"Enzo."
Chloe's voice came soft, still husky from everything. She curled into my arm, fingers tracing lazy circles on my chest. Hair all over her face, honey eyes half-lidded, lips still puffy with my bite marks not faded.
"Yeah?" I replied absently.
"What are you thinking?"
I looked down at her. Her body pressed against my side, skin warm with leftover sweat. My dick was still half-hard, throbbing—that one round wasn't nearly enough. Her body was like a drug; one hit and I craved more.
I probably did like her a lot. But I didn't need this messy emotion.
Enough. Prey caught, game's over.
I loosened my arm around her, stood up from the sofa, and straightened my clothes.
"That's it for today," I said.
I grabbed my coat from the chair back, slung it over my arm, and didn't look back. If I did, I might not leave.
"Enzo?" Her voice followed, uncertain. "What happened? Did I say something wrong?"
I didn't answer.
I strode to the door, yanked it open, and walked out.
I needed time to cool off.
Chapter Ten
Chloe
Enzo vanished.
Day one, I told myself it was fine. Maybe he had business to handle. He was heir to New York's underground empire—a thousand things demanded his attention every single day. He couldn't spend every night in some strip club watching one woman dance.
But every few minutes, my eyes drifted to the club entrance. Every time that heavy black door swung open, my heart jumped—and in walked a beer-bellied balding middle-aged guy, a pack of giggling Wall Street drones, or a couple of rich assholes with girls on their arms.
Never Enzo.
Day two. Day three. Still no Enzo.
By day four, I had to face the truth I'd been dodging all along. He probably wasn't coming back.
Why the hell did I think I was special?
In this club, those suits walked in with fresh eyes and conquest on their minds, throwing cash at the girls onstage, sweet-talking them. Once they got what they wanted, their interest vanished like aretreating tide. No goodbyes, no explanations—just gone one day. You waited a week, two weeks, finally realizing you were just a distraction.
Clearly, that's all I was to Enzo.
He got what he wanted. Then he left.
Same as every other man.
I started feeling grateful I hadn't told him about the baby yet.
My hand rested on my stomach. There was already a faint curve, though you couldn't really see it yet.
Maybe this was better. Him pulling away now beat getting dumped after I'd invested more. This baby didn't need a father who treated people like entertainment. It just needed me. I'd figure out how to save enough money, find somewhere safe to have it, and raise it alone.
