“I...I can’t... Ooh.” She arched back and started to move faster.
He stilled her hips and shook his head. “Uh-uh, sweetheart. I’m driving. We’re gonna take this nice and slow.” Terrence leaned up, latched on to an erect nipple and sucked hard. He’d dreamed about being inside of her for weeks and wanted to draw as much from this passionate interlude as he could. No other woman came close to making him feel the way she did. He transferred his kisses from her breasts to her mouth. Her tongue swirled and tangled with his, and another groan erupted from his throat.
Abruptly, she broke the kiss and let out a high-pitched scream as she climaxed all around him, her feminine muscles clenching him tight. Terrence gritted his teeth to keep from coming. Her wet heat had him on the verge of exploding, and he didn’t want to release yet. He had more in store for them. He thrust with long, languid strokes, slowly rebuilding her passion.
“Oh, Terrence. Baby, I can’t take much more,” Janae panted.
“I love being inside you. I can stay here all night,” he whispered against her lips.
“Please.”
She cried out again, and he increased the tempo. “Can you feel how much I want you, baby?” His body trembled slightly, and he closed his eyes as the sensations intensified. “I can’t get enough of you.” He knew if he made love to her every night for the next hundred years, it would never be enough.
His hands played over the smooth curve of her back and butt, then over her hips to guide her more purposefully. Her nails dug into his chest and shoulders, and their blended cries echoed throughout the room.
Janae leaned down and ran her tongue over the seam of his lips. “I can’t hold on.”
“Let it go, baby girl,” he panted, setting a rhythm with deep, powerful thrusts. “Come with me.”
She stiffened, then let out a scream that made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.
He gripped her hips and growled hoarsely as an explosive orgasm ripped through him. Then, like before, he came again, this time extracting out part of his soul. She collapsed on top of him, and he wrapped his arms around her.
Kissing the top of her hair, he tightened his hold and drifted off.
* * *
Janae awakened lying on top of Terrence. She had never made love in this position before, but enjoyed it immensely. Her two previous encounters didn’t come close to what she’d experienced tonight. Neither of them had taken her pleasure into consideration. Now she knew what all the hype was about. It also complicated matters even more because she’d fallen even harder for him, and had to suppress the urge to blurt out how much she loved him several times. Lifting her head, she met his smiling face.
“Hey, beautiful,” he crooned, kissing her. “We should probably shower.”
“Together?”
“Most definitely.” Sitting up, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and carried her into the bathroom. He wiggled his eyebrows. “We’ll save time and water.”
* * *
The next morning, Terrence’s gaze roamed over the woman cuddled next to him, and his heart swelled. He wanted to kiss her awake and slowly make love to her again. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to push the intense feelings down, but knew he could no longer deny that he loved her.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. I can’t love her.
Easing from the bed, he pulled on his underwear and sweats, then quietly left the room. Crossing the living room, he opened the balcony door and stepped out, hoping the morning breeze would cool the fire raging in his body. Bracing his hands on the railing, he sucked in a deep breath and lowered his head.
His heart thundered in his chest, and he wondered again how he’d allowed himself to do the one thing he’d sworn never to do. Granted, Janae was unlike any woman he’d ever met...but she was still a woman. He had to stop this before things went further.
But the thought of not being with her brought on another set of emotions. He cursed under his breath. This was exactly why he didn’t do emotions. He couldn’t go through the pain of losing again. Stepping back into the room, he glanced down at his watch. Grabbing his phone off the table where he’d left it the night before, he punched in Donovan’s number.
“What’s up, T?”
“Hey. Are we still meeting this morning?”
“Yeah. I’ll stop by and get you in a few. Is Janae coming with you?”
“No.”
“Okay. See you in a minute.”
Fifteen minutes later, Donovan knocked softly on the door.
Terrence answered quickly, so as not to awaken Janae. “Come on in.” He gestured Donovan out to the balcony.
Donovan waited until they were outside to speak. “What’s going on? You don’t seem too happy this morning.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I know you. Did something happen between you and Janae?”
Terrence walked over to the rail and shook his head.
“So, I guess you finally realize that you love her.”
He glanced over at his friend.
“Don’t bother to deny it. The question now is, what are you going to do about it?”
“I’m not going to do anything.” He turned back toward the rail.
“What does that mean? I know you’re not talking about breaking things off with her. Terrence,” he pleaded, “don’t do this, man. Janae is a great woman, and she’s good for you.”
“I have to. I can’t see her anymore after today.”
“It’s time to let go of the past. I know you love her.”
“I don’t do love or attachments,” he said with finality. “Don’t we have a meeting to get to?”
Donovan slowly shook his head and followed him back into the room.
Terrence quietly opened the bedroom door to find Janae still sleeping. He pulled on a T-shirt and laced up his tennis shoes. Walking over to the bed, he carefully pushed her hair away from her face, leaned down and breathed a kiss over her lips.
