“I will apologize to you for that,” he says cooly. “I was out of line and unprofessional.”
Oh, so now his excuse is that I’m a client. Screw him. But I won’t give Stiles the power of another humiliation. I’d been a fool twice. Not this time.
“No harm done, Jasper. As kisses go, that was hardly worth apologizing for.”
Maybe the tsunami effect had been all one-sided, because he simply nods and says, “I know you don’t want my advice, but at the very least, you should let me install exterior cameras and a new lock. Here’s my card.” He retrieves one from the wallet in his pocket, and when I don’t take it, he places the small, white business card on the coffee table. “It has my mobile number.”
I watch him walk to the door and pull it open.
“Lock up,” he says in a low, brusque voice and quietly closes the door behind him.
EMOTIONS BOILING, I HEAD TO my office,where I start a search on Talon Hunt. Although this Freddy is also a possible suspect, I don’t have a last name—yet.
Why the hell had I kissed her again?Dumb question—besides the benefit of keeping her sassy mouth shut, her lips are just fucking kissable. And that ass…God help me. I had to stop myself before I completely lost my head and shoved her shorts down, taking her right there on the floor where the living room and kitchen met. It scares me how much I wanted to. It scares me how much I let my guard and judgment slip with her—twice.
I don’t know Jordyn Sinclair. I don’t know anything about her state of mind. Just because she said, “no strings attached,” how can I trust her? And more than that, how can I trust myself?
I’d been trained to be alert, aware, and to read people. But I hadn’t seen the signs with Gemma. When she slid her hand up my thigh and invited me to her room, I’d gone—just like that. I wasn’t even particularly attracted to her or looking to get laid. And yet, I dashed away all the integrity and self-discipline that Pops and the army had taught me. I didn’t even assess the risks or the consequences.
It wasn’t until I woke up with Gemma cuddled against my side, her arm over my chest, that I felt the full weight of what I’d done.
* * *
THE MORNING AFTER… In flight mode, I untangled myself from a hold that was far too intimate for a one-night stand and climbed out of bed to make the walk of shame. Gemma stirred. Turning over, the sheet fell to expose her right breast. I looked away and stepped into my pants.
“Don’t go.”
“I have to catch this flight.”
“Catch a later one.”
“I have to get back to the base. I told you this last night.”
“That was before.”
“Before what, Gemma?”
“Before we made love.”
Oh, Christ. “It was sex.” I pulled on my sweater in a rush.
“It didn’t mean anything to you?” she asked with hurt in her voice. “I was just an easy lay?”
“I thought we were on the same page.”
“What page was that, Jay?” She sat up and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes flashing with anger.
“That it was one night, nothing more.”
“You didn’t mean that.”
“I did, Gemma. Nothing has changed.”
She leaped off the bed, wrapping her arms around my waist, clinging and pleading hysterically. “Don’t leave me, Jay. Please. You’re my destiny. We’re meant to be together. You feel it too. I know you do. Please stay. I love you.”
“Gemma, stop this!” I gripped her arms and pulled her away. “We just met. You don’t love me. You’re acting crazy.”
In an instant, she snapped. Her hands started coming at me. “You can’t just discard me like I’m trash. You can’t love me for one night and walk away. I won’t let you. Do you hear me? I won’t let you!”
