He chuckles. “If you’d rather.”
“Yeah, Friday is better.”
“I look forward to it. I’ll see you then.”
When I hang up, Lochlan jumps out of bed, mouth open. “What the fook?”
My face heats as I realize how that must’ve sounded from his side of the room. Damn, how do I get myself into these messes?
“Listen, don’t get mad. Yuri just wants to help me out with my thesis.”
“Yuri, now, is it?” He closes his eyes as if I aimed a pistol between them and squeezed the trigger. “You make a date with that pompous prick still smelling of our sex, wearin’ mah shirt? Could you give it here, luv? I need to get dressed. Thanks for last night. You’re a damn fine lay.”
His shot aims true and hits between the ventricles of my heart. Tears well and I turn my back to him to get dressed. He didn’t even give me a chance to explain. Dammit. This is what I get for having sex with someone I don’t know. And although it hurts, better I learn now, before I get in too deep.
Following your heart is a bad idea and I swore I would never, ever, do it again. Mother is right. It’s best to find an intellectual equal, someone with whom I can discuss my work. A god-like bodyguard who can send me to heaven in one breath and rip me to shreds with the next is not a good match.
Refusing to cry in front of him, I gather my clothes and run into the bathroom. There, I turn on the shower and scrub away his scent but the memories are much harder to erase.
I’m sore. Scrubbing my scalp, I let the tears mix with the shampoo. As I clean my tender nipples, I recall how he sucked and my traitorous clit comes to life.
I press my nub with a finger and picture his tongue bringing me higher and higher. Needing release, I rub fast and hard, bite my lower lip, and cum. With the back of my head against the tiles, I release a sob. Last night ruined me. Sex will never be as amazing with anyone else. Of that, I’m sure.
I dry off with a thick green towel, get dressed, and gird my loins for breakfast.
The scent of warm bread and bacon wafts into my nostrils. Sitting, I pull on socks and boots, then head into the kitchen.
“Good morning.” I’m pleased how cheerful I sound when I greet the two alpha males.
Lochlan grunts and moves to the opposite side of the room while Suds eyes us both suspiciously. “The bank manager said he would open up early for us. We can go as soon as y’all are ready.”
“Thank you, Suds. That would be lovely.” I pointedly avoid Lochlan who I am certain is glaring at me over his coffee mug.
He clunks it to the table then says to Suds, “I’ll be heading back to New York today, mate.”
“Me too. Thinking of driving. Want to be my wingman?”
“Yeah. Sure. Can’t wait to get out of this fookin’ town.” He shoots daggers at me.
Well, fuck you, too, buddy.“Please make sure to bill all your time to my mother’s account, including last night. After all, you were guarding me, even if it was all a mistake.”
“A mistake?” His dark eyes shoot to my face and if looks were a weapon, I’d be dead in an instant.
Nothing more to say, I finish my coffee and chew on a few bites of tasteless toast.
Suds clears his throat and stands. After putting on coat and boots, he frowns at Lochlan, then me. “I’ll bring the car around. Y’all work this out, y’hear?”
When the door slams, Lochlan stands and smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Listen sheila, I had no right to be angry and I apologize. If you want to date the Russian bloke, goodonya. Friends, yeah?”
Friends? He wants to be my friend? Oh, no, no no. I need to fix this right here and now. I already got one male friend and two is two too many.
“No, Lochlan. I won’t be your friend. You didn’t even give me a chance to explain.”
“It was pretty clear. You woke up in my bed, regretted having sex with me, and took an invite from another man. Pretty low blow to a man’s self-esteem, luv.”
I don’t even know how to respond. “It wasn’t you.”
He rolls his eyes. “Fook. Now I get the it’s-not-you-it’s-me speech? This isn’t making me feel any better.”
