You know it’s gone further than that.
Not even Mark would’ve batted an eyelid at how we were sitting. It wasn’t different to how we’d sat a thousand times before, but everything is different now.
“You two are still sober. How is that possible?” Texas asks, suspiciously eyeing them.
She’s right. Cooper doesn’t believe in being sober ever, and Milo always gets shitfaced when he’s out.
Milo grins. “We peaked early. Then, we got bored.”
By that, he means, they each slept with a model and got their fill, and now, they’re ready to chill with more alcohol.
I shake my head. “No stamina. I feel sorry for those women.”
“Hey, she came like a fucking train,” Cooper says before swigging from the bottle.
“Cooper, for fuck’s sake!” Texas shouts, pointlessly launching a cushion at his head. “I don’t want to catch your STD when I drink JD!”
“I’m clean, sweet cheeks. Wanna try?”
“What? No, I really don’t want to try to catch chlamydia from you.”
“Clean,” he replies slowly, frowning at her. “You can’t be spreading that shit around.”
“But you can spread that shit around?” she hits back, nodding toward his dick.
He runs his hand over his hair, but I can’t be bothered to rip him for it. “I’m a very giving person, Texas. I like to share.”
“I’m sure they appreciate it,” she replies sarcastically.
Cooper grabs his dick through his jeans. “Anyone would.”
“I hate boys.”
Oh, she does not.
I raise my eyebrow, and she narrows her hazel eyes.
Liar, I mouth while the other two are pouring different drinks.
She bites her lip, and her cheeks redden.
Fuck.
I’m done for.
TEXAS
THURSDAY, MAY 7
PARIS, FRANCE
Milo and Cooper duck out after two drinks because they’re lightweights. I’m flat-out exhausted, and it’s closing in on one a.m., but I don’t want to sleep. And Kitt doesn’t seem to want to leave yet either.
Things are good right now, and I want it to last. I can pretend.
“Are you going to sightsee tomorrow?” he asks.
“I want to, but I won’t have time.”
“Should’ve come with us today. We could’ve hit up the Tower after.”
My mind is instantly back in the cage, and my body is on fire. All day, I’ve been trying to ignore what happened.
“Should’ve,” I mutter. Please, let’s change the subject!
“If you hadn’t been hiding out in your room all day…”
“I wasn’t hiding.”
“Really? So? you weren’t avoiding me because of the cage?”
Oh, great! This he talks about! Everything else is pushed away, but giving me the most intense orgasm of my life is the one thing he doesn’t want to paper over.
Perfect.
Cringing in embarrassment, I look away. I might want him to leave this room, but my body doesn’t. The mere thought of him getting me off has me breaking out in a sweat.
“No.” My bloody voice betrays me. I sound like a terrified chipmunk.
Kitt leans in, and it frazzles my mind. The smell of his cologne wraps around me.
“You’re sure? I don’t want awkwardness between us, Tex. I’m sorry if I made it that way.”
That sounds an awful lot like, It won’t happen again. My heart is as heavy as lead.
It shouldn’t happen again. I can’t handle being rejected by him over and over.
“I don’t want that either. Can we forget it? I thought we’d forgotten it.” Might as well get in there first, I suppose, while I have an ounce of dignity left.
“Right,” he replies. “Okay. Good.”
We sit inches apart, watching each other. The atmosphere could be cut with a knife, and even I’m not sure if it’s awkward or sexual.
I chew on my lip. God, I hate this back and forth.
Do something. You can’t leave it like this.
He sighs. “I don’t want to do this tense shit. Would you like another drink?”
I dip my head, refusing eye contact. “No, thanks. My tummy is still iffy from last night. I can’t do another drop.”
He laughs. “You did have a fair bit. I had to carry you back.”
Kitt carried me? I don’t remember much after the cage because I upped my alcohol intake, but I assumed Ted would’ve brought me back to my room.
“You did?”
“Er, yeah. I already had you when I met Ted, so”—he scratches the back of his neck—“I kept you and put you to bed.”
He kept me.
“I promise, I didn’t even take a peek at the good stuff.” He thumps his heart with his fist. “Perfect gentleman.”
And we’re back to normal.
And my headache is back.
Kitt orders some room service. Who cares about the time?
Thirty minutes later, I’m uncomfortably full, so much so that I can’t move.
Kitt puts his plate on the side with mine and groans.
“Does it hurt you, too?” I ask, rubbing my bloated belly.
“Nope. Did you eat too much again?”