She spun back to face me. “Hold on now. Let’s not get carried away.”
It took everything I had to stop myself from pulling her to me and kissing her senseless. Whoever ended up marrying this woman was going to be a lucky bastard. Life with Annalise would never be boring.
An hour later, Annalise and I stood back and looked at our snowman.
I glanced over at the family of five and smiled. Their snowman kicked our snowman’s ass. I had heard through the snowman-making grapevine that the dad was a building engineer. They were a shoo-in to win. They had made two snowmen. Both with perfectly round and symmetrical balls. Plus, one of them was turned upside down and wearing a pair of snow boots. They had clearly had more winter clothing to work with since both snowmen had on hats, scarfs, and mittens attached to the ends of their stick arms. I spun around and looked at ours and tried not to laugh.
It was cute, with his baseball hat provided by the guy next to us, and Annalise’s scarf and mittens on. I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer she would sacrifice them before she ripped them back off and put them on. The hotel had provided carrots and a few other food items to decorate the faces with. When I looked over at Annalise, she wore a proud smile.
“What should we name him?” Annalise asked, just as his carrot nose fell off and landed on the ground.
“Truitt.”
She looked back at me. “Truitt?”
“That’s my brother’s name, and he’s the most accident-prone person I’ve ever met. So far, our snowman has lost his right arm, both blueberry eyes, and now his nose. He needs to be called Truitt.”
She giggled, and I loved how the sound of it warmed my body. Not two seconds later, she snagged the gloves back from Truitt the Snowman.
“My hands are freezing!” she said. “These gloves are more for style than warmth, I can tell you that right now.”
I took off my gloves and reached for her hands before she slipped them back on. I blew on them before rubbing her fingers between mine. “Better?”
She stared up at me with an expression that said so many different things. But one thing stood out more than the others: She wanted me.
“Should we forgo the judging and head back up to the room?” I asked.
“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.”
As we turned to head back toward the hotel, my phone rang. I pulled it out and answered.
“Hello? Yes, this is him. Oh, great.”
I motioned for Annalise to keep walking while I listened to the American Airlines representative.
“Mr. Carter, we’ve got you rebooked on flight 4906 leaving Chicago at twelve-thirty, nonstop into San Antonio. You’ll arrive at three thirty-seven. You should have also received an email with the new flight information, and just to let you know, you’ve been booked in first class again.”
My heart felt like it had just taken a nosedive. “Great, that’s great news. Thank you.”
“Of course. If anything changes, you’ll get both a text and an email.”
“Sounds good. Thank you so much.”
When I hung up, I noticed Annalise looking at her phone and frowning.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
She looked up, and I saw the disappointment in her eyes. “I got an email from the airline. They’ve rebooked my flight.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Ten in the morning. I guess they’re banking on the runways being cleared.”
I gave a nod. “I leave at twelve-thirty.”
We both stared at each other for the longest time before she broke the silence. “I don’t think I’m ready for my fairy tale to end.”
I tilted my head and winked. “Your fairy tale, huh?”
She shook her head as if clearing a thought away. “I don’t want to have dinner with Mary and Dylan. Do you mind if we order room service?”
I pulled her body against mine. “Sounds good to me. Once I get you in that room naked, I’m not letting you leave until you need to catch your plane.”
A brilliant smile lit up her face. “I like the sound of that plan.”
Annalise
TO SAY MY emotions were on a pendulum would have been an understatement. I was so excited to get to my new life, but the sadness I felt at knowing these were the last hours I would spend with Roger was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. How in the world could a man I’d only known for a few days make me feel this way?
All those times my friends said things like, “It was love at first sight. The first time he touched me, I knew.” Now it all made sense. I was a damn cliché.
“I think we’re going to need some food if we plan on locking ourselves away in the room,” Roger stated as he glanced toward the store in the hotel lobby.
I kept my smile on my face, but inside I was far from happy. It was crazy. I knew when I’d agreed to sleep with Roger it was only temporary, but I felt like I was on the verge of a major breakup with a guy I’d been with for years. It was insane. I was insane.
“Hey, are you okay?” Roger asked, placing his hands on my shoulders and drawing me closer.
All I could do was nod.
He gave me a look that said he knew exactly how I was feeling. “Liar.”
“It’s stupid and doesn’t matter.”
He frowned at that statement. “Nothing you could be thinking or feeling is stupid, Anna.”
God, how I loved it when he called me Anna. I loved it when any words came out of his mouth. “It just feels…” I let my voice trail off, knowing I was about to get choked up with emotion.
He sighed. “I know. I feel the same way.”
That caused me to pull my head back slightly. “You do? I mean, how do you know I’m feeling the same way you’re feeling?”
Roger laughed. “Are you dreading getting on a plane tomorrow and saying goodbye to me?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Then we’re feeling the same way.”
I bit down on my lower lip as I tried to determine how much I wanted to share with Roger about how I was truly feeling. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin the few hours we had left by telling him all my emotions. The ones that usually scared guys away, especially when you’d only known them for a few days. I couldn’t say: I think I want something more than a few days of sex. I could see myself waking up next to you every morning. Or how about: I want to have your babies. Or maybe I could completely scare him off: I think I’m falling in love with you.
