Luckily, we don’t go far for dinner, only up ten floors actually. The restaurant is located on the top floor of the hotel, overlooking the falls. Since it’s nighttime, an array of colored lights illuminates the water cascading over the edge. It’s a much more beautiful sight from here than from our room, if that’s possible.

“Good evening,” a cute redhead greets us at the hostess podium.

“Hello. Carsen,” Brady informs her of our reservation.

“Party of two?” Her eyes roam down his body, noticeably admiring him.

“Yes,” Brady confirms.

He draws me closer to him, his arm tighter. I love the way he lets others know that I’m with him.

“Follow me,” she says, her voice suddenly curt.

Brady and I trail her to a table along the windows. He pulls my chair back and pushes it to the table before folding himself in his own chair. He sits, leaning back in his chair, while he peruses the menu.

Our waiter comes over, and I’m thankful it’s a man. I don’t want to share Brady with any other women tonight. His name is Jonathan, and he’s an attractive older gentleman with gray in his hairline. Brady orders a bottle of wine, and I’m surprised that he’s not only ordered alcohol, but he’s also picked a specific wine without ever looking at the list. He’s always surprising me.

“Brady Carsen, who are you?” I ask, smiling over the top of my menu.

“Your white knight…with an edge,” he jokes.

He chuckles immediately, but to me, he’s nailed it, especially the white-knight part.

“I can’t help but think there’s a lot more I need to find out about you.”

He stares out the window for a moment before concentrating on me again. “You know the true me. That’s all that matters.”

Even with the smile on his face, I sense something’s off.

“Did I say something wrong?” I feel as though I hit a nerve.

His eyes are now focused on anywhere but me.

“No, of course not, Sadie.” His incredible smile comes alive again, like nothing just happened.

I have a decision to make—whether to put my foot down and demand answers or let it go and enjoy the evening. I decide on the latter. Whatever he has to tell me won’t change anything. Maybe with a little more trust, he’ll open up.

“This is way too nice, Brady. We could have gone anywhere, and I would’ve been happy.” I honestly mean my statement. I’m sure I come off as needing nice things, but I don’t.

“Then, I wouldn’t have been able to see you in that dress,” he confesses. He peers down at my chest and then back up to my eyes, clearly liking what he sees.

“And I wouldn’t have been able to see you pull off the GQ look.” I grin back. “In all seriousness though, this is all…too much.”

“Do you think I did this because I think you expect this treatment?” He stares into my eyes.

“Uh-huh.” I peek through my eyelashes, embarrassed that I come off snobbish in some way or another.

“Sadie, I did this because you deserve this; that’s all. I booked the suite and made the dinner reservations because I want you to always remember our first time together. The reason for this trip was because the thought of having you all to myself for the whole weekend was too tempting to pass up. So, truth be told, I’m a selfish bastard.”

He laughs, and I join in.

“Thank you, Brady.” I’m genuinely appreciative.

“You’re welcome. Now…end of conversation.”

The rest of the dinner, we admire the view, eat our meals, and drink our wine. I’m positive I drank more than Brady. He had maybe half of a glass. It’s a waste of money since the bottle is practically full.

After dinner, Brady steers me by the small of my back to the elevator and presses the lobby button. We stroll by the falls, hand in hand, until we finally rest along the railing, overlooking the colors illuminating from underneath the cascading water. Brady wraps his arms around my stomach and pulls me closer as we watch the water descend over the edge of the enormous oval.

Brady’s breath on my neck brings goose bumps across my skin. The feeling of his tight hold on my body while it’s pressed against his hard one takes everything I have not to turn around and take him right here.

As though he hears my thoughts, he kisses my neck and moves his lips behind my ear before he whispers, “I can’t hold off any longer, baby. Let’s go.”

His hand moves down and entwines our fingers before he guides me away from the massive waterfall. Our steps are almost frantic the closer we become to the hotel. Brady glances over at me a few times, his eyes overflowing with pure lust. I wonder if it will even be possible for us to go slow at this point.

I get my answer when the elevator doors close, and we’re alone in the small space.

Brady pushes me against the wall while his lips dive to my neck and his hands roam my body. He slowly places them on the backs of my thighs, and I instinctively wrap my legs around him. When his cold nose hits my neck, shivers shoot through my body, but I don’t want him to pull away.

“I don’t know if I can keep my promise, baby. It’s incredibly hard not to press that Stop button and plunge into you right here,” Brady says breathlessly. His lips envelop my earlobe, biting slightly.

“Do it, Brady. Take me here…now,” I beg. I want nothing more than to have him inside me.

“No…I’ll at least get you to our room because, once I get you naked, I don’t plan on seeing you covered up for a while.”

