“Come on, sweet thing, wake up for me.” Still nothing. That left only one other way to wake her up that, sadly, wasn’t enjoyable for either of us.

“UP!” I roared, my loud voice jolting my system into full functional status, shattering any chance of peace my morning may have held.

“Mmm, not yet,” she purred, rolling over to face me and showcasing a full view of her assets. She stretched her neck up and opened her eyes, expecting a kiss.

Not my thing. I backed away, heading to my dresser. “I have an appointment this morning,” I explained. It was a lie, but it usually worked. I snatched a pair of paint-smeared jeans for after my shower. “Maybe we’ll run into each other again sometime…” Normally I didn’t add a name since I rarely remembered it, but I was almost positive I knew it this time and decided to take a chance.

“…Casey.”

“Ugh, it's Macey!” she pouted, rolling her eyes.

At least I was close. It didn’t matter; I was over the morning niceties at that point. I twisted back around to face her.

“Right. Well, Macey, I need you out of my bed and out of my house by the time my shower’s over.”

“Oh, God!” she shrieked, scrambling up to a sitting position and looking around the room for some clue she may have missed. Slowly, the color drained from her face. “You're married! No, not again.” Her head shook violently, her hands clutching the sheet tighter against her body.

I stood there, fully aware I was a prick for not easing her worry right away, but I knew what was coming.

Her impenetrable gaze focused back on me, her bleak expression morphing into an angry sneer. “Shame on you! You guys are all the same.”

Predictable, as always. “Relax, doll.” My lip twitched up in a smirk. “I am very much single.”

“Oh,” she murmured, a pink blush returning to her gaunt cheeks. Her tongue peeked out, skimming her top lip. Her eyes locked on mine as she released the sheet. “In that case…”

My erection grew as I watched her seductive performance. She ran her fingers down over her breasts as her legs opened, inviting me in.

Unfortunately, I knew better. There was no time. “You can see yourself out.”

She wasn’t taking no for an answer, stepping down from the bed on her tiptoes and strutting toward me confidently. The morning-after show was one I’d seen far too many times and usually played out one of two ways, but the fact that never changed was that I always held the upper hand. As much as women hated it, I never had a problem turning them away when I was done.

“There’s money on the dresser for a taxi.”

She released a provoked whine when I turned around and entered my bathroom, closing the door behind me.

***

[The force of water hammering down over my shoulders eased the final stiffness from my muscles. The club I’d ended up at the previous night with Caleb had been a new one with an over-the-top opening, and still I was surrounded by all the same faces—all except that of the woman now scouring my room for her clothing. She’d been a pleasant distraction from the monotony of the evening, but as with all the rest, my curiosity about her was sated.

The predictable creak of the bathroom door sounded around me as I massaged soap into my scalp. After a quick rinse of my head, I opened my eyes, watching her climb in and shut the shower door.

She gave a sweet-but-far-from-innocent smile, judging by the mischievous gleam in her eye. “I can help,” she offered.

She reached for the bar of soap resting on the ledge and lathered it in her hands. I waited, a smirk growing, pleased that like all the others before her, she was eager to make sure I had my fill. Her eyes held mine as she encased my solid erection in her soapy hands and began stroking.

Her tongue peeked out, tracing along her lips as she rinsed the soap away under the spray. A slow smile emerged on her lips and I knew exactly what she was thinking—what she wanted.

“Show me what that pretty mouth can do,” I said.

She stooped down on her knees and held my cock firm in her hand. Her tongue swirled around the head a few times, firing my senses to life, before gliding down and swirling around the base. Another lap back up caused my hips to nudge forward, urging her to take me in.

She pulled her gaze from my cock and looked up at me through long, dark lashes before opening her mouth and plunging down over my dick, skimming it over the roof of her mouth. She sucked hard before popping her mouth open and drawing it in again.

Her hand gripped my thigh, digging into the skin while she moved her other hand to the base of my cock, stroking me for added pleasure. I threaded my fingers into her hair, thrusting my hips forward and taking full power.

Her ravishment grew wild, her hand pumping and her mouth taking me deeper, over and over. Her head bobbed frantically. The girl knew what she was doing; she was damn near a pro.

A breath hissed from my lips. “Fuck,” I ground out when she scraped her teeth down gently, then slid her tongue back over the sensitive flesh.

I slammed my eyes shut, focusing on the vibrations of her lips humming over my hard cock, nearing release. Her mouth moved faster, rougher. I grasped handfuls of her hair tightly with both hands, holding her lips in place suctioned at the base of my cock as its shaft pumped into the back of her throat.

A rough, gratified moan tore from my throat, clearing away any lingering stress in my thoughts. My mind was wiped clean as I lost myself in the feeling of her warm lips milking me into my morning release.

***

“So, will I see you again?” Macey asked, her voice hesitant. She was bent around, attempting to zip her tiny black dress from last night. I stepped behind her in two long strides, my fingers grabbing the zipper and making quick work of it with a single flick of my wrist.

“I don’t think so.” I pulled on my jeans, buttoned them, then grabbed my T-shirt: a simple white one, ready to be demolished by Oliver’s wild painting skills.

The room was eerily quiet all of a sudden. Her movements stilled, and heavy tension hung around us.

I sucked in a rapid breath then quickly released it in a sigh, hating that she was going to be one of those women who tried to guilt trip me. I should’ve seen it coming.

When I chanced a glance over at her, her shoulders were deflated, hands kneading together. Based on the thick crease over her brow, I knew she was searching for her next words.

“Last night was fun—let’s leave it at that,” I said casually, taking her hands and placing a kiss on the top of her left and then right ear. “There’s nothing else here between us. There never will be. That’s not what last night or this morning was about.”

She regarded me coolly. “Right.” She swallowed, and a flash of disappointment crossed her features.

Shit, she’d been holding out hope. How had I not noticed that when I picked her up? I could’ve sworn she’d known what I was providing: pleasure and mutual satisfaction for the night.

I was off my game lately with seeing the slice of hope some women held. I’d made a point to avoid those women before. I may have been an insensitive prick to some, but at least I wasn’t cruel enough to lead them on.

The smallest trace of a smile highlighted her lips, and I relaxed. She didn’t strike me as a stalker or clingy type. I couldn’t handle another one of those women—they were irrational—but Macey appeared too refined for such behavior.