Embrace My Heart(34)
Vectra raised a weary hand. “Sorry about the locked door, Char. I was exhausted last night, made worse by a boring business dinner in the city.” She explained, figuring Qasim must have set the lock on her bedroom door handle before he left.
“Wendy made a cup of that knockout tea when I got here and I was ready for bed in minutes.” Silently, Vectra acknowledged that while it wasn’t the absolute truth it wasn’t an entire falsehood.
Charlotte bought it. The concern in her gaze gave way to sympathy. “Poor thing,” she crooned, already reaching for the bedroom door handle. “Well, I’m glad to see you’re finally giving in to the rest you obviously need. Beautiful girls shouldn’t burn the candle at both ends—puts bags under the eyes.” She reached up to lovingly pinch Vectra’s cheek. “Back to bed with you,” she ordered.
“Oh, Char no, I’ve got meetings in the gallery all day—”
Charlotte raised a firm hand. “They can wait. I’m requiring two more hours of sleep—at least.”
“Charlotte...” Vectra whined, believing she should at least protest a little longer.
“Do you need me to come in there and put you into bed?” Charlotte propped fists to her round hips.
“All right, all right.” Vectra remembered all the condom wrappers she and Qasim had worked through the night before, and she wasn’t eager to explain the mess Charlotte was sure to find if she took another step inside the room.
“Lovely.” Pleased by Vectra’s obliging attitude, Charlotte took a step back from the door. “I’ll be back later with breakfast.” She blew Vectra a kiss and then shut the door behind her.
Vectra sighed, admitting that a couple more hours of sleep did sound quite heavenly. She turned, shuffling back toward the bed while taking a quick survey of the elaborately designed rug covering the hardwood floor.
Perhaps Qasim did take the time to spruce up before he made his quiet exit, she thought.
She found no evidence of their vivacious romps from the night before. There were tangled covers barely clinging to the mattress and throw pillows that had either been kicked to the floor or hurtled to the other side of the room. Otherwise, the place was decidedly tidy. Still, she wished he’d told her goodbye. She bristled, flopping to the bed and punching the comforter when the billowing gold material poofed out about her.
Stop it.
He left the way anyone would after a one-night stand.
That’s what it was, wasn’t it?
That is what she alluded to him, that she was okay with it, right? He’d given her what she’d wanted... Boy, had he ever... She couldn’t fault him for treating it for what it was the next morning.
In the distance, she picked up the ring of an old-fashioned rotary phone—her mobile. The device was still tucked away in her purse, which she’d tossed to the chaise near the closet room when she’d come up to change the night before.
Vectra debated, really wanting her sleep and knowing it could be work calling. Cursing at her weakness, she pushed off the bed and went to track down the phone.
Qasim’s name was on the display.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
She dropped into the lounge chair, and the comforter poofed around her again.
“Qasim.” She swallowed an attempt to urge her leaping heart to return to its rightful position.
“Hey.”
Vectra melted and wasn’t ashamed of the reaction. His voice was as thick and rich as a chocolate cascade—and just as tempting.
“Are you okay?”
A throb began to stir. Hell, if his voice wasn’t an aphrodisiac of the most sinful variety.
“I, um...I thought I was okay, and then I woke up and you weren’t here.” There. She’d said it. God could she be more pathetic?
“I didn’t think you’d want to explain to your staff why I was there.”
She laughed. “Are you serious? They’d have probably thrown us a party. They think I’m alone in this house too much.”
“Can I see you?”
“When?” She groaned.
Pathetic.
Evidently, a night of amazing and exhausting sex hadn’t gotten the man out of her system. She heard him chuckling. The sound rolled softly through the phone line, sinful indeed.
“Today?” he suggested. “That’d mean driving back into the city.”
“Not a problem. I’ve got gallery meetings to get back for.”
“Will anyone miss you if you spend the night with me?”
The question caused her core muscles to constrict on the stimulation it alone provided.
Breathe, Vectra...
“I’ll leave a note for the staff telling them I decided to stay over with Dad. I do that a lot and they wouldn’t feel the need to check. They’d only call my cell if they do.”