That last one made my heart feel as if it was dropping down into the pit of my stomach. Oh. My. Goodness. Was I truly falling in love with a man I’d known a total of two days?
Instead of telling him all of that, I opted to keep things lighthearted. “Who gets to pick out the snacks?”
He gave me a confused look.
“I mean, look at your body,” I said. “You don’t really seem like the snack food type of guy, so I think I should be in charge of picking out what we’re going to eat for the next ten or so hours.”
Roger gave my body a slow perusal. “You don’t look like a snack lover either.”
I felt my nose crinkle up as I replied, “I’m at least ten to fifteen pounds over where I want to be, and this girl knows how to make a damn good ice cream sundae with caramel, hot fudge, and my secret ingredient. Trust me, I know my snacks.”
His eyes turned dark. “The fuck you’re ten pounds over anything. Your body is perfect. In fact, if we had more time together, I’d encourage you to eat whatever the hell you wanted so I could feel even more of you while I fucked you.”
My face got hot, and I quickly looked around to make sure no one else had heard him. I had dated guys in the past who liked to toss out the word “fuck” every now and then, but Roger didn’t mind using it at all. You’d think it would make what we’d been doing feel cheap or wrong. But I knew he didn’t mean it like that. Yes, we fucked, and good Lord, did I enjoy it. But I had also seen a tender side of Roger that I didn’t think many of his
past lovers had gotten a glimpse of.
Of course, that could simply be wishful thinking on my part.
“Stop being bad,” I said. “We’ll both go get some snacks.”
When I turned to walk toward the small gift shop, Roger slapped my ass, causing me to burst out laughing. Everyone in the lobby turned and looked at us. If this was a prequel to how our day and evening would go, sign me up.
I dropped onto the bed and gasped for air.
“Holy shit, Anna. Where in the hell did that come from?” Roger asked, panting beside me.
I turned to look at him. He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling as he attempted to catch his breath. I had just ridden my cowboy hard and fast.
Was he a cowboy? It was the first time I’d even allowed myself to think about where Roger was from. It was clearly somewhere down south; I knew that much from his southern accent, which, if I was being honest, was a complete turn-on.
“That. Was. Amazing,” I panted out.
“That was the best fucking sex of my life. Christ, I think I saw stars.”
Laughing, I rolled over and rested my head on my hand. Roger had come at the same time I did, and I loved that I was able to make him orgasm while I was on top. I was pretty sure when I grabbed my nipples and started playing with them, it did us both in. With Roger, this whole other wanton side of me came out during sex, and I loved exploring it. A pang of sadness hit me, knowing I would most likely never have this kind of sex again. I couldn’t imagine another man making me feel the way Roger did. I’d had more orgasms with him in the last day than I think I’d had in my entire life.
Roger sat up before making his way into the bathroom. I heard the water turn on, and I knew he was cleaning himself up and would soon be walking out with a warm washcloth for me. It was the sweetest gesture.
“Lie back. Let me clean you up,” he said as he emerged.
My heart started racing in my chest, and I did what he asked, knowing that even though I’d had the most mind-blowing orgasm only minutes ago, the feel of him touching me would ignite that flame again.
I closed my eyes when the warm washcloth touched my sensitive flesh. A small moan slipped free, and I felt Roger watching me.
Sure enough, when I opened my eyes, he was staring right at me.
“Sorry,” I whispered, closing my legs as a sudden rush of embarrassment hit me.
He winked, and butterflies went off in my stomach.
“Do you want to take a shower?” he asked.
“No,” I said with a shake of my head. “I want to just lie here next to you before we both have to get up and leave.”
He smiled and tossed the washcloth onto the floor before crawling into the bed. “Fair enough.”
I rolled over, allowing him to wrap his arms around me and pull me to him. I had the strangest feeling that Roger wasn’t the type of guy who cuddled often, if at all. I wasn’t sure why I felt that way—maybe it was something about the way he held on to me so tightly, as if he was afraid to let me go. Maybe it was my imagination, or just me secretly hoping he would beg for my phone number and promise we would meet up at least once a month. Truth be told, I knew the moment I agreed to this, it would be hard to say goodbye. I couldn’t help but wonder if Roger was having the same thoughts and feelings.
“I don’t do relationships,” he said, breaking the silence in the room.
I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t date. I don’t have the desire to settle down, and I don’t fall in love, ever.”
I closed my eyes and prayed my body hadn’t sagged in reaction to his words like my heart had. It was crazy, really. I’d only known Roger a few days, so this declaration shouldn’t mean anything to me.
Then why did it feel like someone had punched through my chest, grabbed my heart, and pulled it right out? And why had he felt the need to say it at all?
If he was going to be honest, then so was I. Forcing my voice to remain steady and calm, I replied, “It’s a good thing we’re going our separate ways in a few hours then because I’m pretty sure I could easily fall in love with you.”
Roger buried his face in my hair and breathed in as he pulled me closer. He didn’t have to say anything; I felt it between us. He had spoken those words out loud to try and push away what he was feeling.
