I was thankful that Brady didn’t ask how Theo had died that day.

As always, Brady knows me well. He knows that I’m not ready to tell him that story just yet.

The sorrow in his eyes was evident, but he never pushed or asked any further questions. He told me that I mumbled Theo’s name that night when he picked me up off the curb. To say I was surprised would be a lie.

Theo had taken care of me my whole life. When we had gotten to high school and the parties with the drinking and drugs had started, he’d always find me somewhere at the end of the night and make sure I made it home.

Theo was no saint. He drank like the rest of us, sometimes even more. He had worse vices, ones that I would try to keep him from. We were a pair—a pair of screwed-up siblings protecting each other from parents who didn’t care.

As hard as it is, I try to veer my thoughts away from Theo at the moment because tonight is my time to be happy. Brady is picking me up in a few minutes to whisk me away for the weekend. My overnight bag is packed with my clothes, toiletries, and a little something special for Brady during our first night together. After our conversation last Sunday, we haven’t had sex yet, but I hope this weekend changes that.

I wholeheartedly believe Brady when he says that he won’t leave me after we get to that point. I’ve never had a guy be as affectionate and loving as him.

“Hey, is this it?” Jessa asks, peering down from her loft. “You finally giving up the boom-boom?”

I divulged to Jessa that I’d revealed my secret to Brady.

“Yeah, I don’t think I could hold off anymore even if I wanted to,” I confess.

“I don’t know how you’ve gone this long.” She climbs down, having just woken up after her night out with Rob. “Have fun. You definitely deserve it.”

“Thank you.” I smile over at her.

Then, a loud knock echoes through the room, and my smile widens while I walk to answer it.

When I swing the door open, Brady’s caressing eyes find me. There’s an unspoken excitement in both our expressions.

“Please tell me how you always manage to get into the dorm without calling me.” I jokingly smile at him.

“What can I say? I have a way with people.” He laughs.

“You sure you don’t mean, a way with the girls?” I tease.

He shrugs. “Maybe.” Opening his arms, he pulls me into an embrace. “I don’t notice who lets me in. I’m solely set on getting to my beautiful girlfriend.” He tightens his arms around me and kisses my neck.

“Sweet-talker,” I say as I give him a small nudge on his shoulder.

“Dangerous combination. Are you sure you want to go away with him, Sadie?” Jessa kids.

“She doesn’t really have a choice. If she denies me, I’ll take her over my shoulder and drag her there,” Brady retorts. His forearm muscles flex when he picks up my bag from the floor.

“No worries. I like my highly complimentary hot boyfriend.” I kiss him on the cheek. “See you later, Jessa.” I make my way to the door.

“Have fun, you two,” she singsongs, revealing she knows what we’ll be doing.

“Don’t worry; we will. Keep an eye on my place, will you?” Brady abruptly glances over at Jessa and then back at me. The look between them appears deceitful, as though they just got caught.

“Your place?” I question.

“You know what I mean.” Brady stares back at Jessa for a moment, and she turns around, disregarding us. “Our place. I’m the one who keeps it up. The rest of those guys would live in filth if it wasn’t for me,” he jokes. But his laugh is forced.

“I always wondered who cleaned that house.” I let whatever just happened go. I’m not going to ruin this weekend before we actually leave.

“Let’s get going. We have a drive ahead of us.” Brady places his hand on the small of my back, leading me to the door.

“Well, see you on Sunday,” Jessa calls out to us as she grabs her phone from the dresser.

Once we get out to his car, which is parked along the sidewalk with his hazards on again, I ask, “Where are we going?”

“You brought your passport, right?”

“Yes, but where are we going?” I inquire once more.

“Canada…Niagara Falls, to be exact.” He smiles up at me as he opens the passenger door.

“Really? I’ve never been!”

As he walks around to his side of the car, butterflies flutter in my stomach. I’m excited to just have him all to myself for a weekend.

---

Hours later, we pull up to the border and hand our passports over to the customs agent. She peers down at both of us after examining our pictures. After she asks us a series of questions, she signals Brady to drive ahead, and we escape into Canada.

“So, what are we doing now?” I ask, eager to see what he has planned.

“Let’s find our hotel, and then we can do whatever you want.” He brings my hand up to his mouth, kissing my fingers that are entwined with his, and a twinge of anxiousness for tonight flows through my body.

