Delivery…
I opened the door, not bothering to step behind it even though I was only in a T-shirt. People walked around here naked.
“Hi, you have a delivery for me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” The woman held up an envelope with a rose and smiled while extending them my way. I frowned at both, but accepted them, telling her thank you before I closed and locked the door.
I brought the rose to my nose and smelled it while I headed back to the bedroom where I placed it on the nightstand. After I was seated on the side of the bed, I ripped the envelope open and unfolded the note inside, reading it with furrowed brows.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Sin.
Maybe in a few years I’ll be able to offer the type of consistency where I can ask for your real name. If you’re willing to eat at my table when that time comes, here’s how you can find me.
107-410-1996
X had left me a note with his phone number.
I grinned and rolled my eyes at his audacity, asking me to give him a few years. But at the same time, I had to respect that the man knew what he could and couldn’t bring to the table and wasn’t about to waste my time.
I placed the note on the nightstand and climbed back into bed, turning on my side as I snuggled under the cover. I stared at the note and rose for a minute longer, grinning before I closed my eyes and smiled.
There was no way in hell I would use that number, at least not right now. But I would damn sure hold onto it because who knew what the future held…
Chapter 8
Xhmel
Immediately after dinner…
Dinner with Sin had proven two things. First, I needed to take my ass home. Because if I stayed, I would do something incredibly stupid, like trying to figure out how to fit this woman into my life when I clearly didn’t have the space for that right now. The second thing I realized was that I had to get my money right because I was missing opportunities.
The beautiful woman I’d just spent the last couple of hours with was indeed a prime opportunity to have something—or rather someone—solid in my life. I didn’t know a damn thingabout her, but I had that feeling. A feeling that wouldn’t subside no matter how much I tried to ignore it.
She was someone I needed in my life but I had also been raised to be a man who knew better than to bring bullshit to a woman’s door. Could I make things work? Yeah, I could. I had the ability to divide my time, but something would suffer. Whether it be her heart or my pockets. Her expression had dropped when I admitted I didn’t have the ability to be consistent in a woman’s life and she’d detached herself from any possibility of having something more with me.
When the awareness hit, I shouldn’t have cared, but it had me running through possibilities of how I could make room for her in my life. So yeah, I was taking my ass home before I did something dumb.
I finished my drink and left the bar, heading straight to my room. I packed my things, removed the money I’d stashed in the safe, and was out the door a few minutes later. While I waited for the elevator I glanced toward her suite and considered my options. I could easily walk down there and make promises I wouldn’t be able to keep, or hell, fuck her one last time before I dipped. However, neither of those things would work in my favor or hers. I stepped my ass right onto the elevator, prepared to leave.
I did, however, make one stop, in the bar. I dropped a hundred on the counter, removed one of the roses from the vase decorating it, then headed to check out.
“Good evening. How can I help you?”
The woman smiled big as hell when I stepped to the counter.
“I need to check out.”
She frowned a little. “It’s late. Is there a problem we should be aware of?”
“Nah, I’m straight. Everything was perfect.”
She smiled again. “Okay, great. Please scan your bracelet and I’ll get you squared away.”
I held my wrist near the device on the counter then handed over the tablet they’d given me at check in.
“Thank you, Mr. Marion. You were supposed to be here through Sunday. Will you be returning?”
“No. I have something I need to take care of.”
