Millie forced her eyes open and squinted at the clock beside the bed. Four fifteen in the morning. Her bladder was fit to burst, and she slipped out of bed to use the bathroom. Sliding back beneath the covers, she nestled into Cole’s side. He stirred in his sleep, and his arm came around her automatically, but he didn’t awaken.

Safe, her body hummed. You’re safe with him.

Not to mention the man gives you amazing orgasms.

She shuddered with pleasure as her mind picked over the events of the last few hours. She hadn’t expected to end up in bed with Cole. Sure, she’d hoped for a few stolen kisses, the odd brush against his firm, muscular body, even a sweep of her hand over his delicious ass—maybe. Whether it had been the excitement of the evening, or the way he’d looked at her in that bar, she’d been overcome with desire. She’d wanted him, desperately, the urge within her spilling over into an almost frenzied need that had shocked her with its intensity.

She’d honestly never understood the big deal about sex. With Tanner it had been something to endure, not enjoy. She’d cry and he’d carry on anyway. She’d told Cole a little of her history last night, but the main thing she had kept back—her primary reason for being so scared before they’d slept together—was that Tanner had often called her frigid. Her word, not his. No, Tanner would hit her with a string of criticisms like her ass was too flabby, her stomach not flat enough, that she didn’t turn him on, and then he’d finish with a flourish by saying fucking her was like fucking a block of wood. He made her believe there was something wrong with her. That she wasn’t capable of reaching climax.

Cole had proved that statement to be a big fat lie—because, by her reckoning, she’d had six.

Six mind-blowing, toe-curling, out-of-this-world orgasms.

Grinning to herself, she slowly lifted the covers. Seven time’s a charm, right?

Cole had one leg bent, the other stretched out in front of him. His cock lay across his thigh. She licked her lips. Yep, actually licked her lips at the thought of him inside her mouth. And the most surprising thing about that? She hated sucking cock, because Tanner had always forced her. She could still feel him pressing her head down, his grip on the painful side of tight, her gag reflex kicking in as he’d exerted his power over her. God, she’d wanted to bite that fucker right off. Clamp her teeth down on him, like a pit bull locking its jaws in a dog fight. Unfortunately, she’d never found the courage, so she’d let him defile her, punish her. Hurt her.

Well, no more. That time in her life was over, and ahead was sunshine, rainbows, unicorns… and Cole.

She slid down the bed, dislodging his arm. He stirred in his sleep, but his breathing told her he hadn’t awoken. Good. She didn’t want him to yet. For a few seconds, she stared at his cock resting against his thigh. No one could, in all honesty, say that the male genitalia was pretty to look at, yet lying there, gawking at Cole’s, she felt completely different. Maybe because of the things he’d done to her with it the previous night. A tremor ran through her. The fact she’d never come during penetrative sex with Tanner made her believe that orgasms during the act itself—and without clit play—were a fallacy. It would appear that all her preconceived ideas had been destroyed by the man sleeping beside her.

She tentatively skimmed a finger down the length of his penis. It jerked, so she did it again, circling the tip with her thumb. It began to swell and thicken, and the butterflies fluttering in her belly took off. She bent down and closed her lips around the head.

“Holy shit, what are you doing?”

She glanced up at Cole, eyes wide. His penis was still very much in her mouth. Yeah, she wasn’t going to be able to answer him like that. She let it go, and it made a popping sound as it slipped out. “Um, sucking you,” she said with a shy smile. “Do you want me to stop?”

“Fuck, no.”

Her grin widened, but as she angled her head to start up where she’d left off, he cupped her chin, easing her head up to meet his sincere gaze, even if his eyelids were still half closed in sleep. “You don’t have to do that, you know.”

He looked so earnest, and a little bit worried, that she had to scour her mind to figure out whether she had slipped up and told him how Tanner used to force her. Nope. She was absolutely sure she’d kept that delightful piece of information to herself. Although… maybe she talked in her sleep? No, if she did, Tanner would have been sure to mention it. Another misdemeanor to add to the ever-growing list.

“I want to,” she said. “It’s called returning the favor.” She shuddered at the memory of Cole’s dark head between her legs last night. Instead of her semi-joke making him laugh, though, his frown lines deepened, and he eased up onto his elbows, properly awake now.

“It’s not a quid-pro-quo situation, Mia. I don’t want you doing anything you’re not comfortable with.”

Bravo, Millie. This has gone swimmingly.

“You’re killing my buzz, Cole,” she chided, sliding her hand up and down his cock.

