He throws his dinner jacket onto the bed and makes his way to the bathroom. ‘No. That means stop behaving like a fucking child.’
I know it’s irrational and I know how pathetic I must look but the weight of today, the weight of everything, is crippling my chest. I move to the wardrobe and retrieve my bag, throwing my clothes, shoes and anything else into it. I need to get out of here.I’m losing my mind.
‘Scarlett.’ His voice is soft and quiet as he leans in the doorway to the bathroom, watching me pack.
‘I’m going, Gregory. I don’t know why you brought me here.’
He stalks towards me topless, all moody and sexy as hell.Damn myself for looking!
‘Where do you think you’re going to go?’
Shit!I can’t drive, neither can he and I’m in the middle of nowhere. Throwing my deodorant into the bag, I thrust the whole thing against the bathroom wall, frustrated and defeated.
I flinch as he rests his hands on my shoulders and lowers his head so I’m forced to look into those devastating eyes. ‘I brought you here because I wanted to spend the night with you. I have a funny way of showing it, I know. I messed up. Again. And I’m sorry.’
I swipe my wet cheeks with the back of my hand and storm into the bathroom with less conviction than I had just moments ago.
Once I’ve showered and put on my nightdress, Gregory comes into the bathroom and showers quickly. We brush our teeth, each of us casting occasional glances at the other in the mirror above the his-and-hers sink but neither of us speaking.
I crawl under the bed covers with no intention of speaking to him or touching him, leaning as far on my side of the bed as I physically can without falling out. But his strong arm wraps around my waist and pulls me into his chest. My body caves in.
‘I hate that I make you unhappy,’ he whispers into my neck.
‘You do.’ I squirm into his chest. ‘But you’ve also shown me a new kind of happy.’And there’s my dilemma,Gregory Ryans: I’m a mess with you but I think I’d be a bigger mess without you.‘And maybe,maybe, I overreacted.’
He nuzzles into my neck. ‘It’s not just about tonight. I get it.’
I roll over to face him, my head resting on his pillow. ‘Thisisn’t easy on either of us, especially you. And I know you want to tell me you won’t be charged but we can’t know that for sure. I don’t want you to take the blame for me, Gregory.’
His face contorts in contrast to the tender fingers he trails down my cheek. My chest flutters as he opens his mouth to speak. I wait.
‘I just wish the decision would come sooner rather than later.’
A piece of my heart breaks as I swallow my waning faith. ‘Me too.’
‘Can I kiss you?’
I nod and he lowers his lips to mine.
‘Gregory.’
‘Hmm.’
‘If you could try not to make every woman you meet want to sleep with you, it would really make my life a whole lot bloody easier.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ he says, his chest rising against mine as he smiles into my hair.
11
‘Rise and shine, baby; you need to get dressed. We need to get back to London.’
I roll onto my back with a moan. ‘Why are we in such a rush?’
He looks over his shoulder from his perch on the end of the bed where he’s pulling on his boots. ‘As much as I could look at that fine naked body of yours all day, I want it inmybed.’
Oh!‘Is that right?’
‘That’s right.’
