A Perfect Ten (Forbidden Men 5)

As soon as I escaped the house, I pulled out my phone and started for my truck.

Where are you? I wrote to Caroline. Meet me. Now.

I didn’t even have to wait thirty seconds for her reply. I’m not really in the mood for sex tonight.

“Jesus, woman,” I muttered, and punched in my reply. Wow, you honestly think that lowly of me, don’t you? This isn’t a booty call. I just need you.

I waited another minute. When she didn’t respond, I growled under my breath and started my truck. Once I made it home, I restrained myself from sending another message until I was in my room with the door shut. Zwinn had been cuddled on the couch, watching one of their shows together, but I’d just grumbled something at them as I passed.

As soon as I flopped myself onto my bed, I pounded out a new text. Do you even realize how fucking hard it was for me not to race after you when you left the kitchen crying? I just got out of my session with your sister-in-law, and I’m not holding back any longer. If I don’t get you into my arms before the end of the night, I might lose my fucking mind. COME OVER NOW.

Wow. You have the sweetest way with words, she wrote back.

I snorted. If you wanted sweet, you would’ve gone after Hamilton. But you wanted me, so this is what you get. If your ass isn’t in my bedroom in twenty, I’m coming for you. I don’t care if I have to break into Gam’s house, push him out of my way, and storm the halls to find you.

Fine. I’ll be there in five.

Tell me where you are. I’ll come get you.

I SAID I WOULD BE THERE IN FIVE.

Okay. Fine. Damn. I let her win that one and come to me.

I wasn’t sure what I was doing here. Oren had been downright pushy in his texts. I wasn’t in the mood for pushy. I wanted to be mad at him, at the entire world. I didn’t feel stable enough to be around anyone, but I found a sense of relief as I tromped up the steps to his apartment building and to his front door. No matter how I felt or what mood I was in, I still wanted to be near him.

I knocked once on the door before trying it to find it unlocked. So I let myself in.

Zwinn sent me a sympathetic smile as if they knew everything. Then they pointed down the hall. “He’s in his room.”

I headed that way. As soon as I stepped through the doorway, hungry hands pulled me against a hard, hot chest. He kissed my forehead before grasping the hem of my shirt and yanking it up, over my head.

“I thought this wasn’t a booty call,” I said as I lifted my arms to help him along.

He reached around for the back clasp of my bra. “It’s not. No talking.”

After discarding the bra, he leaned in and kissed the top-most swell of my breasts. Then he removed my pants. Yeah, this sure as hell felt like a booty call to me. I expected him to go for my panties next, but he shocked me senseless when he urged one of his huge T-shirts over my head instead. It smelled like him, and I couldn’t help but to inhale the heady scent.

Then he took my hand and led me to the bed. Once we’d crawled under the covers and he’d positioned my head to rest on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around my waist, he finally released a sigh and all his muscles loosened under me. “There,” he said, sounding satisfied. “That’s better.”

I smiled and closed my eyes, letting his strong, solid heartbeat echo into my ear. It really was better. But he made it even more amazing by threading his fingers through my hair and rhythmically stroking my long locks.

“Mmm. That feels good.”

I could fall asleep to this, no problem. I could just forget everything and let him take care of me.

And in the morning, my womb would still be barren. My brother would still be in the dark about the greatest relationship of my life, and Oren...Oren still wouldn’t know just how strongly or how long I’d loved him.

“Tell me about your childhood.”

His soft question had me fluttering my eyes open. “Why?”

“Because I want to know. Gamble never talked about it. I knew next to nothing about you, except that you existed, until the day I met you.”

“It’s not very glamorous.”

“I don’t care. I just...I want to know what it was like for you. Had you lived in that trailer house your entire life?”

“No. I mean, yes, we’d always lived in trailer houses, but not that one specifically. We stayed in a little bit nicer, three-bedroom place until Noel left for college. My mom couldn’t keep up with the bills, though, so we downgraded to the one you met us in.”