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I can send her flowers and an apology card tomorrow. Let her know I didn’t mean to come across so rude. That I wish her nothing but the best.
My gaze darts to the nearest clock. It’s minutes before midnight. Would it be too late to call her?
She and Tasha are staying in room 8090…
I dial the number within a blink, holding the landline phone up as hers rings. This is why I need Louis to be around when I’m thinking about her—so he can talk me out of doing dumb shit like I’m doing now.
“Hello?” Falynn answers, sleepiness soft in her voice.
I hang up, unable to go through with the call. Of course it was too late to call her! She wassleeping!
I smack a hand to my face, scrubbing it over my beard. I’m going crazy over a woman who hasn’t lost a wink of sleep without me. Yet here I am pacing at all hours of the night with her on my mind.
The whole situation was embarrassing enough, but this is the straw that breaks the camel’s fucking back.
“Move on,” I growl. “You’re going to have to move the hell on. She has. Your turn. Right now.”
I storm into the bathroom and angrily twist on the knobs to start my shower. I’m forcing myself to get a good night’s sleep and then wake fresh in the morning so I can figure out how I’m going to finally put Falynn behind me.
The heavy, staticky stream from the water almost disguises the ring from the penthouse landline phone. I poke my head out of the bathroom doorway. The phone rings from where it’s perched on the nightstand, its call light glowing red.
Someone’s calling at midnight. Could it be…?
“Yes?” I answer, probably more hostile than I should be. If it’s one of my men bothering me, giving me false fucking hope, I swear to Jesus H. Christ I will smash somebody’s fingers with a baseball bat—
“Gio,” Falynn says. The sleepiness is gone from her voice. “Did you call me? I recognized the penthouse number.”
Shit.
“Uh, yes. That was me. I called to… I wanted to apologize for earlier. I left so abruptly, I didn’t realize until later how that might’ve looked.”
“I’m glad you called.”
“I’m glad you’ve called back. But I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Don’t apologize. I was having trouble sleeping anyway.”
The sound of her footsteps padding across the suite floor greets my ears. The sliding door whooshes open, revealing she’s moved onto the balcony. Most likely to avoid waking up Tasha. Does this mean she wants to talk some more?
I forget about my shower and stand in front of the wide window overlooking Vegas’s cityscape at night. Longing twinges inside me, knowing we’re probably staring out at the same view.
“Why have you been having trouble sleeping, Falynn?” I ask. “Is it something about the suite?”
“The suite’s perfect. Our stay’s been too. I mean, Tasha’s still upset, but it’s understandable. I couldn’t sleep because…” She trails off, the hesitation so thick, I can feel it on my end. I can imagine she’s chewing on her plump bottom lip. The same lip I miss tasting. “I was thinking about earlier,” she confesses. “I was hoping you’d stayed longer.”
“I should’ve, but I had to remove myself.”
“Why?”
I bite down my answer, then decide to let it free. Might as well come clean. “It’s very hard being around you, Falynn.”
A few seconds pass where neither of us speak. She’s still there. Her soft breaths tell me this, so soothing in their own way—the lightest whispery sounds I remember from so many nights spent sleeping beside her. They’d be enough to put me to sleep right now if only she were here to wrap my arms around. That’s the thing about Falynn. She’s always made it easier for me to sleep at night. I’m not sure if she’s even aware.
“Falynn?” I say when the silence goes on.
“I’m here. I’m just… I guess I’m surprised. I don’t know what to say.”
“If I’m making you feel uncomfortable, then tell me. That’s why I removed myself.”