God, there goes my heart, soaring to new heights with his words. Even when he has me begging, he continues to put my needs first.

Like magic, the doors open to our floor, and Brady carries me to our room, never letting me down. With my legs wrapped around him, I lick and bite softly across his neck. With my every nibble, he groans, and his hands grasp me harder. I know I’m making it unbearable on him, and I’m not sure which one of us wants this more.

We reach the door, and I have no idea if anyone has seen us, not that I care. Brady opens the door and kicks it with his foot. The door bangs hard when it slams shut.

“Whoops,” Brady says.

We both laugh before he tosses me on the bed.

Then, our eyes meet, our laughter stops, and silence encompasses the room.

He steadily takes off his jacket, one arm at a time, and places it on the chair behind him as his eyes fixate on mine. Brady stares down at me while I’m sprawled on the bed, and the way his eyes take me in almost undoes me. He crawls his way up to me and takes my hand, bringing me back up.

“Sorry, I got a little out of hand there,” he apologizes.

“No need to apologize,” I say. I swing my leg over his lap, straddling him.

Taking his earlobe in my mouth, I twirl my tongue around the flesh. His hands mindlessly squeeze and rub my ass. The bulge in his pants is evident as he pulls me closer, and small moans escape my mouth.

His hands roam up my back, and his fingers manipulate the zipper of my dress. Taking the single shoulder strap down, he kisses my collarbone and moves down to my shoulder as I pull my arm out.

Brady is bound and determined to take his time, and I want nothing more than to relax and enjoy this ride with him.

My dress is now scrunched up around my stomach, and I realize Brady has too many clothes on. I unbutton his shirt while I stare into his gorgeous brown irises. If my eyes have as much fire in them as his do, this night will be one I’ll remember for the rest of my life. He’s going to ruin me for all others.

I place my hands on Brady’s toned shoulders and push his shirt off, exposing his bare chest. He leans back, resting on his arms to let me admire him. I bend down and flutter small kisses across his stomach and chest. Scooting up, he brings me with him and slides his fingers behind my back to relieve me of my bra. Before it hits the bed, Brady’s mouth devours my left breast while he massages my right nipple between his fingers, pinching slightly. My body arches toward him, desperate for more.

He rolls me over so that my back rests on the bed, dominating me, before he makes his way down my body. Pulling my dress down over my legs, he tosses it onto the chair with his coat, his eyes never leaving my body. I lie there with my head on the pillow, torn between closing my eyes to enjoy his touch or watching Brady admire my body.

He starts to explore my skin by kissing from one hip bone to the other, pulling my panties down little by little. He cherishes me as though I’m his last present at Christmas, and I’ve never felt more treasured.

After he removes my wet panties, his lips brush up my inner thighs, and an electric current travels up to my stomach when his tongue swipes along my inner folds. My reflexes kick in instantly, and I place my hands on his head to keep him there, but he takes them and holds them out to my sides.

“Lose all control, baby. Just relax.”

I stare down at his eyes as he’s between my legs, and I have no choice but to listen. I lean my head back, closing my eyes. Hearing the little groans escaping Brady’s mouth makes it unbearable for me to hold off. The pressure inside me intensifies and builds higher and higher. Right when all I need are his fingers in me to set me over the edge, he raises his mouth and makes his way to me.

“Sorry, baby. I want us to come together.”

He positions himself right at my entrance, and I can’t think of anything but having him inside me. When I place my hands on his ass, I feel his pants. I tuck my hands between us and push the sides down, first with my hands and finishing with my feet.

“I want nothing between us,” I whisper.

“Me neither, Sadie. Nothing between us,” he says back.

He stares into my eyes with such intensity that I can’t help but feel he’s talking about more than just this moment.

He slowly moves into me, taking his time, like he said he would. As he circles his hips and gently kisses me, the buildup happens so fast that I clench harder, willing myself to hold on. Brady’s hips start to grind more frantically, and his tongue becomes more urgently.

“God, baby…you’re killing me.” Brady tips his head back and closes his eyes.

“Please, Brady…I won’t be able to hold off much longer,” I breathlessly plead for him to tell me it’s okay to release the pressure.

“Look at me,” he says. He thrusts deeper in me, and I whimper. “Go ahead, baby…but I want you to look into my eyes and say my name.”

Instantly, I mumble, “Brady.” Staring into his eyes, I watch him come unglued.

“Sadie,” he whispers, collapsing on top of me.

I wrap my arms around his chest, not wanting him to leave my body just yet. Thankfully, he seems more than willing to stay.

He rests on his forearms and gives me small kisses. “You okay?” he asks.

“Better than okay.”

“Me, too,” he says before he slowly pulls out of me.

