He turned over and reached under the settee, bringing up a moist, hot towel.
Connor moved down her body and parted her legs, running the warm cloth carefully over her still slick curls and tender folds.
Even after their mutual release, he was ready for her again. He couldn’t help but want to yell out to the world, “Mine!” But they needed to get some ground rules established first before he took her again.
For some reason, Connor’s gentleness had her shrinking back from him.
Tears gathered in her eyes, not from the slight twinge of pain from the friction of the towel, but from the multitude of emotions whirling around in her, competing for supremacy. The white-hot pleasure this man had given her tonight would forever be stamped into her brain, giving her endless memories to fantasize about.
Another part of her mourned, because now that the chase was over, she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold his interest for long.
Once he had his fill of her, he would be moving on and she would be left picking up the fractured pieces he left behind. This time around, Gina knew she wouldn’t be able to survive it. A measly makeover wasn’t going to conceal the ache he left in her when he walked away.
Gina knew she had been fooling herself to think she could have casual sex with him. There wasn’t anything casual about if for her. If she was honest with herself, she had to admit that she had been harboring feelings for Connor even before her life makeover.
A deluge of terror had her lashing out. “The damn list is finished,” she snapped. “Now we can both move on.” She pushed away from him and made for her dress, determined to get dressed and out of here on her own terms.
She missed the look of disbelief that flashed across his face. Instead, she ignored him as he stood up and gathered his own clothes.
Shaking his head as if he was going to argue with her, Connor stopped and she heard him take a long, hard breath. “Look, you’re tired—we’re both tired, Gina. Let’s get back to the hotel and sleep on it. We’ll have time to talk on the flight back home tomorrow.”
“I’m not flying home with the team tomorrow Connor,” she responded automatically, “I am going to spend the weekend here in Toronto.”
“Like hell you are,” he barked out. “You’re going home with me tomorrow, Gina. No way in hell am I going to leave you here on your own, not after this. You’re mine!”
Gina staggered under his possessive words, her gaze meeting his with confusion.
When she didn’t respond, he sighed, gesturing to the velvet doorway. “Let’s go.”
Connor placed a possessive hand on the small of her back, ushering her past the curtains. “I am going to get someone to escort you to the lobby while I go grab my jacket. I’ll have my driver meet us out front in a few minutes.”
In typical Connor style, he didn’t wait for her to respond. Instead he took it for granted that she would acquiesce.
Mindless of the people around her, Gina allowed Connor to guide her to the elevator where he asked an employee to accompany her to the lobby to wait for him.
With numb legs, Gina entered the elevator. She turned and leaned against the back wall, not sure her legs would hold her up for much longer.
Connor stood outside of the elevator, staring at Gina with a raised eyebrow, trying to get a read on her as the doors slowly shut, separating her from his gaze.
Connor knew he had been treading on dangerous ground when he entered the room Gina had been waiting in.
The woman had ignored all his calls and made asinine excuses to his emails when he’d asked her out to dinner. Working for the same organization, he was still awed at how she had skillfully avoided him.
But a man had to do what a man had to do.
There was no way Gina could ignore what had happened between them now. With new certitude, Connor went to grab his jacket.
The silence of the elevator was deafening. The attendant stood in front of her, discreetly staring ahead.
“I need a taxi,” Gina said to the back of his head.
Without turning, he nodded and spoke into the microphone clipped to his lapel. When they reached the lobby, he waited respectfully for her to follow him to the front doors. He reached for the door handle to walk her out, only then hesitating and asking her, “Are you sure you don’t want to wait for Mr. Waters?”
Stepping past him into the dark, cold night, Gina shook her head no.
One thing was for certain, she wasn’t sure about anything.
Chapter Eight
Walking back from the restroom, Gina couldn’t help but throw a nervous glance over her shoulder. The feeling of being watched was overwhelming. A healthy hint of alarm radiated from her core, her gaze darting around the crowded room as she searched the nightclub for the cause of her distress. Her spider senses were tingling in warning, but everywhere she looked, all Gina could see was the crowd of elite party-goers engrossed within their own circles having a good time. No one seemed to be paying her undue attention except for Matt, who sat waiting for her at the private table he had booked for the evening.