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Not a virgin.
My smile pulls into a grimace as I wince my way to the bathroom. I don’t know if this is a normal amount of pain after your first time, or if it has more to do with the vigor that Nero used to… fuck me.
My stomach clenches.
I really hope we can do that again.
Not wanting to ruin my current good mood by seeing my naked disheveled state, I ignore the vanity mirror and head right to the shower, turning the water on to warm.
But before I drop onto the toilet, I spin back around, and, keeping my eyes averted, tug the mirror, exposing the small medicine cabinet hidden behind it.
Snagging my little holder, I pop one of the tiny pills out of the packet, courtesy of the local clinic and their discounted birth control.
I reallyreallyhope he isn’t carrying some sort of communicable disease, because I hadn’t even thought about protection last night. Not that I even own condoms. Why would I? It’s lucky I have the pill. But my periods were horrendous, and I remember reading somewhere that a contraceptive might help. And it did.
Silently thanking my past self, I use the small cup I keep by the sink and take my daily pill. Paying for antibiotics would be hardship enough so paying for an abortion is definitely not in the budget. And I’d have to, because if I can’t afford a dog, I certainly can’t afford a kid.
I snap the pill case closed, then return it to its shelf and head into the shower.
My routine takes longer than normal, with my achy muscles, so I’m running behind when I hustle back across the hall into my bedroom.
Because I was so distracted when I woke up, I didn’t even think to make my coffee earlier.
I’ll celebrate with a coconut honey latte when I get to work.
I snort, feeling like a complete loser for wanting to celebrate losing my virginity. But I’ve been guarding it for so long, it’s honestly a relief to be done with it. And I did it on my own terms, with a man that affects me in ways I couldn’t have even imagined.
So it’s with thoughts of Nero on my brain, that I pull open my underwear drawer and freeze. Sitting on top of my little pile of panties, is a crisp hundred-dollar bill.
CHAPTER30
Nero
“Well,if you hadn’t missed our appointment yesterday morning”—Abdul adjusts one of the many stacks of papers on his desk—“we wouldn’t need to do these all today.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I was busy,” I growl.
My realtor sighs. “Fine, fine, I’ll drop it.”
“Appreciate that,” I say flatly.
“Well, the good news is, I’ve rescheduled the showings for this afternoon. I have the three properties you said you were interested in, plus another two that I think fit your needs. And they’re all in the districts you requested.”
“Good.” I push out of the extremely uncomfortable chair across from Abdul’s desk.
He may be the best in town, but my patience is thinner than usual today. I consider telling him why I was late this morning, that choking a man to death with his own finger altered my schedule for the week, then decide against it.
“I’ll see you in a couple of hours,” he calls after me, as I stride out the door.
But I’m no longer listening, because now I have a little time to spare, and it’s been too long since I’ve laid eyes on my Sweet Girl.
* * *
Flipping my blinker on,I turn down the block Payton works on, and remind myself that I’m not going in.
It’s mid-morning, and the early rush should be over, though it seems like there’s almost always a couple of customers in the shop.
My foot depresses on the brake as I come even with Twin’s Café, but the afternoon sun is glinting off the glass of the large windows at just the wrong angle, messing with my view of the interior.
