CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TIFFANY
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Jayden climbs out of bed just before dawn, whispering to me that Noah Reed will be turning up around half past seven, in his place.
An ache similar to last night’s clenches my chest. This time it’s tighter.
Tonight needs to be my last night.
Needs?
Why does it need to be his last night?
“I’ll call you. Go back to sleep,” Jay whispers as he pulls on his pants.
He won’t.
I don’t know what happened inside that head of his during the event, but by the time we got to the limo, he’d decided to bolt.
Now, after spending the night consuming my body like I’m a buffet, Jayden’s still going to leave. And it hurts.
I could pretend that he is going to ring me and ask me on a date, but I know the truth. He knew we were going to fuck, so has told his boss he needs a transfer. Then decided to take me up on the offer to stay with me, anyway.
It’s my fault. I pushed.
Was it me he wanted, or Steven Stallone's daughter, like all the others?
Well, fuck that.
Jayden doesn’t even have the decency to stay for a five second chat now that we’ve regained consciousness. I’m not falling for the old I’ll call you.
Angrily, I toss the covers back.
“Tiff,” Jayden pads over to, I assume, kiss me.
“I need the bathroom and some water.” I nudge him away and relieve myself, then come out with a short silk dressing gown on.
He’s still here.
Small miracles.
“I need to go,” he says, fully dressed except the black jacket he has hanging over his arm.
I nod and walk out of the room and down the stairs.
Jay is quiet as he follows me. After all, what is he going to say? Hey nice vagina...until next time.
There won’t be a next time.
I’m done being such a fool with men.
Just before I reach the kitchen door, he curses and takes my arm, spinning me. “Tiff, wait.”
“It’s fine. This is not my first rodeo.” I refuse to look him in the eye.
“What the hell does that mean?” he almost snarls, grabbing my face so I have to see the fire flashing in his eyes.
I let out an angry laugh. “I’m not a virgin, Jayden. We had sex. Lots of it. It’s fine. Go. Do your thing.”
His nostrils flare and his hold tightens on my arm.
But he doesn’t argue. He doesn’t say that he felt like there was more than our bodies gliding together, which is what I felt. He doesn’t say it was the most mind-blowingly amazing sex he’s ever had.
Like I felt.
That it was only because the clock read three in the morning that we finally collapsed, and that being in his arms was different than with any other man.
That I felt safe.
That I felt desired and cherished despite there being no verbal evidence. That the feel of his heart beating under my cheek sent me drifting into a deep sleep.
Nope. He says none of that.
All I see is a blank, unreadable expression as always.
I tug my arm free and head to the kitchen to get a glass of water—
I stop dead, and Jayden plows into me, grabbing my hips. “Jesus, Tiff—”
“Jayden!” I cry, my hand going to my mouth.
There is a package on my counter I know wasn’t there when we went to bed.
I wouldn’t say I’m OCD, but living alone, you know when something is amiss in your own house.
And in this case, the package is clear and I can clearly see a pair of peach panties sitting in the bottom of the bag.
“Motherfucker,” Jayden growls, pushing me behind him protectively as I grab a handful of his shirt at his hips.
I drop my forehead against him.
“Who has a key to this house?” He asks, even though we’ve been over this. “Who else, Tiff?”
“No one,” I lift my head. “No one has a key or code to get into the house. Only Nadia has the gate code. And you.”
I move around to stand next to him, and Jayden glances down, running a hand through his hair. Slowly his eyes drift around the room, and I realize he’s listening.
My heart beats fast.
Oh God, he thinks someone is still in the house.
It’s bad enough they got in here while we were fucking or sleeping.
Jayden lifts a finger to his lips to silence me as he unholsters his gun I didn’t know he had on him. “Don’t let go of me,” he whispers, almost silently.
I nod.
Then he nudges me back behind him, takes my hand, and we go from room to room until finally arriving back in the kitchen by the offending bag.
There is a note.
“All clear.” Jayden releases me. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I shake my head, and he tugs me into an embrace. “Please don’t go.”
“I won’t.” He says into my hair. “Go get dressed. I need to call the LAPD.”
“We need to read the note.” I glance at it.
“We aren’t touching it until the cops arrive. Please. Go get dressed.”
I run upstairs and find a pair of white sweatpants, a black T-shirt, and white sneakers to pull on.
Jesus, I can’t believe someone broke into my house again while we were here.
Why am I being targeted?
Did they think I’d have the diamonds with me after the event?
Even though Jay has checked the house, my eyes dart everywhere as I’m getting changed and then run back down the stairs. I walk to Jayden’s side as he ends the call he was on.
He rubs my back.
“They should be here in a few minutes.”
“What do we tell them?” I glance up, knowing him being here when he wasn’t planning to be will raise questions.
“The truth.” Jayden holds my gaze. “We tell them the truth.”
When I look at him, guilt plowing through me, he takes my chin. “Tiff, I need you to cancel the launch. This is getting very dangerous.”
I don’t reply.