Page 30 of Savage Temptation
I take a long sip of my wine. “Bags don’t buy happiness, but yes.”
As nice as the gifts are, they hardly impress me. Atticus has more zeros in his bank account than some countries, so the gourmet chocolates, spa packages, designer bags, and accessories aren’t a big deal.
I remember what he said to me,“It’s lonely at the top.”It wasn’t in jest, and he followed it with a truth I never knew he cared about. That women use him for money and power.
Does Atticus crave a real and true relationship? That’s hard to say. But I don’t want to be some experiment in his life, allowing him to explore the ins and outs of being in a relationship, only to leave me broken-hearted, so I have to stick a pin in that mindset.
“You’re the most level-headed one of us, and yet your communication skills are shit,” Cindy says.
“This isn’t about being the right woman. I’m perfectly fine with our arrangement, and when it ends, and it will, I’ll walk away better than I am.”
Or at least that’s what I tell myself. The more I think about the arrangement, the more I wonder if I am completely on board with it. The sex we had on his jet was…phenomenal, but what happens when it ends? Will I actually be better? Or will I always mourn what we had?
My phone vibrates, and I look down to see a text from Atticus.
Atticus:It’s been a rough week. Care to help me unwind?
My heart races with anticipation as I furiously thumb into my phone.
* * *
ATTICUS
Over the years, I’ve had countless conversations with Tessa Campbell. From talks about who she wants to invite her to prom to her weapon of choice in the zombie apocalypse.
Which is why it’s odd that I’m having such a hard time with even the simplest form of communication: a text.
For the last twenty-four hours, I’ve composed at least two hundred, all of which have been deleted, except for the one that I just hit SEND on…by accident.
It sounds so flippant. Help me unwind? Like she works at a damn massage parlor. She’s not a whore. She’s…everything.
A text bubble lights my screen, and I sit on pins and needles waiting for her message.
Tessa:That depends. Are you going to try to sell me essential oils?
I crack a grin,no longer regretting my awkwardly worded text because she’s made a funny joke out of it.
I’m glad she’s not going to bust my balls whenever I misspeak. Instead, she’ll say something hilarious that’s going to leave us both laughing.
Why choose anger and rudeness when you can find joy?
Atticus:I make no promises, and I’ll have you know, lavender has been known to assist with sleep disorders.
Tessa:To answer your question, I’d love to unwind.
Atticus:Dinner first?
Tessa:Isn’t that a bit dangerous?
Atticus:I’m not going to take you to some hole in the wall where you can get food poisoning. Your digestive tract will remain intact.
Tessa:I mean that the more visible we are, the greater the chance my brother will find out about us.
I frown.So what if Lance finds out about us? What if I don’t care?
But I should care. He’s my best friend, and he’s very protective of his little sister, with good reason.
And I’m simply not worthy of a woman like her, not that I can keep away at this point.
