There’s a rush of water, and when it stops, warmth rises around me as Christine sinks into the room’s soaker tub.
Her hands sweep suds over my arms and shoulders, then massage shampoo into my hair.
I lean against her chest all the while, floating in a glow of warmth and safety unlike anything I’ve ever felt.
She tests the temperature of the tub’s sprayer wand on her hand before gently sweeping it over my head, washing all the suds away. She opens the drain, rinsing us with warm water until we’re clean and the tub is empty.
Then I’m wrapped in a fluffy robe and carried back to the bed, which is now stripped down to just the fitted sheet. I guess the duvet was… collateral damage.
I have all the warmth I need tucked against Christine, robe open so there’s nothing between us. My chest rests againsther side, my cheek settles on her shoulder, and my upper arm drapes between her breasts.
Our mingled scents, sweet and spiced with sex, linger in the air like a heavy blanket, tempting me to drift asleep.
Everything is good and right and lovely.
Too bad it’s all a lie.
I stirto a beam of early morning sun striking in from the eastern windows.
Christine’s arm lies warm and heavy over my chest.
I slide out from under it, padding onto the cool floor and running a hand through my hair.
Christine sighs quietly and remains asleep.
Gooseflesh rises on my limbs, and I pull my robe tighter as I take a few steps through the suite. I’m cold—actually cold, not that insufferable shivering when my skin is already hot and drenched with sweat.
I feel fine now.
Well, as fine as one can feel the morning after an ill-advised one-night stand.
Fuck.
When she kisses me, it feels like I’ve been suffocating and she’s oxygen. When her tight heat slid around me…
Phantom warmth ripples through my core.
It was relief like scratching the worst itch, like opening the release valve on a pressure cooker.
Just that. Relief. Nothing more. Christine was wrong. It’s not heat. Heat wouldn’t go away this quickly. It was just something I needed to get out of my system, and now it’s out.
A muffled trilling makes me jump: my alarm.
I dive for the sound before it can wake Christine, uncovering it from a pile of shredded clothes by the edge of the bed.
As I silence the alarm, my brief relief buckles, giving way to panic.
I need to take my suppressants, but they’re in my hotel room, still sitting on the nightstand.
How was I so stupid? I’ve never,everforgotten. We were right there at the hotel, and I didn’t eventhink…
Shit.Fuck.
My chest tightens as I slide down to my knees.
What the fuck am I going to do?!
Wait—
