Page 18 of The Upgrade

I don’t care. All I care about is riding this orgasm as long as I can.

There’s one final growl and Kit starts to slow. My body stops twitching as the climax crawls to a stop. I’m still feeling aftershocks, the sharp clench inside me synching up with my heartbeat. I can’t catch my breath and every damn inch of me tingles.

My God. That was the best sex of my life.

Kit rolls to one side, propping himself on an elbow. His hand skims my cheek as he brushes my hair to the side. “Damn,” he murmurs, planting a kiss on my lips. “That was epic.”

“No joke.” I draw a deep breath, forcing my heartbeat to slow. “Um, wow.”

He laughs as he touches the shell of my ear. “You’re so fucking sexy it hurts.”

I want him again. How pathetic is that?

One round of great sex and I’m basically putty.

Dammit. I need to get out of here.

This was only a fling. The last thing I need now is even a glimmer of feelings. I’m leaving next week for the sexual journey of a lifetime. This was a runway. An airport terminal. The decadent, VIP lounge at a private airstrip.

My heart rate ticks up as I roll out of bed. “Okay, well.” I snatch my dress off the floor. “Thanks for that.”

“Wait.” Blue eyes search my face as he sits up. “You’re leaving?”

“That’s the idea.” I’m playing it cool, hiding the fear that I’m not really wired for meaningless sex.I am. “This was great, though. Thank you.”

“Yeah, sure.” He leans back on the headboard, raking a hand through his hair. “I’ve got an early morning, too.”

“Great.” I locate my panties, but there’s no way I’m putting these on. They’re drenched.

Kit gets rid of the condom, then pulls on his boxers. Maybe he feels it too? This fear we could turn this into something we’re not meant to be. Something more than just sex.

That’s the last thing I need.

Stuffing my panties in my clutch, I pull on my dress and avoid Kit’s eyes. “Don’t worry,” I say. “I’ll be sure and let Camille know you were a perfect gentleman.”

He snorts and moves to the edge of the bed, bare knees bumping my hip. A sizzle of heat rolls through me again, which is all the more reason to run. There’s heat in his eyes as he watches me tug up the dress. “I’m afraid gentlemanly conduct wasn’t in my marching orders.”

“Then I’ll let her know you made me come my brains out.” I’m sure she’ll be thrilled. “It was nice to finally meet you.”

He watches me struggle, my fingers too shaky to handle the zipper. “Here.” Big hands grip my hips and he spins me around, zipping me up before I can protest. “Can I see you again?”

Taking a breath, I twirl back around. “Aren’t you leaving for a new job?” I don’t give him a chance to respond. “I’m traveling, too. I’ll be really busy for the next few?—”

“Yeah, I get it.” He shrugs like it’s not a big deal, but there’s a hint of resignation in his eyes. “You’re totally right.”

“I’m not rejecting you, I swear.” God, I’m such a bitch. “You’re amazing, and?—”

“Eve, we’re good. Don’t worry.” He sounds so sincere, but I’m worried I’ve made him feel bad.

“For what it’s worth, this was the best sex of my life.” Might as well be honest, right? “But I’ve got a history of casual sex plunging me into this icky shame spiral that leads me to chasenormalandcommittedinstead of pure pleasure for pleasure’s sake. Does that make sense?”

There’s a quick flash of panic where I worry I’ve said way too much. Who the fuck blurts stuff like that right after a casual hookup?

But the steel in Kit’s eyes shifts to softness. To deep, compassionate understanding. “Yeah,” he says softly. “It does.”

“Okay, so…” I offer a shaky little laugh. “I don’t know when or if we’ll see each other again, but for what it’s worth, this meant a lot.”

“To me, too.” Kit sticks out his hand and I laugh.

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