His heart lurched, and he fought back the intense emotions bubbling up in his chest. He closed the door softly behind him.
* * *
When Janae woke up the next morning, she was alone in bed. Terrence had told her that he had a meeting this morning at eight-thirty, but it wasn’t that time yet. Getting up, she winced at the slight soreness in her body. Slipping into one of the robes supplied by the hotel, she left to find him.
As she stepped around the corner to enter the living room, she heard voices coming from the balcony. Her heart froze at the angry words coming from Terrence. Stifling a gasp, she crept quietly back to the bedroom, took off the robe, got back into bed and tried to keep the tears from falling.
The words kept playing in her mind: I can’t see her anymore...I don’t do love or attachments. She berated herself over and over for falling in love with him. She squeezed her eyes closed in an attempt to shut out the pain slicing through her heart. Hearing the door, she willed the tears back and her features placid, then pretended to be asleep. After several minutes, she felt his gentle touch and soft kiss.
Only after she heard the click of the door closing did silent tears stream down her face.
When she was sure he had gone, Janae got up and packed. She had no intentions of being here when he returned. She called the front desk to ask if they could have a taxi for her in twenty minutes. The man she spoke to assured her that one would be waiting. After dressing and making sure she had everything, she left him a note and placed it on his pillow. She reached for the doorknob and noticed the bracelet on her wrist. Turning back, she removed it, ran her fingers lightly over the charms and placed it on top of the note. She put on her sunglasses, picked up the card key and hastily exited.
Janae left the key at the desk and hurried through the lobby with her head lowered,
hoping no one from the previous night recognized her. She gasped when someone grabbed her by the arm. She whirled around, and her gaze collided with Terrence’s.
“Janae? Where are you going?” he asked anxiously.
She pulled away from him. “I have to go. I left you a note.”
“A note? Baby, wait.”
He reached for her again, and she slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me,” she rasped.
Terrence threw up his hands. “What is going on?”
“I heard you this morning, Terrence. That’s what’s going on.” She gritted her teeth and forced back the tears threatening to fall. She would not let this man see her cry.
He sighed deeply. “Janae, let me explain.”
“You’ve already explained.”
“Janae, you don’t understand.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Sweetheart—”
“I understand perfectly. You don’t do love or relationships, right?”
His jaw tightened. “I—”
She cut him off again. “No! Just stay away from me.” She had to leave before she broke down completely. “So much for you not being a playa.” She rushed through the front door, ignoring his plea to come back.
The taxi sat waiting as promised, and as she settled into the backseat, she prayed she’d be able to change her flight to an earlier time. Her original flight was not scheduled to depart until five in the evening, eight hours from now.
When the taxi pulled up to the airport terminal, she paid the fare and rushed inside. Luckily, there weren’t many people in line, and it only took a few minutes to reach the check-in desk.
She extended her driver’s license and travel documents to the clerk. “I have a family emergency, and I need to leave sooner than expected. Is there an earlier flight I can take?”
The clerk took the documents and looked them over. “Let me see what we have available, Ms. Simms.” She clicked on her computer for a few minutes.
“I’ll pay the fee to change the flight.”
“Oh, there’s no fee for our preferred customers,” she said with a smile, still typing. Another minute passed. “There is actually a flight leaving at 10:25 a.m. That’s about forty-five minutes from now. Would you like to take that one?”
“Yes, please. Thank you.”
She took her reprinted boarding pass and hurried to the gate, but didn’t relax until the plane was safely in the air.
* * *
Terrence stalked through the lobby to the elevators and up to his room. He rushed through the suite to the bedroom. His gaze landed on the bracelet lying on the pillow. Walking over, he picked up both the bracelet and the note.
Terrence, thank you for inviting me to the party. I had a great time. I know you don’t do love or attachments, so I thought things would be easier this way.
He cursed and dropped down on the bed. This wasn’t the way things were supposed to go. It wasn’t as if he had a plan or a clue as to how he would have gone about breaking things off, but he knew this wasn’t it. He lay back on the bed, and her scent immediately engulfed him—the same scent that drove him crazy every time he came near her. It was on the bed, the sheets...and embedded so deeply inside him, it would linger forever.
Closing his eyes, he recalled everything about her. Her smile. The way her whole face lit up when she laughed. The way she looked at him—as if he were the most important person in her world. Her sexy dance moves. Her kiss. The way her body felt pressed against his as he thrust into her. The sound of her voice screaming out his name when she climaxed. He vividly remembered the feel of her hot little hands moving all over his body while she arched up to meet his thrusts, exciting him to the point of having back-to-back orgasms, something he’d never done with another woman.
The phone shattered his reverie. Slowly pulling into a sitting position, he reached over to pick up the receiver.
“Hello? Mr. Campbell?”
“Yes.”
“This is the front desk. I wanted to confirm your appointment in our spa at eleven, as well as your reservation in the restaurant for one-thirty.”
