In the meantime, I’d just have to keep pinching myself to remind myself how real it all was.
Bear pulled up in front of my building and turned off the engine. He turned to me, a smile on his face as he pulled me in for a kiss. His lips were warm and soft and so inviting. My body stirred, a deep yearning that never seemed to be extinguished.
“Aren’t you coming up?” I asked, between kisses.
“Nope, not tonight,” he replied, leaning down and kissing my neck. I shivered, a light moan escaping from my lips. “I have an early meeting in the morning, remember?”
“Right,” I replied. “I’ll be in early tomorrow, too.”
“No, take the day off,” he said, shaking his head. “Recuperate. There’s plenty of time to get the project done.”
He kissed me again, harder this time, my entire body tingling with excitement. I opened my mouth, kissing him deeper, suddenly hating the fact that we were about to be separated. I was growing quite fond of his hand in mine and the thought of going up to my apartment alone wasn’t appealing at all.
He kissed me back, hard, the passion growing between us. I moaned, reaching up and touching his cheek, relishing the feel of the stubble he’d grown the last few days under my palm.
We both jumped apart when my phone started ringing.
I yelped, digging through my purse as I searched for it. I found it at the bottom.
“Fuck!” I yelled when I saw Harlan’s ugly face on the screen. Punching the top button, I turned it off, looking back at Bear apologetically. “Sorry about that interruption.”
“That was your ex calling?” he asked, his eyes flashing with irritation.
“I guess so,” I shrugged.
“Does he call often?” he asked.
“What? I don’t know…maybe, I guess. I never answer because he’s the last person I want to talk to.”
“Then why is he calling?” he demanded.
“I—I don’t know,” I stuttered, taken aback at his tone of voice. He’d changed so quickly. “It doesn’t matter,” I shrugged. “He’s a loser.”
“You should tell him to stop calling,” he said, flashing me a tight smile.
“That would mean I’d have to talk to him,” I said, reaching over and kissing his cheek. I opened the door and grabbed my bag from between my legs and turned back to him. “I had an amazing time. Please tell me we can go back there soon?”
“You bet,” he said, his smile widening and his eyes relaxing. I hated seeing him all uptight over Harlan, but he was a man and a very alpha one at that.
“Good!” I smiled back. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Beauty,” he called, before I closed the door.
I walked into the building hating Harlan for ruining my moment. As soon as I got in the elevator, I pulled out my phone and blocked his number.
Chapter 20
“So, tell me everything!” Marie’s voice boomed into my ear as soon as I picked up the phone. I’d texted her before I’d left to go to Bear’s cabin letting her know I’d be out of touch for a few days.
“It was like visiting the North pole but without Santa,” I said, as I poured myself a cup of coffee. I’d only been awake a few moments before she was blowing up my phone. “It was very snowy and cold and beautiful.”
“That sounds lovely, what else?”
“We went there in a helicopter!” I said. “I had to repel out of it, Marie! His cabin is perched high up on a cliff and there’s nowhere up there for it to land.”
“Are you sure you aren’t dating Jack Bauer?” she asked.
“No,” I laughed. “It was terrifying, actually. The rest of the trip was absolutely lovely, though.”
“Did you fuck him again?” she asked.
“That’s basically all we did,” I replied. “Inside. Outside. On a trail overlooking the Hudson Valley in the snow.”
“That’s amazing,” she said. “He must be amazing in bed.”
“He’s, well—like I told you before, he’s a little rough.”
“Not too rough, I hope?”
“Rough enough that I have a safe word.”
“Oh,” she replied, “that’s interesting.”
“He’s interesting,” I said. “There’s many layers to this guy.”
“Well, be careful,” she said. “Don’t let him go too far.”
“It’s not like that,” I said. “He’d never hurt me.”
“Well, don’t be so sure. He sounds like he like’s extreme sports, repelling out of fucking helicopters and shit!”
“You may have a point,” I said, laughing. “He definitely has a penchant for adventures.”
“And perversions, apparently,” she teased. “How’s your butt?”
“My butt?” I asked.
“Last time we talked you had a Princess Barbie plug stuck up your butt, remember?”
“Oh, right. Yes, I’m pleased to report my butt is healthy and happy.”
I smiled, sipping my coffee, grateful for my friend. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have anyone to talk to about all of this.
“What are you doing today?” she asked.
“Having dinner with Matilda tonight,” I said.
“How is she taking your new relationship?” she asked.
“She doesn’t know,” I said. “So keep your mouth shut, you hear me? No Facebook posts or anything!”
“Oh, a secret fling with your Mom’s boss, I love it! It’s
so titillating!”
“It is not!” I asked. “It’s just—oh fuck, I don’t know what it is. It’s exciting. And very new. No need to tell Matilda anything, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Well, be careful, you know how psychic she is with you,” she warned. Marie had seen Mom’s psychic connection with me in person several times.
“I know, I know,” I replied. “I have my guard up. I’ll be fine.”
“Famous last words,” she teased.
“Shut up!” I yelled. “Look, I gotta go. I just woke up and I need breakfast.”
“Alright, alright,” she said. “Call me later—oh wait!”
“What?”
“I forgot why I called!” she said. “Harlan is going nuts looking for you, girl. He’s called all your friends now and I guess he called your Mom’s old office and they told him she moved, at least that’s what he told my friend Jessica. He’s been talking about you non-stop to anyone who will listen, insisting he’s going to get you back, that he’s finally gotten his shit together.”
“Oh, please!” I said, rolling my eyes. “What is his problem? We’ve been broken up for six months, why can’t he just let it go?”
“I guess you’re just that good,” Marie teased. “And apparently Harlan isn’t the only one who thinks so. Maybe you should just tell him you’ve got a new boyfriend?”
“No, way. It’s none of his business and the last thing I want to do is talk to that asshole.”
“Okay, it’s your business. I just wanted to let you know he’s been snooping around.”
“Thanks,” I said. “My plan is to ignore him until he goes away.”
“Got it,” she said. “Okay, then. That’s all. Toot-a-loo!”
The phone went dead and I shook my head as I laid it on the kitchen counter.
Harlan could drop dead for all I cared. I had no intention of ever talking to him again and the fact that I never had to see him again made me happy.
New York was starting to feel really good.
* * *
Max dropped me off at the Italian restaurant near Mom’s building before she arrived. After getting us a table and ordering a bottle of wine, I watched the people stream by outside, the snow lightly falling around them as they hustled through the streets. Everyone was bundled up with scarves and hats and thick coats, doing their best to protect themselves from the frigid temperatures.