“You okay?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said, taking a big gulp. “I’m a little stunned something actually happened.”
“I’m not.” She shrugged. “I knew it would as soon as we met him and I saw how he was looking at you. He likes you.”
“He wants to sleep with me, that’s all,” I said dismissively. “I’m going to his house tomorrow.”
Zoey’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Mh-hmm.”
“So you’re going to actually do it?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to tell him ahead of time?”
That I was a virgin? I scrunched my nose. “Absolutely not.” This wasn’t a big deal, and I didn’t want to risk him making it one. It was my body, my decision.
“And you’re sure?” she asked, searching my face for a sign of doubt, but there wasn’t any.
Was I sure I wanted to sleep with Jamie? I don’t think I’d ever been more sure of anything in my life. “Yes. It’s just sex.”
She rubbed at her elbow and smiled. “Yeah, it is. I’m really glad you’re moving on.”
“I have to.” I only wished I’d realized it earlier.
* * *
I wokeup thinking of Jamie and that last kiss he’d planted on me at the club. Groaning, I rolled over to my stomach and buried my face into the pillow. That kiss had made me forget everything but the man before me. It had felt so good to be crushed to him, his heart beating against my chest, the feel of his barely there restraint breaking beneath my hands…
Okay, enough.I was a woman consumed, but I told myself it was just the rush of hooking up with someone new. I was sure that the delicious tension between us would dissipate after we slept together today. There was no point in reading into it. I’d done enough reading into things with Oliver. No, with Jamie, I’d take things at face value.
Reaching for the phone beside my pillow, I saw it was eleven am. There was a message from Jamie from a few hours earlier.
“Hey. Text me when you’re up.”
A smile pulled at my lips.“I’m up.”
My follow-up message arrived at the same time as his.
“When should I come?”
“What time are you coming over?”
I giggled, rolling over my covers, giddy with excitement. My smile fell right off when I remembered how he’d looked when he’d sucked me off his fingers.Damn.
Bringing my thoughts back to the message, I did the mental math. Zoey and I had made plans to grab brunch with Sophie and then go for a bit of shopping, but I could excuse myself later in the afternoon. They wouldn’t give me any flack.
“Five pm?”
“Perfect. See you soon.”
Dropping the phone back on the bed, I got out from under the sheet and headed to the shower. The counter around the sink was a mess of makeup and hair tools we’d used the night before. As I examined myself in the mirror, my gaze caught on my earrings.
They were the earrings Oliver gave me back in Oakland. I never usually took them out, but did I really want to be wearing them with Jamie today? I pried the backings off and took out the studs. Once, they were my most prized possession, but now they were just a reminder of something I was ready to forget. The red stone glittered in the reflection of the bathroom lights. With one final look, I dropped them down the sink.
Tonight when I got home, I’d go through with the second step of my plan.
