I’ve waited years for this.

“Patience,” Brand murmurs into my ear, his breath hot. He lowers his head, sucking my breasts again, gently, then harder. He moves his hand in circles, fast, then faster. He works me up, over the cresting waves, building, building, building.

I can’t breathe now and I rock my hips against him.

He’s gentle, yet firm, strong, yet careful. He’s a beautiful contradiction… and exactly what I need

I need him.

I need him.

I can’t breathe.

Then the world explodes in a bright shattering of whites and blues and reds.

I ride the orgasm, rocking against the palm of Brand’s hand until the last waves of it have passed. Then I fall limply against him, his strength absorbing my weakness.

He lifts my chin with his finger, then buries his tongue in my mouth. Deep, deeper.

Then all of a sudden, in one fluid motion, he buries his cock in me, sliding it deep within me.

I groan and tilt my hips.

I want all of him.

All.

Of.

Him.

Make me good, Brand.

I want to absorb him, to take his goodness and cover myself with it. Nothing can hurt me when he’s with me. When he’s inside of me, he takes away the shame.

“God, you feel good,” Brand groans as he moves inside of me. I cling to him, like a drowning person to a raft.

Each time he slides into me, a wave of pleasure erupts… building, building, building. Again.

I come again without warning, in a haze of moans and whimpers. I throw my head back and let my body convulse with it, as Brand pauses and pulls my ribcage up to him, his lips finding my breasts once again.

Again.

Again.

He worships them again, one by one, his tongue laving my nipples, sucking on the sensitive flesh.

I want to die right here in his arms.

It would be a good way to die.

When I open my eyes, he’s waiting to stare into them, poised above me like the avenging angel that he is.

His muscle flexes.

“I’m going to come in you,” he tells me simply.

I nod. “I’m on the pill. It’s okay. I’ve been tested… it’s okay.”

Brand nods and buries himself in me once again and I want to scream with it, with the way he fills me up. His hardness, my softness. It’s perfect.

He’s perfect.

“I want to feel you come,” I tell him urgently, pulling him back into me. Give me everything you have. I need to feel it.

Brand rocks with me, holding me in his strong arms until he throws back his head and groans with his release. I feel his cock quiver inside of me, contracting as he comes. He comes and comes and comes.

He relaxes against me, but doesn’t let me go.

“What did we just do?” he finally whispers against my forehead, after minutes or hours have passed. Everything is a blur around me, but I don’t care.

He sounds slightly dismayed, but I don’t care about that, either.

Because I’m ecstatic.

“You just made my dreams come true,” I answer. “The good ones,” I clarify.

Brand shakes his head and rolls to the side, keeping me in his arms. “Was it everything you thought it would be?” he asks drily, with amusement.

I nod. “And more.”

Now that I’ve been with him, it’s not going to be enough. I know that. I’m always going to want him. Everyone else will just pale in comparison.

But as I burrow against his chest, a hard truth impales my heart.

I can’t be with him long. I can’t eclipse his good heart with my black one. I won’t do it.

This summer is all I have.

No matter what.

Even though it will kill me to leave him.

Even though he’s all I want.

I would never shackle him to someone like me.

Never.

I fall asleep listening to the steady cadence of his heart.

When I wake, the sunshine is streaming through my windows, and Brand is gone.

Chapter Ten

Brand

I stir the scrambled eggs in the pan, carefully balancing on my good foot as I twist around to pour a glass of orange juice, because I’d woken up guilty and unable to sleep.

So here I am making breakfast.

What did you do?

You’re such a fucking idiot.

I ignore my inner voice, but it’s a persistent asshole.

Nora isn’t the kind of girl that you fuck around with and leave. And she’s not the kind of girl who will want you. Not for real.

I’d like to punch my inner voice in the teeth.

I’m in a predicament now, because I listened to my cock last night instead of my head. With a sigh, I hobble with my crutch under one arm and Nora’s breakfast in my other hand.

I poke my head around the corner to find that she’s awake.

“Good morning,” I tell her quietly. I hobble in and set the plate on her bed. “I thought you might be hungry.”

She stretches like a sated cat.

“I am,” she announces with a grin. “I depleted my energy stores last night.” She flushes prettily, and picks up her plate.

“About last night…” I begin and sit on the edge of the bed. Nora looks up warily.

“You can’t go back,” she interrupts firmly. “The bullet has already left the gun. There’s only one thing you can do now… take me up on my proposition.”

I exhale.

“Nora, I meant what I said earlier. You’re better than that. You’re worth more than some ‘proposition.’”

I don’t know why I feel like I need to tell her that. She’s Nora Greene for God’s sake. She knows what she’s worth.

She stares at me like I have two heads.

“As I told you earlier, you don’t know what I’m worth. I do. I want you, Brand. I know we only have a few weeks but I want every day of those few weeks. You’re here, I’m here. It’s perfect.”

I raise an eyebrow. “So you want me because it’s convenient?”

She giggles and takes a drink of juice. “No, I want you because I want you. It’s just nice that it’s convenient.”

“You’re… something,” I tell her, shaking my head. I don’t know what to make of her.

She glances up, her eyes filled with laughter. “Good. That’s better than nothing.”

She takes a bite of eggs, then glances up at me.

“What should we do today?”

I shrug. “There’s not much to do. We’re stuck in a cottage in Angel Bay. Without cable.”

Nora rolls her eyes. “Uh. There’s plenty to do.” She reaches up and slides her hand under my shirt, her fingertips grazing my nipple.

At just this minute, there’s a heavy knock on the back door.

We look at each other.

“Saved by the bell,” Nora grins. She gets out of bed and pulls on a robe. “Hold that thought. I’ll get it.”

I hear her pad down the hallway and I hobble behind her, feeling like a clumsy asshole with my fucking crutches.

When I reach the living room, Nora is already showing a man clad in a suit into the cottage.

“Brand, it’s for you,” she tells me hesitantly. “It’s your dad’s estate lawyer.”

I study the guy… he’s pasty, weaselish, and dressed in a tightly buttoned suit. He holds his hand out.

“I’m Todd Ansel,” he tells me. “I represented your father and put his will together. Do you have a few minutes?”

“A few,” I nod, making it clear that I only have a few. Nora has backed up now, and is lingering on the edge of the room.

“Do you need me to stay?” she asks me quietly. I shake my head.

“Nah. I’ve got this, but thank you.”

She slips out and I stare at Todd. I don’t offer him a seat.

“How can I help you?”

He clears his throat and sets his briefcase on the floor beside him. “I spoke with your mother and she indicated that you wanted to relinquish your rights to your inheritance and transfer it to her, instead.”

I nod. “Yes.”

Todd nods as well. “Yes, your father anticipated that you would do that. So he put a stipulation in his will.”