phone showed it was two in the morning and she groaned. Still, on the bright side, she was only a few minutes’ walk from work. No need to get up early. She took a swig of water, brushed her teeth— oh yes, I do spit— then unzipped the tent and emptied her mouth before she stripped to her underwear. She unrolled the foam mat, which immediately rolled back up. Roo glared at it, stripped the wrapping off the sleeping bag and then climbed into it, flattening the mat as she stretched out, hoping it wasn’t going to roll up again and make her a sandwich filling.
The last thing Roo did before she snuggled her head into her pillow was to set the alarm on her phone—8:15—and switch off the light.
Damn, I need to pee.
As Taylor pulled into the drive of Sutton House, Niall lifted his head from where it had been resting against the window.
“You okay?” Taylor asked.
“Better. Sorry. I think maybe you’re right. Something was slipped into my drink.”
Niall twisted suddenly to look out of the window past Taylor.
Taylor glanced right. “You see something?”
“A light.”
Taylor braked.
Niall turned to stare through the back window. “No, I must have been mistaken.”
“When I was a kid, I used to see—” Taylor’s mind went blank. What the fuck had I been going to say?
“See what?” Niall whispered.
“Dunno.” Taylor pulled up outside the front door instead of taking the car round to the garage.
He waited for Niall to get out and then locked it. Taylor felt unsettled, anxiety nibbling at his gut. There was a dull pain in his chest, and his ribs ached as though some memory was trying to break free. I’m…disappointed, but I don’t know why.
Niall followed him into the house and locked the door.
“See you in the morning,” Taylor said.
Misery swamped him as he trudged up the stairs. Niall was the one not well, so why did Because he’d hoped to be in bed with a woman? Taylor closed the door of his room and leaned back against it. When had he last fucked anyone? he feel so bad?
Sophie. A month ago.
Taylor released a bark of laughter as he dropped onto the bed and flopped on his back. Had it really been a month? Fuck it. That was unheard of. A month since he moved into Sutton Hall and a month since he’d gotten laid. He frowned. This damn house.
He’d been through three PAs in this past month too. Taylor sat up. Oh fuck. Had they left because of him? Maybe Niall was right. Could they have lied about the lottery, finding Jesus? Had Emma really found it too far to commute? He hadn’t harassed them, had he? Chills skittered down his spine. Maybe they just hadn’t fancied him. Taylor gulped.
Was his lack of pulling power simply a logistics issue? Because he didn’t go out as much as he had in London, he’d reduced his odds of success? Leeds had plenty of places to troll for willing women, but it seemed as if Taylor’s plans to go out either faded as the day wore on, or if he did manage to escape from Sutton Hall, he struck out.
This bloody house.
And to make matters worse, when he did go out and manage to drag Niall with him, Niall was the one who could have scored.
For the first time since he was a teenager, Taylor’s confidence in his ability to attract women was wavering. He’d agreed Niall should be the one to approach Sherry, but her three friends had been standing right next to Taylor and ignored him. He lifted his arm and sniffed. Fine.
Yet whilst Taylor wanted women to find him attractive, part of him was only too aware that he hadn’t really wanted to interest any of the three with Sherry. Though he’d let Niall think he’d spoiled the evening by needing to come back here, Taylor hadn’t been bothered. He didn’t know if he was seeing sense for the first time in his life or sliding into depression. One thing was for certain, he was confused.
Maybe it had taken a month of no sex to make him appreciate one- and two-night stands brought pain along with pleasure.
The last thing Roo did before she snuggled her head into her pillow was to set the alarm on her phone—8:15—and switch off the light.
Damn, I need to pee.
As Taylor pulled into the drive of Sutton House, Niall lifted his head from where it had been resting against the window.
“You okay?” Taylor asked.
“Better. Sorry. I think maybe you’re right. Something was slipped into my drink.”
Niall twisted suddenly to look out of the window past Taylor.
Taylor glanced right. “You see something?”
“A light.”
Taylor braked.
Niall turned to stare through the back window. “No, I must have been mistaken.”
“When I was a kid, I used to see—” Taylor’s mind went blank. What the fuck had I been going to say?
“See what?” Niall whispered.
“Dunno.” Taylor pulled up outside the front door instead of taking the car round to the garage.
He waited for Niall to get out and then locked it. Taylor felt unsettled, anxiety nibbling at his gut. There was a dull pain in his chest, and his ribs ached as though some memory was trying to break free. I’m…disappointed, but I don’t know why.
Niall followed him into the house and locked the door.
“See you in the morning,” Taylor said.
Misery swamped him as he trudged up the stairs. Niall was the one not well, so why did Because he’d hoped to be in bed with a woman? Taylor closed the door of his room and leaned back against it. When had he last fucked anyone? he feel so bad?
Sophie. A month ago.
Taylor released a bark of laughter as he dropped onto the bed and flopped on his back. Had it really been a month? Fuck it. That was unheard of. A month since he moved into Sutton Hall and a month since he’d gotten laid. He frowned. This damn house.
He’d been through three PAs in this past month too. Taylor sat up. Oh fuck. Had they left because of him? Maybe Niall was right. Could they have lied about the lottery, finding Jesus? Had Emma really found it too far to commute? He hadn’t harassed them, had he? Chills skittered down his spine. Maybe they just hadn’t fancied him. Taylor gulped.
Was his lack of pulling power simply a logistics issue? Because he didn’t go out as much as he had in London, he’d reduced his odds of success? Leeds had plenty of places to troll for willing women, but it seemed as if Taylor’s plans to go out either faded as the day wore on, or if he did manage to escape from Sutton Hall, he struck out.
This bloody house.
And to make matters worse, when he did go out and manage to drag Niall with him, Niall was the one who could have scored.
For the first time since he was a teenager, Taylor’s confidence in his ability to attract women was wavering. He’d agreed Niall should be the one to approach Sherry, but her three friends had been standing right next to Taylor and ignored him. He lifted his arm and sniffed. Fine.
Yet whilst Taylor wanted women to find him attractive, part of him was only too aware that he hadn’t really wanted to interest any of the three with Sherry. Though he’d let Niall think he’d spoiled the evening by needing to come back here, Taylor hadn’t been bothered. He didn’t know if he was seeing sense for the first time in his life or sliding into depression. One thing was for certain, he was confused.
Maybe it had taken a month of no sex to make him appreciate one- and two-night stands brought pain along with pleasure.
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