He kept his hand connected to base of my neck as he guided me into the suite and over to the couch.
“Are you going to be okay? I need to go see if Jessica made it up to her room safely.”
Jessica.
I nodded.
After tossing a bottle of water next to me, he marched out the door.
It didn’t hurt.
Not even a little.
It killed.
I WAS THE world’s biggest dick. Because of my little threesome bullshit, Jessica was now alone somewhere, probably feeling completely rejected, and Henry was in the middle of a panic attack that rivaled any I’d witnessed from him over flying.
He’d lied to me about being bisexual, but I should have known better. The signs were all there. The way he’d stared at me while on stage, basically ignoring the women. The way he’d deflated when he’d walked in and seen me holding Jessica. The way he’d glared at her in the limo. The way we’d both forgotten she was supposed to be involved the moments our bodies had touched. Fuck.
I hadn’t been with a man since Shannon. Not one-on-one, at least. And especially not with one who unnerved me the way Henry did. Though, the minute we’d climbed into that limo with him, I’d wanted to ask her to leave. I hadn’t been able to think of anything except getting another taste of his mouth—and, if I’m being honest, every other part of his body.
I knocked on the door to room 9965, praying that I’d remembered the numbers correctly.
“Who is it?” Jessica called in a soft voice that made me feel even more like an asshole.
“It’s me. Evan.”
The door immediately opened. She was still in her shirt and her skirt, but she wasn’t wearing her shoes. It made her smaller than I’d remembered. Her makeup had worn off a good bit since the concert, and for the first time, I realized just how young she was underneath it all. Shit. She couldn’t have been any older than twenty-five. Probably fresh out of college and enjoying her first job in the real world.
And I had been about to fuck her just so I could feel better about fucking Henry.
God. I’m a prick.
“Hey, ” she said with a smile.
“Hey.” I rocked to my toes and wedged a hand into my pocket.
She pulled the door open wide. “You want to come in?”
“I can’t. I just wanted to come down to apologize and make sure you made it to your room safely.”
She shyly crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah. The big guy walked me up when the coast was clear.”
“Good,” I whispered. “Listen, about that shit in the limo. I’m—”
She cut my apology off with a laugh. “It’s okay, Evan. I’d heard he was gay. It was more of a surprise when you said he wanted to mess around.”
“Yeah, but I still feel bad. I want you to know that we both think you’re incredibly beautiful and—”
“Evan, stop. You don’t have to do this. I’m not crying myself to sleep tonight because I’m not his type.” She shrugged. “Hey, I made it further than my snobby cousin, Tabitha, right? That’s a win in my book.”
I chuckled. “She really is a snob.”
We both laugh for a second before falling into an uncomfortable silence.
“Look, the threesome thing might not have worked out, but a twosome is still on the table.” Her eyes flashed to ground as her cheeks blushed.
I swallowed hard. “Jessica…I can’t. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay. I get it. Can’t blame a girl for trying. But, if you change your mind, I’ll be here, drowning my sorrows in the entire room service dessert menu on Henry’s dime.” She smiled. “Anyway, go on and get out of here. Get back to your guy.”
I threw my hands up in defense. “Okay, slow down there. He’s not my guy.”
She rolled her eyes and propped her shoulder on the doorjamb. “I was there, Evan. Remember? If he isn’t your guy, I can promise he wants to be.”
Panic built in my chest, but I covered it with a hearty dose of laughter. “Maybe. But that’s not going to happen. Trust me.”
“Oh, come on. He’s Henry Alexander. At least let him take you on a world tour or buy you a Porsche or something.”
I laughed. “And, on that note, I’m headed to bed. I’m sorry about everything, but it was nice to meet you tonight.” I smiled, backing away from her door.
“It was nice to almost have sex with you, Evan.”
I barked a laugh then watched her door close. When I heard the deadbolt, I dashed toward the elevator, shaking my head at the entire interaction.
The shower in the second bedroom was running when I got back to my suite. I was thrilled Henry hadn’t left, but I was nervous about talking to him. He deserved an apology too, but I had the feeling it wasn’t going to be as simple as it had been with Jessica.
Henry was incredible. Magnetic, really. It was hard not to want him. But the fact remained—I didn’t have anything to give. If he hadn’t been my boss, I would have taken the coward’s way out, cutting my losses and avoiding him completely. That wasn’t an option though.