Again (Time for Love Book 3)

by Miranda P. Charles

  “You are Connor right?”

  “Yes.”

  The stranger perched herself next to him. “Oh, great! I’m Agnes. Lori’s friend. I was in your party last night.”

  Ah, now he remembered her. She was the one who’d ground her bottom on Lucas’s lap. “Hi, Agnes.”

  “I been waiting for you here for ages. I was just upstairs, knocking on your door. Lucas told me your room number.”

  Connor took a sharp breath, remembering Lucas’s challenge. Damn it!

  “I’ve heard all about you,” Agnes purred. “And I’m ready.”

  “Ready for what?” he asked in a low voice, irritation sprouting fast.

  Agnes giggled then leaned closer. “I’m ready to see if you really deserve your title, Mr. Fuck King.”

  He shook his head exasperatedly, glancing around the hotel lobby. Fortunately, no one was close enough to hear Agnes’ comment.

  Agnes’ hand crept up his thigh. He grabbed it to stop its progress and placed it on her lap. Did this woman have no shame? They were in a public place! “Agnes,” he said in warning.

  Fortunately, Agnes had to answer her ringing phone and Connor stood up, eager to get away.

  “Wait, Connor!” Agnes grabbed his arm while she spoke with someone on the phone. “...Can you wait?... Fine, I’ll be out shortly,” she said impatiently to whoever was on the line.

  “Eager to go upstairs, are you?” Agnes teased, misreading his actions from earlier. “Unfortunately, I have to go, Connor. Someone’s waiting for me outside to take me to an important party attended by famous people. We’ll have to do this some other time.”

  Connor exhaled his relief. “I’m leaving tomorrow morning, Agnes. I’m afraid we’ll have to forget about this.”

  Agnes pouted, her disappointment more than obvious. “Oh, that’s not fair! Amanda will have sex with the two of you, but I won’t?”

  Connor scowled. “What do you mean?”

  “Amanda and Lucas went out somewhere a few minutes ago. You know where that would lead.” Agnes sighed. “I wish I could pull out of this party, but I can’t. Anyway, if Amanda decides that Lucas is the better lay and you want someone else’s opinion, call me. Lucas has got my number.” Then Agnes hurried off.

  Connor stared at her in shock. What the hell was Agnes talking about? Agitated, he headed for the lifts. Might as well check up on Amanda and see what was keeping her.

  *

  Hands on hips, Connor stared at Amanda’s door, willing it to open. He’d knocked a few times already but there was no answer. He couldn’t hear any sound coming from the inside either.

  He hurried back to the lobby. Maybe Amanda had been on her way down when he went up and they'd missed each other?

  But she wasn’t there.

  He took a deep breath, confused and more than a little hurt. They’d had amazing sex last night. But more than that, he really thought there was a deeper connection there somewhere. He wanted to explore what that was. Did he get it so damned wrong?

  He’d subtly questioned Amanda last night on how often she partied with Lori. Amanda had said that she hardly ever saw her cousin. Apparently, Lori had considered it a challenge to get Amanda to go out with her last night after learning about Amanda’s New Year’s resolution with her best friends.

  Amanda had been reluctant to tell him what that New Year’s resolution was, but he’d managed to tease it out of her. She’d turned beet red when she said it was about her and her best friends promising to make time for love, with the end of the year being their deadline in finding the right guy. The joy he’d felt at her explanation had been so unexpectedly strong that he’d made love to her yet again.

  So had she lied about that? If so, why?

  He pulled his phone out to call Lucas, only to replace it back in his pocket. Lucas would make the biggest deal out of Connor calling to see if Amanda was with him. No, calling Lucas was a bad idea.

  Besides, maybe Amanda was just running late from her day out with her aunt. He’d wait there for a while. That would be the best thing to do, since he didn’t have her contact number.

  An hour later, Connor got up from his seat and trudged to the exit. That was more than enough time waiting for a date to turn up. There was no question that he’d been stood up.

