“Sweet?” Vanessa asked. “Romantic? Touching?”
“Yeah…I guess.”
Vanessa’s eyes softened as he stared at me. “Griffin used to be the kind of man that fucked anything that moved. When he met me, he stopped looking at other women. There’s no doubt in my mind that he could be anywhere, at any time, and he would never mess around.”
“Because he’s in love with you, Vanessa.”
“Exactly.” She gave me a meaningful look.
I held her gaze, understanding her meaning perfectly.
“And the reason it means so much to you is because you feel the same way. You’d be devastated if he messed around. I warned you this would happen, that you would fall for the man who was supposed to mean nothing to you.”
When the three months were over, I was leaving, no matter what. Regardless of how I felt, this had an expiration date. I knew what kind of future I wanted, and that would never be possible with Bosco. He was a man I would remember fondly, probably be the best sex I’d ever had, but that would be it. “Should I say something to him?”
“You would incriminate yourself in the process.”
“True.”
“And you would also have to talk about it…and that conversation would only go in one direction.”
Bosco would tell me he didn’t want that tramp. He only wanted me. Other words would be exchanged, capitalizing on the feelings that were already in the room. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“I wonder if he’ll mention it to you.”
“No idea.” I had no clue if Bosco would be honest with me about Ruby. He might consider it to be none of my business. Or maybe he just didn’t want to make me jealous. But knowing him, he would love the opportunity to make me admit I wanted him all to myself.
“Excited about the wedding?”
I was leaving for my parents’ tomorrow after work. I’d be there all weekend, celebrating my brother’s nuptials. There would be lots of drinking, laughing, and partying. But there would also be lots of sleeping alone.
I wasn’t looking forward to that part.
“Yeah, I’m really excited,” I said. “I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t spent much time with our family.”
“Yes,” she teased. “Very busy.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’ll keep my secret?” Being around all our family while they asked me a million questions would make it a little harder for her.
Vanessa gave me a fond look and shook her head. “You know I’ll take your secret to the grave. But I hope when the truth comes out, you won’t throw me under the bus.”
“The truth isn’t gonna come out.”
“Ongoing secrets never stay hidden, Carmen. Especially with our family…”
“It’s gonna end…in two months.” A month of our relationship had already passed. It seemed to happen within the blink of an eye.
“You can say whatever you want to make yourself feel better,” Vanessa said. “But I have a lot of experience in this area…and I know intense relationships like this never end. They simmer, burn, and then turn into an inferno. They may simmer once more, but the flames will never go out. They will keep going…even when there’s nothing left to burn.”
I came home a little later than usual, but Bosco didn’t seem surprised. His men probably told him exactly where I was when I didn’t come home at my usual time. I stepped into the penthouse and saw him sitting on the couch. The smell of dinner was in the air, and it smelled surprisingly good for chicken or fish. He was on the couch, wearing his black sweatpants that hung dangerously low on his hips. He’d shaved this face after his workout, and his bare chest rippled with every breath he took.
He stared at me with that intense gaze that I could never get used to. It was dark, terrifying, and filled with so much desire, it suffocated my thoughts. To someone else, it might be impossible to figure out if he wanted to fuck me or kill me.
My purse hung on my shoulder, and my thick jacket was still wrapped around my body, hiding my curves from view. But he kept looking at me like I was buck naked and my wetness was dripping from between my legs. Ruby had put her tits on display, and he didn’t tense this way for her.
Only for me.
He leaned forward with his elbows resting on his thighs, his chiseled biceps looking thick and powerful. The cords were noticeable down his forearms, and his shiny watch was absent. His hair was slightly messy because I gathered he’d been fingering it for the last few hours. His blue eyes were beautiful, shining with unmistakable masculinity.
Time seemed to slow down, and the intense staring between us didn’t fade away.
I remembered the cold way he got rid of Ruby, unaffected by her perky tits and her desperation. He could have fucked her any way he wanted, but instead, he burned the bridge and kicked her out of his penthouse. He only wanted me, didn’t care about securing anything after I was gone.