Chapter 4
FOUR
Ben
I wake up, not sure where I am, and feel a sharp blow to my kidneys. And then another to my lower back.
Fuck. Who’s attacking me? And where the hell am I?
“Get out,” a woman snaps.
I open my eyes but it’s pitch black, and then I get another kick in the back.
I tumble out of bed and away from whoever or whatever is trying to inflict pain on me in the middle of the night.
Memories start to form in my brain, but the hangover and lack of sleep aren’t helping me piece together what’s happening to me.
“I said get your clothes and get out of here,” the woman barks. “You snore like an elephant with a respiratory issue. You need to leave.”
The voice is familiar, and I start to smile as I think back to the night before. The woman with the smart mouth and the incredible smile. Oh yes, she’s coming back to me now. What an incredible night.
The kitchen. The knife. Those streaks of pleasure she left on my countertops.
She groans as if she’s in my head.
We both need coffee.
I grab some boxers and head to the kitchen. I have a state-of-the-art coffee machine, so I set to work making us both cappuccinos.
It’s weird. I’ve never had to make anyone coffee in the morning. Avril’s my first overnight guest since…my parents came to stay last year.
As I’m heading back with a tray, I hear Avril on the phone.
“Worth, I have to go,” she says out of nowhere, just as I’m coming back into the bedroom. She was on the phone to her brother? For a lift? A chat?
“Shit,” she says, as we lock eyes.
“Good morning, beautiful,” I say.
“We’re at your place,” she says. “And I kicked you out of your own bed.”
“Yes and yes. I brought you coffee.”
She winces. “Sorry.” She takes the cup and saucer from me. “This smells excellent and it’s just what I— Holy crap. My dress! What the hell am I going—”
I chuckle and take a seat on the bed. I didn’t really think about Avril getting home last night when I sliced off her dress. “We’ll figure it out.”
“How?” she says.
“I can get a store to deliver something. Or you can wear something of mine.”
“I can’t get into an Uber wearing men’s boxers and a t-shirt without a bra.”
“My driver will take you. Or you could stay.” I raise my eyebrows, teasing her.
“Stay? Forever? A prisoner in your apartment because I have no clothes?”
“Works for me.”
She smiles and it’s beautiful.
She breaks our stare and glances around. “You like to sleep in the pitch black like I do. I couldn’t tell this was your bedroom.”
“And last night was entirely forgettable. I get it.”
“I didn’t get much sleep last night. My brain was fuzzy.”
I lean forward and press a kiss to her blanketed leg. “I forgive you.”
“But seriously, how am I getting out of here? Any of your roster leave clothes behind?”
I take a beat before I respond. I can’t tell if there are questions behind her question.
Who else are you sleeping with?
How many girls have been in the bed I’m lying in?
Am I special?
And I’m not sure if I should answer with a joke or with honesty. But in my experience, honesty usually works best.
“I’ve never brought a woman here,” I say. “So no abandoned women’s clothes, I’m afraid.”
She holds my gaze, and I just know she’s wondering whether or not to call bullshit.
“Did you just move in?” she asks.
I laugh. “I’ve been here four years.”
“So I’m special?” She grins at me, teasing.
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly again. There was a reason I decided to bring her back to my place. “Maybe I’m just determined to have you think I’m charming.”
“Well, these sheets feel really good, so it was a close call, but no, you’re definitely not charming. Remember, I’m not looking for charming.”
I chuckle as she takes a sip of her coffee.
She’s right, she didn’t get much sleep last night, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a woman so beautiful.
Her hair, lit up by the winter sun coming through the window, has a luster of gold to it, like she should be on display in a cathedral rather than in my bed.
When she moves, it’s with a slow and deliberate grace that’s usually reserved for ballerinas. I can’t pull my gaze from her.
“I should get going,” she says.
“You don’t have to leave,” I say. It’s Sunday, so I don’t have any actual work to do. My only plans were to catch up with emails and go to the gym.
“Remember. I don’t want to find anyone charming for a year.”
I’m not sure I can wait that long.
“Oh yes. You’re on a year’s hiatus from charming. Didn’t seem like that last night.”
“What we did last night wasn’t even adjacent to charming.”
Right, but do you want to do it again?
“So you’re saying that after getting to know me, you still don’t find me charming?” I ask. “I’m not sure I’m buying that. I think if we spent a week together, you’d leave charming at the gate and be hopelessly in love with me.”
She laughs, and it’s so warm and sexy, I want to dive right into her and never come up for air.
“Well, I’m afraid you can’t keep me prisoner for a week.
I have things to do.” She pauses for a minute, and I think she’s just about to open up and tell me what she’s got going on, but she shakes her head.
“Can you get me one of your white dress shirts, and a pair of navy boxers if you have them? And then it would be great if your driver could take me home.”
I don’t want her to leave.
What the hell is the matter with me?
“And you’re sure you don’t want to stay and fall in love with me?”
She gives a small nod. “Positive.”
I sigh dramatically, slide my coffee back onto the nightstand, and pad into my dressing room. I pull out a shirt and pair of boxers. “As requested,” I say. “I’m going to head to the shower. There’s another bathroom through there, or you could join me.”
She bites back a smile. “Thanks. I’ll leave you to shower on your own.”
When I’ve finished showering, I head back into the bedroom, a towel around my waist, to find Avril still here, her hair wet, standing in my shirt, the sleeves rolled up and she’s tied the front together.
She’s wearing my boxers on the bottom. I have no idea how they’re staying up.
And she has her heels from last night on.
She’s the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.
“You look good.”
She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “I look ridiculous.” She shrugs. “But it was worth it.”
“Huh?” I say, cupping my ear like I can’t hear her. “What did you say? That you had the time of your life last night.”
She shakes her head, trying to cover up a smile, and she strides past me, pushing me with her palm flat against my chest. “I’m out of here.”
I grab her wrist before she can walk past me. “My driver’s downstairs in the basement car park. Let me show you.”
I grab some joggers and pull them on and follow her out into the hallway. I take my keys from the bowl and the lift is waiting.
She glances at me, her bravado dimming slightly.
“This is a private elevator,” I reassure her. “No one’s going to see you. But if they did, they’d think you had style for days.”
She tilts her head.
“I was going to ask for your number,” I say, as we ride down to the basement.
“But you won’t because you know I’ll say no.”
“Do I know that?” I ask. Last night was bloody spectacular. Why wouldn’t she say yes to a replay?
“You do,” she says. “Remember, I know guys like you.”
“Maybe you don’t know guys like me. Maybe I’m the guy who will make you fall in love with him if you gave him a week.”
“Maybe that’s why I’m saying no.”
The lift doors slide open into the basement. My driver’s waiting, the headlights lighting us both like we’re on a stage.
“Thank you.” She lifts her chin toward the car. “For the ride.”
I grin. “Thank you for the ride.”
She rolls her eyes, and I move to follow her out of the lift car, but she puts her hand on my chest to stop me. “I’m good from here.”
She shuts me down at every turn.
I keep the lift door open as I watch her climb into the car. My driver reverses and I can’t see her through the tinted glass, but I wait until the car has driven off anyway.
She thinks this is the last time we’ll ever see each other.
It won’t be.
As far as I’m concerned, Avril Huntington and I are unfinished business.