Page 76 of Irreplaceable

I could feel his hard-on against my back, and I wanted him to touch me. Kiss me. I was dying here.

I was so close to letting him, and then we heard a door close down the hall, and it broke the spell. Enzo stepped back, and I nearly stumbled forward. I’d been so close to giving in. What was I thinking?

“I’m going to change and brush my teeth.” I moved for the door with a small bag and some clothes.

I locked myself in the bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror. “What are you doing, Harper?” I asked myself again.

I pressed my palms to the counter and squeezed my eyes shut. It’s just two nights. You can do this. Stay strong.

Stay strong?

This was Enzo we were talking about. The man who’d given me the hottest sex of my life was just down the hall after months of not seeing him. Months of hating him while my body craved him. And now, we were sharing a bed. In my childhood room at my parents’ house.

But it was more than that. Enzo had apologized. He’d really made an effort lately. He was nice to my family. To me. And I didn’t know what to think. I’d interacted with celebrities, and I knew the toll publicity could take on them. Even so, it stung that he hadn’t felt comfortable enough to trust me with the knowledge of his identity. And it wasn’t just the lies either; he’d accused me of lying. Twice.

I shook my head and finished changing, messing with my nightgown until it looked just right. And then mussing it all up again. I didn’t know why I cared. Nothing was going to happen between Enzo and me. And I did mean nothing.

When I returned to my room, Enzo’s back was to me. I watched him through the opening as he dug through his bag.

As someone who loved to travel and traveled for a living, I believed you could tell a lot about a person from their baggage. Did they roll the contents like me? Use packing cubes like Juliana? Did they bring six pairs of shoes like Lauren? Or were they a psychopath who just shoved it all in there in one big mess?

From what I could see, Enzo’s clothes were all well organized, and he had a few pairs of shoes—tennis shoes. Some workout apparel. A small DOPP kit—efficient but stylish.

I was beginning to feel like a stalker, so I opened the door and stepped inside. He strode toward me, his eyes intent on mine. He paused when he stood before me, our bodies inches apart. He stared down at me, tension and heat vibrating between us. I held my breath, waiting for his move as his eyes darkened with lust.

But then, he brushed past me, his skin barely grazing mine. I felt his touch all the same—the flames licking at my skin just as always. “I’ll be right back.”

I tried to get comfortable on the bed, attempting to ignore thoughts about the last time we’d slept together. There hadn’t been much sleeping. I fluffed the pillow and shifted, still uncomfortable. Growing hotter.

Enzo returned and closed the door, promptly reaching behind his head to tug on the neck of his shirt.

“Wh–what—” My mouth went dry at the sight of his glorious abs, and I felt as if I’d walked into a trap. Damn, that V was insane. “Are you doing?”

And why can I not stop staring?

“Getting ready for bed,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Suddenly, the space seemed so much smaller, the walls closing in, pushing us closer together. He was a large, looming presence, and he seemed so at odds with my small-town past.

“Yes. But do you have to sleep shirtless?”

“If you remember, I typically sleep naked.”

I huffed and punched down my pillow. I didn’t need the reminder. I’d already been imagining him naked. “You’re lucky I’m even letting you sleep in this bed.”

“Maybe you would feel better if you removed more clothes,” he offered. “You know—make us even.” His brown eyes glittered with amusement, his jaw set in a line. But it was his chest that drew my attention, the muscles, the ink, on full display.

I rolled my eyes and flopped onto my back. “That’s not happening.” I stared at the wood beams that lined my ceiling so I wouldn’t gawk at him.

“Why? It’s not like I can get you pregnant again,” he teased, using my mom’s words from before.

I cringed and covered my face with my hands. “I cannot believe my mom said that.”

“Come on.” He chuckled, prying away my hands. “It was funny.”

“Honestly, if she knew about the failed IUIs and the condoms, she’d realize how miraculous it is I got pregnant at all.”

He shifted beside me, tucking his arm beneath his head. “You don’t think it’s a sign? This pregnancy?”