Neither of us really realized how much time had passed in our haze of relentless sex. Neither of us wanted it to end, ever. Even after I’d finished, I’d slid my cock out of her and hugged her close to me as I walked us back to a big leather armchair and sat back with her, kissing her softly while we breathed together, hearts still racing.

I had lost track of time while we were together, and Jillian melted into a limp mess of limbs and dark hair.

Eventually, I picked her up and carried her helpless form to the shower, where I let hot water wash over us until I could set Jillian down on wobbling legs. She leaned on me in the shower, sighing into my chest. I was like a rock-solid wall for her to lean on, and I beamed down at her as she rested there.

I turned her around and helped wash her off, running my hands between her lower lips and washing away my seed and her juices in the hot water. She moaned and leaned back into me, resting the back of her head against my chest and looked up at me backwards, smiling softly.

“Hi,” she said finally.

“Hi,” I answered.

I couldn’t resist myself, though, and I slipped a finger into her warm, slick pussy and watched her face wince in delight before I took it out and gently massaged her lips, savoring their warmth as I guided her down from everything I’d just put her through.

My whole body was satisfied, too, and it was all because of Jillian.

Most of the shower passed in silence. We didn’t need to say anything. We just needed the peace of each other’s presence in the wake of that mind-blowing sex and the dull rhythm of the shower to soothe us. By the time we stepped out of the shower, we could have fallen asleep.

“Can we just lay on the bed for a while?” she asked as she walked into the bedroom, looking over her shoulder and catching me checking out her naked, wet backside. I smiled at her and tossed her a towel.

“Let’s get some coffee upstairs,” I said. “That’s tempting, but 3:00 p.m. probably isn’t the best time to take a nap.”

“Party-pooper,” she said, winking at me as she toweled off. We got dressed and headed upstairs within about ten minutes.

Along the way, we passed the dining room, where one of the staff members was quietly cleaning up the mess I’d made. Jillian and I exchanged a glance, and I winked at her. I took out another fifty-dollar bill and set it on the dining room bar, knocking on the wood to get the man’s attention to it before pointing, nodding, and watching him smile appreciatively before we headed upstairs.

I made us each a cup of that Jamaican coffee I loved so much once we were upstairs in that same lounge where I’d bent her over that coffee table the first time. Jillian sat at the bar while I made the coffee, resting her head in her arms, and soon, the smell of coffee in the room was perking us up.

“It probably goes without saying by now, but it’s so good to see you,” she said softly when I set down the mugs of coffee for us, sitting at the barstool next to her and rubbing her shoulders.

“You’ve got a knack for surprises.”

“That’s something I’d never thought I’d hear from you,” she said, taking the coffee and smiling warmly at the aroma. “Oh my God, what is this? It smells incredible.”

“Blue Mountain,” I said simply. “Some of the best there is.” I watched her carefully sip the hot drink, and I felt my heart swell at the sight of her enjoying something I loved so much. It was the little things that made me appreciate her as much as the big things.

“I couldn’t stay away,” she said suddenly, looking up at me. “That’s why I’m here, I mean. I just... you were in my head every day, Bruin. I know I sound like a dumb teenager again saying that.”

“It’s not stupid, Jill,” I took her chin, bringing her gaze back up to me after she tried to look away shyly. “I’ve felt the same thing. Every morning I wake up without you is just gray.”

Her face lit up, and it was more beautiful than a sunrise in the Keys. But the smile on my face couldn’t last longer than a few seconds.

“Seeing you here made me happier than I’ve been all week.”

“What?” she asked, tensing up a little. “Did something happen?”

I frowned. “I wanted to tell you in Santa Barbara, but I didn’t want to spoil the little time we had together. Now that we’ve had this, I don’t want to spoil today, either, but you need to know. I had a run-in with your brother.”

Her face fell and started to go pale, and I could tell she was foreseeing what was going to come next. “You’re kidding me.”

“It did not go ideally. He stormed down to the yacht to raise hell. Squared off with me at the gangway and made it clear he doesn’t want the two of us together. I don’t know what he plans on doing to back that up, but I’m worried that if we keep seeing each other, it’s going to hurt what you two have.”

Tears welled up in Jill’s eyes, and her jaw fell open slowly. “He-he can’t be serious. Are you sure?”

“He was serious, Jill,” I said, taking her hands in mine. “He hinted at it when I was first trying to get you on the boat. Your brother sees me differently than you do. He’s known me since I started college, and well,” I glanced at my coffee, then back to Jill. “Sometimes he still sees the freshman fuckup sleeping off a hangover through his exams. He thinks Emma is living proof that I’m not responsible.”

“What?” Tears spilled down her cheeks, but there was anger in her eyes. “Emma? For God’s sake.! Bruin, Emma is proof of the good man you’ve become.” She reached forward, stroking my cheek with her hand. “He probably hasn’t even met Emma and seen the two of you together. If I had any doubts about what kind of man you are, seeing what an incredible dad you are made them evaporate.”

The word struck me like right in the heart, and for a moment, I thought I felt a tear in my own eye. I’d never really thought about how I looked to other people with Emma. It had always been just the two of us doing our thing. More tears flowed from her face, and I could tell that she saw my emotions written in my eyes.

“I love you, Jillian.” The words spilled from my mouth simply, easily, and immediately, Jillian threw her arms around my neck and hugged me.

“I love you too, Bruin,” she gasped, sniffing before we kissed a long, sweet kiss, then let our foreheads rest against each other.

“I don’t want to lose you,” I said, my voice deep and thick. “But I know what your relationship with your brother means to you. And he means your career, too.”

“He’s the only family I have.” She paused. “After Mom and Dad died, we’ve always had each other’s backs. Us against the world. I-I don’t want to hurt him, I feel like it would betray everything we’ve built together.”

“But you’re your own woman,” I said, slowly bringing us to an arm’s length apart, my hands still on her arms, squeezing her reassuringly. “Jill, you’ve grown in ways that even Jeff can’t see. You’re a capable businesswoman, and you’re able to make your own decisions, your own life. Emma and I can give you all the family you could want,” I said, looking at her seriously, a kind smile on my face as her eyes went wide. “She already loves you. I want to give you a place with me in Santa Barbara and a place in my life, our lives. Everything you could want.”

I paused, taking a breath. “But like I said, you’re your own woman. I know how much Jeff means to you. I want you more than anything in the world, baby, and I’d move mountains for you with my bare hands.” That made her smile and half-sob, half-laugh. “But I need to know you want it too.”

“I do, Bruin,” she said immediately, with no hesitation, and it made me feel like I was on top of the world. “I want it more than anything else in the world.” I took her face in my hands and kissed her, salty tears on my lips, and she wrapped her hands around my sides before I broke the kiss.

“Then let’s make it happen.”

“I’m going to talk to Jeff,” she declared, wiping a tear from under her eye. “He’s still in town. I think he was trying to figure out what to do about the yacht sale. He’s not totally iced over yet, and if there’s anyone who can get him to come around, it’s me.”

I gave her that confident, boyish smile that she knew so well. “I’ve got your back, Jill. Whatever you need to say to him, I know you can do it.”

She fell into me again, and we kissed fiercely before I whispered into her ear, “And when you’re done, I going to have your back again.”