I yelp, startled by the deep voice behind me, my hands squeezing Nolan a little tighter as he stirs in my arms.
Spinning around, I gather my breath and smile shakily at Reed. “God, you scared me.”
“I can see that.”
He glances over my shoulder, then draws his eyes back to my face.
I relax when I don’t notice any suspicion in his stare.
Wow. What incredible timing. Five seconds earlier and Riley would’ve been totally busted.
“Have you seen Riley?”
FUCK.
I blink at him. “Um, who?”
Reed breathes a laugh, giving me an odd look. “Riley. My sister. Angry blonde who is out to kill me.” He rakes a hand through his hair and looks out over the beach. “I wanted to apologize but she’s not in her room. Think she might still be at the bar?”
I nod when he turns back to me. “Absolutely. Yep. I’m certain that’s where she is. Why would she be over here? That’s just crazy.”
Again, Reed cocks his head, his eyebrow lifting in curiosity.
Oh, my God, Mia. You would make a terrible spy. Stop talking.
“Yeah, all right.” Reed nods. He looks convinced. “I’m going to go look for her. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
He walks down the path in the direction of the bar.
I collapse against the door the second Reed disappears from my sight.
My pulse is racing, fluttering like hummingbird wings beneath my ear. My skin feels a little clammy.
I hate secrets. And I am not taking on this burden alone. No, thank you. If I’m going to freak out, someone else is going to freak out right along with me.
Unlocking the door, I push into the room and spot Ben on the bed.
“CJ and Riley just had sex. Wild, all over the room kind of sex. I’m sure of it.”
Ben glances up briefly from the T.V., then resumes watching. His shoulder jerks. “I could’ve called that.”
His tone is cavalier. Completely unaffected.
It baffles me. Does he not know how this will end?
I carry Nolan over to the bed and lay him down next to Chase, tucking him under the covers. Moving around to the other side, I straddle Ben’s lap and block his view of whatever show is captivating him more than this unbelievable drama.
“Do you know what’s going to happen when Reed finds out?”
“Who said Reed has to find out?”
I gape at him. “If they start dating, you don’t think it’ll be obvious?”
Ben snorts, pulling my waist and drawing me closer. “Maybe they just wanted to fuck. People do that, Mia. It ain’t always about being in a relationship with someone.”
I arch my brow.
He hovers his mouth over mine. “Unless it’s you and me.”
“Good save,” I whisper, leaning in and kissing him slowly, forgetting about anything outside of this room and once again being all-consumed by this man. “I want to do more than this, but I think we better let the boys sleep.”
His hands roam down my back to my ass, squeezing me there. “Yeah,” he murmurs.
“You going to be okay with just a kiss right now?”
His breathing pauses.
Leaning back, Ben takes my face between his hands and runs his thumb over my lip, smearing the moisture there and staring at my mouth.
“Yeah. That’s one helluva kiss, Georgia.”
I blink, my own breath catching somewhere in my throat as I remember that night at the bar and those words and Ben, his beautiful face squinting across the parking lot, gaze narrowing in on my old license plate before he took me home and I never left.
He didn’t know who I was. I didn’t think I knew him. But we were wrong.
And it was perfect.
Tugging him off the bed, my heart pounding now for an entirely different reason, I slowly back across the room with his hand in mine.
“I think it’s time for another bath,” I whisper, wiggling my brows.
Ben laughs. I squeal, jumping into his arms the second he strips off his shirt.
“No bubbles.”
I smile against his mouth. “I love you.”
“That’s all I need, baby,” he says, positioning himself to take me. “All I’ll ever fucking need.”
I close my eyes, feeling him stretch me. Fill me.
And I’m home.
The End