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“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hide what we have between us anymore. But I need to be at the gala early. I’ll be meeting all the vendors and probably get dressed in the fancy trailer of mobile bathrooms you procured.”
“You like that addition? I figured we better project some real VIP status with bathrooms that actually have toilets that flush and running water.”
“So smart, talented, and gorgeous. It’s like I hit the boyfriend jackpot.”
“Boyfriend. I like the sound of that.” He kissed her, then pulled back. “You are talking about me and not that Tank guy?”
Swatting at him, she pulled his face back down for another kiss.
Just when he thought they might not make it out of the kitchen without getting naked again, his alarm went off in his room.
“Damn, I’m due to meet the lawyers in less than an hour,” he said.
“It’s okay, I’m already behind schedule for the gala. The vendors are probably arriving as we kiss.”
“Alright, so I’ll see you there tonight. I’ll text you once I’m done being deposed to give you an idea of what time I can arrive.”
She smiled sheepishly. “I’m just going to grab my bag and change. I shoved some leggings in there last night before I came over here.”
“Before you came over here to seduce me with a premeditated sleepover?” He kissed her again. “You knew I would fall under your spell.”
“I hoped.”
He kissed her, and then the alarm screeched again. Moving down the hall, he called back, “Take your time and grab some coffee too. I gotta hop in the shower. The door will lock on your way out.”
Maybe next time they could shower together, he thought as he looked at the clock. As the hot water hit him, he realized he hadn’t told her about his plan with Mariah, but he’d have time before the gala started to fill her in. They could have a united front. He was so relieved she decided to stand up for what she wanted and believed in him. But he owed it to her to still try to prove to Parker he hadn’t betrayed him. He just hoped he was right about that.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Wearing his T-shirt,Hannah looked around for her things in Conner’s living room. She spotted her dress and small purse on the floor. Pulling out the leggings, she slipped them on and continued to look for her phone. It wasn’t in her bag, and she couldn’t remember if she’d left it in the car. She was pouring herself a coffee in a travel mug when the telltale sound of a phone on the counter buzzed. Picking it up, she instantly realized it wasn’t hers.
Dread washed over her.
A picture of a woman’s midriff and the bottom of her breasts filled the screen.
What was happening?
They had just spent the most romantic night together, and then she finds a dozen messages from Mariah on Conner’s phone?
Can’t wait to see you today.
I hope you got a good night’s sleep—you’ll need your energy for tonight.
You’re going to be one satisfied man again.
Every text sounded more familiar, more revolting than the last. She had to get out of here before she threw up or made a bigger fool of herself.
She could still hear the water running, which meant Conner was still in the shower. Clutching her things against her chest she realized she was still in his T-shirt with no bra—not the best option. But she couldn’t face him, not after all the things she’d told him, spilling her heart out just to let him crush her. She needed to get as far away from him as possible right now. Just then, she heard the shower go off.
Leaving his phone face up with the picture of Mariah, she opened the front door and exited his place just as he called her name. The elevator dinged open, and she pressed the garage button over and over until the doors closed. Carrying her shoes and her purse, she walked fast on the cold concrete of the garage floor to her car, parked next to Conner’s.
Had she really been played so easily?
Her phone started to vibrate once she was in the car, but she ignored it to get the car in drive. When she glanced down Conner’s name lit up the screen; she wondered if he knew she’d seen the pictures.
She had to go home and change before getting to the wharf, and she knew he wouldn’t miss court to follow her. Even still, she made fast work of getting a shower and grabbing everything she needed before heading to the wharf. Tears blurred her vision once she was parked, and she let herself feel crushed for a few minutes. Alone in the quiet car, she realized just how much she’d wanted to be with Conner, how loving him was like second nature. She’d let herself believe they were destined to be together, that Parker would eventually have to accept it. But it was clear that Conner wasn’t her happily-ever-after—more like her nightmare.
Now she had a taste of how Parker must have felt when he found Conner and Mariah together. She deserved the pain for not believing Parker when he warned her, but the shock of being so blind was too fresh to absorb.
