by Meghan March
Impossible. Because I’ve got three years of wanting tied up with this woman. Greer’s it. She’s the one. She’s been the one since the first day she sat down and talked to me in the student café. I knew then I couldn’t keep her, but now . . . now, things are different. Years stand between me and the sins of my past. I’m not the same man I was then. Now, I’d argue that while I may never be good enough for her, at least I can give her the kind of life she deserves.
“I love you, Greer.”
The words come out, and even though they’re not the first time I’ve spoken them, it feels like it.
Her hand, already anchored behind my neck to help her keep her balance on my lap, flexes.
“I meant it before and I mean it now. I want you in my life. Here. I’ll do whatever you need to make it happen. I won’t wait another three years. Hell, I don’t want to wait three months, but I will. Move out here, live with me. Be with me.”
I hadn’t intended to have this conversation right this moment, but now that the words are out, I can’t pull them back, nor do I want to.
Greer’s face is lit by the streetlights outside, and her mouth has opened into a small O.
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. I know your life is in New York, but I think you’d be happy here. Make a new life, with me.”
Her clever little brain is working overtime as she considers my proposition. “Move in with you . . . and find a job here?”
“Or don’t find a job, whatever makes you happy.”
She rolls her eyes at that. “Not having a job wouldn’t make me happy.”
“Then find a job. I don’t care what it is as long as it makes you happy and you fall asleep every night in my arms.”
“What about when you’re filming on location and you’re not here?”
“Find a job you can do from anywhere, and travel with me.”
She goes quiet for a few moments, considering. “Are you sure? This is what you really want?”
“This is everything I want.”
She presses her lips to my chin. “Okay. Then we’ll figure out how to make it work. It might take some time to transition, but . . . I want that too. I don’t want to go back to only seeing you on TV and in magazines. I don’t want you to be the guy I knew once, but missed my chance.”
“Good, because I just want you to be mine, Greer. Every day.”
“I already am.”
Triumph barrels through me, even though she doesn’t say the words I’ve been waiting to hear, but I’m not going to push for them.
“I love you so fucking much, Greer, and I’ll do everything I can to prove this is the best decision you’ve ever made.”
She wraps both arms around me and squeezes. “You don’t have to do anything. I already know it is.”
Cav carries me into his house—or rather, what’s going to be our house—as the driver pulls out of the driveway. Was I shocked to hear him say those words again to me? Yes.
So shocked that I couldn’t gather myself enough to say them back. But I will. For the first time in my life, I’m both diving in and holding back. There’s a tiny voice in my head that worries it’s all going to fall apart and Cav will leave me shattered one final time.
Now that I’ve had him like this, I don’t know how I’d recover. He’s worked himself into my life in such a way that I can’t see my future without him. I won’t let that voice win. I have to believe in him. In us.
Cav lowers me to my feet in the bedroom, saying nothing as he unzips the dress and lets it fall to the floor. I’m naked beneath it, and he kneels to unbuckle the straps encircling my ankles. My feet scream with relief when I step out of the shoes, and I’m bare before him.
Wordlessly, he strips. I follow his fingers as he undoes each button, tossing the shirt away before he kicks off the shoes and unzips the slacks. Pushing both the pants and his boxer briefs to his feet, he steps free of them and stands before me naked.
Cav takes my hand and leads me to the bathroom and flips on the shower. Once steam fills the enclosure, he opens the door and I step inside. Cav is moments behind me, and his hands are everywhere.
Seeking. Touching. Worshipping.
He doesn’t miss an inch as he washes me. My hair, my body, everything. Some part of my overactive imagination tells me we’re washing the past away and starting again for the last and final time.
I silence any remaining doubts. There are no more secrets between us, and I’m leaping. I turn in his arms and meet his gaze.
“I love you.”
The words are quiet, but Cav can feel the force behind them. He wraps both arms around me and crushes me against him. Happiness radiates from him, and I know I’ve chosen the perfect moment. A new beginning.
“I fucking love you, baby girl.”
His lips find mine and my body ignites. His tongue teases and his hands are everywhere.
I haven’t forgotten the one extra accessory I’m still wearing, or the heat igniting once more between my legs. I want him. There. And I’m not afraid to ask for it.
“Are you going to fuck my ass like you’ve been promising?” I whisper the words, but they still echo in the tiled shower enclosure.
Cav’s lips curve into a grin. “You know I’m never going to say no to that.”
“Good, because I want it.”
“Then that’s exactly what you’re going to get.” He releases me from his hold and places a hand on the glass. “I’ll be right back.”
Cav pushes the door open, and a whoosh of cold air hits my skin. He’s only gone a moment before he returns with one hand full. A bottle of lube and . . .
“A vibrator?” My eyes find his and the smile firmly fixed on his face.
“Trust me, you’ll love it.”
Excitement ricochets from wall to wall. One thing I can be certain of—sex with Cav will never be boring, and I don’t have any complaints about that.
He presses a button on the vibrator, and I’m already wet and wanting. My screams are going to echo off the walls of this shower in a way neither of us will ever forget.
