Page 17 of Wait for Him

Fuck.

Ten fucking years.

And because my brain is defective, that's not what comes next.

On your knees.

Her fingers tightening in my hair.

Such a good boy.

The way she'd looked at me when I stopped following orders and turned her over.

Don't you fucking come. You hold it.

“I don’t care. We both lied. Fine. You felt what I felt that night. I know you did.” I walk closer and whisper. “You let me be on top. You told me what that means to you. You trusted me with that other side of you, and I trusted you with the other side of me. I don’t care, Rose.”

Let him out. Unleash him, baby. Make me your pet.

For one second, her expression softens.

Not much. Just enough that I see Rosepetal underneath all that composure. Enough to know that if Bennet hadn't walked her over here, if we'd found each other anywhere else, this conversation would be going very fucking differently.

Then her gaze slips past me toward the stage.

To Bennet.

And she's gone again.

"I have to go."

"Rose—"

"No," she shakes her head and takes a step back.

"You can't just—"

"This." She gestures between us, and her hand trembles once before she drops it to her side. The small space. The four days I haven't been able to put down. All of it. "It never happened."

For a second, I genuinely don't understand the words.

Then I do.

"What?"

"Tuesday. Rosepetal. Jack. Whatever the hell that was." She swallows. "It never happened."

I'm fucking speechless. My mouth hangs open, useless.

Her eyes hold mine, and I wait for her to take it back.

She just takes a slow breath, shakes her head, and turns away.

2021

Jackson

“To the Sullivan Empire!” Bennet yells, hoisting his glass so hard that half of it leaves without him.