her mind, preventing her from falling back to sleep. Wasn’t there something she needed to do this morning?
Her heart dropped. Oh, yes.
Leave.
She opened her eyes and discovered she was alone in bed. The bedroom door was mostly shut, but she could hear voices. For a moment, she reveled in the soft sheets, so clean and crisp they smelled like heat, the goose down pillows floating under her head like fat clouds, the way every muscle in her body hummed as she stretched, once, languorously, enjoying the delicious ache in her nipples and pussy as memories of last night sent blood rushing to her hot zones. Now that had been a night to remember. She was sore in places she’d forgotten she had.
She pulled a deep breath into her lungs and released it with a sigh before she sat up. It was time to go. She’d accomplished her goal—one night of sex hot enough to burn him out of her blood. One night to drop the reins and let her wayward emotions get their fill so they would shut the hell up and let her get back to her life and her job.
She scooted to the edge of the bed just as Ryan opened the door.
“Hungry?” he asked. His eyes flashed, giving the question a double meaning.
“I’ll get something on the way home.” She wrapped the sheet around her body, noticing he was already half-dressed in khakis.
“Are you planning to walk? Because I’m not wasting the breakfast waiting for us in the other room.”
She glared at him, outmaneuvered.
“You always wake up this grumpy? There’s coffee too.”
She felt herself weakening as he moved closer. He tugged the sheet out of her grip and pressed her back into the mattress. His lips were warm and his mouth tasted minty. “Have breakfast with me.” He nuzzled her neck.
Crystal’s body swelled to his touch. “I can’t.”
“You keep saying that. Why?”
Because she wanted to stay. “Because it’s pumpkin time.”
“What?”
“Clock strikes twelve—it’s time to go. Although I’d say I’m a little more Pretty Woman than Cinderella at the moment, but same difference. Either way, I’ve got to go,” she babbled.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Ryan asked, looking down at her with a frown. “Do you have to work?”
“No, I’m not working today, but we agreed on one night,” she reminded him. “I’m going home now.”
He rolled to the side and sat up. “That’s it? We have sex for hours on end, barely sleep, you have a total of,” he counted on one hand, added a few more fingers, “nine orgasms, and now you’re leaving?”
“Remind you of anything?” she couldn’t resist asking. She slid out of bed and walked naked into the living room. Damn, that coffee smelled good. So did the bacon. She picked up her dress and slid into it, ignoring her bra and underwear for the moment.
“Is this some sort of joke? Some kind of revenge for what happened in college?” His face was incredulous.
“Don’t put this on me, Ryan. You came back to New York. You propositioned me . I think I’ve been more than accommodating, considering.”
“Considering what?”
Considering what happened last time. But she couldn’t say that, so she just stared at him, trying to figure out what she could say to convince him to leave her alone. Their connection was still hot. His emotions were strong, stronger than she could handle on zero sleep and less food. She had to focus on what was best for her, not his confusion or disappointment, not his anger, and certainly not his damn loneliness.
He poured a cup of coffee and placed it in her hand. “Talk to me, Crystal. You can deny it all you want, but I know you want me. I want you too. I don’t see a problem here. Let’s eat.”
“It isn’t that simple. Last night was amazing, I’m not denying that. But I can’t stay.” Her heart grew cold at the thought of what she was about to say. She hated to lie. Lies always came back to bite you on the ass, but she didn’t have a choice. She steeled herself.
Her heart dropped. Oh, yes.
Leave.
She opened her eyes and discovered she was alone in bed. The bedroom door was mostly shut, but she could hear voices. For a moment, she reveled in the soft sheets, so clean and crisp they smelled like heat, the goose down pillows floating under her head like fat clouds, the way every muscle in her body hummed as she stretched, once, languorously, enjoying the delicious ache in her nipples and pussy as memories of last night sent blood rushing to her hot zones. Now that had been a night to remember. She was sore in places she’d forgotten she had.
She pulled a deep breath into her lungs and released it with a sigh before she sat up. It was time to go. She’d accomplished her goal—one night of sex hot enough to burn him out of her blood. One night to drop the reins and let her wayward emotions get their fill so they would shut the hell up and let her get back to her life and her job.
She scooted to the edge of the bed just as Ryan opened the door.
“Hungry?” he asked. His eyes flashed, giving the question a double meaning.
“I’ll get something on the way home.” She wrapped the sheet around her body, noticing he was already half-dressed in khakis.
“Are you planning to walk? Because I’m not wasting the breakfast waiting for us in the other room.”
She glared at him, outmaneuvered.
“You always wake up this grumpy? There’s coffee too.”
She felt herself weakening as he moved closer. He tugged the sheet out of her grip and pressed her back into the mattress. His lips were warm and his mouth tasted minty. “Have breakfast with me.” He nuzzled her neck.
Crystal’s body swelled to his touch. “I can’t.”
“You keep saying that. Why?”
Because she wanted to stay. “Because it’s pumpkin time.”
“What?”
“Clock strikes twelve—it’s time to go. Although I’d say I’m a little more Pretty Woman than Cinderella at the moment, but same difference. Either way, I’ve got to go,” she babbled.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Ryan asked, looking down at her with a frown. “Do you have to work?”
“No, I’m not working today, but we agreed on one night,” she reminded him. “I’m going home now.”
He rolled to the side and sat up. “That’s it? We have sex for hours on end, barely sleep, you have a total of,” he counted on one hand, added a few more fingers, “nine orgasms, and now you’re leaving?”
“Remind you of anything?” she couldn’t resist asking. She slid out of bed and walked naked into the living room. Damn, that coffee smelled good. So did the bacon. She picked up her dress and slid into it, ignoring her bra and underwear for the moment.
“Is this some sort of joke? Some kind of revenge for what happened in college?” His face was incredulous.
“Don’t put this on me, Ryan. You came back to New York. You propositioned me . I think I’ve been more than accommodating, considering.”
“Considering what?”
Considering what happened last time. But she couldn’t say that, so she just stared at him, trying to figure out what she could say to convince him to leave her alone. Their connection was still hot. His emotions were strong, stronger than she could handle on zero sleep and less food. She had to focus on what was best for her, not his confusion or disappointment, not his anger, and certainly not his damn loneliness.
He poured a cup of coffee and placed it in her hand. “Talk to me, Crystal. You can deny it all you want, but I know you want me. I want you too. I don’t see a problem here. Let’s eat.”
“It isn’t that simple. Last night was amazing, I’m not denying that. But I can’t stay.” Her heart grew cold at the thought of what she was about to say. She hated to lie. Lies always came back to bite you on the ass, but she didn’t have a choice. She steeled herself.
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