  Maybe Agnes had told the truth after all—that Amanda had gone with Lucas.

  Well, fuck it. Lucas could have the stupid title Connor never wanted. And if Amanda was with Lucas? Well, fuck that too.

  ❈❈❈❈❈

  Connor rubbed his face to bring him back to reality, fully focusing on the road once again. He found himself hoping that he had indeed been totally wrong with his assumptions.

  *****

  “Do you want something to drink?” Amanda asked.

  “Only if you’re having something yourself,” Connor answered.

  “Coffee?”

  “Sure. White, no sugar, thanks.”

  Connor stood in the middle of Amanda’s living room, checking out his surroundings, while Amanda went to the kitchen. She was neat and tidy, and obviously had some interior decorating talents. He immediately warmed to her place. It had a relaxing vibe to it.

  He walked over to a tall shelving unit where several photo frames were prominently displayed. He grinned at a cute picture of five young girls, about nine or ten years old, holding up ice cream cones and sporting happy smiles. He scanned the other photos, noticing a couple with Ash and a woman who he guessed must be their mother. He took a closer look at one with about thirty people in it. He recognised a few faces, including the siblings of Rebecca and Gemma who’d attended last night’s party. Lori or any of Lori’s friends weren’t in any of the shots.

  He breathed in sharply. He’d always wondered if things would have been different if he’d had Amanda’s phone number and was able to call her to see what had gone wrong that day.

  Which reminded him, he must get her contact details before he left tonight.

  Amanda came back, carrying a tray. She placed it on the coffee table, then sat on the couch. He joined her.

  “So,” she said quietly. “You came to meet me that night at the hotel?”

  “Yes. I was ten minutes late from a business meeting and assumed you were still getting ready.”

  Amanda’s brows furrowed. “You waited?”

  “Yes.”

  “For how long?”

  “An hour.”

  Amanda’s mouth opened in surprise. “Well, we must have just missed each other then. I came back at around eight.”

  He frowned. “Where did you go?”

  Amanda picked up her cup and took a sip, her features a picture of deep contemplation.

  He reached for his coffee and tried to relax, even though he could hardly wait to hear her version of events.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Amanda took her time in calming her inner confusion. Connor had waited for an hour for her to turn up for their date? An hour? Did he really do that?

  She glanced at him. He smiled, looking composed. With a steadying breath, she put her cup down. How should she start this?

  “My aunt dropped me off in front of the hotel just before seven,” she said. “I was on my way up to get changed when I bumped into Lori and that friend of yours she met at your party. I don’t remember his name.”

  “That was probably Frank,” he said.

  “Yeah, that’s it. I thought it was lucky that Lori’s mum had already driven off. My aunt wouldn’t have been happy to see Lori walking out of a hotel with a man. She would have known straight away what Lori had been up to. She knows what her daughter’s like, but she’d rather not see proof of it.”

  She puffed, readying herself for the next part of her story. For some strange reason, she was apprehensive of Connor’s reaction.

  “Lori was her usual exuberant self and asked about my night with you. I didn’t even know that she’d noticed you’d left with me. Anyway, I said it was great—which it was,” she said, feeli
ng her cheeks heat up. Damn it, did she have to blush for admitting she had a fantastic night with a guy?

  “It was spectacular,” Connor said softly.

  She reddened even more. Why was she so shy about that?

  Because you didn’t hold back that night. You were shamelessly lustful—moaning and screaming...

  She shook her head to shush her mind.

  “Oh. You didn’t think it was spectacular?” Connor asked, sounding disappointed.

  “Oh, no,” she responded, flustered. “I mean, yes.”

  “No, it wasn’t spectacular, or yes, it was spectacular?”

  “Yes, it was spectacular,” she answered shyly.

  “Phew, I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who thought so,” Connor teased.

  “Well, I can’t really deny that it was because... well, it was,” she said, getting more frazzled.

  Connor grinned, but there was something different about his eyes. They were darker, his gaze more intense.

