Page 91 of Fallen Empire

“Relax,” he said, holding it out like a peace offering. “I put it on the charger for you. Figured I’d let you sleep.”

I snatched the phone from his hand and immediately pressed the screen awake. No calls. No texts.

Damn it.

“I can’t believe I forgot to check in on Savannah,” I snapped, voice cracking under the guilt. “She’s going to fucking hate me.”

Ben just stood there, calm as ever, that damn cup of coffee still in his hand like it was a normal Tuesday. Like the world wasn’t tilted sideways inside my chest.

“She won’t,” he said softly. “She knows you love her. One night of rest doesn’t erase that. If she even woke up.”

I heard him, every word, but it didn’t matter. Logic didn’t soothe guilt. Especially when it was your best friend lying in a hospital bed, and you chose to disappear when it counted.

It wasn’t on purpose. But that didn’t make it right. I’d still let her down.

“Mills, she’ll be fine,” Ben said, his voice low and steady. “Take a shower. We’ll head to the hospital so you can check on her yourself.”

The hospital.

Shit. Jaxson was going to wonder where the hell I’d been. Why I hadn’t come back. Or at the very least, called.

I walked straight toward Ben in all my naked glory, not even bothering to grab the shirt he’d tossed to the side last night. Modesty had officially left the chat.

He didn’t flinch. Just stood there like a damn statue, coffee in hand, mouth twitching like he was fighting a grin.

I took the cup from him without a word and let the warmth settle into my palms as I tried to let it calm the nerves buzzing under my skin.

“Fine,” I muttered, taking a long sip. “I’ll be out in ten minutes and ready to go.”

Ben raised a brow. “Don’t you have to do other things? Like… your makeup or something?”

I turned slowly, one brow arched. “Are you saying you don’t like me this way?”

I was teasing, but not really. My voice was light, but I didn’t want to be the only one standing here with nerves scrambled like eggs.

He didn’t hesitate.

“Mills, I can show you exactly how much I like you this way if—”

“Nope.” I cut him off, tossing my hand in the air like a stop sign. “I’m taking a shower. And I’m taking this with me.”

I lifted the coffee in my hand like a trophy and spun on my heel, marching into the bathroom before I lost the willpower not to let him follow.

The second the bathroom door clicked shut behind me, I exhaled.

Not just a breath, but a full-body collapse of nerves I didn’t even realize I’d been holding. What the hell had I done?

No, that wasn’t the right question.

What hadwedone?

Because that—last night—wasn’t just sex. It wasn’t scratching an itch or trying to outrun grief. It was everything.

And the worst part? I liked it. I likedhim. More than I should. More than I’d let myself feel in a long time. I squeezed my eyes shut, stepping into the shower and letting the water hit my skin. It wasn’t hot. I didn’t even care.

The high of his hands on my body hadn’t faded. The way he looked at me—like I was more than the front-page PR package. More than the spin-master CEO with too many secrets tucked behind a painted smile.

I’d told myself I didn’t do love. That I couldn’t. But last night…