“I’d be happy with staying in the hotel for the rest of the night,” I admit, no doubt blushing. Usually, I’m not willing to share my feelings so readily.

He stops at a light, and his hand tightens on the steering wheel. “Sounds good to me.” He glances over at me, his eyes boring into mine. “Sadie, I’d be immensely happy with sightseeing with you during the day and holding you at night. Anything else…is just a bonus.”

“I know, Brady, and…thank you for saying that.”

A car horn honks, and Brady focuses on the road ahead. He always knows the perfect words to say. We pull up to a high-rise hotel in the heart of the city, and from the looks of it, he’s spent way too much money on this.

“This is too nice, Brady.”

“Nothing is too nice when it comes to you.” He parks the car in the underground garage and twists in his seat to face me. “Listen, Sadie, this weekend is about us, as a couple. I have plans to pamper and spoil you, so all I ask is that you enjoy yourself. Your smiles and laughs are thanks enough.” He leans forward, giving me a kiss. With his hands cupping my cheeks, he pulls away. “Deal?”

“All right,” I agree, not wanting his lips off of mine. How was this boy still on the market?

We take the elevator up from the parking garage to the lobby. Brady carries our bags, placing them down by the front desk. I’m in awe of the amazing hotel. Giving Brady his distance as he checks in, I watch tourists venture in and out of the huge lobby. Observing the elaborate sculptures and water fountains, I wonder how a college student can afford this place. A twinge of guilt hits me, hoping he isn’t going into debt for my benefit. As long as Brady is with me, we could stay in a cardboard box in a dark alley for all I care.

A few minutes later, Brady comes up alongside me, bags in hand. “Ready?” he asks.

I nod, admiring the huge water fountain.

By the time we get to our hotel room, my nerves are sizzling. Although Brady has clearly said he has no expectations the back of my mind won’t stop thinking about us together. Brady inserts the key card, and I gasp from the doorway. Windows line the whole side of the room that overlooks the falls.

When I don’t move an inch from the doorway, Brady says, “Babe, can we get inside the room?”

“Oh, sorry!” Without my eyes leaving the beautiful scenery in front of me, I move out of the way, so he can put the bags down.

“I hope this is okay. If you want your own room, I can get you one…not that I want you to.”

Turning around, I spot his unsure eyes, as if he assumed something he shouldn’t have.

My grin widens as I realize that I have this effect on him.

“Are you kidding?” I walk over to him, cupping his cheeks in my palms now. “This is way more than okay, and I don’t want to stay anywhere you aren’t.” I lean up on my tippy-toes to kiss him.

“Whew…glad to hear it,” he mumbles, releasing a big breath. “You scared me when you didn’t want to come in.”

“No. It’s the amazing view. Brady?” I sigh. There’s no question that this must have cost way too much.

“Do you like it?”

The sincerity in his eyes can’t be mistaken. My opinion means a lot to him.

Nodding my head, I smile. “Of course.”

“That’s all that matters. Now, come over here, and appreciate the view with me.” He grabs my hand and guides me to the window.

I stand there, my back leaning against Brady, wondering if the people below are as happy as I am in this moment.

Brady Carsen is the most amazing guy I’ve ever known, and the fact that he accepts my past makes him that much more of a keeper. How my luck turned around, I have no idea, but I’m not stupid enough to mess it up.

Although my thoughts are on the future, my past lingers in the back of my mind. It’s time I tell him. If I want us to grow together, he needs to know my part in Theo’s death.

“Come on, let’s get ready for dinner,” he says, distracting me from the inner evils wrapped tightly inside me.

“All right,” I agree, forcing those thoughts out once again, as I walk over to my suitcase.

While Brady stretches out on the bed, I watch how at ease he is while I’m consumed with thoughts of what will happen tonight. He grabs the remote and rests his arm behind his head, revealing a glimpse of his taut stomach as his shirt rises.

I venture into the shower, and as the hot water streams down my body, thoughts of him in here with me flash into my head. Right now, I’m showing great restraint from my need to walk out of here and straddle him on the bed. As I navigate the razor across my skin, I imagine Brady’s hand grazing along the same path. Everything I know about him makes me believe his touch will be soft, that he’ll slowly relish my body when the time comes.

Finishing my shower, I step out, willing my mind and body to cool down. I’m unsure of how I’ll get through dinner, let alone anything else Brady has planned, but I know he put a lot of thought into this, so I don’t want to ruin it.

