Dirty Sexy Alphas (Twenty Book Box Set) - Hannah Ford Page 0,17

be there in twenty.”

He slid out of bed, bending forward to reach for something on the ground. The muscles in his back rippled, and I wanted to reach out and touch him again, ask him to come back to me.

But he wasn’t the same now. He was the Landon I didn’t know. He stood, his ass bare, so damn perfect. I couldn’t help but stare until he slid his boxers up to his hips. He walked to the adjacent bathroom when I caught his eye and he hesitated, realizing I was awake.

“Good morning,” he said, walking back to the bed. He leaned over, kneeling on the edge of the mattress as he kissed me on the cheek. It was too sweet and soft compared to the possessive man I’d gone to bed with the night before.

I wanted to throw the blankets over my head.

“Have to go so soon?” I asked, as he turned away again.

“Yes. I’m needed at Prestige. Help yourself to breakfast.”

He stepped away. And left me hollowed out inside, realizing how easy it was—how practiced it seemed—for him to just leave me there in his bed.

“Wait. How am I supposed to get home?”

“Take one of my other cars. The keys are hanging outside the garage door, down the hall from the kitchen. I’ll send my assistant to pick it up from you later at the mall. She can bring you some of the new supplies for the stand around noon.”

I couldn’t say anything else before he disappeared into his bathroom, and the shower clicked on.

Somehow, everything had changed between us.

The man who’d climbed inside me, enveloped me, made me feel safer and more loved than anything I could remember—that man was gone. And left in his place was this new man, hell-bent on world domination and seeming to have forgotten that last night had ever happened.

It reminded me of how quickly Landon could change. Three years ago we’d shared a similar, though less physically intimate night together—and then he’d left me without so much as a phone call, an explanation.

He’d left me with nothing.

Why did I think last night would have changed anything? He was getting ready to kick me out of his life for the second time.

My stomach contracted painfully.

The thought of what had happened three years ago was enough to propel me to my feet. I found my frayed jean shorts, slipping them on quickly. I wasn’t sure where my destroyed set of panties were. Hopefully not with a pile of others, like some kind of trophy.

I had a sinking feeling that he’d done this kind of thing a time or two. Of course I knew that, and yet I’d stupidly and conveniently forgotten his womanizing tendencies.

Because I wanted him, and that was more important to me than my self-respect, apparently.

I quickly pulled on my bra, then my shirt.

I was leaving. Now. I wasn’t going to use one of his cars or do anything else to further lower myself. He couldn’t even be bothered to drive me himself. Landon was dumping me already?

Well, I would beat him to the punch this time.

I was out of the bedroom and heading out of his house before the shower had even stopped running.

I caught a cab back to the mall to get my car, and then I remembered that I’d forgotten to properly lock up the kiosk. Even though I wasn’t intending to continue working for Landon anymore, I knew that I should still make sure the kiosk was properly locked up before leaving it for the day.

However, I wasn’t going to unload or organize any of the materials that had been shipped over for the new center.

If Landon wanted this crap organized, he could do it himself. And hopefully be missing me the whole time, although I knew that would never happen.

He hadn’t missed me these last three years, I doubt he’d miss me after one misspent night together.

As I was finishing locking up the kiosk and getting ready to get into my own car and drive home, someone called my name.

“Taryn?” The voice came from behind me, and I turned around to find a familiar face… but one that didn’t belong in the mall.

“Professor Valdez,” I said, surprise evident. “If you’re looking for some St. Johns’ Wart, I’m afraid you’re out of luck.”

Professor Valdez didn’t smile at my lame attempt at a joke.

My cheeks warmed, and I tried not to cringe. I couldn’t ignore the way he looked at me, probably thinking, my, how far you’ve fallen.

Professor