Page 41 of Santa's Baby

Rejection.

Rejection, after that kind of teaser…

I get a wave of sick panic, open mouthed as I stare at him.

“What?”

“Ten-hour timer. Proposal over.”

“Proposal over? You can’t be serious. I don’t give a stuff about ten hours. I’d do this through the whole fucking weekend, and then take it all over again, no problem.”

With you. That’s the part I leave out.

I’d take it all over againwith you.

“Yet another thing we have in common.” He smirks. “I would too. Gladly.”

I sit up and shrug. “So why the hell are you calling time out?”

“Discipline. Common sense. Respect.”

He seems so calm, yet I’m anything but. A pair of opposites on different sides of the scale.

I don’t know why I feel so hurt, but I do. It’s like I’ve been stabbed in the ribs.

The guy across the room is still the smiling Reuben, eyes full of lust, but his self-control makes me shiver.

I’m not in control. I’m a mess who feels like I’ve ripped myself open and shown him my soul. I feel so exposed, unsure, and invested but fucking terrified.With butterflies.Swarms upon swarms of fucking butterflies.

I don’t know when I last felt like this…

Yes, I do. I’m feeding myself bullshit.

Kian.

That’s the last time I felt like this. When things were crazy good with Kian.

When I was in love.

I could hurl all over the carpet as I drag myself up and grab my underwear. I’m terrified of some unknown force at play here. A ghost in the room I don’t want to face.

I pushed for him.

I playacted.

I wanted it to be real.

“Are you ok, Tiffany?” Reuben asks me.

The walls of Creamgirl come straight back up. I shoot him a cheeky smile.

“Yeah, sure. It was fun. Hopefully you’ll book me again,User 5639.”

He steps closer as I’m trying to pull my jeans up. My legs are fucking quaking.

“No, Tiffany. Are you actually ok?”

I can’t tell him the truth.