After rubbing lotion across my whole body with the expectation that Brady’s lips will be trailing kisses over it tonight, I wrap up in one of the robes that the hotel supplies for their guests. I exit the bathroom, and Brady seems ready to hop in after me, but he stops abruptly.

With our bodies inches away from each other, he whispers, “You’re making this really hard, baby.” His eyes blatantly appraise my body. “You’re naked under there, aren’t you?”

He cocks his head to the side, and a rapid flow of heat hits me from my head to my toes.

“Uh-huh,” I respond. I bite my bottom lip, giving my best seductive look.

His hands fly to the back of his neck. “You’re killing me.”

“You’re the one with all the plans,” I joke.

I turn around to my bag, but Brady grabs my wrist and tugs me back to him.

Our cheeks brushing against one another, he continues, “We’ll go to dinner, take a walk by the falls, and then”—he kisses my neck, and my hands instantly press against his bare chest—“I’m going to unzip your dress, slowly pulling it off each shoulder, while my lips trail kisses down your body. I’ll unclasp your bra, letting it drop to the floor. Then, I’ll guide your panties down and watch you step out of them, one leg at a time, disposing them. I’ll splay your body on this bed and slowly crawl my way up to you—nibbling, licking, and kissing every inch of skin—until I capture your mouth. I promise you, I’ll devour your body, savoring every bit. It will be slow and gentle the first time, but after that, I won’t be able to control myself anymore. My second promise to you, Sadie…I’ll fuck you until your voice is hoarse from screaming my name.”

He kisses my cheek, and he lets me go, escaping to the bathroom. I grab the dresser before I pass out from the immense heat surging through my body.

Once the shower turns on, I lie down on the bed, trying to control my rapid breathing. The anticipation for tonight just got knocked up twenty notches. After what Brady just said to me, I have no doubt that he’ll satisfy me. I just hope I’ll be enough for him.

Brady gets out of the shower a few minutes later, wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. The room starts to feel small, as though it’s closing in on me. His body is nothing short of incredible. Beads of water have fallen from his wet hair onto his chest and back, and all I want to do is lick off each drop.

I’m positioned in the chair in front of the vanity, applying my makeup while sneaking glances Brady’s way. At one point, our eyes meet in the mirror, and he smirks at me, catching me gawking.

This dinner is starting to sound more like torture now.

Thankfully, Brady grabs some clothes out of his bag and disappears back into the bathroom. When he emerges, my breath stops, and I’m sure my eyes bug out of my head. He’s wearing dark charcoal slacks and a crisp white button-down with the top two buttons undone. His dark hair is gelled forward a bit, replacing his rocker look with a cover model for GQ look.

I stand up, never taking my eyes off of him. “I’m happy you kept these on,” I admit, pulling on one of his black leather bracelets.

“Really?” he asks, surprised.

“Yes, I love them. Don’t get me wrong; this look makes naughty things come to mind,” I say, slowly eating him up with my eyes, “but I’ll always be partial to you in jeans and a T-shirt.” I give him a brief kiss on his lips before I grab my dress and sneak into the bathroom.

“You surprise me, Sadie Miller,” Brady calls out before I shut the door.

A half hour later, I’m finally ready to leave the safe haven of the bathroom. My hair is curled in big ringlets that flow past my shoulders. I’m wearing a black cocktail dress, another request by Brady. The dress is tighter than the red one I wore on our first date and leaves one shoulder bare. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’d picked this especially because Brady seems to love to kiss my neck and shoulder. It fits snugly around each curve of my body, ending a few inches above my knees. I smile as I examine myself in the mirror because, a few years ago, I would never have been able to pull this look off.

The distance from Brady has calmed my urgent desire a bit, but I know when I open that door and see the blaze in his eyes, it will be back full force.

When I exit the bathroom, my heartbeat doubles in speed.

Brady stands up from the chair and walks to me. “God, Sadie, you always surpass my imagination,” he compliments.

“Thank you,” I say shyly, staring down at the floor.

He kisses my lips and slowly slips his tongue into my mouth. Before we get too carried away, he pulls away. “This is going to be the hardest night of my life…at least until we come back here.” He winks.

“We don’t have to go, you know.” I give him an out since I’d rather stay in and see what luxurious things he has planned for my body.

“As much as it might kill me, we have to go out.” He holds out his arm for me to take, escorting me out of the room, like the true gentleman he is.