Top Floor (Rendezvous #1)

Chapter 34

“So?” Claire had her hands on her hips while she stared at Heath as if she was the bigger one between the two of them. “Who’s Clarissa?”

Heath snapped out of his shock and realized that her slap had completely brought him back to reality. His head didn’t buzz anymore and his vision was clear. It was unexpected but he dismissed it and answered, “I don’t know.”

She glared. “Do you want to be slapped again?”

He was unaffected by the threat. “I’m serious, Claire. I don’t know where the name came from.” When she gave him a look with suspicious eyes, he confirmed her silent question. “Declan told me about it. But Claire, you’re the only woman out there I want.”

His words didn’t convince her and she stepped away from him with her back turned. The space between them unnerved Heath and he was tempted to reach out to her and close the distance once more, but he stopped himself when Claire glanced over her shoulder at him.

“I thought I could be calm, but I can’t.” she said, making Heath twitch. “So much happened and I had so many things I wanted to ask you. But in the end, I realized that there was only one question I really cared about. Who Clarissa is…but you won’t tell me.”

“Because I don’t know who she is.” He tried to get Claire to understand how genuine he was. “It could’ve just been a slip of the tongue since it sounds similar to your name.”

Claire’s jaw clenched. “Don’t give me that ‘maybe’ explanation, Heath. I want the facts. Obviously, this Clarissa girl has some sort of impact on you since you called out her name.”

“She doesn’t have an impact on me because I don’t know who she is. I don’t know anybody named Clarissa!”

“Then why was did you call out her name and not mine?” Claire’s voice cracked and she cursed at herself for showing the weakness. Heath noticed as well and the sound of her voice made him want to do the honor of slapping himself.

Why? Why did he call out the name Clarissa? Who was she? And what was she to Heath?

Before, he didn’t care for Clarissa because he didn’t recognize the name. But now, he wished he knew who she was. At least he could answer Claire’s question and reassure her that she was absolutely nothing to him. Claire truly was the only woman that he cared about—that he wanted.

When Heath saw Claire take in a shaky breath to calm herself, he immediately reached out and pulled her into an embrace. He had his arms wrapped around her shoulders with her back to his chest.

Claire’s breath hitched and she stiffened from the warmth that Heath emitted. Though they hadn’t seen in each other in a while, her body hadn’t forgotten his. His firm grip and hard body was all too familiar and she felt a shiver crawl up her spine when Heath’s breath brushed against the nape of her neck.

“Are you tired of me?” he whispered. “Do you want to break up with me?” Claire didn’t answer and Heath spoke through clenched teeth. “I already told you, Claire. I’m not letting anyone else have you. You’re mine.”