I got out of bed and peeled off the lingerie before I pulled on sweatpants and a t-shirt. “I’ll walk you out.”
He turned his head slightly my way. His expression still showed his fatigue, but he seemed surprised I wanted him to leave. But he got out of the bed and got dressed.
I didn’t like sleepovers. I preferred to wake up the next morning and start a new day, not continue from the day before.
We left my bedroom and walked into the living room.
Charlie was standing in front of the fridge, peering inside, like he was looking for a snack after drinking all night.
Dax hesitated for a second when he saw him, turning his head to look at Charlie, but he kept walking, meeting me at the door.
I opened it and stepped into the hallway.
He joined me, looking down at me now that my heels were gone and I was half a foot shorter. His hair was messy from the way I’d fisted it so much, and his eyes fell a little, like he was tired.
“So…can I be a regular?”
He cocked a single eyebrow.
“You know, one of your top girls who can text you for a good time.”
He was quiet for a long time, as if he were caught off guard by the question. “That’s all you want?”
“Uh, that wasn’t obvious?” I asked with a laugh. My hands moved up his chest until they cupped his neck. I moved in and kissed him.
He kissed me back, his kiss as good as before. His arms circled my waist, and he pulled me close, his fingers digging into my ass.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” I pulled away and dragged my hands down his chest.
His eyes shifted back and forth slightly as he looked at me. “What makes you think I have regular women I hit up for sex?”
“Are you married?”
“No.”
“In a relationship?”
“No.”
“Then why wouldn’t you? Look at you.” He was sex on a stick, rocking a perfect dick and an even more perfect smile.
“You have regulars?”
“I’m not married or in a relationship, so yes. But I have a feeling you’re going to be my favorite.”
He didn’t have a reaction to that, didn’t show disappointment or amusement. He was impossible to read.
“I just like to be upfront with my intentions. Because I want to see you again…but there’s only one reason I want to see you again.” I grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss before I walked back into my apartment. I shut the door without looking at him again.
A man like that wasn’t interested in monogamy, and neither was I. The best way to keep him around was to tell him he wouldn’t get a clingy woman on his hands, a woman who would want more, want love. Once the foundation was laid down, I could keep him for a long time…and I wanted to keep him as long as I could.
Four
Carson
I walked over to Sugar and Cream, a boutique coffee shop really close to my office, and stepped inside.
Kat waved from her seat, getting my attention in the sea of people with their laptops and paperwork. Other people were meeting friends on their breaks, picking at their muffins and cookies before dunking them into their coffee.
I walked to her table and took a seat. “Aww, you already got me a coffee.” I took a sip. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“You got my lunch last time. Aaaannnnnd…I have some exciting news.”
“Ooh, what?”
She held up the muffin. “I got the last coffee cake muffin—just for you.”
“Bitch, I love you.” I took it from her hands and bit right into it, taking a huge bite.
She laughed. “Bitch, I know.”
I chewed more than I could handle, getting crumbs everywhere. “It’s so good. Fresh.”
She grabbed her coffee and took a drink. “How’s the office?”
“Just working on my stupid article. Vince keeps lighting a fire under my ass. You can’t rush a piece of this magnitude.” I kept eating, caring more about the muffin than the steaming cup of coffee with cream and sugar. “How about you?”
She shrugged. “Work is fine. Shopping for super-rich people isn’t as interesting as it sounds.”
“Really? It sounds super interesting.”
“My long-term clients are predictable, so I just drop off their clothes and rarely hear from them. They don’t like to reinvent themselves. They just wear the same thing.”
“Because they’re billionaires. Billionaires don’t have time to nitpick at their clothes. They have to run a business.”
“True. So, what happened with you and that gorgeous man on Saturday?”
“We fucked. And fucked good.”
She laughed, covering her mouth so she wouldn’t be too loud for the people around us. “That sounds nice.”
“He’s such a good kisser. He rarely talks. He’s got a big dick… I could go on and on.”
“Please do.” She held her cup with both hands, leaning forward slightly to hear all the details.
I laughed before I took another bite of the muffin. “I went down on him first, just to set the tone, and he returned the gesture.”
“Oh my god, a gentleman.”
“Yes. A knight in shining armor. So, that was a really good sign. He worked it until I came.”
“Now he’s an American hero.”
I laughed. “And then he nailed me like a sailor on leave.”
“Oh…so romantic.” She sighed loudly, as if in longing. “When are you seeing him again?”
“I asked if I could be one of his regulars. He agreed to it.”
“You think you’ll make the top three?”
“Girl, you know I’m ambitious. I’m trying to make it to the top—no pun intended.”
She laughed. “Oh, I love you. You’re so free and happy…and I’m happy for you.”
My smile waned for a second, the comment hitting me unexpectedly. But then I forced a smile and pretended it hadn’t happened.
“What about Boy Toy #1?”
“He’s still there, but he just got bumped to economy.”
“Poor guy. Does he know?”
“Nah. He’s got his own girls, so I doubt he’ll care much.” I took a piece of the muffin and dunked it into my coffee.
“Dax is so good-looking. He looks like one of those underwear models plastered on the billboards in Times Square.”
“I know, right? I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found him.”
“Looks like you were in the right place at the right time.” She drank from her coffee.
“Cupid must have been in that bar with his bow and arrow. So, are you seeing anybody?”
She shook her head then opened her brown recycled bag and pulled out a small sandwich. “I’ve been so busy with work and stuff…so not really.”
I watched her eyes drop, watched her immediately fall under an invisible cloud of misery. “I’m sorry, Kat…”
She gave a weak chuckle, packed with sarcastic pain. “I can’t help it. I can’t change the way I feel. I can’t stop hoping…that we might get back together. Maybe we’re one of those couples with a really long love story.”