couch. “You look like you need a hug.”
“You look like you need one, too.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight.
He rested his cheek on top of her head.
“Damn it. I still miss him after all these years,” she whispered and hid her face into the crook of his neck. “Will the pain ever stop?”
“Not for us. Cameron made sure of it.” He closed his eyes to stop the stinging. He’d already shed enough tears for his baby brother whose senseless death would haunt him to his grave.
***
Erika sat down in the bistro. She pulled the napkin she’d kept from her purse and studied it, the edges wrinkled and ripped from her constant fiddling. She’d saved Max’s number in her cell, but she didn’t want to get rid of the actual napkin yet. Should she call him?
The last time she couldn’t get her mind off a man it had been Chris. If he had any idea about her attraction to Maxwell Crawford, he’d flip out. He hadn’t been too happy with her when she’d bowed out at dinner the week before. He had no idea about her chat with the owner of Crawford Media, and when the rest of their dinner party wanted to continue celebrating at a bar, she’d used that as her cue to leave. He’d wanted to accompany her home, but she told him to go have fun. He ended up kissing her for all to see, as if to claim her. Any other day, she would’ve been thrilled, but with her new attraction added into the equation, she was more confused more than ever.
The way she’d responded to Max was very different from her comfortable banter with Chris. Her heart didn’t pound as fast as it used to when she was in his presence. But with her mysterious man, heat swirled in her belly and her chest constricted—a few other places clenched as well. She’d laid awake every night since she’d last spoken to him. When she thought of him, she grew achy between her legs. Once, she tried masturbating but could never get off the way she wanted, causing the emptiness inside to worsen.
Her stomach growled. At least her lusting hadn’t diminished her appetite. She glanced out the window, hoping to spot one of her friends arriving. Both Alyson and Kim were running late. The wind outside whipped around, sending pieces of debris from the street flying up in the air. Gray clouds filled the sky—a sign of rain to come. She shivered, hugging herself for warmth even though she wore a wool sweater. On a day like today, she would rather have stayed in bed napping—better yet, with someone lying next to her.
I wonder if Max is a cuddler? Probably not. He’s pretty intense. I bet he’s an excellent lover and experienced—
“Hey, girl.” Alyson tapped her on the back, leaned down to kiss her cheek then sat across from her.
“Hiya, sweetie.”
The redhead pointed to the napkin. “What’s that you got there?” She took off her coat, laying it in the chair next to her.
She almost snatched the tattered scrap away to hide it, but in a way she was glad her friend saw it. Not talking about Max was killing her. She needed advice on how to handle the situation.
“It’s a cocktail napkin with a phone number.” She handed it over, trying to keep her voice steady. All she wanted to do was hop in her seat like some sixteen-year-old who’d been asked to the prom by the captain of the football team.
Alyson scanned the writing. “Maxwell?”
She nodded, doing a small hop in her chair nevertheless. “You may know him better as M.L. Crawford, the owner and CEO of Crawford Media.”
The redhead clutched the edge of the table in dramatic fashion, causing her bracelets to jingle. “You’re not serious! How’d you meet him? He’s not into the social scene, even for industry events.”
“I’ve seen him twice, once at the awards ceremony then a few nights ago at the restaurant I went to for dinner with Chris.”
With a gasp, she took Erika’s hand. “Girl, give up the deets. What did Chris do? He must have been royally pissed
“You look like you need one, too.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight.
He rested his cheek on top of her head.
“Damn it. I still miss him after all these years,” she whispered and hid her face into the crook of his neck. “Will the pain ever stop?”
“Not for us. Cameron made sure of it.” He closed his eyes to stop the stinging. He’d already shed enough tears for his baby brother whose senseless death would haunt him to his grave.
***
Erika sat down in the bistro. She pulled the napkin she’d kept from her purse and studied it, the edges wrinkled and ripped from her constant fiddling. She’d saved Max’s number in her cell, but she didn’t want to get rid of the actual napkin yet. Should she call him?
The last time she couldn’t get her mind off a man it had been Chris. If he had any idea about her attraction to Maxwell Crawford, he’d flip out. He hadn’t been too happy with her when she’d bowed out at dinner the week before. He had no idea about her chat with the owner of Crawford Media, and when the rest of their dinner party wanted to continue celebrating at a bar, she’d used that as her cue to leave. He’d wanted to accompany her home, but she told him to go have fun. He ended up kissing her for all to see, as if to claim her. Any other day, she would’ve been thrilled, but with her new attraction added into the equation, she was more confused more than ever.
The way she’d responded to Max was very different from her comfortable banter with Chris. Her heart didn’t pound as fast as it used to when she was in his presence. But with her mysterious man, heat swirled in her belly and her chest constricted—a few other places clenched as well. She’d laid awake every night since she’d last spoken to him. When she thought of him, she grew achy between her legs. Once, she tried masturbating but could never get off the way she wanted, causing the emptiness inside to worsen.
Her stomach growled. At least her lusting hadn’t diminished her appetite. She glanced out the window, hoping to spot one of her friends arriving. Both Alyson and Kim were running late. The wind outside whipped around, sending pieces of debris from the street flying up in the air. Gray clouds filled the sky—a sign of rain to come. She shivered, hugging herself for warmth even though she wore a wool sweater. On a day like today, she would rather have stayed in bed napping—better yet, with someone lying next to her.
I wonder if Max is a cuddler? Probably not. He’s pretty intense. I bet he’s an excellent lover and experienced—
“Hey, girl.” Alyson tapped her on the back, leaned down to kiss her cheek then sat across from her.
“Hiya, sweetie.”
The redhead pointed to the napkin. “What’s that you got there?” She took off her coat, laying it in the chair next to her.
She almost snatched the tattered scrap away to hide it, but in a way she was glad her friend saw it. Not talking about Max was killing her. She needed advice on how to handle the situation.
“It’s a cocktail napkin with a phone number.” She handed it over, trying to keep her voice steady. All she wanted to do was hop in her seat like some sixteen-year-old who’d been asked to the prom by the captain of the football team.
Alyson scanned the writing. “Maxwell?”
She nodded, doing a small hop in her chair nevertheless. “You may know him better as M.L. Crawford, the owner and CEO of Crawford Media.”
The redhead clutched the edge of the table in dramatic fashion, causing her bracelets to jingle. “You’re not serious! How’d you meet him? He’s not into the social scene, even for industry events.”
“I’ve seen him twice, once at the awards ceremony then a few nights ago at the restaurant I went to for dinner with Chris.”
With a gasp, she took Erika’s hand. “Girl, give up the deets. What did Chris do? He must have been royally pissed
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