One name kept circling in my head: Chris Edwards.

Fifteen minutes later, with Eden’s suitcase in my hands, we were walking out of the hotel and toward my car.

“Thank you so much for coming to get me.” She said as she watched me load her bags into the trunk of my car.

“I’m glad you called,” I said as I slammed the trunk shut and moved toward the driver’s seat. She fidgeted in the passenger seat as we took the ten-minute drive back to my apartment. The familiar ding of a text message sounded and as I looked over to her I noticed that she slammed her eyes shut and didn’t make a move to get her phone.

“What’s wrong?” I asked hurriedly, my eyes falling to the phone in Eden’s hands.

Her eyes flew open and her mouth twisted with nerves. “Nothing. I’m just tired.”

“Are you going to check your text?” I asked, not believing a word she said.

“No.”

I wanted desperately to probe further and get her to speak, but she was already shutting down and I didn’t really want to have her fleeing into the night because I had pushed too much. I bit my tongue and concentrated on the road ahead while my mind danced through scenarios of who could be texting her to get a reaction like that.

Ten minutes later my apartment building came into view, twinkling in the night sky. I pulled into the garage and grabbed her suitcase and bags from my trunk and we made our way silently to the fourteenth floor.  The moment we walked through the entrance and into the warmth of my home shy Eden decided to appear. She stood just inside of the foyer as I headed toward the kitchen. I pulled out a pot from the cabinet beside my stovetop and turned to find her looking around my apartment with a nervous look plastered on her face.

“Don’t look so nervous. You are staying here for as long as you want so make yourself at home. I’ll give you a tour once I make us hot chocolate to warm up.”

“You’re making hot chocolate?” she quizzed, the shocked expression on her face was not missed.

“Of course. It’s minus a billion degrees outside, and I need something to warm me up. Well unless you want to hug me all night?” I teased, desperate to break the tension. “So hot chocolate it is. Do you want white or milk chocolate?

“White please,” she whispered.

I felt her eyes on me as I moved around the kitchen preparing our drinks. It felt good. Soon the delicious aroma of melting chocolate filled the air. Once I was done, we both moved to the large couch that took center stage in my living room and collapsed into its comfort. Eden pulled her legs under her and blew softly on the steaming hot chocolate I had just given her. We drank in silence, and I knew that her head was going crazy and analyzing everything that was going on around her. She didn’t say a word and I was okay with that. Knowing that she was here and not in that pathetic excuse of a hotel satisfied me. It allowed me to take care of her and to keep her safe and that was what I wanted. My eyes slammed shut as an unwanted pounding erupted behind my eyes. Memories could fuck off, I didn’t want them intruding on this moment, not now.

“Would it be okay if I took a shower?” Her voice ended my flashback, and I opened my eyes to find her gazing in wonderment at me.

“You don’t have to ask me Eden, as long as you are staying here you can use whatever you like. I’m probably going to head to bed anyway; it’s been a long day. I’ll show you to the guest room.”

I stood from the couch, and she mimicked my action. I took her mug and placed it on the glass table and then moved through my apartment and headed down the hall. Opening the door, I stepped in and switched on the light flooding the room with a harsh glow. Eden moved beside me as she entered the room holding one of the smaller bags she brought, having left the bigger one in the living room. A king-size bed, large dresser, reading chair, and side tables with iron woven lamps completed the room. Once again, Ashlyn didn’t fail in her interior decorating skills.

“It’s absolutely beautiful.” Eden’s whispered voice hit the intensifying air in the room. She lay her bag on the bed and then walked toward the window. My eyes followed her every step with interest. When she reached the window, she crossed her arms over her chest as she took in the lights of the city dancing in the night sky.

“This room is all yours,” I stated. “I’ll bring in the rest of your bags while you take a shower. The bathroom is just across the hall.”

I turned and left the guest room and rushed down the hall to the escape of my room. My body was a battle of emotions and my thoughts felt like they were running a marathon as I tried to sift through the events of the night. After I pulled on some sweats, I headed back to the living room grabbed her suitcase, deposited it in the guest room before returning to the living room and collapsing onto the couch desperate to find some calm. Things between Eden and I had changed tonight. My desperation to taste her again was taking over my every rational thought. I told her I wanted to kiss her again, to taste her, and yet she still called me. I was still trying to get my head around everything. I stood from the couch and collected the empty mugs and took them to the sink and then knowing that I hadn’t checked emails or messages, I leaned against the kitchen island and proceeded to check them. I was due back in the Los Angeles office in a few days so I hoped that Lauren had sent my itinerary.

Eden silently walked into the living room. She coughed to announce her arrival and my eyes lifted and took her in; loose cotton pants hung from her womanly hips and the tightest of camisole fit her body like a second skin; her face was completely fresh and her wet hair hung around her shoulders.  My dick decided to pay attention at the sight before me and it strained against the cotton of my pants. To make matters worse, her eyes fell and took in my bare chest.

“I am heading to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I choked out. “Goodnight.”

I shook my head, desperate to force the thoughts I had to erase. I dropped my head and took off through my apartment, toward the escape of my bedroom. I needed solitude and I needed to get away from Eden’s hot little body. Fuck she was the perfect example of what a woman should be like. Womanly curves, a small waist, delicious enticing tits, hips that she unintentionally swayed when she walked—she was a fucking delight.

Two hours later I was still wide awake. It was closing in on three thirty yet I couldn’t switch my brain off. I couldn’t tell you how many times I had counted the number of stripes that were on my comforter or the amount of times I had watched the videos on my phone; this was becoming a joke. A groan rose from within my chest as I pushed myself up and sat on the edge of my bed. I stood and quietly moved toward the door hoping that the one floorboard that creaked would remain silent. I opened the door softly but slammed to a stop. A faint noise came from the kitchen, the sound of water running. I silently made my way down the hall and looked around the corner and toward the kitchen.

Eden stood by the sink, with a glass of water in her hand. So it wasn’t just me that couldn’t sleep. I knew I should just turn around and go back to my room and pretend I didn’t see her standing there; I knew I should ignore the need to be in her presence but of course I didn’t. I crossed my arms over my naked chest and walked through the living room and toward the kitchen.

Eden’s body spun around and her shocked expression greeted me. “Couldn’t sleep?” she asked softly as her eyes dropped to my chest and an embarrassed smile tugged on her lips.

“Nope.”

I grabbed a clean glass from the dish rack and poured myself a tall glass of water then moved through the kitchen and stood on the opposite side of the kitchen island.

“Why can’t you sleep?” I lifted the glass to my mouth and looked at her over the rim.