plan to have a grand father-son vacation with him had been shot to hell since day one.
“Okay, Ben. I’ll see you soon.”
“Yeah…soon,” I muttered and disconnected.
I stared at myself in the mirror, fighting off self-loathing. It was a constant companion knowing that I’d let our relationship dwindle to nothing.
Damn you, Gwen.
It was her fault, but how did you tell your son that? No matter how much I hated my ex, I couldn’t damage Lincoln further by telling him that an evil bitch hid behind that pretty little mask.
I splashed some water on my face, banishing my thoughts. I needed to get moving. I borrowed Samantha’s toothbrush since it tasted like something died in my mouth. I’d already had it on every inch of her body, so I wasn’t too worried about germs.
Once I was done, I stalked back into the bedroom. Wistfully, I watched Samantha as she slept, her arms surrounding a pillow as she lay on her side.
God, she was stunning.
When I went to bed the night before, I had every intention of waking her and making love to her a few more times.
Sighing, I approached the bed. “Samantha?” I whispered, shaking her a bit. “Sweetheart, I have to go.”
She didn’t move, didn’t twitch…nothing.
“Samantha, I have to go. Come on, baby girl, wake up.”
Again, nothing.
She slept like the dead.
Shit, shit, shit.
I couldn’t leave her like this. If she woke and found me gone, she’d hate me forever, assuming I’d used her. I wouldn’t allow that to happen. What we shared the night before meant more to me than she could ever imagine. It was a gift after everything I’d endured.
“Samantha, sweetheart, wake up,” I called out more forcefully.
Again, I got nothing from her.
To be safe, I checked her pulse. Nope, she was alive and well, her breathing regular.
“Dear Lord, woman! Wake up,” I hollered.
Nothing.
I fucked her into unconsciousness, I thought to myself with a chuckle. Or maybe it was the drinks.
Who knew?
But I had to get out of here.
Lincoln needed me.
Sighing, I decided to leave her a note. It wasn’t ideal, but it would do. I found some paper and scribbled a note, explaining that something came up and I couldn’t wake her. I told her to meet me at the hotel bar tonight at nine.
Once I was done, I eyed the note, wondering if I was making the right decision by seeing her again. I shouldn’t – I knew I shouldn’t. I didn’t come to London looking for anything, but Samantha smacked me upside the head, weaving her web around me and enchanting me since the moment she stood in front of me on the plane.
Sometime in the night, the thought of keeping her, of seeing her again when we got home, took root in my mind and wouldn’t let go. The possibilities seemed endless since I knew we wouldn’t be far from one another. I made the decision that I wasn’t letting her go without giving this, us, a shot. What we experienced last night, this connection we shared, was too phenomenal to pass up. I’d be kicking myself in the ass for the rest of my life if I did.
How it would work with everything going on was beyond me, but I owed it to myself to try. I deserved happiness, damn it, and in the short amount of time I’d known her, Samantha made me happier than I’d been in years.
I snorted to myself. What in the hell happened to my head? I’d done a complete one-eighty.
Kissing her temple, I whispered, “I’ll see you tonight.”
∞
When I walked into Maggie and Paul’s, I found Maggie and Lyric waiting on the couch together in the sitting room.
“Hey,” I greeted them. “Any word?”
“Hello to you too, Casanova,” Lyric teased. “Long night? How’s Samantha this fine morning?”
“Lyric,” I grumbled in warning, annoyed. “If it were any other time, I’d play along, but my son is missing.”
Lyric rolled her eyes. “Jeez, guys, calm down. He’s a teenager. You do remember what that’s like, right?” Her gaze dinged between Maggie and me. “Your
“Okay, Ben. I’ll see you soon.”
“Yeah…soon,” I muttered and disconnected.
I stared at myself in the mirror, fighting off self-loathing. It was a constant companion knowing that I’d let our relationship dwindle to nothing.
Damn you, Gwen.
It was her fault, but how did you tell your son that? No matter how much I hated my ex, I couldn’t damage Lincoln further by telling him that an evil bitch hid behind that pretty little mask.
I splashed some water on my face, banishing my thoughts. I needed to get moving. I borrowed Samantha’s toothbrush since it tasted like something died in my mouth. I’d already had it on every inch of her body, so I wasn’t too worried about germs.
Once I was done, I stalked back into the bedroom. Wistfully, I watched Samantha as she slept, her arms surrounding a pillow as she lay on her side.
God, she was stunning.
When I went to bed the night before, I had every intention of waking her and making love to her a few more times.
Sighing, I approached the bed. “Samantha?” I whispered, shaking her a bit. “Sweetheart, I have to go.”
She didn’t move, didn’t twitch…nothing.
“Samantha, I have to go. Come on, baby girl, wake up.”
Again, nothing.
She slept like the dead.
Shit, shit, shit.
I couldn’t leave her like this. If she woke and found me gone, she’d hate me forever, assuming I’d used her. I wouldn’t allow that to happen. What we shared the night before meant more to me than she could ever imagine. It was a gift after everything I’d endured.
“Samantha, sweetheart, wake up,” I called out more forcefully.
Again, I got nothing from her.
To be safe, I checked her pulse. Nope, she was alive and well, her breathing regular.
“Dear Lord, woman! Wake up,” I hollered.
Nothing.
I fucked her into unconsciousness, I thought to myself with a chuckle. Or maybe it was the drinks.
Who knew?
But I had to get out of here.
Lincoln needed me.
Sighing, I decided to leave her a note. It wasn’t ideal, but it would do. I found some paper and scribbled a note, explaining that something came up and I couldn’t wake her. I told her to meet me at the hotel bar tonight at nine.
Once I was done, I eyed the note, wondering if I was making the right decision by seeing her again. I shouldn’t – I knew I shouldn’t. I didn’t come to London looking for anything, but Samantha smacked me upside the head, weaving her web around me and enchanting me since the moment she stood in front of me on the plane.
Sometime in the night, the thought of keeping her, of seeing her again when we got home, took root in my mind and wouldn’t let go. The possibilities seemed endless since I knew we wouldn’t be far from one another. I made the decision that I wasn’t letting her go without giving this, us, a shot. What we experienced last night, this connection we shared, was too phenomenal to pass up. I’d be kicking myself in the ass for the rest of my life if I did.
How it would work with everything going on was beyond me, but I owed it to myself to try. I deserved happiness, damn it, and in the short amount of time I’d known her, Samantha made me happier than I’d been in years.
I snorted to myself. What in the hell happened to my head? I’d done a complete one-eighty.
Kissing her temple, I whispered, “I’ll see you tonight.”
∞
When I walked into Maggie and Paul’s, I found Maggie and Lyric waiting on the couch together in the sitting room.
“Hey,” I greeted them. “Any word?”
“Hello to you too, Casanova,” Lyric teased. “Long night? How’s Samantha this fine morning?”
“Lyric,” I grumbled in warning, annoyed. “If it were any other time, I’d play along, but my son is missing.”
Lyric rolled her eyes. “Jeez, guys, calm down. He’s a teenager. You do remember what that’s like, right?” Her gaze dinged between Maggie and me. “Your
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