Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 31579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 158(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 158(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
He turns off the bedside lamp and pulls the covers over us. I know I should get up, go to the couch, and pretend like this was just oral sex and not the earth-shaking experience it really was, but he wraps his arms around me and pulls me close again. Bare skin to bare skin, his heart beating next to mine—it’s almost much too sweet to bear. His lips brush the back of my neck.
"Goodnight, Ellie."
I close my eyes, unable to resist the call of sleep. "Goodnight, Drake."
4
ELLIE
Saturday morning dawns bright and unavoidable through the tall windows of the hotel room. Eyes still closed, I curse my last-night self for not having the wherewithal to close the curtains before going to sleep.
But then I remember why I didn't have any wherewithal. Or sense. Or, as my currently naked body suggests, reservations.
Oh. Drake went down on me last night, and I fell asleep in his arms. And now he's gone.
I sit up and look around, and it's obvious he's left. I don't know what to think. Did he regret everything? Was it a mistake? Did he feel trapped by the one-bed situation and have to bolt?
I get up, my body sore and tired, my eyes feeling like they've got sand in them. I go to the bathroom and stare at myself in the mirror. My hair is a mess, my lips are puffy, and I have a hickey on my neck.
A hickey.
God, I'm an idiot.
I get in the shower and scrub myself raw, wishing I could do the same to my emotions. I tell myself that Drake probably has women all over the world waiting for him to call and that I should just forget last night ever happened. The least he could have done was wait for me to wake up or tell me himself that he was leaving.
Would I feel any differently if he had still been sleeping by my side when I woke up? Would I regret anything then?
It's a sobering thought to realize that, no, I wouldn't regret it. Because even with him being gone, I still don't. I wanted Drake and took the chance that was offered to me. And if his enthusiasm last night was any indication, he wanted me too just as badly.
Things might be a little screwed up now or a lot—time will tell. But I'm not going to live with regrets, either.
Slowly, the sinking feeling I woke up with fades, replaced by something warm and even a little bit happy. I can't avoid the fallout of what Drake and I have done, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the memory of it. And who knows, maybe he'll be cool about it, and our work relationship won't have to change.
Even if it breaks my heart a little to know that my employer is all Drake will ever be to me. Last night taught me a lot of things about myself, but the most staggering one is that I don't just want to jump Drake Evan's bones—I want him in every way. He's important to me, and I care about him deeply. I want that to be mutual so badly that it hurts.
Getting out of the shower, I dry off and wrap one of the hotel's fluffy white robes around me before exiting the bathroom. As soon as I open the door, I'm greeted by the scent of coffee and the sight of Drake sitting on the edge of the bed with what looks like breakfast.
"Morning, sunshine," he greets, standing to bring me a steaming cardboard cup. "Sleep well?"
I blush, but thankfully, the heat of the shower has already turned my skin pink, so hopefully, he can't tell. "Uh, yeah. I did."
"Good. We've got a busy day according to the schedule you've sent me no less than five times, so I figured I could feed you before we got started."
Confusion and the urge to touch him war with each other, but I end up just taking the cup from his hand and following him to the small dining table in the other part of the suite. He unrolls the paper bag and pulls out a small spread of bagels and cream cheese, a fruit bowl, and two small carafes of orange juice and milk.
It's not much, but it's thoughtful and definitely more than I expected. He must have seen the surprise on my face because he grins, taking the seat across from me.
"I'm not totally useless, you know. I can get takeout breakfast."
"It's just surprising, is all." I sit down and pick up one of the bagels. "Thank you for getting me coffee, too. I'm going to need it today."
He snorts, taking a bite of his own bagel. "Tell me about it. The itinerary you sent me is insane. I've had to rearrange everything and delegate half of it to the sales team."