He had completely forgotten about the plans he’d made for him and Janae. They were to have a couple’s massage, followed by a private lunch.
“Sir?” the clerk repeated.
“I’m sorry. There’s been a change in plans, and I’ll need to cancel both.”
“I’m sorry, too, sir. Hopefully, your cancellation isn’t due to any dissatisfaction with our services.”
“No, nothing like that. The hotel’s services have been excellent.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Would you like to reschedule?”
“Not at this time.”
“Well, please let us know if we can be of further service to you.”
“Thank you. I will.”
He dropped the receiver back into the cradle, then glanced down at his other hand, where he still held the bracelet. His thumb moved over each of the small charms. Shifting his gaze, he saw the note where he’d dropped it, the words mocking him. Didn’t you say you wanted to break things off? Well, you’ve gotten your wish. It’s better this way, his inner voice said.
“Probably,” he muttered to himself. But if things were better, why did he feel as if a knife had been plunged into his heart?
With nothing else left to do, he began packing. He had no need to stay at the hotel—he could be miserable in his own house. He stepped into the bathroom, and Janae’s scent surrounded him once again. She must have showered before leaving, because the scent was so potent, he could almost reach out and touch it. Bracing his hands on the sink, he inhaled deeply. Was she still sitting at the airport, or had she taken another flight? He knew he should call, but he had no idea what to say.
“Dammit!” He slammed his hand on the marble.
Spinning away from the sink, he cursed again. With a low growl, he snatched up his toiletries and tossed them in the bag. Packing up the rest of his things didn’t take long. Terrence took one last look around the suite to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. At the last moment, he decided to let Donovan know he was leaving.
Donovan answered on the fourth ring, obviously still mad. Donovan had barely spoken two words to Terrence outside of business and had glowered at him during the entire meeting after Terrence told him he was breaking up with Janae.
“I wanted to let you know I’m leaving.”
“Are you and Janae going out for a while?”
“No. I’m going home.”
“You’re taking her home with you?”
“No. She’s not here,” he said resignedly. “She overheard our conversation this morning.”
“Did you call her? Where did she go?”
“I’m guessing she went back home. I don’t know what I’d say if I called her.”
“Let’s see. I can think of a couple of things. How about ‘I’m an idiot and I messed up’? Or...wait...here’s a good one—‘I love you.’ Damn, T! You can’t just let her go like that. If you explained things to her, she would understand. And I, for one, don’t think you’d ever have to worry about her walking out. She’s not that kind of person.”
“I know.” Terrence heard everything Donovan was saying, but the memory of the pain he suffered that day had a vise around him so tight, he couldn’t break free. He would be the first to admit that Janae was special. But for right now, he couldn’t force himself to do anything.
“Then what are you going to do?”
“Nothing. Talk to you later.”
He surveyed the room once more, slid on his glasses and baseball cap, picked up his bags and headed for the lobby. He’d used the self-checkout in the room, so he had no reason to stop until reaching his car. He slid behind the wheel and leaned his head back.
Now what?
I guess I’ll go back to doing what I’ve always done...work.
If only he could stop thinking about Janae.
Chapter 16
Janae let herself in the house and rushed straight to her bedroom. Her chest heaved, and the tears she’d held throughout the flight and taxi now came in waves. She crawled on the bed, curled up into a fetal position and sobbed until she was spent. Hours passed as she lay there, but she didn’t care. She ignored the incessant ringing of her cell, then finally got up and trudged to the bathroom, cringing at her reflection—red, puffy eyes and wild hair. Her throat felt raw from hours of crying. After splashing some water on her face, she headed to the one place that always soothed her.
She painted until her shoulders ached and fingers cramped, but didn’t stop. Instead, she flexed them and kept going. Her hand halted in midstroke when Terrence’s voice came over her answering machine.
“Janae. It’s Terrence. I wanted to make sure you made it home safely. Please call me.”
The machine clicked off, and she resumed her painting. Glancing through the partially drawn curtains later, she noticed lengthening shadows. Janae stood and stretched, trying to loosen the kinks in her body. She cleaned up and shuffled to the kitchen. She hadn’t eaten all day and didn’t particularly have an appetite, but knew she needed to put something in her stomach. It took her more than twenty minutes of searching before settling for soup, which she consumed without tasting.
She moved around her house trancelike for the next two days, not answering the phone and barely eating. Karen had called close to two dozen times, and she’d finally sent a text telling her the party was nice. Terrence had called again, but she ignored his call. What would she say to him other than what she’d told him during their confrontation and written in the note?
No, it was best that she get on with the rest of her life. Janae decided that this would be a good time to visit her parents. Maybe the more distance between her and Terrence, the easier it would be to forget him. Who was she kidding? He’d gotten to her on a level that neither of the two men she’d previously been involved with had ever touched, and he’d done so effortlessly.
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