Page 76 of Moon's Promise

Each word felt like a knife shredding her pride into tattered strips. She had to tell him.

“There’s something you should know …” Her heart beat in her throat.

“I only want one word coming out of your mouth—goodbye.”

Huskily, she gave him what he wanted. “Goodbye.”

With that one word, Moon walked out the door and out of her life.

Bursting into tears, Larissa laid her head on the desk.

“Are you okay?” Priss comfortingly rubbed her back.

She didn’t raise her head. “He hates me,” she sobbed.

“Does it matter if he does?”

“I didn’t want him to hate me.”

“What are you going to do?”

Larissa raised her head to brush the tears away.

“Give him what he wants.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

THREE MONTHS LATER…

Moon peeled Ember’s thigh off his hip so he could get out of bed. He rose and lazily rubbed his stomach as he went to the dresser to get clothes before showering. A snore coming from a hanger-on who would make an appearance every other Friday had him returning to the bed to shake her awake.

“Time to leave.”

“Come on; let me stay. I can’t move,” she complained sulkily.

“You didn’t have any problem moving an hour ago. You’ve been partying here long enough to know the rules.” Moon bent down to pick up her clothes strewn on the floor, tossing them to her on the bed.

“Why does she get to stay, and I don’t?”

“Ember belongs here; you don’t. I’m not going to argue with you, either. Get your ass in gear, or next Friday when you come to play, you won’t get in the door.”

Pushing herself off the bed, she dressed before sliding thin sandals on. “Next time, I’m choosing Nickel. Maybe he’ll let me stay the night.”

“I wouldn’t count on it, but give him a go.” Unfazed by her threat, he motioned her out the door. “I’ll walk you to the stairway.”

She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Unmoved, he pulled her arms away.

“Do you always have to be such a hardass?”

Once, he would have taken exception for being called a hardass, believing himself to be one of the more laidback Last Riders. As the years had passed, it was hard to deny the change in his personality.

After escorting her to the stairs, he watched as she reluctantly went downstairs and out the door. Hell, she had been coming for the last three months, and he still hadn’t made the effort to find out her name.

He went to the bathroom to shower, removing any trace of the women’s scent on him. Why did they have to cover their bodies with numerous scents? He had yet to find any he liked or thought any suited them.

Moon looked at himself in mirror as he brushed his teeth. Don’t lie to yourself. You liked the way Larissa smelled.

He had liked the smell on his sheets, and on her panties, until the vanilla scent could no longer be detected.