crawling up his body until he’s aligned back up. I eagerly lower myself onto his hard length, forcing my body to relax at the sting of taking him this way. “Jesus Christ…” he rasps, grabbing my hips. He guides me back and forth, rocking into me with a slow, torturous rhythm. “That’s it, baby. Ride my cock. Fuccckk.” Hearing him moan is the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. I roll my hips harder, faster, chasing the same feeling I felt last night. Sweat trickles on my skin as I feel my insides turn to lava. A gush of warm liquid rushes through me as I scream out in pleasure. He mumbles something as he thrusts harder into me, and his hot cum fills me. It’s a good thing I’m on birth control. When the last of the aftershocks subsides, I can’t help but collapse onto his chest. He chuckles, rubbing small circles on my waist, and kisses my forehead. A sweet, unexpected gesture. He gently moves me off him, gets up, walks to the bathroom, and comes back with a wet washcloth. I lie there speechless ashe cleans me up and tosses the dirty rag aside. As if this moment could get any more intimate.
CHAPTER 25
Payson
The room is quiet.Too quiet as I lay here listening to a singing competition playing on the TV in the living room. He and I were too involved in each other all day yesterday that we didn’t bother to turn it off. Ledgar stirs behind me, and I can feel his eyes searing through me. Bits and pieces of yesterday surface whether I want them to or not. I don’t turn to face him. I just sit there staring out the window across the room, contemplating what I’m going to do when I return home. But the thing is, I don’t want to return home. I’ve been able to do what I want, when I want, here. It’s freedom.
“I know what you’re thinking. You don’t have to leave.” His voice is rough. I turn to face him, trying to read him as he does me. I let out a breath, stand, and pull the sheet around me as I walk to the windows. Looking out of these windows at this view, it's become my favorite. The way the early morning sun shines across the land in rays of orange for as far as I can see, it’s stunning. Watching the world go on beneath you… it does something to a person.
“I can’t stay,” I whisper into the glass. I can still feel him watching me. The way he makes my body quiver under his stare is something I’ll never get used to. If he asked me to stay, would I? He did say I didn’t have to leave, but what would happen if I stayed?
“I’m going to shower,” I say, walking toward the bathroom. He doesn’t try to stop me, but his eyes keep me captive as I walk away. I’m not ready to have this conversation with him. He told me that this wouldn’t end clean. Maybe I’d rather end it before it starts before I let myself get too comfortable in his arms. He makes me feel safe in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. The bathroom door closes with a soft click, and I breathe a sigh of relief. The cold marble tiles beneath me cause goosebumps to spread throughout my body.
I move to stand in front of the mirror taking in my reflection. My hair’s a mess. My eyes are puffy from sleep, my eyes… they give everything away. The woman in the mirror, she isn’t me. She doesn’t do this sort of thing on the weekend. She doesn’t sleep with a stranger, though that man lying in the bed in there made me feel more in a weekend than I have my entire life. And the worst part…I don’t regret any of it. I thought I would, but I don’t. I turn on the shower, letting the steam from the hot water fill the air. I need to pull myself together before I walk back out there. When I finish, I towel off my hair a little, before wrapping the towel around my body.
As I turn to walk out, the door opens and Ledgar steps inside. “You don’t knock?” I ask. He rakes his gaze over me slowly, but I don’t miss the way he runs his tongue over his bottom lip in approval.
“If I knocked,” he says, stepping further in, “you would’ve said no.”
“That’s not the point.”
“No,” he agrees, picking up his toothbrush. “I just needed to brush my teeth.” I roll my eyes and walk out to finish getting ready.
When everything is packed, I manage to scarf down some leftover room service from the fridge. Ledgar joins me in the kitchen, snagging a bite of my food before he sits across from me. He just watches me eat, and it’s starting to make me uncomfortable. “Will you quit watching me like that? It’s weird,” I blurt out around a mouth full of food.
“You didn’t seem to have a problem with it before,” he states, matter-of-factly.
“That’s because I wasn’t scarfing down food like you have been starving me for days, either.”
He chuckles, the sound somewhat soothing. “I have to go into the casino and take care of some business,” he says, still watching me.
