I’d still be in this situation if Fred and Frankie were here, but at least they would be around to create a buffer.

I’ve been in this room with her for three minutes and my dick is already hard as a rock. We haven’t even addressed the fact that there’s only one bed here. No couch, not even a chair. Only an overstuffed bench that looks nearly as hard as the erection Chloe is giving me. We’re both doing our best to keep up the charade that this isn’t the first time we’ll be sharing a room. A bed.

I have to get out of here.

“Do you want to go for a walk? Check out some shops?” Chloe asks just as I tell her, “I’m going for a run.”

“Oh, sure. That’s nice.” She nods. “I’ll see you at dinner?”

“Yeah. See you at dinner.”

I run six miles. Not because I’m a runner or in training for anything, but because that’s how far I get before I feel the tension of spending the weekend alone with Chloe subside. Then I think about her in that silk pajama set and I have to spend an extra five minutes in the shower with my dick in my hand.

Ultimately, I arrive at dinner no better than I was before the run.

Chloe, on the other hand, is full of excitement over the bookstore she and Baxter found. I wolf down the petite filet and vegetables Fred’s chef has prepared, then take my glass of wine to his office. The only way to make it through this weekend is to avoid Chloe. To not hear the exhilaration in her voice when she tells me about the cute downtown shops she visited. To not bear witness to the brilliant smile that appears on her face when she talks about things she loves. And most of all, to not be present when she slides her enticing body beneath the sheets of our bed.

* * *

Last night I worked on my laptop for as long as I could. I checked to make sure Chloe was asleep before brushing my teeth and climbing into bed with her. It’s a king-size bed, yet somehow during the night we managed to meet in the middle. By morning, strands of her hair were tickling my chest. Her toes were pressed against my shins and I had the strongest urge to pull her close.

Trying to secure this deal with Fred and therefore being forced to be around Chloe this much is giving me the worst case of blue balls. If I had a signed agreement with Voltaire, then I’d gladly accept this punishment. But with no progress made, I’m starting to wonder if I can make this deal happen. After this weekend, the only thing I’ll be closer to is my will power snapping where Chloe is concerned.