“Bye, Kelsey.”
He shuts the door with finality and then walks away. Well . . .
I tell my driver the name of the hotel I’m staying at, then lean back in my seat and stare out the window.
Did I miss something?
I thought we were having a good evening.
I thought we were making a connection. We bonded over Power Rangers, for heaven’s sake, not something I’d want to bond over, but we had a conversation about them that made us laugh and reminisce about growing up.
He talked about his family. I talked about mine.
He touched my hand several times throughout dinner, and I know for a fact that when I went to the bathroom, he watched me walk away. The girl who followed me into the bathroom shortly after told me the guy I was with had it bad for me, with the way he tracked me all the way to the bathroom.
So, I don’t know . . . call me crazy, but I guess I read it all wrong. I guess there was something I did wrong that he didn’t like. Or maybe . . . maybe I just didn’t impress him the way that I thought I did.
Just like every other man who has taken me out . . . I didn’t make that lasting impression.
I’m not memorable.
Addicting.
I’m not someone a man wants another night with.
I consider texting Lottie, but I don’t have the energy to hash out everything, so instead, I stare out the window until I reach the hotel.
I’ve no idea where JP is right now, probably still at the ball, doing some sort of schmoozing that he’s probably hating. Or probably on his way back to a woman’s apartment because she was too gorgeous to walk away from. She will enjoy more than a handshake. And given our strange blowup this morning, why would he want to come back to the penthouse tonight?
But that’s probably a good thing.
I don’t think I could see anyone right now. I’ve never felt so unwanted in my life. First Edwin, now Derek. Is there something I’m doing that turns men off?
There has to be.
You’re too desperate.
Thank you, JP. That will stick.
Spirit broken, the elevator doors part and I walk down the hotel hallway until I reach the penthouse. When I open the door, I’m met with a dark room, just as I expected. He’s not here. I drop my purse on the table in the entryway and kick off my heels. I pick them up from the floor and head to my room.
“Enjoy your evening?” JP’s deep voice scares me so much, I squeal and bring my hand to my heart.
I look to where his voice came from and spot him sitting in the chair in the dark corner, a beer in hand.
“You scared me.” I catch my breath. “Why are you sitting in the dark?”
“Didn’t feel like turning on the lights,” he answers without moving.
“Well, it’s weird.” I reach over to an accent lamp on one of the side tables and switch it on. It illuminates the room so I can fully see JP. He’s wearing only shorts again and his hair is a complete tumble of strands, pulled in all different directions.
He lifts the beer to his lips and, before taking a sip, he asks, “How was lover boy?”
“He’s not my lover boy.” He made that evident enough by offering me a sturdy handshake.
“Date not go well, then?” he asks, clearly in the mood to pick another fight. I’m not falling for it.
“It was great. Thanks. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed.”
“Did he kiss you?”
“That’s none of your business,” I say, as I turn back toward him.
He stands from his chair and his face slowly comes into the light with every step forward he takes. Now only a few feet from me, he sets his beer on the end table and stares at me, examining every inch of my face. “He didn’t, did he? He didn’t kiss you.”
I’m not sure if he can see through the brave fa?ade I’m trying to wear, or if he actually sees that these lips of mine are untouched, but he steps even closer and lifts his hand to my face, his thumb pulling on my bottom lip.
“He didn’t kiss this mouth, did he?”
I take a step back, still clutching my heels. “Like I said, that’s none of your business, JP.” Before he can say another thing, I turn away from him and head to my room. I need to get out of this dress and into something comfortable so I can go to bed and forget this entire night. When I reach my room, I set down my heels and twist my arm behind me to undo my zipper. But, for some reason, even though I was the one who got myself into this dress, I can’t seem to reach it.
Shit.
But then I feel a strong hand touch my shoulder.