Cav lowers the toy to my pussy and the vibrations hit my clit instantly. Shifting, I squeeze my legs together instinctively.
“Spread your legs, baby.” He lifts my hand from where it hangs clenched at my side and wraps it around the handle. “You’re going to play with this sweet pussy and help me tease the hell out of you while I get this ass ready for me.”
The combination of the vibrations and his filthy words has me ready for whatever he’s going to do. I want it all. I circle my clit with the toy as Cav watches, his gaze heating with lust.
“Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” He reaches behind me and presses against the base of the plug. “And now you’re all stretched out for my cock. Are you gonna take it like a good girl?”
Nodding, I bump the toy directly against my clit, and shivers of pleasure tear through me.
How is it possible that my orgasm is already building? He’s barely touched me and I’m already dying to come.
Cav buries his hands in my dripping hair and takes my mouth, shifting and angling our lips for deeper access. The vibrator presses harder against me, and I groan into the kiss.
He pulls back, putting an inch between our lips. “Can’t ever get enough of you, Greer.”
“Good. I don’t want you to.”
“It’d be impossible.” He releases his grip on my hair, and his hands skim down the wet skin of my shoulders to cup my breasts. “You’re so fucking perfect. These tits.” He squeezes before pinching my nipples between the thumb and index finger of each hand. He releases them and continues downward, pulling the vibe away so one hand can cup me between my legs. “This gorgeous pussy.” And then finally, his palms trail around my hips to grip both cheeks of my ass. “This heart-stopping ass.”
“Glad you like them.” My words come out on a half laugh.
“You’re so much more than that, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate them
like you deserve.” Two fingers reach into the crease and press against the plug. “I think it’s time this comes out.”
With a quick tug, it comes free, and I feel empty. From the look in Cav’s eyes, I know I won’t feel that way for long.
His cock is hard, pressing into my belly. “How do you want me?”
“Any way I can have you.”
The plug clinks against the tile as it lands on the floor. Cav’s hand wraps around mine and the vibe. “We’re going to play first.”
He circles it around my clit, and my legs part instinctively. “Put one hand against the wall and keep this on your clit.”
He lets go and I follow his orders, turning to press my free hand to the wall.
“I loved fucking you in front of that mirror, seeing your face as you came.” The head of his cock nudges against the entrance to my pussy. “But since I can’t see your face now, you’re going to have to let me hear how it feels.”
There’s no pause before he thrusts, burying his cock inside me. I moan, arching my back.
“Keep that toy on your clit, baby. I want to hear you scream when you come on my cock.”
Before he starts to thrust, I hear the pop of the cap of the lube and the thick, cool substance slides down my crack. Cav’s thumb presses against me and penetrates.
Cock, vibe, and finger. I’m not going to last long.
He works me over in alternating strokes until my legs shake and my moans turn to screams of pleasure as my orgasm slams into me. We both pause for only a moment before Cav pulls out and presses his cock against my back entrance.
“You’re gonna come again for me, baby. Fill your pussy with that toy.”
I slip it inside, the vibrations sending shock waves through me in the aftermath of my orgasm. Cav presses into me at the same time, the streaks of dark pleasure twisting together with the burn and stretch as his cock sinks inside.
I don’t think I’ll ever totally adjust to having his cock in my ass. It’s always going to feel too full, and with the vibe inside me, it’s an even tighter fit.
“Fuck yourself with it in opposition to my strokes. Can you do that for me, baby girl?”
I nod, and when he pulls back and fucks into me, I find the rhythm and match it perfectly opposite. I’m moaning, on the verge of a full-body climax. Every inch of my skin seems to shimmer with the intensity of what we’re doing. In and out, vibe and cock. I’ve never felt anything this intense in my life.
I can’t hold back the scream that comes with the orgasm. I drop the vibrator, my body writhing against Cav’s.
“Fuck. I’m coming.” He pulls me close, wrapping both arms around me as he presses his lips to my shoulder to muffle his roar.
Pulse after pulse, I feel his orgasm. We lean against the shower wall, arms braced for support, for long moments. When Cav finally pulls out, I’m limp, barely able to stand on my own. He washes us both again, and lifts me out of the shower before wrapping me with a towel.
“So fucking perfect,” he whispers as he dries me off and carries me to bed. “I love you, Greer.”
“I love you too,” I mumble as I drift off to sleep.
The only thing I want to do is stay in this bed, wrapped around Greer, and shut the entire world out, but the nonstop buzzing of my cell phone makes that impossible.
Grabbing it off the side table, I frown at the display. It’s Banner. I saved her number the night I texted myself from her phone in the bar before Operation Snatch Greer. She must have figured out a way to restore the texts if she’s got my number back. I’m not all that surprised at her resourcefulness.
“Hello?”
“Jesus, I thought you’d never answer your damn phone, and Greer still doesn’t have hers, and there’s an epic shitstorm unrolling right now.”
Fuck. What now?
“What’s going on?”
Greer turns to face me, one arm wrapped around her pillow, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
“Greer’s uncle’s body was found this morning. Creighton’s been taken in for questioning, and Greer needs to get the hell home right now.”
Fuck.