He laughed, and the deep lines between his brows disappeared. He flopped back onto the pillows and laced his hands behind his head. “Well, now, I wouldn’t want to do that, especially with the death stare you’re giving me.”

Her lips twitched at the corners. She loved how, with him, she didn’t have to filter her responses, to try to figure out how each thing she said would be received. She could just be herself, or at least the person she’d been BT—Before Tanner.

She wrapped her hand around him and squeezed.

He made a throaty growl and raised his hips. “Do that again. Firmer this time.”

She did as he asked and then took him into her mouth once more. Within thirty seconds, he was fully erect. She slipped into a rhythm. Hard suck, soft squeeze. Lick the tip, hard squeeze. She had no idea what she was doing, but he seemed to like it. Strike that. He seemed to love it if the noises he was making were an indication. Her insides flipped. She hadn’t thought giving someone so much pleasure could be such a turn on. Cole’s eyes were tightly shut, and the cords in his neck stood out as he struggled to maintain control. A faint sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead, and a nerve beat just above his chiseled jawline.

Suddenly, she found herself beneath him. She hadn’t even processed that he’d moved her, he’d shifted their positions so quickly.

“What’s wrong?”

He gazed down at her, his intense green eyes flicking between hers. “Everything is right, Mia. So goddamn right.”

Her stomach flipped at the earnest tone to his voice. “Then why did you stop me?”

“Because I didn’t want to come in your mouth, and I was about five seconds from shooting my load.”

“I wouldn’t have minded,” she said, even though she was actually rather relieved. Tanner had never thought about her, or whether she even liked the taste of semen. Newsflash: she didn’t. Not his anyway. But Cole’s? Yeah, maybe one day she’d like to sample a taste.

A memory invaded her thoughts of the first time Tanner had forced her to swallow. They’d been married almost three years. She’d slowly watched him change into a stranger when his dreams remained unfulfilled, a cruel, angry young man who seemed to only find pleasure in torturing others. Mainly her. Or perhaps that’s who he’d always been, and over time the real Tanner had emerged when he’d figured he didn’t have to keep up the charade any longer.

He’d come in from a night out with some of the young players at the club—drunk, belligerent, and demanding sex. She’d refused, saying she was too tired. He’d sulked, got angry, sulked some more. Paced the room. She’d given in. She could still remember the triumphant expression on his face as he’d dropped his pants and told her to get on her knees.

She refocused her gaze to find Cole looking down at her with such concern and worry on his face.

“Where do you go when you disappear on me like that?”

God, the man was astute beyond belief. It must have something to do with his police training that made him so attuned to others. Or maybe it was just because Cole was an amazing human being. She thought about making light of it, but he deserved better.

“A bad memory creeps in from time to time, and I guess it pulls me back to the past for a few seconds.”

His face tightened, and his beautiful, full lips flattened as he correctly guessed what she meant by bad memory.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

She cupped his face. “Can you do me a huge favor?”

“Of course. Anything.”

“Put that gorgeous dick of yours inside me so I can start to replace bad memories with good ones.”

His answering smile almost blinded her, despite the darkness filling the room. “Beautiful, that I can do.”

Millie and Cole crept into his hotel by the entrance out back that led straight to the living quarters. Because of the early wake-up call she’d given him, dawn hadn’t yet broken, and the place was in darkness. Plus, it was Saturday, which, she’d come to realize over the last few weeks of living there, was Jax and Indie’s only day off. How they kept up their crazy schedules, especially as Indie also worked full-time as a financial advisor, was beyond her.

Cole and Millie disappeared into their respective rooms to wash up and change—a hazard of sleeping at a hotel on the fly. When she came back out into the living room, Cole was still in his room.

She wandered across to the kitchen and removed eggs and bacon from the fridge. She was hungry, so he must be starved.

“What are you doing?” Cole asked, coming up behind her. He slipped his arms around her waist, then rested his chin on her shoulder.

“Cooking my man some breakfast.”

He turned her in his arms. Her stomach vault with need as those vibrant emerald eyes fixed on hers, despite the last few hours doing nothing but sating her desires.

“Is that what I am? Your man?” he murmured softly, grazing the tip of his nose down hers.

She prodded him in the chest. “Well, you better hadn’t be anyone else’s, that’s for sure.”

He grinned. “I’m all yours, gorgeous.”

“Good.” She twisted out of his arms. “Now sit. I’m cooking up a storm.”

