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For the rest of the night, he explored every inch of me—bringing me to orgasm after orgasm. Never letting up, never letting go.
Twenty-Eight
Present Day
Hayden
When I woke up in the morning, Penelope was no longer in my arms.
Her dress from the gala lay in a silk pool on the floor, and my shirt was hanging from the window sill.
I sat up, slightly confused.
She’d come in my mouth multiple times—screaming my name so loudly that I had to press my palm against her mouth so none of her neighbors would hear.
The look in her eyes when we were entwined, when I was buried deep inside of her, was something I’d never forget.
I was still replaying the way she looked the moment she stepped inside the ballroom, how every man she passed did a not-so-subtle double take. How I knew, the moment her eyes met mine, that I wasn’t letting her leave with Simon.
Every move she made with him on the dance floor cut me, confirming what I’d felt for the past several weeks.
Years, even.
And because I knew her down to her marrow, I could tell that she was going to fight like hell to run away from this.
Twenty-Nine
Present Day
Penelope
“Come on, come on.” I pushed the fire escape window as hard as I could, but it wasn’t budging. “Please.”
I needed to breathe. Then I needed to analyze every single second of last night, preferably someplace alone before Hayden woke up.
“Need some help?” His deep voice was suddenly behind me.
“No.” I jumped, but I didn’t turn around. “I’m fine.”
He kissed the back of my neck and stepped in front of me anyway, pushing it open with ease.
“Thank you.” I started to step out, but he slipped an arm around my waist and spun me around to face him.
Bare chested and wearing his pants from the night before, he was turning me on all over again with ease.
“Want to talk about it?” He smiled.
“I don’t think there’s anything to say.” I crossed my arms. “We were drunk and we got carried away.”
“I was one hundred percent sober.”
So was I. “Well, I wasn’t, so … ”
“So, what?”
“I’m willing to forget all about it and act like it never happened if you are.”
He let out a low laugh and picked me up in one smooth motion, carrying me out onto the fire escape. He gently set me down on the iron and trailed his finger against my exposed collarbone.
“Coffee?” he asked.
“Yes, please.”
He disappeared for several minutes, and I tried to focus on the slow trudge of morning traffic below.
When he returned, he was holding a blanket and two huge mugs.
Taking a seat next to me, he wrapped the blanket around my shoulders.
We sat in silence while we sipped our coffee, and I struggled to find something to say. I felt him staring at me, watching my every move and waiting to look his way, but I kept my gaze toward the cars.
“I can’t wait to see what gala picture Page Six and Sinful Suit pick for their front covers this weekend. My money is on one of you standing under the awning of lights. Either that, or you giving your usual grand speech after the fireworks.”
“I didn’t give a speech after the fireworks this time,” he said.
“What?” I finally faced him. “Why not?”
“There was something far more important that I needed to address.”
Silence.
“Lawrence and Sarah gave the speech on my behalf,” he said. “I’m sure they did fine without me.”
“Did any photogs follow you here?” I was suddenly paranoid for the first time. “What if—”
“No one saw me leave.” He assured me. “And I drove Lawrence’s car here. He didn’t ask me any questions when I told him I needed to go.”
“Did you tell him why?”
“I think he knew.”
“I can’t do a friends with benefits thing with you.” I couldn’t help but blurt out the words. “That’s just not for me. I’m sorry.”
“Penelope …” He sighed, tilting my chin up with my fingertips. “I meant every word that I said to you last night. I want to be with you, and you belong with me. No one else. Don’t you believe me?”
Tell him that last night was just a heat of the moment mistake.
“It wasn’t a heat of the moment mistake,” he said, reading me easily. “What else are you thinking?”
“You’re my best friend,” I said. “Like, my best fucking friend, and even if I do believe you, I can’t vet you like I do with anyone else and that scares the hell out of me.”
“Okay.” He trailed a finger against my lips. “Let’s vet me, then. Tell me the pros and cons of being in a relationship with the guy you were with last night.”
“I can’t think of any pros right now.”
“Then tell me the cons.”
“He’s never been in a monogamous relationship.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s incapable of being faithful.”