  She felt her body respond to his look. Damn it, weren’t they just talking? She straightened in her seat and stared at the blank TV screen, trying to recall where she was with her explanation. Remembering the next bit had the effect of dousing her arousal.

  “Lori asked me when Lucas’ turn was,” she continued. “I said to her I had no idea who Lucas was or what she meant by Lucas having a turn. She said he was the man I was supposed to have sex with after you.”

  Connor groaned, covering his face with his hands.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Continue please,” he said in a strangled voice.

  “Well, knowing Lori, I didn’t take offence. She was just that kind of woman, you know? It’s kinda normal for her to have more than one man in a weekend. And I thought she was simply expecting me to have the same kind of fun she was having.”

  Connor nodded, his expression anxious.

  “I told her I didn’t plan on having sex with Lucas—whoever he was. She looked confused, saying she thought I’d agreed to that when I spent the night with you. Of course, I had no idea what she was talking about. She asked me what our arrangement was and I said none, but that we were going to have dinner that night. That had Frank laughing in disbelief.”

  Connor made another groaning noise. She pressed on.

  “Lori pulled me aside and apologised for dragging me with her the night before. She said she could see that I was too innocent for her world. She said that you guys were just playing, that I shouldn’t take you seriously.

  “Then Lucas appeared and joined us. He said he was there to see me and asked if that night could be our night. He even asked how many condoms you’d used. I was too shocked to answer.”

  Connor propped his elbows on his thighs, burying his head in his hands.

  “I asked Lucas if you knew about his intentions, Connor. His answer was ‘of course he does’. That was when I left them standing in the lobby. I didn’t want to go back to my room, so I walked around the city and had dinner by myself. Then I returned to the hotel just after eight.”

  “God, Amanda, I’m so sorry you had to deal with those morons,” Connor said, looking disgusted. “Lucas is the worst of the lot and Frank’s second. I didn’t know that Lucas would literally hound you at your hotel to ask you for sex,” he said empathically, looking at her with imploring eyes. “If I did, I would have stopped him.”

  “What was it all about, Connor? I don’t understand.”

  Connor raked his hair. “Well, Lucas wants to have sex with women I’ve slept with.”

  “What?” she asked incredulously. “Why?”

  “Even a fifteen-year-old has more maturity than Lucas. For some reason, he finds it a fun challenge to compete with me in many departments. Some of his games, I’ve tolerated. But not this. Definitely not this.”

  Amanda stared long and hard at Connor, wanting to believe everything he’d said. “You didn’t intend to pass me on to him?”

  “No!” Connor said vehemently.

  She fell silent, her brain churning. As it stood, it was Connor’s word against the other guy’s. She peeked at him through her lashes. He was gaping at her, concern written all over his face.

  “It struck me as too much of a coincidence that Lucas turned up at the hotel lobby at the exact time we were supposed to meet, ” she said. “Since it was already seven and you still hadn't appeared, I thought you got turned off when I mentioned my New Year’s resolution with the girls. I thought you got afraid that I’d stalk you or something, so you fobbed me off to Lucas.”

  “Why would I have asked you out to dinner if I’d wanted to fob you off to someone else?”

  Amanda's lips started to tug into a smile as tension left her body. She hadn’t paid attention to that particular fact before—that Connor had asked her out after she’d told him about her resolution with her best friends. She’d been quick to believe that she’d been cast aside yet again.

  But now that Connor had mentioned it, it was hard not to see that very important detail. It supported Connor’s version of events. He must be telling the truth.

  “I can’t believe I spent a whole month hating your guts for believing you tried to pimp me to you friend,” she murmured.

  Connor’s eyes widened. “Tried to pimp you? Wow, no wonder you hated me. Well, I spent a whole month thinking you were like your cousin Lori and her friends.”

  Amanda chuckled dryly. “I’ve already guessed that was exactly what you thought of me. And I hated you even more for thinking that.”

