her hands behind his neck, meeting his eyes. His ragged breath filled her ears, and she found herself wishing she could hear that exact noise everyday. Despite the bliss she was feeling over every inch of her body, she allowed sanity to overcome the temporary glaze of concealment masking how pissed and hurt she was about not hearing from him after what seemed to be an obvious connection between them. She dropped her hands and went around him to claim her scattered clothes.
There was too much feeling tied up between them. It was supposed to be sex. Sex. Once. Nothing more. Her frustration, she knew, was not at him. She was frustrated with herself at the emotion she somehow allowed herself with him. Kayla knew the only way to keep from getting more involved was to end it…completely.
“I can’t do this,” she said after pulling up her pants and slipping her top on. Kayla shot her eyes to Gannon—no shirt, no shoes, and the jeans hanging low on his waist had yet to be buttoned. He seemed to freeze at her statement.
“It shouldn’t be this way.”
“You said that on Saturday. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kayla took a seat on the edge of a leather wing-back chair sitting across from the desk and put on her shoes. She didn’t want to leave him. She didn’t want to stop fucking him. She didn’t want to guess about the next time she would see him. Also, she didn’t want him in her head, not in the way he’d taken over her thoughts the last few days. “You know what, it doesn’t matter.”
“It does though.” Gannon’s voice was sincere. He bent over and picked up his shirt off of the floor.
“No, it doesn’t.” Kayla stood, walked to the door, and turned around to face him. She met his eyes, holding them hostage with hers. “This…” She motioned her hands to him and back to her. “I don’t need this.” And then she walked out of the room.
She moved swiftly through the club with her head down. Even though she heard him call her name, she didn’t look up. Not seeing him was the only chance she had to erase everything about him from her mind.
* * * *
Gannon stood at the doorway of the bar and watched her drive away, everything he’d wanted for the last nine years. He wondered for the thousandth time why he hadn’t been able to bring himself to call her. He shook his head. It didn’t matter now. She’d said it. Two minutes ago, she’d said I don’t need this .
“It’s pretty obvious,” a woman’s voice said from behind him. Gannon turned around. Sharon. She reached past him and flicked the butt of a cigarette out of the open door.
“What’s obvious?” Gannon stepped outside and propped against the wall. Sharon followed.
“How you feel about her. I saw the way you looked at her on Friday when she walked up to the bar. At first I thought it was pure lust. I’ve heard the wild college stories about you from my brother.”
Gannon opened his mouth to defend himself, but Sharon held up a hand to stop him. He clamped his jaw shut and stared at a flickering streetlight that was threatening to go out. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to escape up the stairs to his apartment and close himself in, hoping everything about Kayla would fade away.
Sharon lit another cigarette and continued, “When I figured out what happened between the two of you, it was set in my head you would toss her aside like you have all the others, but when I saw how you two were in the hallway…when you kissed…the look…it wasn’t just in your eyes. Both of your entire bodies were eaten up with raw passion. That right there.” She poked on his chest. “It’s something you shouldn’t let go.”
He gazed down the road in the direction Kayla had gone. “She doesn’t want it.”
Sharon poked his chest again. “And you are a complete moron.”
Chapter 6
In her sweatpants and tank top, Kayla rocked back on her knees and sighed at the scattered metal pieces across the floor.
There was too much feeling tied up between them. It was supposed to be sex. Sex. Once. Nothing more. Her frustration, she knew, was not at him. She was frustrated with herself at the emotion she somehow allowed herself with him. Kayla knew the only way to keep from getting more involved was to end it…completely.
“I can’t do this,” she said after pulling up her pants and slipping her top on. Kayla shot her eyes to Gannon—no shirt, no shoes, and the jeans hanging low on his waist had yet to be buttoned. He seemed to freeze at her statement.
“It shouldn’t be this way.”
“You said that on Saturday. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kayla took a seat on the edge of a leather wing-back chair sitting across from the desk and put on her shoes. She didn’t want to leave him. She didn’t want to stop fucking him. She didn’t want to guess about the next time she would see him. Also, she didn’t want him in her head, not in the way he’d taken over her thoughts the last few days. “You know what, it doesn’t matter.”
“It does though.” Gannon’s voice was sincere. He bent over and picked up his shirt off of the floor.
“No, it doesn’t.” Kayla stood, walked to the door, and turned around to face him. She met his eyes, holding them hostage with hers. “This…” She motioned her hands to him and back to her. “I don’t need this.” And then she walked out of the room.
She moved swiftly through the club with her head down. Even though she heard him call her name, she didn’t look up. Not seeing him was the only chance she had to erase everything about him from her mind.
* * * *
Gannon stood at the doorway of the bar and watched her drive away, everything he’d wanted for the last nine years. He wondered for the thousandth time why he hadn’t been able to bring himself to call her. He shook his head. It didn’t matter now. She’d said it. Two minutes ago, she’d said I don’t need this .
“It’s pretty obvious,” a woman’s voice said from behind him. Gannon turned around. Sharon. She reached past him and flicked the butt of a cigarette out of the open door.
“What’s obvious?” Gannon stepped outside and propped against the wall. Sharon followed.
“How you feel about her. I saw the way you looked at her on Friday when she walked up to the bar. At first I thought it was pure lust. I’ve heard the wild college stories about you from my brother.”
Gannon opened his mouth to defend himself, but Sharon held up a hand to stop him. He clamped his jaw shut and stared at a flickering streetlight that was threatening to go out. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to escape up the stairs to his apartment and close himself in, hoping everything about Kayla would fade away.
Sharon lit another cigarette and continued, “When I figured out what happened between the two of you, it was set in my head you would toss her aside like you have all the others, but when I saw how you two were in the hallway…when you kissed…the look…it wasn’t just in your eyes. Both of your entire bodies were eaten up with raw passion. That right there.” She poked on his chest. “It’s something you shouldn’t let go.”
He gazed down the road in the direction Kayla had gone. “She doesn’t want it.”
Sharon poked his chest again. “And you are a complete moron.”
Chapter 6
In her sweatpants and tank top, Kayla rocked back on her knees and sighed at the scattered metal pieces across the floor.
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