Chapter 11: Chapter 11

LAUREN

Lauren sat in the cab, guilt over leaving without saying goodbye chewing at her insides. But she knew she had done the right thing for herself. For her career.

He was Logan Hawke; he already had his professional reputation. She was trying to get herself one of those, on her own merits. She didn’t want it to involve him, or her father, or any other man like them.

But what a man Logan was, and what a night it had been with him. One of those nights that would make finding a husband difficult because his sex game set the bar so high. But she shouldn’t let one night define her sexpectations.

Because that was all it was. They hadn’t promised each other anything other than one night, and if she’d stayed, they would’ve made awkward small talk and then he would’ve awkwardly asked her to leave.

He was not the settling-down kind of guy, and that was just the way it was.

The closer she got to her apartment, the more she realized that forgetting him was not going to be as easy as she’d thought. Her body certainly didn’t seem to be able to let go of him.

It had a sweet ache that made her want to feel him again, throbbing at the memory of him over her, against her, inside her. The images of their night flashed into her mind as quickly as she shoved them out.

But his strong hands trailed down her side once more, lifting her thigh against him. His deep strokes inside her. His teeth grazing her collarbone.

~Fuck!~ She mentally shook the images away, then really shook her head for safe measure. ~Damn you, Valentine’s Day curse. I see you~.

She thought she had finally gotten her perfect Valentine’s story, but it seemed her curse had left its lingering mark. Forgetting him would be near impossible, but she had to. For Shana, for her career, and for her own sanity.

The cab pulled up to her building, and she hurried into her apartment, opting to take a cold shower to get Logan’s face out of her mind—and his scent off of her body. She’d been right about Shana, and Lauren went undetected to her bedroom.

***

Lauren sat at the breakfast bar, eating granola and trying to distract herself by scrolling Instagram.

“You got in late,” Shana said as she walked out of her room.

Shrugging, she forced her thoughts not to flash back. It didn’t work. Clearing her throat, she said, “I met someone.” She didn’t want to lie to Shana, but omitting wasn’t lying.

Shana paused in the middle of making her smoothie to look at Lauren with raised, meticulously penciled brows. “You met someone? How? Did you go out?”

Lauren gave her another shrug, tilting her head to the side and darting her eyes left and right. “I don’t know. Maybe.” She shoved a spoonful of granola into her mouth.

Shana finished her smoothie, eyes narrowed on Lauren while she did, then she filled her travel mug. In a sleek pantsuit for work, Shana leaned on the bar and cocked her head, not a hair moving out of place from her slicked-back bun. “You went out? On a work night?”

Lauren stared into her granola. “I had a shit night, and I was bummed. Somebody offered to cheer me up.” She looked back up. “I let him.”

Shana grinned, her Hollywood-white teeth gleaming. “And? Were you cheered up?” She wiggled her brows.

While Lauren herself hadn’t been entirely genuine, the smile that broke out on her lips was. Logan had very much cheered her up. Her cheeks blazed, and she forced her face to reset. “Mm-hmm,” she said, nodding.

Cheering, Shana did a little dance. “That’s my girl!” she said, clapping her hands together. Her phone dinged, and she looked at it. “Dang.” Her eyes moved over Lauren’s body. “You’re not even dressed yet! You’d better hurry, we’re running late!”

Shaking her head, Lauren said, “You can go on. I’m going to work from home today.”

Shana shoved her phone and her work folders into her bag. Her smoothie in one hand, keys in the other, she turned toward the door. “Maybe you should take a day off after getting cheered up all night, huh, Miss Workaholic? Or at least take a nap. You look like shit.”

Lauren stuck out her tongue. “Yeah, yeah,” she said. “Go to work.”

Shana laughed. “Well, enjoy your quiet time.” She blew Lauren a kiss and disappeared out the door.

After cleaning her dishes, Lauren went back to her room and fell onto the bed. Her phone vibrated in her hand, and she brought it up to her face.

There was an unknown number on the screen with a message. Her heart skipped a beat.

Unknown

You forgot something when you were sneaking out.

Under the message was a picture of her bra.

~Shit. It’s Logan.~

Her pulse thundered as thoughts swirled around her brain. Should she tell him to throw it away? No, that would be immature. But did she want it back if it meant she had to see him? Was she such a coward that she couldn’t handle seeing him again?

Her mind wasn’t, but her body? Could it handle being near him without melting into a sopping mess? Surely she could control herself long enough to get it back?

But one-night stands were meant to be one night only. That was the whole point. That was why she’d agreed to it, to protect herself from catching feelings. Because a relationship with Logan was out of the question.

Mind made up, Lauren typed out and sent her response, telling him to mail it back to her and giving him her office address.

Typing dots popped up, but then they disappeared. She watched them come and go a few more times, but he didn’t reply.

Instead of waiting for a message that might not come, she chucked her phone down on the bed and got her work stuff out. Her weekend event needed some attention, but she lasted only minutes before she was asleep over the paperwork.

A buzzing near her ear woke her, and she groaned, wiping her mouth of drool. She ruffled through the papers for her phone before answering with a croaky hello.

“Hey,” Shana said, “I need another favor.”

Lauren rolled her eyes. Shana and her favors. “What is it?”

“I need you to come to my office again.”

Shana kept talking after that, but Lauren couldn’t hear her over the sound of her thundering heart.

~Fuck.~