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Or...a slave to love?
Suddenly, he remembered something his father had told him: No man can resist the woman he loves. He shook the thought from his head. He hadn’t thought about his father—or his troubled mother—for years. Why now?
Was it Emma? Had she somehow dredged up memories he thought long buried?
Was this more than sex? It felt like...more.
Emma just gave all of herself. Even now, as she slept pressed against him, she held nothing back. Most women were careful. Most women kept a part of themselves hidden away from him. Most women... No, nearly all women, couldn’t look him in the eye when they came—perhaps too embarrassed, or too unwilling to show just how vulnerable they could be. Emma let herself be seen. She’d been so open and honest, she’d laid herself completely bare, and, somehow, that got to him. She’d given him a gift, a precious gift.
So that meant he’d fall in love?
He pressed his eyes shut. He wasn’t going to fall for this woman. He couldn’t. He thought of Sasha, of her dark, penetrating eyes and the curves that didn’t quit. He’d been a slave to her, and she’d crushed his heart. Left him broken and helpless. He still remembered the gut-punch he’d felt the day he’d discovered the text messages, the half-naked pictures she’d sent to another man, the declaration of how she couldn’t wait to have him inside her. Sasha had lived a double life, and the worst part was that he’d failed her. He’d failed to satisfy her. She’d gone elsewhere, looking for the pleasure he apparently couldn’t give her. He’d known that their sex life had become a bit stale. He thought it was what naturally happened in a long-term relationship. They’d become too used to each other, too familiar, and he hadn’t known they had to break out of that.
Sasha had...by seeking attention elsewhere.
The memories still hurt, like little razor blades through his mind. He wasn’t even sure he could love another woman again, could leave himself so open to hurt. He’d built an emotional wall so thick and tall, he wasn’t even sure how to get through it anymore. Yet, she had, a voice whispered in his mind. She’s made a crack in that wall.
No. He’d have to fortify it again.
She murmured and snuggled into him, and his body responded as he cradled her against him. He wasn’t sure he wanted this to end. Wasn’t sure he wanted to say goodbye to her.
In another twelve hours, her profile will be hidden from me, a small, urgent voice told him. But then, the decision will be made for me, he thought. He felt both a smidgen of relief and a stab of panic but decided that it would be best to let the app take care of this for him. If he saw too much more of her, he would fall for her. Of this, he was certain, and then what? He knew what happened to all long-term relationships: the sex died, the desire died, and then came betrayal and heartbreak. It just wasn’t feasible to keep the passion alive. He thought of Sasha. At this point, could he really blame her? She’d cheated first, but wouldn’t he have eventually? Human beings need passion.
And there was nothing more passionate than sex with a stranger. Why ruin the amazing night they’d had by letting it get boring...predictable?
Xavier’s phone jangled on the bedside table, announcing the alarm he’d set just two hours ago. He had a meeting at Nost to discuss new directions of the app, which member roll was growing bigger every day. He had to get to work. Emma shifted against him, rubbing her full breasts against his side. The feel of her soft nipples against his skin sent a ripple of tightness through his groin. He wanted her again...yet, he had no time. As it was, he might be late. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and she murmured, sweetly, still sleepy. He slipped from the covers to get dressed.
As he moved quickly and quietly, he watched this beautiful creature in his bed, her golden hair spilled out over the pillow, her pink lips parted as she slept. The white curve of her shoulder just visible beneath the edge of the sheet. She lay deliciously naked beneath it, her skin almost calling to him. He wanted nothing more than to climb back into bed with her and taste her all over again. He wanted to feel her again, explore the very depths of her. See if they were as amazing on the repeat as they were the first time. But he couldn’t. His phone vibrated with incoming messages from his partner at Nost. He needed to get in the office.
He bent down and laid a gentle kiss on Emma’s temple. She shifted but she fought with sleep, as it tugged her deeper downward. He wanted to stay here, watch her sleep, memorize every detail of her face. He wanted to keep this with him, this amazing night. He half wished she’d wake, but as he touched her golden hair, she dug in with a satisfied murmur. Even now, she was vulnerable and trusting: sleeping so deeply with him, a stranger. Emma simply didn’t hold back. She put herself in his hands.
