I tell him I wanted it. Because in the end, I said what he wanted to hear. Not out of fear, but because I was helpless and I knew there was nothing I could say or do to make him stop and I just wanted it to be over. So I said it but I didn’t twist that either; I knew I wasn’t really asking to be violated. I just wanted it done. I don’t feel shame in that but I still didn’t want to remember it.”
I drew in a deep breath and plucked up all the courage I had to explain what I really needed to say.
“So please don’t pull away from me. I understand if you need some time before you can make love to me again. But it would—”
I didn’t get out the rest of my sentence because suddenly I was on my back. Before I could figure out how that came to be—due to the fact it was done at a speed which would be considered superhuman—I was also breathless.
“Time?”
“Huh?”
“You said you’d understand if I needed some time before I made love to you. So, time?”
“Um. Yeah. Time. Last night was intense. I told you—”
“Yeah, baby, you could say last night was intense. But I still don’t understand why you think I’d need time.”
“Um, did you get flashed with one of those Men in Black thingamabobs that erases your memory?”
“Addy,” he growled. “Don’t be cute.”
“I’m not. You’re the one that pulled your hand out of my undies, yet you’re asking why I’d say that I understand if you need time. What I’m trying to communicate is, I get that you might after finding out what happened to me, but I don’t. I don’t need any time.”
I watched as Trey’s eyes narrowed before they relaxed and he smiled.
“Adalynn. I pulled my hand out of your panties and off your sweet ass because it’s nine-oh-five and you have a patient at ten. But it’s good to know you don’t need time, baby, because I wasn’t planning on there being any.”
“We slept in.”
“We did. Lucky for me, I don’t think my boss is gonna be too pissed I’m two hours late to work, but I know you don’t like to keep your patients waiting.”
I wasn’t late. I was seriously late. And even if we rushed, we wouldn’t be to Triple Canopy by ten.
“Trey, you have to move.”
“Not yet.”
“Really, you have to get up. We’re really late.”
“Right, and seeing as we’re already really late, another two minutes won’t kill us.”
“Trey—”
“Addy, kiss me, baby, then I’ll let you up.”
Oh.
That I could do.
“Okay.”
In the end, I didn’t kiss him, Trey kissed me. And it was the sweetest kiss he ever gave me.
“Thanks, Addy, you’re the best,” Chelsea said and smiled.
“Again, I’m so sorry I was late.”
“Girl, I saw your man. I’m lucky you were ten minutes late and not ten hours.”
Heat hit my cheeks and I didn’t know what to say. But Chelsea did.
“He’s hot, no doubt. But in my book, there is nothing sexier than a man who flaunts he’s in love.”
“What?”
“Addy,” she drawled. “Please tell me you’re not living on the banks of de Nile. That man is gone for you. And the way he looks at you—hot. Like he wants to gobble you up. No, like he wants to make you wear a crown and build you a castle, then gobble you up in your queen bed.”
One could say Chelsea had a flair for drama. But she was kind of right. Trey did look at me like that and I loved it.
“Do you think I look at him the same?”
“Shoo. Are you kidding? It was a miracle you could walk across the gym with those stars sparkling in your eyes. You must’ve made your way on muscle memory alone because, girl, you are blinded with love and it shows.”
I didn’t care if she was being overdramatic; I hoped I did look like that because that’s how I felt.
“Good,” I muttered.
“Good,” she repeated. “Next week, are we still here?”
“Yeah. If you don’t mind.”
“Not only don’t I mind, I prefer coming here.”
“Really?”
“I know your family owns this place so I don’t feel bad saying it—this place is swank. The locker room alone is enough to beg you to keep all my appointments here. Top that with everything else, the brand new machines, the mats are so much better, the TVs, the sauna. And let’s just say there’s no shortage of hot guys walking around. So, um, yeah, really. Please keep all