Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Cosmos
S he’s fucking perfect.
It was just after seven a.m., the sky already bright from the sun, and he lay there with Abby in his arms, more comfortable than he’d been in a long time. Cosmos hadn’t felt like he was missing anything in life. He was happy being single. He loved women, but he was discreet and selective. He’d had relationships with other women, all of which had ended amicably. He’d had one-night stands where both he and his partner had fun and went their separate ways. He’d even done contracts with submissives at The Library, the place he considered his ‘home’ club. But in all of his thirty-nine years, he’d never felt the pull to get married or even live with a woman.
Tonight, he’d followed Abby into The Sand Berg with the same attitude. Of course, he’d hoped they’d click and spend an evening together. Maybe two days before she went back home. However, in the space of a few hours, he’d become truly attracted to her, inside and out. Earlier in the night, he’d wondered if, maybe, they might try dating long distance. He was practical enough to know that would be difficult, but somewhere in the night of loving Abby, his world rearranged. Now he didn’t just want to try it. He wanted to make it work. They still had their busy jobs, and it wouldn’t be easy with him traveling here, there, and everywhere, but he couldn’t help but wonder if she’d be willing to give it a go.
When they’d sat down for dinner, The Lucky Rabbit hadn’t even been close to being on his radar, but over the course of the meal he’d seen the feisty imp she could be. The clubs were a part of his life, even if it was just a place to hang out. If there was any hope of something working out between them, they would have to be something she could accept as part of his life. As part of their relationship. It might not all be to her taste, and truthfully, not all of it was his, either. But if tonight was any indication, she’d be up for experimenting.
In the still of his thoughts, his phone rang. He uttered a quiet swear word. No one called him other than his mother, Hubble, or his friend, Tripoli. His mother would never call at this hour of the morning, even if the world were burning to the ground. Tripoli was in Los Angeles, so it would be even earlier there. He probably was sleeping, if not just getting home from his club there. It could be him if the problem was security related, but most things Tripoli could handle by himself. It was probably Hubble, and he knew not to call until Monday. So whatever the call was, it was going to be bad news. Cosmos considered letting it go to voicemail.
Fuck. What disaster do we have now?
Cosmos rolled over and answered his phone. Abby stirred in his arms as if to move away, but he banded his arm tighter around her to keep her from leaving him.
“Yeah?”
“Hey, Cosmos. I’m sorry to bother you so early, but… I’ve got a situation at Renewal.”
It was Tripoli.
This is extra not good if he’s calling.
“What’s going on? ”
“Vortex just called. They found a body in the club.”
Abigail
“They found a what ?” Cosmos pulled himself from her, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and sat with his elbows on his thighs, a hand running through his rumpled hair and the phone to his ear.
Abby propped herself up on her elbow and watched the tension in Cosmos’ back as he spoke on the phone. The voice on the other end of the phone was too quiet to be heard clearly as it explained ‘what’ someone found.
“Fuck,” Cosmos muttered.
This started as a one-night stand, but for her, it had become something bigger. He made her breathless every time he looked at her, but his soulful eyes, cut features, and fit body were just the tip of the iceberg. From moment one of their meeting in the stadium, he’d made sure she was comfortable, whether it was from Mr. Mouth’s unwanted attention, later ensuring she enjoyed what was happening between them, or just taking care of her afterward. She’d known this was just a fling, but now it looked like it was going to be cut even shorter than she’d hoped for.
Cosmos hung up the phone with a sigh, his hand reaching for hers around his waist. He looked over his shoulder at her. “I have to go.” He ran his hand soothingly back and forth over her arm. “My friend, the guy who owns the club? They’ve got a bad situation in San Antonio. I need to get to the airport and go down there.”
“Okay.”
He turned toward her and laid down in the bed facing her. He brushed the back of his hand down her face. “I’d wait until Monday if I could, but this is something that absolutely can’t wait.” He took her hand in his and kissed the back of it, then pulled it to his chest. “I’m not sure how long this mess is going to take to clear up. ”
He reached for his phone. “Put your number in here while I shower. Call yourself so you have my number. Guest services hopefully have our clothes done since I sent them down to the laundry when we got here last night. Call and get them to bring those up, and order some breakfast to be sent up. Afterwards, I’ll take you back to the city.”
“Can I see you off at the airport?”
“You’d better not. I have to go into my office first and deal with some things. He kissed her hand again, then her lips, before getting out of bed.
The ride back to Chicago was quiet. She considered the past twenty-four hours.
Do I want to risk a broken heart? And what about him? He asked for my number. But isn’t that something you do, like saying “Let’s do this again sometime” at the end of a date, and then you never hear from them again?
Arriving at the Versey, he parked and walked her to her room. Behind the closed door, he pulled her tight, his lips melding to hers. Coming up for air, he pulled back, once more framing her face to brush her hair back. He kissed her lingeringly on the lips, then he moved to the door. “Enjoy your game today. Get home safe. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
With a final smile at her, he exited the room. Through the closed door, she heard the muted ping of the elevator as it arrived to take him away from her.
Going to the game today was not high on her list of things to do, so she packed up her things and checked out of the hotel. All the way home, she considered their situation.
Is the risk worth the return?
When she arrived home, she sat at her kitchen table and had one last minute to think before she acted. Her course of action decided, she texted him a short message, and then she deleted his number from her phone .