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He wasn’t letting up, determined for me to recall all of the memories. The number of times he’d carry me from their apartment couch to his bed wasn’t lost on me.
It was his thing.
I was exhausted, tired of putting up a fight with this man and we’d only just begun. I was in for a rough six months if this was any indication of where we were headed.
“What are you doing?”
“You know what I’m doing.”
“You can’t keep doing this to me. It’s not fair.”
“I need you at your best tomorrow. All I’m doing is making sure you get a good night’s rest.”
“That’s not the only thing you’re doing, and you know it.”
“No more talking about the past, Cherry.”
“Then put me down.”
“I will once I lay you on my bed.”
“Is this how it’s going to be? You remove all the mattresses in the hotels we stay at besides yours? Just so I have to sleep in your bed?”
He shamelessly replied, “I’m glad we’re finally on the same page.”
“I see you’re as controlling as ever.”
“You don’t get to where I am in life without staying in control.”
“I just want the record to show I’m beyond drained and it’s the only reason I’m allowing this tonight.”
He didn’t reply. Instead, he walked into his bedroom, and then kicked the door shut behind him. Gently, he laid me down on his bed and hovered above my small frame.
It was only then I smelled the whiskey on his breath.
“Did you hear what I said? You can’t—”
“Try to stop me, Paige.”
My body melted into his mattress. I could see it in his heady gaze—he wanted to kiss me. It didn’t matter how hard he tried. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
I hit him where it hurt.
It was the only card I had to play that I could win.
I viscously spewed, “If your brother could only see you now.”
He growled, pushing himself off the bed. We locked eyes for what felt like an eternity until he turned and left me there.
While I pretended…
I didn’t crave his touch.
Adrian
I rushed into my gym to hit my punching bag, needing to get my fucking head on straight. If I didn’t, I’d fuck her right then and there just to remind her who she still belonged to. I struggled to remain calm and gain my composure, but my temper wouldn’t allow it.
For the next hour, I hit the bag until my knuckles felt raw through the gloves as sweat dripped off every inch of my body. Over and over, I took out my frustrations the only way I could. Loathing the fact she was bringing Cade into our connection anytime she felt threatened. She knew he was always my biggest weakness when it came to her.
As much as I wanted to pretend like he was no longer an issue in our lives, he always would be. Her timing was impeccable, making his presence known when I least expected it. Cade and I didn’t have the best relationship. If anything, it was worse than what it had been in the past.
The only time we saw one another was during the holidays at our childhood home and even then, things were strained between us. Paige’s mom remarried, moving shortly after everything between us came to a head. He couldn’t forgive me, and I didn’t blame him. I did betray him in the worst possible way.
Although, we’d never been close, to begin with. It didn’t matter. Paige was off-limits and I always knew that, but I couldn’t help myself. I never could with her, and she was proving it hadn’t changed. Now I was in a war with a woman I couldn’t forget, never had. All I knew was I couldn’t lose her again. I wouldn’t survive it a second time, I barely did the first.
Making my way back into my bedroom, I scoffed a chuckle when I saw the lamp on the nightstand was on. Then I noticed the barricade made of pillows she had set up down the middle of the bed.
Rubbing my face, I shook my head. At least she was passed out, strategically sleeping on the left side of the mattress.
My side.
She may have thought she was keeping me away, but her snoozing on my pillow attested otherwise. Whether she wanted to or not, she was drawn to me. There was no hiding from our connection.
Her hair was cascading around her face, reminding me of all the times I watched her sleep while she was in my arms. Careful not to wake her, I jumped in the shower again. Cleaning off the sweat from my body before I lay down next to her.
There was so much I wanted to say, so much I needed to tell her, but I didn’t know where to start. She was finally back in my life, and I was determined to keep her there. I still had hours of work ahead of me and all I longed to do was hold her in my arms the way I used to. Instead, I shut my eyes and dozed off for an hour. I had to wake up early to finish looking over the reports for tomorrow’s meeting. I was used to sleeping a couple hours a night, it wasn’t anything new to me.