“What’s going on?” Greer asks through a yawn.
“We’ll be there in five hours or less.”
“You better be, because if Creighton thought Greer’s shenanigans were fucking with his business, this is probably a shit show on a whole new level.”
I can only imagine. Jesus.
“We’ll be there. Thanks for the heads-up.”
I hang up on Banner and turn to Greer.
“We’ve got a problem.”
I hear the words Cav is saying, but they can’t be right. I know for a fact that Creighton didn’t have a damn thing to do with our uncle’s disappearance. But how do I tell Cav that his and Creighton’s father probably did?
“Are you going to call Dom?” I ask.
Cav shakes his head. “I hadn’t planned on it. Why?”
“Because he’s going to know a hell of a lot more about this than either of us.”
He studies me, clearly getting that I know more than I’m saying. “Just say it, Greer.”
I bite down on the inside of my cheek, figuring out how to explain it. Now is not the time to mince words.
“This was Dom’s gift to Creighton when everything went south with our uncle and he accused Creighton of all sorts of crap at a shareholder meeting. Dom was going to take care of it. It was never supposed to come to light or blow back on Crey.”
Squeezing his eyes shut, Cav scrubs a hand over his face. “Fuck. I should’ve known.”
By silent mutual agreement, Cav and I jump out of bed and shove stuff into our bags. I’m dressed and ready faster than I’ve ever been before. He’s already called to get us a flight and a driver, who is minutes away.
“Holly has to be freaking the hell out, which can’t be good for her or the baby.”
He squeezes my hand as he carries our stuff to the front door. “She’s going to be fine. Crey has the best lawyers money can buy, and you know this won’t stick.”
“But what about Dom?”
Cav doesn’t answer for a long moment. “Dom will always look out for Dom.”
The car pulls up and Cav carries our bags out. An hour later, we’re in the air, headed for New York. I’m antsy and need a distraction, but all I can do is worry about Holly and my aunt and Creighton, and wonder what the hell really happened to my uncle.
When Cav delivered the news, I felt a sharp stab of grief, but it wasn’t the kind of pervasive grief you feel when you lose a loved one. My uncle tolerated me. My aunt was a bipolar mess of either full-on doting or complete indifference. When my uncle “went to rehab,” my aunt drew inside herself. I called every week, but all she’d say was that she was fine and didn’t want any visitors.
The one time I’d gone against her wishes and shown up at the house, the longtime housekeeper, Elisabetta, had greeted me with a hug, and my aunt had been sipping coffee in the sitting room. Nothing was out of the ordinary. It was all stiffly formal—her indifferent side making an appearance. After I left, I continued to call weekly, but didn’t attempt to see her again. Neither of us ever mentioned my uncle, and she didn’t appear concerned in the least about his whereabouts.
I wish Banner had told Cav more. Where was my uncle’s body found? How did he die? I needed details and answers.
“Babe, calm down. There’s nothing you can do right now. Your brother isn’t helpless, and he’s going to be okay.”
Cav’s right about that. Creighton is the least helpless person I know, but right now he must be irate. Our uncle’s death is his last gasp at screwing with my brother and his companies. He probably would have loved knowing that, the cold bastard.
“I know, but Holly. The baby. Why were they even in New York? I thought they were staying in Nashville until the baby was born. It doesn’t make sense.”
“We’ll find out everything when we get there. In the meantime, just try to chill. Worrying isn’t
going to do you any good either.”
Objectively, I know he’s right, but it’s a waste of breath. Being largely cut off from communication since the day we landed in Belize has actually been strangely amazing, but now I hate not having my phone.
“How did Banner have your number anyway?”
“She must have figured out how to recover the text messages I sent myself and deleted. I’m surprised she didn’t call before now, if you want the truth.”
His phone rings again, as though on command. Cav looks at the display and sits up straighter. “Fuck. This isn’t going to be good.”
“Who is it?” I ask, but he’s already answering.
“Tell me what the fuck is going on.”
I can’t hear the other side of the conversation, but the expression on Cav’s face darkens with every word. Not good news.
“Fuck. What a disaster. They actually took him in for questioning? Like this is going to stick?”
Dom? I’m practically vibrating on my chair with the need to demand to know the whole story, but somehow I find a measure of patience and wait.
“Okay, I’ll be there in a few hours. I’m not coming for him, though, I’m coming for Greer and the Karas family. Dom can get out of his own mess. He’s never needed me before, and I’m sure he doesn’t need me now.”
My heart aches at Cav’s statement. I always wished I knew my dad, and Creighton has told me so many times what an amazing guy he was. Cav clearly didn’t have the same type of experience with his father, and that makes me incredibly sad for him.
He hangs up and tosses his phone to the seat.
“What happened?”
“They got a tip that your uncle had some link to Dom, and they brought him in for questioning. Basically they’ll use any reason, but I’m not worried about him. Like I said, his connections are scary and there’s no way they’ll nail him with this.”
“So you think he did it too?”
Cav frowns and shakes his head. “Hell no. Dom never gets his hands dirty and hasn’t in probably thirty years. He gives orders and the soldiers carry them out. That’s how it works.”