Page 112 of By His Play

She looks fucking spectacular.

“W-what are you doing?” I ask as she closes the space between us and steps into the shower.

Her eyes hold mine for a beat before she whispers, “Four days, yeah?”

I nod, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

“Four days and then we move on like it never happened?”

I nod again.

“Okay. Deal,” she says, sinking to her knees before me.

27

EFFIE

The second he walks away, everything changes again.

The heat coursing through my veins and the desire that pulled at my muscles ebb away, and the grief I’m all too familiar with creeps back in.

I had every intention of doing what Kieran suggested. I even make it as far as the grocery bag he’d abandoned in the kitchen.

I am hungry, I can’t deny that, but still, my stomach knotted the instant I looked at the fresh baguette and all the fillings he’d bought.

I don’t want to think about food. I don’t want to be sad.

I don’t want to be in pain.

He’s shown me a way to make it stop, and he’s offering it to me on a platter.

Without overthinking it, I abandon the food and walk down the hallway to where I know he is.

The image of him standing under the shower with water running over his muscular body is the only thing I can think about. Well, that, and the way his erection tented his sweats not so long ago.

I’d be lying if I said my mouth doesn’t water at the thought of getting a taste of him.

He’s had a taste of me after all.

It’s only fair that I return the favor.

If we’re going to do this, then I want the full Kieran Callahan experience.

Pressing my trembling hand against the ajar bathroom door, I suck in a deep breath before pushing it open and stepping into the steam.

If it were anyone else in here, I would probably be nervous. But I already know how he’s going to react, and it’s only spurring me on.

It’s four days.

We can do four days.

Right now, the biggest issue I have is whether I’ll be able to leave this place and go home.

That’s going to be harder than giving him up and returning to normal.

I’ll still have him in my life no matter what, but I’ll be leaving Grams behind.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I refuse to allow myself to go there.

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