  “I’m so sorry, Amanda,” Connor said contritely, his countenance sincere.

  “I’m sorry, too,” she said with an apologetic smile.

  “You know, we could have avoided all this if I had your phone number. On that note,” Connor said, fishing his phone from his pocket, “may I please have it?”

  “Why? You plan to call me?” she asked lightly, thrilled.

  “I plan to take you out to dinner, Amanda. After what you went through, that’s the least I could do.”

  Ooh, she’d like that too. She was giving him her number just as her phone rang. It was Ash. She got up to answer the call, looking out her window.

  “Just checking that you’re home already,” Ash said.

  “Yeah, I am. Where are you now?”

  “I just dropped Gemma off.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Are you okay?”

  Amanda frowned. “Yeah. Why?”

  “Just making sure.”

  “Shouldn’t I be?”

  “You slept with Connor in Melbourne, didn’t you? And it was because of him that you got so pissed off that you glugged wine like water at the party?”

  Amanda gasped. Did the girls tell Ash?

  “Bren and Gemma were very worried that I let you ride with Connor. I put two and two together,” Ash said.

  Amanda heard the beeping tone of an incoming call. “Someone’s trying to call me,” she said.

  Ash snickered. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s one of the girls. Why didn’t you tell me, Amanda? There I was being all friendly with the idiot. What’s he done to you?”

  “He’s not an idiot, Ash,” she censured lightly. “How can you say that about your new friend?”

  “He’s not my friend if he’s done something unthinkable to my sister,” Ash said self-righteously.

  She laughed. “Oh, Ash. I love you. You’re so funny. But stop treating me like I’m thirteen! And you can remain friends with Connor. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “Oh. So it wasn’t Connor?”

  “So you really thought I had sex with someone in Melbourne?”

  “I don’t know anymore, Amanda,” he said with exasperation. “Why don’t you just tell me about it?”

  “Why do you keep being so nosy?”

  She heard his big sigh. “Because I hate it when you come crying to me with a broken heart.”

  “Okay. So I’ll take you off the list. I’ll just run to the girls next time.”


  “That’s not what I mean! I mean I hate it when you get hurt—”

  “I know what you mean, darling. I’m just kidding.”

  “But you’re not gonna tell me, are you?”

  “Ash, even if I had a one-night stand with someone somewhere, why would I want to report it to you? That’s just... eww.”

  “Okay, fine,” Ash said resignedly. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “You’re coming here?” she asked in surprise, glancing at Connor. He was watching her with an amused look on his face.

  “Yup.”

  “You don’t have to, Ash.”

  “Yes, I do. Your overnight bag’s in my car. We both forgot about it.”

  “Oh, yeah. But I don’t think there’s anything there that I’d need for the next few days. Just bring it over to Mum’s the next time we have dinner with her.”

  “I’m almost there. It’s no problem.”

  “Oh, okay then. See you.”

  She hung up, disappointed. That meant Connor would have to leave now.

  “Sorry, Connor. That was Ash.”

  “I heard,” he said with a grin.

  Of course he’d heard her side of the conversation. He probably guessed what it was all about.

  “You didn’t really confirm it was me you had sex with in Melbourne,” he said.

  “I really didn’t confirm I had sex with anyone,” she said with a chuckle. “Anyway, Ash will be here in a few minutes. I’m sorry to rush you.”

  “Oh, you want me to leave now?”

  She flushed. “Do you mind? Otherwise, Ash would be full of questions.”

  Connor got up from his seat. “You’re very close, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, we are,” she said with fondness. “Our parents divorced when I was seven and Ash was twelve. Straight after that, our dad left Australia to go to London with his new family. I was devastated. I was a daddy’s girl and I couldn’t believe he’d left us. Since then Ash has been my protector of sorts. I think he coped with dad’s leaving by playing the hero—helping me deal with it and shielding me from further hurt. But he hasn’t grown out of that even up till now,” she added lightly.

  Connor smiled. “He’s a good brother.”