But I liked the sound of it.
His hand lowered to my bare back, where he traced circles over my skin. The sound of his heart pattered against my ear, a drum that made me close my eyes and take in this moment again.
And every one we’d had together so far.
From the second we’d met in the sportsbook to the way he’d brought me up to his suite, the evenings we’d spent in this bed, and last night’s finale.
It had all gone by too fast.
How could I tell him I wanted to relive it all over again, that I wanted things to last beyond Vegas, when what we had was just fun, nothing more? Two people who had hooked up on vacation, and it had been the best sex of my entire life.
I needed to accept that.
To convince myself.
To repeat it in my head until I believed it.
“I should probably get going,” I whispered, pushing myself up, wanting to do just the opposite. “I still have to pack and round up the girls. I’m sure they’re still sleeping off their hangover.”
When Jenner and I had left the group, they had been doing shots in the bar. Something told me today was going to be a challenge in many ways.
He released me, and I got out of bed, finding my dress where I’d left it on the chair. I quickly slipped it on and hurried into the bathroom, taming down my hair and rinsing the smudged makeup from my face. I even took some of Jenner’s toothpaste and finger-brushed it over my teeth. When I came out, he was leaning against one of the chairs in a pair of gray sweats, a bottle of water in his hand, my clutch in the other.
He held the bag in my direction and said, “Come here.”
The second I was within reach, he pulled me against him, holding my face to his chest, like we were back in bed. My eyes closed, and my arms circled around him, gripping him with all my strength.
He kissed the top of my head. “Get home safe.”
I looked up, our eyes meeting, the room now starting to fill with morning light. “Thank you for the most incredible week.”
He pressed his lips to mine.
He never parted them.
He never gave me his tongue.
He just breathed me in, our mouths locked, his hands possessively rolling across my back, my shoulders, moving to my face, where he held my cheeks steady. His palms stayed there, keeping me in place, his thumbs pushing the sides of my lips, like he was trying to get me closer.
But that was impossible.
Not even air was separating us.
When he eventually pulled away, his stare continued to devour me, sending a jolt straight through my body.
“Go,” he demanded. “Before I make you miss your flight.”
I would never forget those words.
I tucked my clutch under my arm, my heart pounding in a way that reminded me of running, the last quarter of a mile when you just wanted to get home.
My throat was tightening.
Emotion was lifting, and I wasn’t sure why.
Or why I couldn’t stop it.
It had only been a week.
Such a minuscule amount of time.
How was it possible to feel this way, this ache that wouldn’t leave, this pain that wouldn’t lighten?
Before a tear fell, I took a step back and then another, turning to walk to the door. When I reached the knob, I faced him, the need to see him one last time so overwhelmingly strong.
He hadn’t moved.
Neither did his expression.
The only change was his eyes, the intensity of his gaze, like any second, he was going to pounce.
“Good-bye, Jenner.” My voice wasn’t any louder than a whisper.
Before he said anything, before he made a move that would stop me from leaving, I hurried down the hall, letting his door slam, and rushed inside the elevator.
The minute I hit the button for the top floor, the first tear fell. I wiped it away, knowing plenty more would follow. When the elevator arrived on my floor, I stepped out and rushed to our room, my chin quivering, my nose starting to run.
I heard silence the moment I opened our door.
I went into the master bedroom, the room I’d shared with Monica before staying with Jenner. I found her facedown on the bed, wearing the dress from last night. There were even heels still on her feet.
I flipped on the lights and sat on the edge of the bed, shaking her awake. “Mon, you have to get up. We need to go to the airport.”
“Ughhh,” she groaned, covering the side of her face. “I feel like death.”
“I know, but we have to get going.” I left her to grab my suitcase, lifting it onto the bed and opening it. “If we miss our flight, we’ll have to fly standby, and it’ll be a nightmare.”
“I can’t move.”
“But you must.”
I ran to the second bedroom, where Lex and Court were passed out in similar positions. “Ladies, get up!” I flipped on their lights as well, and they stayed still. “Move your butts, or we’re not going to make our flight.”
They moaned a reply I couldn’t understand.
“Fine, suit yourself. You’ll just have to spend the whole day at the airport, hungover and in hell, while you wait for an available flight.”
“Stooop,” Lex cried.
“I hate that she’s right,” Court grunted.
“You have less than thirty minutes, so haul ass.”
I went back into my room and opened the drawers of the dresser, taking out my clothes and dumping them into my suitcase.
“Jo,” Monica said as she sat up, squeezing her temples.
I avoided her eyes, making several more trips between the dresser and my suitcase.
“Jo,” she said again, louder, wincing from her headache. “Look at me.”
I didn’t want to, but I paused and faced her.
“Babe, do you want to talk about it?”
I shouldn’t be surprised. She knew me better than anyone.
I shook my head, slumping on top of the bed. “No. Yes. No.” I wrapped my arms around my stomach. “Fuck.”
“Come here.” She opened her arms, and I fell into her, the scent of booze filling my nose as she hugged me.
I hadn’t realized how badly I needed this.
“I know you’re not all right.”
The tears were back, flowing harder than before. “Not even close.”
“You care about him much more than you realized.”
“Yep. That.” My chest was so constricted; I didn’t know how I could get air in. “I told myself I had to be okay with this. It was a vacation fling, nothing more. I couldn’t have feelings beyond today.” I wiped my nose. “But I do, Mon.” I held the back of her dress, squeezing the material. “I just need the hurt to stop.”
She pulled away. “I wish I weren’t so hungover. I feel like I’d have all the words, but right now, I’m just trying not to throw up.”
“Don’t worry; this isn’t the last time we’re going to talk about him.”
She went to laugh and held her head with both hands. “Maybe we should miss our flight on purpose. What time is he leaving?”
“No.” I shook my head as I thought about her offer. “We said our good-bye, and it has to end sometime.” I took a breath. “Why not now, right?”
“Babe …”
But there was nothing she could say.
Nothing either of us could do.
We were headed back to Miami, Jenner was going to LA, and that was just the reality of our situation.
But I knew one thing for sure.
Feelings that developed in Vegas … didn’t stay in Sin City.