Break Up with Him, for Me (You Belong With Me 1)

He let out a low laugh, and my nipples hardened under my blouse.

“I’m serious, Hayden.” I swallowed, unsure of whether he was joking about this. “I don’t need an apology for that.”

“Let me read it anyway.”

“Fine.”

“As your best friend, sometimes I forget just how close we are—how much you’ve been there for me like I’ve been there for you. Over the years, I’ve started to realize that …”

I tuned out his words, focusing on the deep sound of his voice, the way it served as a perfect complement to the heat under my seat.

Without thinking, I slid my hands between my thighs, pretending that we were in his condo all over again, that we were mid-kiss, and his hand was still under my dress.

“We both know that all of me won’t fit this way …”

I spread my legs as he continued to speak, biting down on my bottom lip as hard as he did to prevent myself from making a sound.

Pushing the lace of my panties to the side, I pressed two fingers against my soaking wet clit—rubbing it in a slow, sensuous circle. Just like he’d taught me over the phone years ago.

His voice was still playing in my ear, the unwitting conductor to the pleasurable, pulsing symphony between my thighs; the heat from the seat made it all the more intense.

“Penelope…” he said my name, and I shut my eyes as my pussy began to throb against my fingertips.

I didn’t care what he was saying now, but with every word that dropped from his lips, my hips slid off the seat a bit more.

Please keep talking …

“And then…” He obliged, giving me more words for a letter than he gave to anyone else.

I sucked in a slow, erratic breath as I neared closer and closer to the edge.

Visions of Hayden’s blue eyes looking deep into mine collided with fantasies of his lips owning my mouth. Forbidden wishes that could never be fulfilled flooded my brain.

Him kissing me, fucking me, wanting me.

Fuck…

I bit my lip and gripped the sides of Simon’s seat as I came.

“My apologies. Sincerely, Hayden Hunter.” His words sounded clearer now.

“Penelope?” He asked. “Penelope?”

“Yeah?”

“How was that?”

“Completely unexpected.”

“I know,” he said, a smile in his voice. “I’m still getting used to giving apologies. Do you forgive me?” he asked.

I nodded as if he could see me. “Yes.”

“Okay, great,” he said. “I’ll give you the real copy in person. Well, whenever I see you in person anyway.”

Ask him about that kiss in his condo now. Ask him if he felt something like you did.

“Wait, Hayden.” I let out a breath. “About that kiss in your condo the other night—”

“It’s water under the bridge.” He didn’t let me finish my sentence. “I’ve already forgotten about it.”

My heart sank. “Oh, okay. Well, Simon will be coming back to the car, soon, so…”

“Goodnight.” He ended the call before I could say a word, and I tried my best to ignore the strange pang in my chest.

“Ready to experience the best part of the night?” Simon returned to the car. “I can’t wait to try this with you.”

“Me either.” I vowed to fully focus on what I was building with him from here on out; Hayden was just a friend, and a one-time, good time, nothing more. “What flavors did you buy?”

Twenty-Two (B)

PRESENT DAY

Hayden

“Simon Gaines,” “Simon G Fund,” “Simon Gaines, Forbes 500.”

My Google searches for today were all repeats from the day before.

Although almost everything he’d bragged about checked out, except for one thing. I couldn’t find his name on the Forbes 500 List, even though he’d placed it on his website with the official symbol.

The editors had left me off their list one year out of pure pettiness (I forgot to give them tickets to my gala once), but Simon was a new addition, and I doubted he’d burned any bridges at this point in his career.

Maybe it’s an error?

I tried to pretend like this was a noble exercise, as if I wasn’t looking for anything that would make him look less than stellar in Penelope’s eyes. Anything that would bring her back to spending more time with me.

“You have a visitor.” Sarah stepped into my office. “A very important one.”

“Is it Penelope?”

“No.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s some guy from—”

“Send him home. I’m not interested.”

“He wants to donate two million dollars ahead of your charity gala.”

“Ask him how he takes his coffee and send him in.”

“I thought so.” She walked away, and I smoothed my tie.

I was going home after this. I needed some time to think.

The door opened seconds later, and Simon stepped inside.

“Good afternoon, Hayden.” He smiled. “Hope you won’t mind me stopping by.”

“Be my guest.” I motioned for him to take a seat, but he remained standing.

“I really believe in the work that your charity is doing,” he said. “I can’t imagine what it was like to have a father walk out on you at only thirteen. For him to start another family like you never existed must’ve been really rough.”