Page 23 of The Loves We Lost

“I’ll order, then we’ll shower before it gets here. Refuel for round two. Yeah?”

And my heart sinks as I nod.

9

BATES

The sun is obviously up. Ribbons of light creep around the edges of the curtains. And it taunts me.

I need to leave Vi before I do something utterly ridiculous, like plead with her to give us another chance. The only person I hurt in the past twelve hours was me. Because with her wrapped in my arms, her butt pressed up against my cock, my hand on her stomach, I don’t want to leave.

Last night was everything I remembered.

No, it was more.

When I was all up in her space, taking her time after time. Coming so hard that my cum was still running out of her when I fucked her again. I used to dream of getting Vi pregnant. Even now, I have the palm of my hand spread across her stomach in a subconscious gesture of possession. I kinda hope she isn’t on birth control so I could knock her up right now. Put something between us that would keep us connected, even though I can’t wait to get out of here.

But Vi would have said something. Because there is no way this woman wants a child with me.

And I’m still the enforcer of an outlaw motorcycle club at war with a white supremacist organization and trafficking group.

Everything she hates, when she isn’t begging me to make her come or riding my face like I’m the only man who can give her next orgasm to her.

Which is why I slide my arm from beneath her, grab my things, and get dressed in the bathroom. When I come out, she’s still sleeping.

So fucking beautiful, my heart hurts.

We barely talked. We fucked. A lot. Once it veered too close to making love. We refueled with pizza, beer, and some sleep in between. I wasn’t in the mood to ask questions. Neither was Vi.

I unroll five hundred-dollar bills and place them next to her phone. This wasn’t a date, but I’m still paying for last night. For the hotel room, for the food, for the agony and ecstasy of one more night with Viola Mills.

I sigh, paralyzed for a moment, unable to place the one foot after another it’s gonna take to get out of here. I left without her once before. I know what it felt like. This time is different.

At least I try to convince myself of that as I let myself out of her hotel room and quietly close the door.

I grab my phone and message Halo.

Me:Where did you end up?

Halo:Just grabbed a full breakfast back at that place we ate at yesterday. Want one?

Me:Sure. Order it for me. Lots of coffee.

Halo:On it.

It’s already hotter than Hades’s ball sack outside, and the air smells of rotting garbage, but I walk to the place and find Halo seated in the same booth.

“Please tell me your night went better than your face looks,” Halo says as I sit and reach for the large mug of black coffee.

“Don’t want to talk about it.” My breakfast lands in front of me with perfect timing.

“Banging an ex is never a good idea.”

I look up from my plate and raise an eyebrow. “Like you’re the fountain of all romantic knowledge.”

Halo grins. “My night involved no romance and a woman called Ann who let me do all kinds of nasty things with her in the shower in-between her telling me how much she loved Vi’s books.”

“Shower, bed, floor, desk,” I grumble as I stuff a hash brown into my face.