“Okay then. But tomorrow night, I’m playingalong.”
His words lit me up. I anticipated my night with Chandler would be great, but the next night would beunbelievable.
Chandler drove us to my new apartment while I gave directions. I was more than willing to give the wheel to him. I hated todrive.
When we parked under the building’s complex, I led the way up to the top floor. As I unlocked the front door, I realized I wasnervous.
Other than a couple of kisses in Alaska, I’d never really had any intimate moments with Chandler. I stepped into the room and motioned for him to put his bags in the guest bedroom where Ellion had his stuff. Well, Ellion’s stuff was in there, but Ellion hadn’tbeen.
Once Chandler was comfortable and I opened a bottle of wine, we settled on the couch totalk.
“I’m pleasantly surprised that we got the evening to ourselves,” hesaid.
“So am I,” I murmured, fighting back thebutterflies.
Chandler put his hand on my knee and said, “If you’re uncomfortable, nothing has to happen. I mean, I’ve been dreaming of touching you and kissing you since the day you left, but I’m a gentleman. You set thepace.”
That was apparently all I needed to get over my nervousness. I set my wine glass on the coffee table and offered my hand to do the same with his. Then I launched to myself at him, flattening him onto the couch. I held my face over his and said, “I thought about you every day, too. I’m so glad you’re here.” And that was the last coherent thought I had thatevening.
After an exhausting and sleepless night, I woke the next morning with a huge smile on my face. I should’ve needed a vat of coffee to get me going, but I found myself turned off by the thought of the caffeine. My new-found love kept my energyup.
After my shower was interrupted, an interruption I welcomed, I finally sent Chandler to the spare room to get dressed. We couldn’t keep our hands off eachother.
The rest of the week passed in a similar manner. The moment I got home from work, I was captivated by their attentions both emotionally and physically. Add to that, titillating conversation and a lot of laughter. I didn’t want the week toend.
Unfortunately, it did. After one last round of unbelievably satisfying lovemaking with both of them, I found myself saying goodbye at the airportagain.
“We’ll be back,” said Ellion, arms twined around mywaist.
I had one arm around his neck and the other around Chandler’s waist. We drew a lot ofstares.
Chandler kissed my cheek. “We’ll convince Griffin that Texas is where we need to be and then we’ll come straight back to start looking for properties in thecity.”
I tightened my hold on both of them and gave them a big hug together. “I know, but I’ll miss you.” The tiny voice that lived in the back of everyone’s mind laughed at me. She reminded me that while I’d miss them, I still yearned for Griffin. It felt like our relationship was still open-ended, a part of us wasn’t there, and they definitely felt his absence. Over the years they’d become best friends,inseparable.
With final hugs and kisses goodbye, I let them go. I turned and walked back to my car, tears streaming down myface.
Acoupleof days went by, and of course I talked to my guys on the phone, and text—and any other method of communication we could think of—severaltimes.
Thursday evening, I trudged along my hallway, thankful to be home. I’d had an exhausting, emotional day at work. I slowed as I near my door because I found a note taped to it. I unfolded it, and it said:Don’t be mad at me, loveTodd.
I chuckled. There was no telling what I was going to find inside the apartment. He’d already let himself in more than once taking and delivering clothing, curtains—anything he spotted that he thought I’d like, he left while I was at work. It felt like he was my very own fairy godmother. Well, he wouldn’t be a godmother.GodTodd?
Laughing, I opened the door, expecting to find some new cocktail dress, or if I was lucky, more scrubs in cuteprints.
When I saw what he’d left for me, I dropped my purse and keys, jaw and arms. Basically, I turned to jelly. Griffin snored away on mycouch.
So that I didn’t have to go poke him or shake him awake, I slammed the door. He shot off the couch like a rocket. Looking around crazily, his gaze landed on me, and he strodeforward.
“I can’t get you out of my head.” His chest heaved with emotion. He was all kinds of torn up. “I’m moving the businesshere.”
My eyebrows rose, but he didn’t give me time to respond. “I’m selling the house in Alaska, I’m—I’m letting Amandago.”
I opened my mouth to tell him he didn’t have to let her go, but he kept going. “I’m not saying I’ll stop loving her or forget her or the girls. I’m saying I’m ready to move on. I’m ready foryou.”
Thank the good Lord for that, I was ready for him, too. I took his hand and once more open my mouth tospeak.
He interrupted before I could start. “I don’t want to waste any time. Too much of my life has been ruined or wasted. I hope you don’t mind, but I have no desire for a long courtship orengagement.”
