Page 57 of Have To Be Mine

I was buzzed. Not drunk but I’d had three drinks. The wine was making everything feel soft and dreamy. And we were on a business trip. I was his logistics consultant. This was wildly inappropriate.

“We should stop,” I said quietly.

I felt him tense beside me. “Yeah, we should.”

I was horrible. I couldn’t leave him like this. I reached for the erection straining against the boxer briefs. His hand closed over mine.

“No. We’re stopping.”

I shook my head. “But it’s not fair for you.”

Dash chuckled and looked at me fondly. “It’s not about fairness. And I can wait.”

“Wait?”

“Until we’re sober and this is less complicated.”

I pulled my hand away. That took a great deal of strength because after getting a taste, I wanted more.

He sat up, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “I want you. God, I want you. But I want you to be sure. I want you to not have any regrets in the morning.”

I looked at the man that I was seeing with fresh eyes. This was the Dash his family didn’t see. The one who could be thoughtful and careful when it mattered.

“Thank you,” I said.

He stood up and walked to the closet, pulling out two hotel robes. He handed one to me. I sat up and pulled it on, grateful for the coverage. Now that the heat of the moment was dissipating, I was feeling exposed. He put on the other robe and we stood there for a moment, neither of us quite sure what to do next.

“I should go,” I said finally.

Dash nodded. “That’s probably safer.”

I picked up my scattered clothes and shoes. He walked me to the door. When he opened it, the bright hallway lights made me squint. My room was right across the hall, maybe ten feet away. It felt like miles.

“Goodnight, Krista,” he said.

“Goodnight, Dash.”

I started to turn away but he caught my hand. When I looked back, he pulled me close and kissed me one more time. It was soft and sweet and full of promise.

“Sleep well,” he murmured, releasing me.

I somehow made my legs work well enough to carry me across the hall. I fumbled with my key card, finally got the door open, and slipped inside. The second it clicked shut behind me, I leaned back against it and closed my eyes.

What the hell had I just done?

I touched my lips, still feeling the ghost of his kiss. My body was still humming with residual pleasure. I could still smell him on my skin. Feel him on my body.

I was in deep shit.

I’d spent my entire adult life keeping men at arm’s length. Being one of the boys. Making myself invisible so I could move through life without worrying about romance. Romance made people do stupid shit. I couldn’t afford to deal with broken hearts and drama.

No way could I catch feelings for a billionaire playboy.

19

DASH

Iwoke up and lay there for a few minutes in the quiet of my room, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the night before. Her voice haunted my dreams. In a good way. I had no idea she was hiding the golden throat of a songbird.