Rolling me on top of him, he curls me into his body. His hands lazily slide across my arms with his breath tickling my neck.

He’s kept his promise; I’ve never felt more cherished and loved.

“Sadie?” His voice is quiet.

“Yeah?”

“Please tell me you’re on the pill.” His hand grips my arm tighter.

“Yeah,” I answer.

He chuckles. “Thank God. It got a little out of hand there. I lost control.”

To be truthful, I did, too.

---

Brady keeps me naked for the rest of the night. We stay in bed, entwined in the sheets, while our fingers graze across each other’s skin.

“Sadie, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but what happened to Theo?” Brady asks while his fingers flow through my hair with my head on his stomach.

Our talks have started to bring up more questions regarding our pasts, so I don’t know why I’m surprised when he asks me about Theo. I should have expected it.

The way he refers to Theo by his first name and not as my brother or my twin makes me realize how much Brady cares for me. He’s personalized Theo already.

I sit up, and Brady joins me, leaning against the headboard.

Releasing a couple of breaths, I finally begin to tell him the story of that fateful night, “Let me start by saying that Theo was the charismatic one. Where I was shy, he was outgoing. He was funny, smart, and good-looking. A combination for disaster.”

I glance up at Brady. He holds all three of those qualities, too, but he holds himself together much better than Theo ever did.

“Anyway, Theo was the younger twin, but anyone who knew us would have thought differently. He protected me in every facet of our lives. In high school, when we started going to parties, all the guys knew not to touch me because of Theo. He was Mr. Popularity, and the spineless guys wouldn’t dare cross him. So, I spent most of high school holed up in an art studio with a couple of true friends.”

Brady pulls me closer and kisses the top of my head.

“I wanted to go to a different college than Theo. Don’t get me wrong; I loved him, but I wanted to spread my wings without him near. My parents wouldn’t hear of it, demanding we both go to Drayton, their alma mater. Of course, I caved, and Theo and I attended Drayton together. Before we started there, I told him that I wanted my space, and he reluctantly agreed, but he warned me that if anyone hurt me, it would be the end of them.

“Luck was on my side when we got placed in dorms on opposite sides of campus. Other than a few run-ins, Theo and I amicably coexisted in college. But when he pledged our father’s fraternity and I, our mother’s sorority, things got tricky.” I pause for a moment.

I know I have to tell Brady my whole story. I’d want the same from him.

“There’s something I haven’t told you yet.” I stop, trying to muster up the courage. I take a deep breath and continue, “I was kind of overweight in high school and college, probably about thirty pounds heavier than I am now. So, it’s not like guys were in line, waiting for me.”

I peek my eyes up to him. I want to see his expression. His eyes are filled with sympathy.

“So, after pledging, we started running into each other more in social settings instead of the planned dinners we would schedule on our own. I don’t want to give you the impression that we never saw each other. Theo and I were close; we talked about everything, except dating—well, me dating. We talked plenty about his girl issues.” I smile, remembering Theo’s revolving door of girlfriends.

“Siblings…I get that,” Brady says, making me believe he must have at least one.

I smile up at him and bring his hand in my lap, playing with his fingers.

“There was this guy, Craig McKnight, who was in Theo’s fraternity, but he was older than us by two years. He was the first guy to show interest in me, which I thought was the best thing ever. He asked me to a formal, and I accepted, which pissed Theo off. He came over to my sorority house, demanding me to decline. He told me that I could date anyone but not someone in his fraternity and definitely not Craig McKnight. I can still recall our conversation,” I whisper as a tear falls from my eye.

---

“Please, Sadie, he’s a jackass,” Theo begged.

“No, Theo. I told you, you have to let me date.”

“I’ll set you up with anyone else, Sadie. He’s only after one thing,” he argued.

“Am I not attractive enough for a guy to want me, Theo? Am I not hot enough that Craig might actually want to take me on a date?” I spit back, angry that he didn’t think a guy would want me for anything other than sex.

“God, Sade, that’s not it. There are tons of guys who think you’re hot and would love to go out with you. I just get to them first,” he joked.

I walked over to him and placed my palm on his cheek. “Let me handle it, Theo. If he gets handsy, I’ll call you…like always.”

“Promise me, Sadie,” Theo demanded.

“I promise.”

---

“It was a promise I regret making,” I say to Brady as I wrap my arm around his neck, burying my head.

“Don’t tell me anymore, Sadie. It’s okay. It can wait.” Brady runs his hand over my hair, rocking me back and forth.

“No, I want to tell you. I just need you to hold me. Is that okay?” I ask, wiping tears from my eyes.

He remains silent, but he pulls me closer against him.