He did as she asked, his elbows on the counter, chin on his hands while he watched her move about the kitchen. Tanner had never lifted a finger around the house, but cooking for Cole felt very different, because she wanted to look after him, rather than being expected to.

She flipped over the sizzling bacon in the pan. Calum came out of his room. He yawned and stretched his arms overhead.

“I smell breakfast.”

Cole glanced over his shoulder. “Not yours,” he drawled, turning his attention back to Millie. “Let me get the plates.” He got down from the stool and came around her side of the counter. He reached up and grabbed two plates from the cabinet, his knuckles brushing her arm in a soft, lingering caress as he put them down beside her.

Calum glanced between the two of them and then broke out into a wide grin. “At fucking last. I think a celebration is in order.”

Millie’s face heated, because she knew exactly what Calum meant. Cole offered him an irritated glare.

“Don’t be a child.”

Calum winked at her, and her blush increased until her face felt as if it were on fire. She busied herself with the eggs, because at least that way she could avoid them by looking down into the pan. She was just serving up when Cole’s cell rang. He glanced down at the screen and frowned.

“Work. I’d better get this.”

He strode across the room and opened the door to his bedroom. “What’s up, boss?” Then he closed the door behind him.

“So,” Calum said, resting his forearms on the counter. “You finally got it on with the right brother. It only took you a decade.”

She ignored him, turning her back and putting the plates of food into the oven to keep warm, even though it would make the eggs go rubbery. Still, she could easily make more.

“I’m teasing,” Calum said when she finally had nothing else to do that would occupy her. “I’m really happy for you both.”

Millie didn’t get to respond right then because Cole came out of his room with a serious expression on his face—and in full cop uniform. “I’m so sorry, Mia. I need to go into work for a few hours. Something’s blown up.”

Disappointment washed through her, but she kept her feelings to herself and gave him a bright smile. “It’s no problem. I’ll hang around here until you get back and then maybe we can grab a late lunch or something.”

“Sounds good.”

“How about the four of us do something later?” Calum said. “Laurella and I were thinking of going bowling. She’s been in the States almost nine months and has never bowled. Can you believe that?”

Cole looked across at her, fastening his duty belt. “Mia? Think you can stand a double date with this douche?”

Her legs trembled, happiness rushing through her. This felt so normal, so wonderful, double dating with her boyfriend’s twin brother. Plus, she really really liked Laurella.

“I’m sure I’ll manage,” she drawled, which drew a bark of laughter from Calum.

“I’ll text when I’m on my way back. Hopefully this won’t take more than a couple hours.”

He came over to her and pulled her into his arms. Then he kissed her, not a chaste goodbye kiss but a proper full-on tongues-and-everything kiss. Her toes curled, and a contented noise eased from the back of her throat. She expected Calum to make some inappropriate comment, but when Cole finally let her go, his twin was sitting on a chair in the living room, his attention fully on the TV. Thank God.

“Oh, your breakfast,” Millie called out as Cole went to leave. “You’ll be starved.”

“I’ll grab something at the station, don’t worry,” Cole said, while Calum got to his feet and said, “I’ll eat it. Shame to let it go to waste.”

With a final eye roll in his brother’s direction, Cole left.

Millie removed the two plates from the oven and set one in front of Calum.

He dug in, making appreciative noises at the back of his throat. “These scrambled eggs are amazing.”

“Plenty of butter, that’s the key.”

“Is that so?” He tilted his head. “I’m thrilled you and Cole are together. He’s wanted you, like, forever.”

Millie bit her lip, wondering whether to mention to Calum what Cole had told her about their breakup. She plunged in.

“Cole told me what you did, why you broke up with me.”

Calum’s eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. “He did?”

She nodded. “I kinda wish you’d told me, though. At the time, I mean.”

He swallowed another forkful of eggs and shrugged. “Wasn’t my place to tell you.” He set down his silverware. “And if you’re being honest, you’ll admit you weren’t interested in him back then.”

“Fair point.” She stared down at her hands.

“At least now you know I’m not a totally heartless bastard, huh?”

She lifted her chin and grinned. “Yeah, you’ve redeemed yourself.”

She started to clear away the breakfast things, and Calum stood to help her. Once they’d finished, she headed for her bedroom, until Calum called her back.

“Millie.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t hurt him, otherwise the bastard you knew in high school will make a one-time-only return visit. Especially for you.”

Her stomach churned, because even though Calum said those words with a slight curve to his lips, the underlying tone said he was deadly serious.

“I won’t.”