with his personal driver carrying in your bag.”

“Oh, for crying out loud, he must think I’m absolute trash,” I groan, dropping my head into my hands. Lou starts to read out our texting exchange, and flashes of memories flood back into my head.

I can remember some of the exchange before the car trip, but that’s it. Whatever happened in the car, I’m drawing a complete blank.

“And then he was all gruff with me, demanding I look after you, with instructions on what to do with your injured ankle—which I have no idea how that happened, so don’t bother asking. Seriously, Tori, when you do something crazy, you go all in, don’t you.”

“I’m glad you think this is funny. I’m freaking mortified. And the only thing that is saving me from burying myself in some deep dark hole right now is that I’ll never see him again, and he doesn’t even know my name.” This whole thing is so weird. “Thank God I didn’t give him my real address either.”

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