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.She slowly stalks toward me, climbing her small frame onto the bed and nestling her bare legs under the comforter.“Okay.Tell me.Why did you come all this way? What couldn’t wait until I got back or that you couldn’t just call me?”“I don’t know.After you left, I felt really weird.Like, I had to see you or something.I tried to ignore it, but the more I did, the more it was driving me crazy.I … I don’t know.” Embarrassed, trying to conceal the blush on her cheeks, she burrows her head into her chest and slides down the bed until her entire body, except for the top of her head is covered by the blanket.“Hey,” I say softly, coaxing her out of hiding, “When have you ever been nervous around me? Get outta there.Talk to me.I’m here, you’re here.”Slowly, she peeks out, eyes closed.“I have no idea what I’m doing, Dex.” Shaking her head, she laughs nervously.I’ve never seen her act this way.This is a totally new side of Briar, and it’s adorable.“You’ve had a long flight and I’ve had a long day.I have a shoot tomorrow for the magazine; how about you come with me? We’ll get lunch afterward and try to figure out why you traveled across the Atlantic.”Briar offers me a slight smile, scoots to the opposite edge of the bed and rolls to her side.“Night, Dex.”Closing the distance, even though I feel like I should leave well enough alone, I wrap my arm around her middle and pull her toward me.Even through my sweatpants, the heat radiating off her body has me wondering what she’s wearing under my shirt.The only thing I can think is she’s absolutely naked, as I didn’t pass her anything else but the tee.I try my damnedest to hide the erection starting to grow in my pants, but the effort is futile.Briar giggles and shakes her head, “If you’re having … difficulties … you don’t have to hold me, but it does feel really nice to be in the arms of a man, even just for a night.”Tightening my grip, I press my body as close to hers as possible, “Sorry about this.I tried, I really did, but you’re wearing my shirt and no underwear.What do you expect?”“It’s cute.” And there goes my ego.My dick isn’t cute; it’s a beast … a monster … a weapon of mass destruction … not fucking cute.Tightening my lips so I don’t say something stupid and ruin the moment, I close my eyes and begin to drift off to sleep, knowing exactly how she feels.Even though relationships are for pussies, holding a beautiful woman in your arms all night is great.The silkiness of her skin, the smell of her hair, the way her ass presses into your dick all night … yeah.I can do that anytime.Briar’s breathing evens out before I pass out.She softly snores, wait, scratch that, women don’t snore, they make little noises.Right? Who the fuck am I kidding…she’s snoring.Briar must have been absolutely exhausted.Before, when we would hang out all night, I was always the first to fall asleep.As I’m breathing in her cherry scent, the door to the room flies open.Fuck.I never did text Nicholas.Lifting my head just enough to make eye contact with him, I raise my hand from Briar’s waist and put my finger to my lips, signaling him to be quiet.Nicholas raises a brow.“You kept one overnight? In your room? Are you feeling okay?” he whispers.“Briar,” I say quietly, pointing down.Snickering as he pulls the door closed, I know I’ll have to explain this in the morning.Thankfully, the evening’s ending with the right girl in my arms, even if I didn’t fuck her.It’s Briar who I’d rather be with, anyway.Waking up this morning after having slept the best I have in quite a while, I carefully slip my arm from around Briar’s waist and remove the one under her pillow and stretch.When my fingertips regain blood flow, I climb off the side, and for the first time that I can remember, I don’t rush to get dressed and slip out the door before she wakes up.It’s actually a lot less awkward than I thought it would be.Instead of fleeing into the dawn, I make my way into the kitchen to start the coffee maker.While it brews, Nicholas emerges from his bedroom looking like death has been knocking on his door but he refused to answer.“Well, good morning, sunshine,” I joke, pouring him a mug and pushing it down the countertop.“Wanna tell me why we switched bedrooms? Or, better yet, how the hell Briar’s in London?”“Briar just showed up and I couldn’t let her sleep in a bed where I had just had some bitch from the club.Even if I didn’t fuck her, she was ass naked on those sheets.”“So, you let me sleep in the slut sheets? Dude, not cool.” His face twists with disgust as he takes a sip of the coffee.“If I get herpes, I’m kicking your ass.”“She didn’t have herpes, dude.Do you think I’d fuck a bitch with an STD? Not to mention, I was kind enough to call housekeeping and had them change your sheets before you got back.”“I’m going to plead the fifth on that one, Sir.”“What did I tell you about that sir shit? When we’re working, fine, whatever makes you happy.Any other time, no.Just don’t fucking do it.” I shake my head in annoyance as Briar comes walking into the room, still only wearing my shirt.I want to jump up from the bar, grab a sheet and wrap it around her.I don’t want anyone seeing her like this but me.She’s mine.Mine?Fuck.Here we go again.I need to get a grip.I’m losing my damn mind.“Morning,” she mutters, pouring herself a cup and sitting across from us.“What are you guys talking about so seriously this early?”“Nothing,” Nicholas and I say in unison.“Must be juicy.Y’all were too quick on that one,” Briar giggles.“Something like that,” Nicholas murmurs, heading back to his room to get ready for the day.Following suit, I leave Briar alone at the breakfast bar to shower and change.****Today of all days, my first day back to work after the fright of the scandal, is the day that had I been playing Never Have I Ever, I would be completely trashed by now, and it’s only ten in the morning.From spending the morning with a woman I had slept with, but not fucked, to getting dressed with her…I’m barely able to function with all of this domestic stuff I’m doing.Is it possible that this exposé has changed me? Made me someone different? That’s all I can keep thinking … is that I’m not the same person I was two weeks ago.I’m just not sure that I like it.Briar decided to join me at the photo shoot today, which will be a nice change of pace.I’m used to doing everything on my own, not even having an assistant to help change the lighting or adjust a piece of wardrobe.Walking into the warehouse where today’s job will be, it’s the same type spread I’ve done time and time again—the bare bones of a building, with a rustic sense, specifically picked out to accentuate the items to be displayed.It’s a genius concept and comes out excellently in print.I had assumed that it would be the actual magazine I would be working with, but it’s actually a lingerie company that’s getting a few pages of advertisement.This might be the exact thing I need to knock me out of my funk—a dozen women wearing some of the sexiest lingerie that I’ve ever seen.If I can only shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, probably due to Briar being here, I’ll have a great time.“Who’s up first?” I ask to the crowd of long legs, tight stomachs and perky breasts.Also, to my surprise, there’s an extremely athletic looking man standing in the background wearing nothing but a pair of silk boxers.“Dexter, you made it.I was worried you wouldn’t find the location.Henry Chalke,” a plump man wearing an expensive suit introduces himself, walking over to me, taking my hand in a firm shake.Reciprocating the gesture, he looks over my shoulder and stares at Briar.“Is this Briar Kennedy?”“Yes, sir.It’s a pleasure to meet you
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