entire night. And the realization that it’s almost over is…
I shake my head.
Enough souring a perfect moment with what-ifs and why-nots. I’m going to enjoy my time with him. However little of it I have left.
As we catch our breath, a dry laugh bubbles out of me.
“Something funny?” he asks.
“I changed my mind.”
“About what?”
“About you calling me Princess. If you can do that, you can call me whatever you want.”
He chuckles, pushing the hair away from my sweaty forehead before running his thumb against my flushed cheek. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Mm-hmm. I bet you will.”
His smile softens. “I had fun tonight, Sammie.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Me too.” I dive in for another peck across his lips, committing his taste to memory for the lonely nights in my foreseeable future. Without him to spend them with, they kind of seem…dim.
As if he can read my mind, he tilts my head to the side and deepens the kiss, dragging his tongue along the seam of my lips before letting out another low groan. When he pulls away, he mutters, “I’m not sure that I’m ready for our night to end.”
“Me, either,” I admit. “Would you maybe want to come sleep at my place tonight? We could eat our chips and salsa. Maybe watch a show or something? How long are you planning on staying?”
“I’m allowed to make my own schedule,” he returns. Cryptically. Evasively. Like he knows a secret that only he’s privy to.
“Hmm,” I hum. “And what does your schedule look like for the foreseeable future?”
“I dunno. What does your schedule look like for the foreseeable future?” he challenges.
“Well, I did offer to let you come stay with me. Unless that seems too forward,” I rush out, my cheeks heating.
He leans closer, kissing my collar bone. “I’d love to stay.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
Chapter Three
We spend the night talking. And laughing. And snuggling. And having sex. And eating. And talking some more. And having more sex. And…you get the point.
But no matter how much time we spent soaking up each other’s presence, we couldn’t stop the morning from coming.
And now, it’s here.
Snuggled in my one-bedroom apartment, the light casting a warm glow from the window, a foreboding sense of loss taints the picture-perfect moment of us together. In bed. Tangled in the sheets after another mind-blowing orgasm.
Dragging his fingers up and down my bare arm as I stay lost in my thoughts, Hawthorne murmurs, “What are you thinking about?”
I bite my lip to keep from freaking him out. “Nothing.”
“Liar,” he teases. “Tell me.”
How do I tell him that I’m thinking about him leaving and that it sucks? How do I tell him that I want him to stay, even though I know it could never work? The guy’s too big for a small town. He’d never want to be tied down, especially to a girl like me.
“Tell me,” he prods.
Peeking up at him, I admit, “I guess I was just thinking about last night.”
“And?”
“And I had fun. Thanks for…completely turning my world upside down.”
He chuckles softly. “Don’t mention it. I had fun too.”
“You did?”
“Of course.” He looks down at me, his eyebrows wrinkled together. “Why do you sound so surprised?”
“I’m not some big-city girl, Boris. I don’t even want to know about the girls from your past, let alone the ones I had to compete with to keep you entertained, even if it was just for one night.”
“Big-city girls?” He sits up a few inches. “Do I sense some insecurities, Princess?”
“You know what I mean,” I hedge. “I’m a bartender slash business student who wears jean shorts and tank tops and spends her money on drive-thru fish tacos and student loans. Tell me that’s not exactly your usual type.”
Toying with the strands of my hair, he doesn’t bother to argue. Because he can’t. Because I’m right. And it kind of sucks.
“Can I ask something, Princess?” he murmurs after a few seconds of silence.
“What?”
His chest expands beneath my cheek as he takes a deep breath. “What if I––”
The shrill ring of his cell cuts him off, and he groans before rolling over and fishing the phone from his grass-stained slacks.
“Hello?” he answers.
Silence.
His gaze darts over to mine. “Is that right?”
Silence.
“I understand that, Donny, but you have to see it from my point of view––”
His cool blue eyes hold mine before he scratches his jaw and tilts his head to the side, listening to whatever the person on the other end of the call is saying.
After a few seconds, he murmurs, “I’m feeling optimistic right now, so I’ll make