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I took a deep breath in and closed my eyes in relief.
She hadn’t run off.
But why was she back in her room before it was even daylight?
As I neared her room, I heard drawers opening and shutting quite loudly. Confused, I entered her doorway and observed what was going on.
Her old, ratty suitcase laid on the bed.
Wide open.
Clothes were strewn around it, some had actually made it inside.
Out of the corner of my eye, a shirt flew across the room and landed on the bed. My gaze caught Eve at the dresser, tossing clothes from the drawer toward the bed.
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked as I marched over to her. She was dressed in jean shorts and a tank top. Her hair up in a messy bun.
“I have to go. I’m sorry. Something came up,” she said, not even bothering to look up at me. Instead, she opened another drawer and started throwing more clothes toward the bed—most of it landing on the floor.
“You’re not going anywhere. What happened?” I asked, trying my best to remain calm even though she was threatening to leave me.
“I—I—just have to go. I’ll refund your money as soon as I can today. It might be the afternoon until I’ll have time. I hope that’s okay,” she muttered, still not so much as looking my way.
I walked up behind her and placed my hands on her erratic ones, holding them in mine. “Stop. Tell me what’s going on,” I breathed into her neck. She smelled fresh and clean—no longer any trace of me on her.
A large, white towel laid in the middle of the floor.
“Did you shower?” I asked, kissing her neck then licking lightly.
“Yeah, I showered down here. I wasn’t sure if you wanted me in yours,” she said, her arms stiff as boards.
“Of course, I want you in my shower. I want you in my shower a lot. Like right now, for example,” I said, turning her body around and wrapping my arms around her. I lowered my lips to hers and kissed her deeply.
Christ, she tasted like her cherry gum.
I took the kiss deeper, but then she pushed me away. “I can’t, Nick. I have to go.” Then she ran into the bathroom.
What the fuck?
I looked again at her old suitcase, and then I realized she was only packing the clothes she’d brought.
Not any of the new ones I’d bought for her.
She rushed out of the bathroom with a few bottles of soaps and what I’d guess was a makeup bag. With reckless abandon, she dumped it all into her suitcase.
“You’re not fucking going anywhere. Would you stop that already?” I shouted at the top of lungs, making her jump. It seemed like the only way I could get her attention.
Warily, she looked at me and said, “I have to.”
I set both hands on my waist and with a raised voice, I said, “No, you aren’t. Stop this bullshit, all right?”
Her head shook ever so slightly. “I can’t. I have to go. I’ll refund your money—”
I cut her off, completely out of patience now, I screamed, “I don’t give a fuck about the money. We have a deal and you’re staying!”
She cowered away from me, giving a large berth as she walked around to the dresser by the door. Her eyes looked sad and—frightened. “I’m sorry,” she said before grabbing something off the top of the dresser and flying out the door.
“Goddamn it!” I barked, following after her, getting even more pissed while I ran down the stairs. She reached the front door, but I was close behind. When she tried to step outside, I captured her arm with my hand and yanked her to me.
Her eyes held such fear, I hated myself for scaring her. “You are not going anywhere except back to my bed. Close the fucking door,” I growled at her, barely able to keep myself in check.
Those beautiful eyes of hers held mine, and she said, “I’m sorry.”
Then, before I knew what had happened, she twisted her arm and bolted out the door.
“Fuck!” I yelled, standing in the doorway—wearing only my briefs. I spun around to run back upstairs to find some clothes.
“Need anything, sir?” Langcaster appeared behind me.
“My keys, Langcaster. And maybe some rope,” I said dryly, then rushed up the stairs swearing the whole way.
