No, I keep moving until I’m back to my car and don’t stop hyperventilating until I’m back at my apartment. Charles is right where he should be, and even though I know he’s not going to be enough, I try anyway.
Lying in bed, picturing Dawson’s face, replaying his voice, I come three times.
“I need you not to run.”
Rolling over, I bury my face in my pillow to muffle my moans. Ass in the air, I imagine what it would be like to have him behind me, gripping my hips, doing whatever he wants with me.
Finally, I slump down on my stomach and turn Charles off. If only I wasn’t such a wimp. If only I could actually talk to the man of my dreams. Maybe then I wouldn’t have this empty feeling inside.
But no. I’m destined to be alone.
5
DAWSON
I knew she’d run.And I let her.
Not because I’m patient—I’m fuckingnot—but because the look on her face told me everything. She’s not running because she’s afraid of me. She’s running because of how badly she wants me.
She’s a virgin. It’s written all over her. She wants to spread those legs for me and submit, but she’s still conflicted.
I saw the war in her eyes. Desperate need battling crippling fear. And I’m going to end that war. No matter what it takes. And God help me, I know I should be gentle. I just don’t know if I’ll be able to.
The next day, I get her address from Reese and do something I’ve never done before—I send her flowers. And not roses. I’m not that predictable. I send her a bouquet of wild flowers, along with a handwritten note:
You don’t have to run from me, Evie.
I’m rock hard as I’m filling out the card. I can’t stop thinking about the way her jeans hugged her curves in all the right places, showing off her majestic thighs that tapered down to her slimankles. She was wearing flats, but goddamn would she look good in a pair of heels.
Especially heels propped up over my shoulders while I pound her into the mattress…
Just getting through the day at the office is torture. I’ve got a big renovation coming up on an industrial building, and I can barely even think straight as I sift through all the orders. Thankfully Trevor is around, and I hand off some of the work to him.
“Make sure they don’t short us on the steel,” I remind him as he steps out the door.
“I got you,” he replies with a smirk.
Closing the door behind him, I grab the phone and call Reese. She already came through by telling me about the coffee shop where Evie hangs out. But now I need more.
She answers on the first ring. “So did she fall for you?”
“You could say that,” I reply, my voice low. “I need her number.”
“You do? Don’t tell me Dawson Clark is thinking about calling a girl,” she continues. “Or, wait…are you gonnatexther!?”
Grinding my teeth, I rub my bulge which still hasn’t gone down. In fact, it’s straining my pants so hard it’s actually painful. “Don’t mess with me, Reese. Just give it to me.”
“Okay, okay,” she laughs. “I’m just saying, Evie must have really done something to you for you to be pursuing her this hard.”
Pursuing. Some might call this mild stalking, but I don’t care. Nothing will keep me from her.
She reads me Evie’s number, and I’m practically growling as I jot it down. She starts to say something else, but I hang up. My cock’s hard and my mind is spinning. I’m too damn old to let agirl spin my life around like this. Not like thirty-three is that old, but it’s too old to not be able to control my erections.
I try to distract myself by diving back into my work, but Evie’s number just pulls at me, taunting me to act. And after a while, I just can’t stop myself. I enter it into my phone and text her.
Hey. It’s Dawson. You should get something today from me.
I send the message and set my phone back down. I’m not a big texter. I find it annoying, honestly. But as I get back to business, I can’t stop glancing at my phone to see if she’s responded.
