“Sleep tight.”
For a second, I hesitate to go as we gaze at each other, feeling a pull toward him. It’s like my body doesn’t want to leave. If I stayed… if I knelt in front of him… would he tie me up again? Make me cum over and over until I lose my mind?
I swallow, my blood heating, and quickly tear my eyes from him.
“You too.” My voice is a little too squeaky, which is mortifying, but as I hurry away to my room, I can’t help the smile tugging at my lips.
The next morning, Jayce and I are getting packed and ready to travel for his away game. He’s going with the team, and I’m meeting up with the girls so we can all go together. We’re standing in the kitchen, finishing breakfast, minutes away from leaving. It’s casual and comfortable, and I’m looking forward to the day. It’ll be fun to watch the Night Hawks game with the other girls. Jayce and I are planning to share a hotel room to keep up appearances, and there’s a small flutter of excitement in my belly at the thought.
“Do you get nervous before games?” I ask, placing my syrup-covered plate into the sink. Jayce outdid himself this morning with French toast and crispy bacon instead of smoothies. He said he likes to carbo load for games.
Looking up from the fridge, where he’s putting away the carton of eggs, bread, and butter, he grins and shrugs.
“Nervous isn’t the right word.” He shuts the fridge door and turns to face me fully. “I get excited. A surge of adrenaline hits me that I don’t get anywhere else. Well, except the bedroom.”
My cheeks heat as he gives me a slow once over and I can’t stop my mind from going back to our night together. Being tied up and touched with such care by his big, strong hands and the way he made me cum so hard… I nearly passed out when we were done. We haven’t done anything since then, but I’m rather eager to continue exploring everything he’s introduced me to so far. The feeling of giving total control over to him and letting him make all the decisions was incredibly… freeing.
Suddenly, the penthouse’s intercom buzzes, snapping me back to reality. I frown, and Jayce furrows his brow in confusion. He moves to the front door to answer the intercom. Who’s buzzing us this so insanely early in the morning? It’s barely six o’clock.
“Hello?” Jayce asks through the small speaker by the door.
“Hello, Mr. Vaughn. This is reception. You have a visitor asking if she can come up.”
Jayce shoots me a baffled look. “Who is it?”
“She says her name is Iris Holloway.”
It feels like my stomach drops straight to the floor. My heart freezes. Mom? What the hell is she doing here? In an instant, all the peace and contentment I’ve experienced in this place vanishes. Reality has returned.
Jayce is watching me, and I realize he’s waiting for me to give him the go-ahead to let her up. For a moment, I’m tempted to tell him no. I know I can’t just turn her away, though. She’s here, in Colorado, for the first time since Colson died.
That’s a really big fucking deal.
Swallowing, I nod. “It’s okay. Let her up.”
Jayce holds my gaze while he hits the intercom button. “Send her on up.”
A few minutes later, there’s a knock on the front door and when Jayce answers it, Mom comes breezing into the penthouse like she owns the place. There’s a man in a suit following her with several garment bags, her luggage, and a stack of binders balanced precariously in his arms. Mom spots me immediately, but she pauses in front of Jayce, giving him a wide smile.
“Hello, Jayce.” She offers him her hand, which he takes and gives a gentle shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Sutton’s mother, Iris.”
“Hello, Mrs. Holloway.” His voice is warm, his expression friendly, but there’s a tension in his shoulders that Mom doesn’t notice. “A pleasure to meet you. Can I take your coat?”
“Oh, thank you.” She sheds the black, fur-lined coat she’s wearing, passing it to Jayce. It’s only then that she turns back to me and hurries over with a big smile and determined glimmer in her eyes.
“There’s my girl!” She wraps me in a tight hug, then holds my shoulders as she looks me up and down. “Oh, you look gorgeous. Being engaged looks good on you.”
“Hi, Mom.” I force a smile. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to surprise you!” she exclaims.
“I am… certainly surprised.”
Turning, she looks back over at Jayce, who’s hanging her coat up in the front closet.
“Sorry for dropping by like this,” she tells him, patting his chest. “I was just so excited about my little girl finally getting married! Such a happy occasion is worth showing up in person for, isn’t it? Plus, I need to see what we’re working with to properly plan, so I decided to just take matters into my own hands! Don’t worry, though. I won’t intrude on you completely.I’ve got a room at the Four Seasons, so you don’t have to put me up or anything.”
“No need to be sorry,” Jayce assures her. “We’re happy to have you. Unfortunately, I have to get going. We’ve got an away game today, and I’m actually going to be gone overnight. Sutton was going to come too, but…” He looks up at me, a question in his eyes.
