“No,” he replied sullenly.
“No, because I’m not.”
Mike blew out a breath. “You’re right. I’m just worried because you’re so tiny and I’m not.”
Destiny looked down at herself then back at him. Tiny? “I’m six foot and have a solid build. Where do you find me tiny?” There was nothing small about her. Her chest maybe on the smaller size, but she never heard a complaint before. She had long legs, trim waist. Destiny may have a few extra pounds on her bones, but she did love her sweets.
“Compared to me you are.”
“Everyone’s small compared to you, unless you’re comparing yourself to NBA players, then you’re average.” His lip twitched again like he was trying not to smile, which helped ease the tension.
Destiny closed the distance between them, her hands running over his shirt, wishing it were his bare skin. “All I ask is that you don’t hold back,” she rushed out before he could protest. “And in return, if we do something I don’t like, I’ll tell you.”
“Deal.” He smiled, pulling her closer for a kiss. She wasn’t going to say no to that. The simple kiss turned heated. The banked flames of passion quickly relit a blaze. “Come to my room.”
She couldn’t deny him. The night was still young to call it quits. She hadn’t packed anything to sleep over, and if they went at it like they had last night, she needed at least a few hours of sleep to be functional. One more lovemaking and then she’d go home.
“I know it’s a work night, so I won’t ask you to stay the night,” he said as if she needed further convincing. “Maybe this weekend you can.”
Speaking of this weekend.
“Oh, before you make me forget, what should I make this weekend for the famous barbeque? Or should I coordinate with the women. Do they do the cooking? I have so many questions.” The weekend couldn’t come fast enough. She was excited to meet everyone. Now, she was finally going. It would be nice to see his friends in a non-interrogation setting.
Some of the lust dulled in his eyes. “You don’t have to go.”
“What?”
“You don’t have to go. I can make up an excuse for you.”
Was he serious? Destiny had been dreaming about going to the famous barbeques since Mike first started telling her about them. Now that she finally got the invite, he was telling her not to go. “But I want to go.”
“It’s not all that much fun. We just sit around and talk. Honestly you’ll probably be bored out of your mind.” Mike tried pulling her back into his arms. “I can think of far better things to do with our weekend.”
His meaning was clear. She was good for fucking but not for socializing with his friends. Cora had made it clear that no one had been aware of her existence until today. She’d known Mike for months. She didn’t have friends here to introduce him to, but he knew her grandmother well. That should have raised a red flag to her.
Just like that, her blood turned to ice. She couldn’t stay in this apartment another minute. It felt like every kiss and touch was a lie and it turned her stomach. Like she was some kind of dirty little secret.
“I have to go. I just remembered I have to get something done I completely spaced.” She looked around for her underwear, but didn’t see them. Forget it, she had more at home. She needed out now before she broke down in tears and Mike saw.
“Des, wait.” He tried to pull her back, but she wouldn’t let him. She wouldn’t let him pull her into his web of lies and deceit.
“I’m sorry. I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.” She didn’t have any intention of calling him. He’d just managed to crush her heart into a thousand pieces.
Pushing past him, she ran into the living room grabbing her purse and rushed to the door. She looked back to see his confused look. Big idiot, he didn’t even realize how much he hurt her. “Goodbye, Mike.” This would be the last time he saw her.
She closed the door, the click sounded like a gunshot to her ears. She leaned against it, knowing it was more than just a door closing but an end of their relationship.
She walked to her car and into her home in a fog. It wasn’t until she laid her head on the pillow that she let the tears fall. She turned her head into the pillow and wailed when Mike’s musky scent tickled her nose.
Damn him.
Tossing the pillow across the room she flopped back on the mattress, and cried until she passed out.
Chapter 22
Four days. He hadn’t spoken to Destiny in four long, excruciating days. It wasn’t by choice. He’d tried calling, texting. He’d gone to her house. He’d even gone by her work a few times, but she refused to speak to him or answer her door. Why was she ignoring him? Things were going great and then he made the comment about her not having to go to the barbeque and she all but fled his apartment and hadn’t spoked to him since.
His next resort might just be to break into her house and wait for her, force her to talk to him. He sure as hell wasn’t letting her go. If she was upset with him about something, she needed to say it. They would fix it. He loved her and he wasn’t giving her up without a fight.