God, I wanted to know exactly what he was thinking. What impact, if any, my words had on him. If we weren’t going in two different directions, down two different paths, would he change his mind? Or was this something he did often? He was extremely good-looking, and I wasn’t so naïve that I didn’t know the man most likely had a very healthy sex life.
“I don’t do this, Anna. These last few days have been…” His voice trailed off, and I found myself holding my breath. “They’ve been amazing and fun, but I…”
“You don’t have to say anything else, Roger. We both agreed when we started that it would be no strings attached. I’m not expecting anything from you when we both walk out that door.”
He placed a soft kiss on my shoulder, and I could feel his body instantly relax.
“Thank you for giving me some of the most amazing days ever. I’ll never forget you, princess. Never.”
A tear slipped free as I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’ll never forget you either.”
Roger and I stood at the entrance of the airport, staring at one another. Neither of us had spoken a word during the Uber ride there. Roger was way too early for his flight, but he wanted to see me off. I wasn’t sure at first if he would come to the airport with me, especially since he’d uttered only a handful of words to me since we woke up. I knew it was his way of putting distance between us, and I couldn’t really fault him for that.
“I guess this is it,” he said with that smile of his. It made my heart pound in my chest. The dimples didn’t always come out, but they were there now.
With a humorless laugh, I replied, “Guess so.”
Roger placed his hand on the side of my face, and I leaned into it. “Have a safe flight, Annalise, wherever you’re going.”
I could feel that lump in my throat again, and when I spoke, my voice sounded strained. “You too.”
I reached up onto my toes and kissed him quickly on the lips. I went to step away, but Roger dropped his bag and pulled my body to his. His hand went to the back of my neck before his mouth crashed onto mine.
If I had thought the man could kiss before, this one was mind-blowing. It felt like he was trying to pour every thought and emotion he couldn’t verbally say into that one kiss. To say I was being kissed senseless would have been an understatement.
When I wasn’t sure I could take any more, he drew back and leaned his forehead against mine. His chest rose and fell with each breath.
“Fuck. We didn’t have enough time together.”
I took in a shaky breath and sniffled. “This is harder than I thought it would be.”
Roger didn’t respond to that. He kissed me on the forehead, took a step back, and said, “Goodbye, Annalise Michaels.”
My nose stung, and the back of my eyes burned with the threat of tears. I’d never dreamed I could have such feelings for a man I knew almost nothing about.
When I opened my mouth, no words would come out. I cleared my throat and took a step back so that his body was no longer in contact with mine. I needed to be able to think, and having Roger near me like that certainly muffled my thoughts.
“Good…goodbye, Roger.” I forced a smile as I held my chin up and fought with everything I had not to break down in tears like some crazy woman.
He gave me one more smile before I turned and started into the airport, leaving him behind to watch as I walked away. My feet felt like lead, and the urge to turn and run back to him was overwhelming.
Each breath came quick and fast, and I pressed my hand over my stomach to settle a sudden rush of nausea.
By the time I made it through security, I couldn’t take it anymore, and I looked back. My h
eart dropped when I didn’t see him anywhere.
“Why did you look back, idiot?” I whispered.
I made it to my gate, kicking myself for not asking Roger for his phone number. What harm would having a phone number be?
“No, it’s better this way,” I said to myself as I flopped into one of the chairs.
My phone suddenly rang, and I jumped. I had never fumbled for my cell so fast. I jerked it out of my purse, hoping beyond hope that maybe while I was in the shower, Roger had gotten my phone number off my phone.
I groaned when I saw it was my sister.
“Hey, what’s up?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
“What’s up? What is up? You’ve been trapped in Chicago for days, and every time I try to call, you send me to voicemail. When I text, you say you’re busy. What in the hell, Anna? I was ready to call the police, thinking something happened to you. Then Mom told me you texted her to say you had to share a hotel room with some strange man! For all I knew, he murdered you and was simply texting back on your phone!”
When she stopped to take a breath, I cut in. “Oh, my gosh, are you finished yet? I told Mom what was going on, and I was busy.”
“Doing what?”
“Well, for your information…” I quickly glanced around, then lowered my voice. “I was having the most amazing sex of my life.”
The line went silent for a few moments before my sister spoke. “Whaaaat? Sex? With who?” She gasped. “Oh, my gawd! The forced hotel roomie?”
I giggled like a damn schoolgirl. “Yes. Oh, Meg. I am totally ruined for all future men. Roger was… he was…I don’t even know the words to describe him.”
“Anna Bobana…do you like this guy? How is this going to work? Where does he live? Are you doing long-distance? I’m not sure you’re cut out for that type of relationship, but I mean, if the sex is that good, it might be worth it. I hear phone sex can be hot.”
Laughing, I shook my head and leaned back in the chair. “I don’t know where he lives.”
“Wait, come again?”
“That was part of the agreement we made before we…um…had sex. No strings attached, no personal questions. Just a few magical days locked away in a hotel with the best orgasms of my life.”
Fated Hearts Page 9
