Page 24

“Oh, I didn’t mean to babble on when you have something else planned. I’ll let you go,” I said.

Half of me wanted to understand his cryptic question, but the part that still felt embarrassed would like to put time and space between us, so he’d forget how I stared at him with pure need flaring in my gaze.

“No, I’m not expecting anyone, Ollie. Hold on a sec.”

Connor propped the camera facing the rest of the room, including the door, and slipped on a shirt and a loose pair of sweats before answering the knock. He kept his body behind the door, which blocked me from his guest, but I noticed a pretty blonde woman poke her head in close to his. When he leaned back, she revealed herself to the camera wearing a trench type coat, her long hair draping halfway down her back, and high heels.

I’ve seen enough movies in the past several months to understand how this scene was going to play out, and yet it seemed so surreal as I held my breath and watched it happen, wondering if Connor would take her up on her offer.

“Yes?” He asked, sounding confused.

For a man who attracted every single type of man and woman on the planet, he sounded way too befuddled about the situation that presented itself.

“Hello, Mr. Blake. I’m Erika.”

He nodded, yet the frown that pulled down his lips when the knock came hadn’t disappeared when he asked, “How can I help you?”

She shook her head and the gleam in her eyes brightened as she looked Connor up and down, which made me uncomfortable. “I was hoping to find you alone.”

Her hand went to the sash of her trench and when she released it, dropping her coat, her beautiful naked form was there for all to see. She reached out and placed her hand on his chest, swaying her hips, wanting to entice him.

A choked whimper escaped my throat. Fuck! So much for keeping my opinion to myself.

“No!” Connor all but shouted, and turned toward the bed.

“What?” Erika sounded confused.

I sat, frozen on my bed, both hurt by what was playing out in front of me and unable to catch my breath and get my body to cooperate, because despite all the screaming inside my head to shut off the feed and hide under the comforter, I sat there, stunned speechless.

Was this how Connor’s normal nights went? Both men and women would invite themselves in to his life and he took them to bed because of the opportunity presented?

But the air whooshed back into my lungs when Connor reached down, keeping out of her reach, and grabbed her coatfrom the floor. He held it out until she had no choice but to cover herself.

“I’m on a video call with my boyfriend, Ollie,” Connor pointed at his phone, still propped up near the bed, “and I’m not interested in anyone but him.”

“Oh, this is embarrassing. My friend, Tim, who is the front desk manager of this hotel, knows of my…well, never mind.”

Connor gave her a soft smile, not meant to entice her into bed, but one of understanding.

“I appreciate your situation. Trust me, I do. Ollie captivated me the first time I met him. Now, my feelings for him have only deepened. My reputation is that of a playboy, but I’ve grown to be a one person kind of man.”

“It’s sweet you found someone. I’m sorry about this, and thank you for being so understanding,” Erika whispered as she slipped through the door and shut it behind herself.

He flipped the lock and latched the chain before he strode back to the bed, picking up his phone. The smile he gave me sent a frisson of heat down my spine, and I beamed back at him.

“Wow, does that happen a lot?” I couldn’t stop the question from bursting out of my mouth, and I flinched as it came out. “Shit, not something I want to know. Forget I said anything.”

Connor chuckled and then sobered, and his frown made my heart hurt.

“What?”

“Yeah, if you asked me even a year ago if I was capable of this sensation of despicable envy, I would’ve laughed at the question. But the thought of a man who turned his attention to you, much less if he showed up in a coat and dropped it revealing his naked body, hoping to take you to bed? The pressure bordering on pain in my chest became indescribable.”

He rubbed the spot above his heart while his eyes became stormy.

I leaned closer to the camera and caught his gaze.

“Hey, no, Connor. There wasn’t anyone before I met you and you are, and this is understating it more than a little, unforgettable. But, um, what you told Erika?—”