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And despite never admitting this out loud, I found myself telling her. “Because no matter how much a windmill moves, it doesn’t go anywhere. And I needed to know that someone would be there for me.”

I lowered my arm, waiting for Farrah to tell me I was weak, needing a tattoo to remind me I had people who truly cared about me in my life. Instead, she reached up and pressed her lips against my jaw. “I can see why you love them so much.”

I nodded. “I’d do anything for them.” Anything except apologize to my dad for his mistakes.

Her fingers drew circles around my pecs, the relaxed ridges of my abs. “You try so hard to be grumpy, but you’re too good of a guy to be that convincing.”

A growl passed my lips, and I lifted myself, bracketing her head with my arms as I hovered over her. “You think I’m a good guy?”

I expected her eyes to widen, to look away. Instead, she did something completely infuriating.

She smiled.

“You know what I’m thinking?” she asked.

I shook my head, desperate to know. For how expressive her face was, she confused me so.

“I’m thinking how fun it would be to order takeout and eat everything on the menu off of you.”

A defeated grin spread across my face. “I believe that can be arranged.”

* * *

No one was moresurprised than me when I woke up the next morning with Farrah’s head on my shoulder. Her curls tickled my skin as she snored softly, the sound sweet and relaxing. Resting like this, her lips were still smiling slightly, like that permanently good disposition of hers wasn’t even affected by sleep.

This melting, full feeling spread throughout my chest as I looked at her. She would be the end of me, making me both comfortable and uncomfortable to the point of confusion.

Her eyes slowly blinked open, and her lips turned into a lazy smile. “Are you staring at me?”

“Maybe a little bit,” I admitted.

She rolled her head closer to me and planted a sleepy kiss on my lips, all ease and grace and happiness that took me completely off guard.

Hooking up with someone wasn’t supposed to feel like this. Satisfying? Sure. Enjoyable? Definitely. But...contented? That was a new feeling for me.

And even though the night had been fun, full of more sex and laughter than I ever expected, I knew I needed to walk away or I’d never be able to leave. Not just this room, but this woman.

“I should probably go so I can get a workout in,” I said.

Her lips twitched at the corners like she was about to frown, but then she smiled and nodded. “I should probably get going too. I need to get ready for Levi’s game.”

We left the bed, the covers all rippled from the night before, and I walked back into the bathroom, stepping into the glass shower. The water pressure coming from the gold showerhead felt amazing, and part of me wanted to drag Farrah in here and go another round.

But I held back, my feet itching to run away from here and from this feeling that I had.

I just wasn’t the kind of guy to catch feelings. I focused on work and family and doing what needed to be done. Not on relationships. Definitely not with one of my employees, anddefinitelynot with a recently divorced mom of three.

Part of me hoped she was already gone so I wouldn’t get another urge to pull her into the bed with me and beg her to stay the day.

But when I couldn’t stall anymore, I got out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist. Exiting the bathroom, I found Farrah fully dressed, her purse hooked on her elbow. Her shoulders looked tight, almost bunched around her ears as she said, “So... I'll see you at work on Monday?”

Her worry, the wrongness of it, was enough to make me cross the room to face her. Her eyes drifted from my pecs to my stomach and towel, then back again.

I put my hands on her cheeks, so warm and soft.

Just like I feared, this overwhelming urge to stay filled me, but I needed to do something more. Reassure her. And maybe myself. “This doesn't have to change anything at work. You and I are still on the same team, getting this hotel up and running.”

“And after hours?” she asked, her voice a purr.