TamingTai by Chloe Cole Page A

catch his breath. Amazing. And exactly the reason why sex for him had been
scarce over the past ten years. Nothing else compared and after a while, he’d
just stopped chasing it. He wanted nothing more than to carry her to bed and
stay there all night. Hell, forever. But she was poison. Why did he
conveniently forget that every time he was within five feet of her? Time to get
back that oh-so-necessary distance before he lost himself forever. He buried
his face in her hair and took one last, long sniff, then pulled away, shutters
firmly in place.
    He cleared his tight throat and rasped, “That was real nice,
doll.” With a pat on the ass, he stepped away, leaving her to cling to the
wall.
    She pushed the hair from her eyes with an unsteady hand and
gave a tremulous smile, her breath still coming in pants.
    He forced himself to ignore the sexy sounds, bending to
retrieve his t-shirt. Guilt made his voice even gruffer. “It was fun…catching
up with you.” He yanked his shirt over his head and made his way to the door.
“Have a nice life.”
    The strangled cry nearly made his knees buckle but he
couldn’t stop now. Save yourself , every instinct screamed. He turned the
knob and opened the door.
    “Tai,” she called on a broken sob.
    He hadn’t even finished buttoning his fly over his
still-damp cock when he walked out the door. Don’t think, just move. One foot
in front of the other.
    It wasn’t until he’d walked halfway back to the bus
that he realized his whole body was quaking. In spite of his best effort to
think of something—anything—else, he couldn’t get the expression on her face
off his mind. She’d looked…destroyed. Why did that make him want to comfort
her? To hold her and kiss her and tell her everything would be okay.
    He ran a shaky hand through his hair and let out a
vicious string of curses. After what she’d put him through, now she was the
injured party? What right did she have to feel hurt? And still, she was hurt.
That much he knew for sure. The best actress in the world couldn’t have faked
the devastation she’d felt at his cold words and abrupt departure.
    Maybe it was just shock and anger that she hadn’t
gotten what she wanted. Little-rich-girl syndrome. His lip curled as he
contemplated that possibility. It would certainly make his callous treatment of
her easier to swallow. But something about that explanation didn’t sit right.
There wasn’t even a hint of anger in her face. Just utter despair.
    Acid churned in his gut as he approached the Man
Bus. The lights were on. Not what he’d been hoping for. That meant Gigi was
probably awake, ready to pounce. He climbed the steps, prepared to barrel in
and shoot down her questions sniper-style. But when he stepped through the door
to find her sitting on the couch, gazing at him expectantly through
concern-filled eyes, something in him cracked. He opened his mouth to speak and
but no words would come. She stood and silently held her arms out to him.
    He stepped in and bent low, laying his head on her
shoulder, then sucked in a shuddering breath. “Jesus, I’m so fucked in the
head, Gi.”

Chapter Six
     
    Christa rubbed a hand over her gritty eyes and looked at the
clock. Nine a.m. She’d finally managed to fall asleep at six after a four-hour
crying jag followed by a call to room service for two bowls of ice cream.
    She closed her eyes when the phone buzzed. Her heart took a
dive as she snatched it up.
    “H-hello?”
    “Sorry to disturb you, Ms. Reilly. You have a visitor who
insists you’re expecting her. A Miss Somerville?”
    She shook her head, nonplussed. “I don’t know a Mi—”
    A loud voice called into the phone “It’s Gigi!”
    The clerk cleared his throat. “Yes, well. Gigi, then.”
    “Send her up.”
    She tried to work up the energy to splash some water on her
face and brush her teeth, but instead lay there staring at the ceiling.
    The knock at the door startled her a few minutes later, and
she rose to