“Okay. Go. You don’t need my permission,” I bite out, irritated.
“No,” he says, amused. He walks up to where I’m standing. His fingers brush against my jaw as he tucks a hair behind my ear. His touch is careful and considerate this morning. “But you seem to need mine.” His words reach deeper than they should, because he’s not wrong. He’s the reason I am still standing here. The reason I didn’t leave that very first night he walked in here. The reason I haven’t asked him to leave anymore since.
He gives me that look. The one where we don’t need to talk, just say what we need to with our bodies instead. His phone rings, cutting straight through whatever this was fixing to turn into. The sound echoes, dragging everything back into focus. He doesn’t move to answer it, he stands still. His hand falls to my collarbone, and his face scrunches up like he’s trying to figure something out. The phone rings again, and he huffs, almost annoyed, before he finally drops his hand from my body.
He pulls the phone from his pocket, glancing at the screen before his expression changes. “I have to take this,” he says, but not before he leans in, kissing me with the same intense, fiery passion he's had for the last 48 hours. “If you leave…” he trails off, looking me in the eyes. “This ends.” The phone rings again. “If you don’t want it to… then I suggest you stay.” I search his eyes for a moment, trying to find truth in his words. Is he asking me to stay? Does he really want me to? His phone rings again. He gives me one last look before turning to leave, closing the door behind him.
I lean against the counter, trying to even out my breathing while replaying his words in my head. If I leave, this ends. We end. He’s giving me a choice. Him, or the life I used to know.
CHAPTER 26
Ledgar
My phone ringsfor the hundredth time as I grab my jacket, slipping it on as I walk out the door. This isn’t a phone call I wanted to take with her standing in front of me. I’m sure my business partner would be thrilled to know Payson was just seconds away from me taking her back to bed. Whatever needed to be handled could wait. I had something far more important that needed my attention but work never stops. So, I gave her a choice. Stay. With me. Or leave. If she chooses to leave, then I won’t chase her. I don’t turn around and wait for her to respond. I grab my jacket, slipping it on as I head toward my office.
The elevator ride down is silent. By the time the doors open, my relaxed expression is replaced with my usual stern one. Everywhere you look something is flashing or spinning. The chaos never ends. It’s the reason I keep a bottle of bourbon in my office. The buzz from the liquor soothes the enormous migraine I get each night as I go to my room.
My office is quiet when I step inside which is exactly how I like it. My assistant, who works from home most days, makessure that all the orders are handled quickly and efficiently. Jarrell keeps me updated with all the day-to-day operations that concern me. And any problems that may arise are resolved by yours truly with occasional assistance from Griffith. Smooth. Clean. Productive. Just how I like it.
My gaze drifts to the security panel on the wall out of habit. I pull up the main cameras for the casino and hotel, then the corridor outside my office, and that’s when I see her. No bag on her shoulder, no suitcase in her hand. She’s not leaving.
My focus sharpens instantly as another man and a woman step into view. I recognize them immediately. It’s her ex, Kraig, and Jarrell’s sister, Vivian. She clings to him as he speaks to Payson. The tension is clear between them, and I don’t miss the way my little firecracker curls her hands into fists at her sides. I don’t turn on the audio, because it’s best I don’t hear what they say. I can read it all in the way she stands there, on edge but defensive, like she’s been doing this her entire life. The way he looks at her, like he still has some sort of claim on her, makes me laugh. If he only knew. Her face twists. She’s clearly disgusted. He steps closer to her, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand. He’s too close for comfort. I continue to watch as she lets him have it. Her hands fling up with every word she says. I have to stop myself from going to her. Watching her stand up to him is a turn-on. He deserves it, and much, much more. Vivian speaks next, and whatever she says causes Payson to retaliate. Pain mixed with fear lace her features, and it’s enough to make me push away from my desk. This isn’t my problem to fix, but she is mine to protect.
When I turn the corner, they’re still there. “Is there a problem here?” My voice cuts through the hallway. All three of them turn to me. Her eyes find mine first, but don’t hold them long as she turns pulling away from him. He lets go of her arm too little too late.
“No problem here,” he says quickly. “Just catching up.”