“Craig and I went to the formal, which was in some fancy hotel in the city. I drove up with Craig and another couple, who were both older than me. I knew I wasn’t going to sleep with him, but I wanted this date more than anything. Craig was the perfect gentleman all evening until the end when he dangled some room key in front of my face. I knew what he expected, but I honestly didn’t think he would be mad when I denied his advances. I don’t know if I was being naive or just plain stupid, but I agreed to go up to his room. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going, except for another sorority sister, Lexi. She just winked and told me to have a good time. Once we got in the room, Craig took off his jacket and cornered me. He was probably six foot three and two hundred fifty pounds. I didn’t stand a chance against him.”

Brady’s body tenses against mine, and I instantly massage his fingers to relax him.

“So, I kept trying to get out while he kept coming at me. At one point, my dress got ripped from him grabbing it while I tried to escape his hold. Just as I thought I had nowhere else to go, I ran into the bathroom and locked the door. Craig pounded on it while I pulled my phone out and called the one person I trusted with my life—Theo. He didn’t answer the first time, but after a text and another call, he picked up, panicking, thinking the worst. Little did he know, he was right.”

---

“Where are you, Sadie?” Theo asked, frantic.

“Room four fifty-eight,” I revealed, thankful I’d noticed it when we walked in.

“Just stay locked in the bathroom. You hear me, Sadie?” he asked sternly.

“Yes. Please, Theo…hurry.”

---

“Craig pounded again on the door, and it started to bow a little. I worried Craig would get in before Theo could get there. I don’t remember how long it was before I heard fighting and yelling, and I knew that Theo had arrived. From what I could hear, there were more guys than just the two of them.

“I unlocked the door to see Theo hit Craig square in the jaw. Craig outweighed Theo, but Theo was comparable in height. The two went at it while some other fraternity brothers tried to get in the middle. It was a combination of Craig’s friends and Theo’s friends, but they were all fraternity brothers, so many of them seemed confused about whom to help. The two of them kept going at each other. Theo was telling Craig to stay the hell away from me, and Craig was yelling back that he should stay out of it.

“I just wanted to curl up and cry.”

“Then, Craig said, ‘I just wanted to see what screwing a fat chick was like.’

“And Theo became enraged. He wouldn’t stop hitting Craig. It was a scary side of him that I had never seen before. He threw himself on top of Craig, throwing punch after punch, until a couple of the guys pulled him off. He eventually shrugged it off, watching Craig for movement before coming to me.”

Brady’s body is now in a ball of knots.

“Theo wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to my feet, and he took me out of the room. He put me in the backseat of his car and drove me and his date home.

“He tucked me into my bed and whispered, ‘Never listen to them, Sadie. You’re beautiful, and one day, you’ll find the perfect guy, I promise.’”

I look up at Brady, seeing now that Theo was right. Brady smiles down at me and wipes a tear from my eye with his thumb.

“The next week, Theo was jumped by Craig and a couple of his friends. They beat him so badly that they put him into a coma. My parents had to sign the papers to turn off the life support machine. The doctors said there was so much damage to his brain that he would most likely never wake up, and if he did, the damage was so severe…” I trail off, not able to give all the horrific details. Even spitting it out fast doesn’t stop my heart from breaking.

“Oh, Sadie…I’m so sorry, baby,” Brady says, kissing the top of my head.

Unable to look into his eyes unless I want to become a puddle of water, I keep my head down.

“That was a year and a half ago,” I continue, not wanting to accept his apologies for something that was all my fault. “After he died, I stayed home that summer. I tried to release my anger, guilt, and sadness by working out at the gym. I didn’t eat enough, and I ended up losing a lot of weight.

“My parents forced me to go back to Drayton that fall. I wish I’d had a spine and told them it was too painful for me to go back, but they were firm believers that you jumped back on that horse.

“Craig and two of his friends had gotten arrested and sentenced for manslaughter. I was still a part of the sorority, and it was across the street from their fraternity.

“Eventually, all I would do was get drunk to help me forget. Then, guys started showing interest in me since I’d lost weight. More guys wanted to sleep with me, so I let them. Sleeping with them made me feel loved, comforted, and safe, like I did with Theo.

“It’s hard to understand, but losing him was like half of me disappeared, and I was desperately searching to fill the void with every guy who showed interest. Theo and I’d shared everything. We’d coexisted through life together, each living the same thing at the same time. He was my brother, my twin, and my best friend.”

I suddenly feel exhausted.

Brady must notice because he scoots us down on the bed and spoons me from behind. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Sadie. I honestly don’t know what to say,” he whispers in my ear.

“I know.”

Nobody can say anything to make the pain disappear.

“Just sleep, beautiful. You’re protected now…and always.”

I pull his arms closer to me, knotting our fingers together, before I succumb to sleep.