And yet… I liked it. Ireallyliked it.
I stuff my face into the pillow, trying to stifle a laugh. Who the hell am I? Since when do I do things like this? Since when do I let two ridiculously handsome, older men seduce me in a penthouse? Since when do Ienjoyit?
But I did. Every second of it. The way Corey’s hands felt on my skin, the way Seth’s mouth made me come undone, the way they both looked at me like I was the most delicious thing they’d ever seen. It was intoxicating.
I pull the sheets tighter around me, my body still tingling. Maybe I’ve discovered something about myself tonight. Something I didn’t even know was there. A hidden kink, a side of me that’s been buried under years of playing it safe.
The thought is both terrifying and exhilarating.
I close my eyes, trying to quiet my racing thoughts, but all I can see is Corey’s smile and Seth’s wink. All I can feel is the heat of their bodies, the way they made me feel like I was the center of their universe, even if just for a moment.
I’m not sure what this means, or where it’s going, but one thing’s for sure: I’m not the same girl who walked into this penthouse tonight.
And I’m not sure I ever want to be her again.
19
COREY
Sunlight pierces through unfamiliar curtains. My head throbs, but the memories flood back crystal clear. Abbie's soft moans. The way she arched at my touch. Seth's intense gaze as he watched us. Hell, my skin still smells like her.
The silk sheets of Seth's guest room slide against my skin as I search for my phone on the nightstand. A message notification blinks.
Thanks for last night. Had to run - coffee date with Tessa. Talk later?
Oh shit. Did she regret it? The text seems casual enough, but women her age speak a different language. Hell, I barely understand my own son's texts half the time.
The house is quiet - Seth must still be passed out in his room. Can't blame him after all that bourbon. Though neither of us drank enough to cloud our judgment. What happened with Abbie was deliberate. Calculated. Perfect.
I press my palms against my eyes, trying to sort through the tangle of emotions. The way she looked at me when I told her what to do. How she trembled under Seth's mouth while maintaining eye contact with me. Christ.
This could get complicated fast. She works at our bar. She's young enough to be my daughter. But the chemistry between us…
My phone pings again. Another text coming through:
BTW your snoring is cute
A slow smile spreads across my face. Maybe I'm overthinking this. She's an adult who knows what she wants. And right now, she seems to want me. Was I snoring loud enough that she heard me down the hall? Get it together, King.
I pad down the hall to Seth's room, my bare feet silent against the hardwood floors. The door creaks as I walk in.
"Rise and shine, princess."
He groans and burrows deeper into his Egyptian cotton sheets. "What time is it?"
"Almost ten. Abbie's gone."
"Mmm. Coffee first, then panic." Seth sits up, his blonde hair sticking up at odd angles. "You've got that look."
"What look?"
"Like you're about to spiral into overthinking everything." He stretches, joints popping. "She left on her own terms, right?"
"Yeah. Said she had coffee plans with her roommate."
"Then relax. You're acting like this is your first rodeo." Seth's knowing smirk makes me want to throw something at him. "Remember Denise in college?"
The memory hits me - another shared night, twenty years ago. "That was different."