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“No, it’s fine.” I am not convinced, but either way, she is not giving me any further information, so I drop it. I notice her smile is a little less vibrant now, her posture a little more slumped.
“So, you were saying?” I prod her, wanting her to talk to me.
“Oh, nothing… I forgot. Brain fog,” she says quietly, rubbing her head. Again, I feel like she is not being truthful, and I don’t like it, not one bit.
“I need to head home. I have to get some work done before a meeting tomorrow.” I’m thinking a bit of space may do her some good, as much as I want to stay. Sitting forward in my seat, I take her hand, kissing each finger.
She brings her other hand up and touches my face, her smile genuine this time, and my heart stutters. This woman, with her perfectly messy hair, big blue eyes, and pouty lips that I just want to suck on, drives me wild.
Her phone vibrates again, and we lose our moment. She sighs, stands, and begins to clean the table, and I follow her lead. Rinsing our plates at the sink, I clear the rest of the things before I walk up behind her. My hands wrap around her waist, and I drop my head to her neck, inhaling her scent to keep it with me all day. Now every time I smell lavender, all I will think of is Emily. As my hands grip her waist, I pull her into to me, wanting to feel more of her. She leans back, resting her head on my chest.
She turns in my arms and faces me, and I don’t miss the opportunity to kiss her. With a deep, slow, sultry kiss, I discover her mouth again, tasting her, devouring her, not able to get enough of her. Lifting her up, I put her on the kitchen counter, our connection not breaking as her arms wrap around my neck, and I pull her closer so she can feel exactly how hard she makes me.
This time, when her phone vibrates, I can’t stop myself from handling the constant interruption.
“That’s it,” I say out loud, grabbing her phone and answering it without even looking at the caller ID.
“She’s busy,” I bark down the line and then hang up, not waiting to hear any response. Throwing it back on the counter, her lips are back on mine in the next second, which I greedily accept as a form of “thank you.” We stay like that, kissing and touching, centering each other, for I don’t even know how long.
“I’ll go get my things,” I say reluctantly against her lips, because I really need to head back to my place, shower, and get my head into some work. She nods, and I grip her ass again to lift her off the counter before I give it a small squeeze and let go to gather my things.
“Did you get everything?” she asks me as we walk to the door.
“Yeah, but I want to take you with me too,” I say as she opens the door, but I push her against it, kissing her again. If I don’t leave now, I am going to fuck her up against this door.
“Jeez, guys, get a room,” I hear a female voice say as another one giggles, and I pull back, looking behind me.
“Hi, girls,” Emily says, smiling, as her two friends walk our way. A small blush tints her face again, and I smirk because I love that I can make her hot and bothered.
“Hi, Ben. Please, don’t let me stop you…” Emily’s friend Sarah says, winking at us as she slides past and goes into the apartment, flopping on the sofa. Emily is laughing now, and she looks radiant. Happy. I like making my girl smile.
“Uhhh. Hi?” Allie, Em’s other friend, says as she awkwardly moves past us, giving me a small smile before following Sarah through the door.
“Bye, baby,” I say, totally enamored and in deeper than I thought I ever would be. Giving her one more peck, I force myself to walk down the hallway and down the stairs. I hear her close the door, and my lips curl at the sight of the apartment complex in the light of day without distractions. The carpet is torn and worn; the paint is peeling; water damage can be seen in the corners, and the complex door doesn’t even have a lock. I don’t like leaving her here. The stark contrast between our lives is obvious, but as I walk out into the refreshing morning air, I get a whiff of lavender from the nearby garden. And just like that, I am back to thinking about Emily.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO - EMILY
“Please tell me you spent all night naked with that man?” Sarah asks the minute the door closes.
The stupid smile on my face tells her everything she needs to know.
“Go you!” she squeals, slapping me with a cushion as I slump onto the sofa next to her.
“So I thought it was all fake? He was practically sucking your face off just now. What the heck is going on?” Allie asks, intrigued.
“Arggghhh, I have no idea. What am I going to do?” I plead to them, because I can hide nothing. They already know everything. They know the diamond on my hand is a real gem signifying a fake engagement, the dire straits that the school is in, and the fact that there has been no man invited into my apartment ever. Until now.
“What, like you can't have a little personal fun while trying to save the world?” Sarah smarts.
“It’s just… I mean, he is a Rothschild!” I say, the stark reality being that he could afford to buy the entire community I live in, while I am still trying to work out how to pay for groceries this week.
“Yeah, but you have a big rock on your finger that currently says you are about to be one too,” Allie points out as the diamond sparkles, creating rainbows on the wall when it catches the morning sun.
“It’s all fake!” I sigh. But I immediately question that statement.
“Doesn’t look very fake,” Allie pushes, bringing me back to what Ben said this morning. That nothing about last night was fake…
“They were kissing, not committing their lives to each other. They are polar opposites, enemies at war, using each other for business gain, while also personal pleasure.” Sarah purrs the last few words, but it is the first ones she spoke that hit the hardest. She is right. We are opposites. We are enemies, on opposites sides of the business deal he is trying to broker. While last night was amazing, I am hit with the stark realization that casual sex is probably what Ben does the most. And I played right into his hand, regardless of the sweet things he said before and after. But… maybe I shouldn’t care? It has been so long since I have been with anyone; it is nice to feel a man's touch. Throw caution to the wind a bit.
