Back In The Bedroom (The Wrong Bed #29)(50)

“Monday.”

“That’s still several days away.”

No doubt, he was thinking they could have several more wild nights together, nights that would be the most heaven-sent she’d ever had. She was quite certain he’d see to it—the earthy, sensual, incredibly passionate man was made for such nights.

But then Monday would come and it would be even harder to walk away. She opened her car door. Slid into the driver’s seat.

And wondered why she was still waiting for him to stop her.

He wasn’t going to do that. He wasn’t going to say he wanted those few nights they had left. That he’d love to see her when she got back.

In fact, he said nothing.

She put on her seat belt, put the key in the ignition and tried to convince herself she’d done the right thing.

A sleek red BMW convertible pulled up beside her and honked. Eddie, of course. He took down his sunglasses and winked at her over the top of them. Then, with an ease that made him seem twenty-nine instead of forty-nine, he hopped over the door of his car and walked toward Cheri, who was coming out of the building.

Still standing next to her car, his hands in his pockets, Reilly took this in with a muttered oath beneath his breath.

Tessa appreciated the sentiment. She always enjoyed both Eddie’s and Cheri’s company, but their timing couldn’t have been worse. She just wanted to drive away. She wanted to go home and lick her wounds with a gallon of ice cream and maybe some Ding Dongs as well. She had an emergency stash in the freezer.

Eddie took Cheri’s hand and turned to Reilly. “I fired Cheri this morning,” he said.

Reilly shook his head and looked at Cheri. “He fired you? But…I thought you worked for me.”

“You poor confused thing.” Cheri hugged him then pulled back. “Remember when I told you I was going to start dating him because he was cute?”

“You said I was cute?” Eddie said, grinning. “I was thinking handsome and magnificent, but I can live with cute.”

“Shh,” Cheri said gently to him and turned back to Reilly. “Actually, I’m going to marry him. I’m going to make it official.”

Reilly looked like a feather could knock him over. “Make what official?” he asked.

“The fact that I’m sleeping with him, of course.” Cheri laughed. “Be happy for me, honey. Can you do that?”

“Of course he can do that,” Eddie said, breaking in. “Right, son?”

“And what makes you think she’s not going to dump you again?” Reilly asked him.

Eddie clasped him on the shoulder. “Son, sometimes you just have to take a risk and go with your heart.”

Reilly looked at Tessa with such intensity and blazing emotion in his light eyes that it took her breath away.

“There’s nothing like a good risk to jump-start your heart,” Eddie ruffled his own dark hair, barely speckled at the temples. “It causes gray hairs, of course, but that’s what beauticians are for.”

Tessa held her breath. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see what Reilly’s father was trying to tell him. Take a risk. Love again. Feel.

Live.

But was he hearing it? She searched his inscrutable expression and didn’t have a clue.

“Beat it,” Reilly suddenly said to his parents, his eyes still on Tessa.

“Sure.” Eddie turned to Cheri. “Let’s go make out.”

Reilly winced. “What in our history together suggests to you that I’d want to hear that?”

Cheri laughed and reached for Eddie. “You know what? Let’s. I think the kid wants to be alone.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Eddie said. He helped Cheri into the convertible, winked once more at Tessa and then drove off.

“They were wrong,” Reilly said. “I don’t want to be alone.” He reached into her car and took her keys out of the ignition. “I should warn you, I’m moody.”

She lifted a brow.

“I’m also…grumpy sometimes.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” she said cautiously, and he nodded.

“I will. But first…”

She watched him pocket her keys and wondered what he was up to.

“Tell me that you’ll think of me every day of those three months of your adventure,” he said. “That it’s killing you to walk away.”

She closed her eyes, then opened them again and met his. “Of course it’s hard to walk away. We’ve slept together. We made love in your bathroom,” she said, her voice quivering a little and he grimaced.

“I know,” he said. “God, I know. You don’t take that lightly and—”

“Lightly?” She said, laughing and shook her head. “You want to know what I don’t take lightly? Falling in love with you, you idiot.”

He stared at her. Then he opened the car door and hauled her out. Lifted her up to her toes to look her in the eye. Nose to nose he said, “Then why the hell are you leaving?”

“Because…” She lifted her hands to his face, which she lovingly cupped. “I didn’t want to be the only one in love.”

“Now who’s the idiot?” He set her down gently, wrapped his arms around her. “I do love you. I love you so much you’re driving me right out of my living mind.”