And then, all it took was a whisper from her, so soft but still sent me crashing down.

“No.”

* * *

I lingered in the bathroom, my hand on the doorknob.

What am I doing? Am I hiding after she rejected kissing me?

It was laughable.

Coming to my senses, I pushed the door open and walked through, toweling my hair off as I looked over the lumpy bed. The blanket looked fluffy but otherwise unimpressive. It was cheap and scratchy, but Addi sighed into it like she hadn’t had a good place to rest in years.

It only added to my annoyance.

As I washed off my post-orgasm high in the shower, along with my embarrassment, I started to really take in everything that happened tonight. The charity event was enough to fry my nerves, but then there was Ezra touching what was mine, then Darla, then the tire, and Ezra again.

We were supposed to be home by now.

How the fuck was the spare flat? There’s going to be hell to pay tomorrow.

I had let myself get too distracted by Addi. There was always a shitload of never-ending work to get done. Legal inquiries, lawsuits, new department there, sales numbers here. It was getting tiring. If I could just focus on the auction, maybe I’d be happier, but it wasn’t in my nature to give up on all that cash.

Not when I had once needed it and didn’t have it. When I needed it most.

Trying not to think too much about the work I had to do at home, I climbed in behind Addi. She stiffened when the bed dipped.

I stifled my grin.

She’s pretending to be sleeping.

As annoyed as I was, I still found her actions amusing. She let me do almost anything to her. Ravage her body. Pull orgasm after orgasm out of her until her knees were weak.

But sleeping together? Kissing? That was crossing the line.

Somehow, I understood. I was the same with the women I fucked before her. I didn’t let anyone close. But the way she was doing it to me made my chest feel tight.

I sank into the bed, my arm brushing against her back. Both of us were wearing matching hotel robes.

The room went quiet.

“You didn’t buy anything,” Addi whispered.

I looked up at the ceiling, noticing where they had fixed the cracks, the surface slightly uneven.

“I usually don’t,” I admitted. “I don’t like to show off.”

Addi let out a hum and turned so she was facing the ceiling as well.

“It’s not really for charity,” she said. “It’s all for show. Dominic may try to act like he’s god’s gift to this earth, but he’s only doing it so people think he’s good.”

A smile pulled at my lips.