The Scotch Series: The Complete Series (Scotch #1-3) - Penelope Sky Page 0,208

that before,” he said with a dead serious expression.

I pushed my hand against his solid chest and forced him on his back. “Just go to bed, Crewe.”

“You expect me to sleep with this thing?” He nodded to his hard cock that lay against his stomach.

“You can do whatever you want with it. But I’m going to bed.” I set the book on my nightstand and turned off the lamp.

He lay back and sighed, his hands finally off me.

I’d never seen Crewe this drunk before. That meant he’d exceeded his personal record in scotch drinking—which was a lot. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t even go to work tomorrow. Having a deep conversation about his problems simply wasn’t possible right now.

“Lovely?” His hand moved for mine in the darkness.

“Hmm?”

His fingers wrapped around mine, his fingertips warm. “I apologize.”

“For?”

“For earlier,” he whispered. “The way I spoke to you. I can’t remember what I said, but I know it wasn’t good.”

He wasn’t the kind of man to apologize for anything, so when he showed his remorse, I knew it was heartfelt. “We can talk about it in the morning.”

“Just accept my apology.”

“I will later.” When we could have a completely coherent conversation.

“I just…need to know you’ll be here when I wake up. So please accept my apology.” His heavy words surrounded us even though he didn’t raise his voice. They contained more emotion than I was used to hearing from him. Crewe was an aggressive drunk, but he was also honest.

“I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

“When you were gone…I was so fucking miserable. I had all the money in the world but still felt like shit.”

I turned to look at him in the darkness. His eyes were closed and he faced the ceiling, and his eyebrows moved as he spoke to me.

“So…don’t leave.”

“I won’t.”

“Promise me.” He’d never expressed any hint of need. He showed his affection but always kept me at a distance. But now all his walls were down.

“I promise, Crewe.”

He finally dropped the argument and relaxed, his hand still in mine.

I was still angry with him, but I couldn’t resist his vulnerability. Crewe didn’t show his true colors to anyone, including me, but he let me see his heart on his sleeve. I moved to his side of the bed and wrapped my arm around his waist and rested my head on his shoulder.

His arm immediately moved across mine, and he turned his face into me, his lips resting against my hairline. His smell washed over me, along with the overpowering scent of gin. Maybe it wasn’t gin, but I was so used to smelling scotch on him that I could tell he hadn’t been drinking it.

He fell asleep almost immediately, his breathing changing.

I stayed that way for another few minutes and listened to his heart beat against my palm. Crewe could be cold and cruel, but he was just a man underneath that exterior. He had a heart of gold that he couldn’t hide as much as he tried.

That’s why I forgave him so easily.

Crewe’s alarm went off at the same time as it did every other morning, and this time, he smashed his fist against it, shattering it into pieces across the nightstand.

Damn.

He didn’t open his eyelids as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his mood already black like it was last night.

I assumed he wouldn’t go to work at all today.

He dragged one hand down his face and finally opened his eyes, squinting as he took in the early morning light. He turned to me and focused on my face, taking a few seconds to recognize my features.

“I’m pretty sure your alarm is busted.”

He released a quiet growl before he sat up. “Jesus Christ, my head hurts.”

“Already got you covered.” I grabbed the two tablets off my nightstand along with the glass of water.

He swallowed the pills dry before he downed the water.

“You should just go back to sleep. You’re gonna feel like shit all day.”

“I can’t.” He kicked off the sheets and got out of bed. He was in a pissy mood like he was last night, before he apologized to me. He obviously didn’t remember that conversation at all.

“Why not?”

“I’m meeting with Ariel.”

I hoped it wouldn’t lead to another fight that would send him to the bar. “You guys work it out?”

“No.” He ran his fingers through his hair as he stood upright, looking sexy completely nude and with an impressive morning wood. “She’s leaving my company.”

I stopped thinking about how hot he looked. “What?