AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s not me, Marissa. I don’t have multiple women. It’s just you. There’s no one else.”
“Just the woman you took vows with.” I blink at him. “A woman it’s obvious he’s met before. Not to mention, you didn’t even try to introduce me.”
“Did you want me to? You were triggered by me calling myself your boyfriend. I wasn’t sure what you wanted in terms of introducing you to people. Also, I haven’t told Beck who you are. He’s not going to fire me for breaking a fraternization rule but I’d at least like him to hear it from me rather than that asshole.”
Fair. I cross my arms over my chest. “Okay, I’ll give you that.” I scrunch my nose as I feel the tears starting to prickle there. “I didn’t like how that made me feel. Like he knew…”
“I’m sorry,” he says as he moves closer to me. I’m still in his jacket, still feeling the chill from the outside, and I pull the lapel up and run it under my nose, smelling him and I feel the slight flutter of my heart from the inhale. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop that from happening. Or that I kissed you in public. I should have been more careful about being in a space where I could have seen people that I know. I’ll be smarter next time.”
Next time.
I drop to the couch and tuck my legs underneath me as he sits down next to me. “I feel a little out of my depth with this.” I swallow past the lump in my throat and I wish I’d taken him up on that drink to loosen the knot. “I know you say it’s different but I still feel like I’m doing something very wrong.”
“I get that.” He stares down into his drink. “I’m not going to try and convince you not to feel that way or tell you that this isn’t complicated. But what I will say is that life isn’t always so black and white.”
“Trying to rationalize it isn’t going to make me feel better.” I wish it did. I wish I could just get on board with the fact that the man I’m seeing is in a loveless potentially open marriage to a woman that doesn’t care that he sees other women.
Well, me.
“What will make you feel better?” he asks and I wish I had the answer to that. It would certainly make things easier.
I shrug, not knowing how I feel about any of this but I know I want more with him. This interaction aside, this has been one of the best weekends I’ve ever had with one of the best guys I’ve ever known. Chris is so considerate and charming and unbelievably generous with not just his money but everything he has to give. While I know this situation is messy, I can tell his intentions with me are genuine. I can tell he wants to be with me and I’m beginning to think the feeling is more mutual than I’ve been letting on.
The sounds of coughing and the bed moving is what wakes me up. The room is dark, so it can’t be later than five in the morning. I immediately reach for Marissa hoping she’s getting back in bed and not the other way around when I see her moving towards her suitcase in the corner and pulling a sweatshirt over her tiny pajamas. She coughs again and pads into the bathroom and I’m out of bed after her instantly.
“You okay?” I ask her, as she splashes some water on her face.
“I…I think I’m sick.” She groans. “I always catch something when the seasons change and the drastic change yesterday and not sleeping much the night before and wearing open-toe shoes, I think my immune system is just fucked.” She coughs again. “I’m okay though. I can go lay on the couch. I don’t want to get you sick.”
“Absolutely the fuck not,” I tell her. “Get back in bed.” I pick up the phone in the bathroom to call downstairs. She starts to protest but when I point towards the bed, she huffs and leaves the bathroom to go slide under the sheets.
The concierge answers after two rings. “Hello, Mr. Holt, what can I help you with?”
“Can I get some cold medicine, pain reliever, some tea with honey, and some chicken soup please?”
“Sir…unfortunately soup isn’t on our late-night or our early breakfast menu, may I suggest—”
“Find some then,” I snap and I hear Marissa gasp from the bed.
“Chris!” she croaks and her voice sounds raspy. Then she blows her nose. “Be nice.”
“Listen, my girlfriend is sick. Can you please make an exception?” I ask, feeling bad for the attitude I gave the concierge. I just hate seeing Marissa like this, especially after last night when she was already feeling like shit. We had sex last night and it was incredible, but I almost felt like she was holding back a little. The air had shifted slightly due to that old bastard and I hated it. I’d eaten her to two orgasms and had her come on my dick and I still felt the small wall she’d put up.
“Very well, sir. The late-night kitchen might be able to accommodate. Give us about twenty minutes.”
“Thank you.” I hang up the phone and move back towards her. She’d pulled her hood over her head but I can tell she’s shivering because there isn’t anything on her bare legs. I go to my suitcase to pull out a pair of sweatpants and move back towards the bed. Moving the covers to the side, I grab one of her feet. She gasps as I slide my sweatpants up her cold legs and pull the drawstring as tight as possible but they still look like she’s drowning in them.
“Thank you,” she says and I climb in next to her and bring her closer to me.
“Can I do anything?”
“I’m okay. The tea and the medicine will help.” She bites her bottom lip. “That was really sweet.”
I rub her arm gently as I watch the fatigue settle back over her features. “What are the chances I can take you to my penthouse tonight and you stay there with me?”
She rubs her nose before scrunching it. “Why?”
“So, I can take care of you. You absolutely do not need to come in to work tomorrow.”
