I grimace. “I’m so sorry I didn’t think you’d—”
Tamsen shakes her head, holding up her hand. “It’s fine. I’m just going to…” she points to the stairs” …go sleep in Grady’s bed. Goodnight.”
I close my eyes, releasing a heavy sigh. She must think we’re the kinkiest couple ever.
“Am I done being your dirty little secret?”
My eyes pop open. In coping with my embarrassment, Trick still naked and restrained somehow slipped my mind. “Not one more word.” I flip the blanket off his head and work to get the knots undone.
“What did I do?” He rubs his wrists while I slip the tie through my robe loops.
“You—you got me all…” I wave my hand in the air “…worked up and then I wasn’t thinking clearly. Then you just had to let Tamsen know where you were—”
Trick slips on his jeans, no underwear. “Really?” he whispers, leaning toward me while making a quick glance at the stairs. “You think she was just going to walk past me on the rug with my feet sticking out one end of the blanket and my hands tied to the beam at the other end?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Well … I guess we’ll never know, will we?” I march off to the bathroom like I have a purpose—but I don’t. After a quick pee and a long hand washing, just to buy time and save face, I emerge with my dignity barely being held together by my stubbornness.
Trick rests against the counter with his legs crossed at his ankles, looking down at his phone. Mine chimes in my handbag on the bed.
Trick: Friend, my wife just tied me to a pole and did things to me I will NEVER forget. She is so fucking hot!
I glance up and grin because he’s still looking down at his phone as if he’s waiting for his “friend” to respond.
Me: BFF, hope your wife knows she hit the jackpot with you.
Trick: Breakfast for dinner?
I look up and smile at him still looking at his phone. “I love the hell out of you.”
Lip twitch.
Trick: I know you do.
He glances up and I giggle while shaking my head. With the sexiest gait ever, he makes his way over to me and kisses me like he hasn’t done it a million times before, and in turn my body reacts like it’s the first time. Leaving me breathless and dizzy, he kisses the tip of my nose.
“I’ll start the eggs and dibs on the jelly spoon.” He smirks.
I roll my eyes. “Hand me my jeans.”
He swipes them off the floor and tosses them at me.
“Thanks.” I step into them.
“What’s this?” He bends down where my jeans had been. “Where did you get this?” He holds up my mother’s necklace, staring at the dangling pendant.
“It was my mother’s.” I take it from him and slip it in my purse. “My father gave it to her on their wedding day. Tamsen found it in one of his drawers today.” I pull on my shirt. “It was the only thing I took. I have a feeling New York is going to be a wasted trip. I can’t imagine finding anything there when he spent most of his time here, but I suppose I should go, just in case I’m wrong.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Fuck!
The necklace. I remember it … I remember everything.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Tamsen ends up coming down to eat Trick’s dinner, although she skips the jelly and has her eggs on the side, totally proving my point that Trick and I are breakfast soul mates. However, we’re not tonight. Something came on fast because one minute he’s texting me with a smirk on his face and the next he’s huddled in fetal position on the bed and has been for the past two hours.
I shower and try to get him to let me check him over, but he doesn’t want to be touched or moved, so I cover him up with the blanket and eventually fall asleep next to him after my worry settles. By morning, he’s in the same position.
“Hey, sweetie. Our flight leaves in three hours, but I can cancel.” I sit on the edge of the bed, pressing my palm to his cheek.
He drags open his eyes and stares off with a glassy, blank look. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
A slow nod.
I kiss his forehead. “Okay, but here’s your phone.” I set it on the nightstand.” I’ll check on you before we take off. Make sure to keep hydrated.”
“Feel better, okay?” Tamsen tries to put herself in his line of vision, but it’s as if he’s looking right through her.
“Love you.” I look back at him as we head toward the elevator.
Nothing.
*
Before we take off I try calling Trick. He doesn’t answer.
“I shouldn’t have left him.” I sigh while turning my phone to airplane mode.
Tamsen rests her hand on mine. “He’ll be fine. He’s probably in the bathroom, maybe taking a shower.”