When her fingers disappeared, I couldn’t hold back any longer. It took less than two minutes—she was pumping in and out as fast as I was tugging at my cock. Her mouth parted, and I knew she was beginning. “Chance…”

“Come baby. Together.” It was the most spectacular sight in the world as she became undone right before my eyes. The sound of her moaning my name as she brought herself to her own climax was purely erotic.

It took a while after we both finished to regain control of our panting breaths. Eventually, Aubrey’s body went slack, and she leaned against the tiled wall of the shower. She didn’t open her eyes as I reached in and turned off the water. I scooped her into my arms and carried her to my bed. Climbing in behind her, I slipped under the sheet, careful not to press myself against her. That would be breaking the rules. And oddly, I was sated for now.

Not fifteen minutes later, she mumbled the words ‘I’m sorry’ right before I heard the light sound of her sleep.

I fell asleep not long after that, feeling relief and content with the woman I loved sleeping next to me in our bed.

Unfortunately, the feeling was gone the next morning when I woke up, and it wouldn’t take me long to figure out why.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Talk about going from your highest high to your lowest low. For the first time, I realized exactly how Aubrey might have felt the moment she woke up and found that I’d abandoned her at the hotel in Vegas.

She was gone.

So was Pixy.

The morning sun streamed into the loft. My heart raced as a piece of white paper on the kitchen counter caught my eye. Unfolding it, I rubbed my groggy eyes in order to read each and every word clearly.

Chance,

Yesterday was beyond amazing. But I got carried away last night. It proved once again that I don’t have any willpower against my attraction to you. As long as I’m with Richard, my giving in like that is not fair to him. I didn’t want to risk things going any further if I stayed another day. I’m pretty sure I can’t resist you physically anymore. I’m sorry. I know I promised you the whole weekend. I’m just trying to do the right thing.

Crumbling the letter and throwing it across the room, I yelled, “Fuck.” My voice echoed into the empty kitchen. So, that was it? Yesterday was my final chance to make any kind of a lasting impression on her before she made a decision, and the last thing I did was jerk myself off before we passed out. After everything, that was how it was going to end? Well played, Bateman. How the hell did she even get transportation that fast back to Temecula with a goat? She must have researched an exit plan prior to agreeing to the trip. Aubrey probably had a car company on standby. “Chance took out his dick, so you can come pick me up now!”

Feeling hopeless, I leaned my elbows against the counter and rubbed my temples. I debated whether to call her and decided against it for the time being. It was the first time since reentering her life that I had no strategy. I honestly didn’t know what to do from here.

A couple of hours later, Adele came by after I’d called to let her know that Aubrey left.

Pacing across the loft, I ran my hands through my hair. “I’m thinking of going back to Temecula tonight.”

“Don’t.”

“Don’t?”

“Don’t.” She put her hands on my arms to stop me from pacing. “Look, I really like her. I hope that it works out, but you’ve done everything you possibly can to show her how you feel. It’s time to step back and give her the space she needs to hopefully come to the right conclusion—that you’re the one. I could see in her eyes how much she still cares about you. She was crying, for Christ’s sake. The only thing holding her back is fear of getting hurt.”

“What if she lets fear win and ends up with dickwad?”

“Then, you have to move on.”

Could I move on? I couldn’t fathom wanting anyone in the same way or as badly ever again in my lifetime. But if she chose him, I knew I would have to get on with my life eventually, date other women and finally end my two year celibacy.

She opened a package of Tim Tams and poured two tall servings of milk. Since you can’t get that brand of cookies in America, Adele had a friend from Melbourne who shipped them to her in bulk.

I dunked one of the chocolate-covered wafers into my glass and took a bite as I spoke with my mouth full. “How the fuck am I gonna stay here wasting away in Hermosa Beach, knowing that I may never see her again if she decides to move away with him? He’s leaving in just a matter of days.”

Adele looked confused. “How fast could she possibly move to Boston? Wouldn’t she have to sell her house, get rid of all her shit?”