“Which seat is mine?” Mila asked.

I led her down the aisle of the plane and pointed to her seat. She slid into the row and plopped down in the window seat. She peered through the window and bounced up and down, unable to contain her excitement.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“This is awesome!”

“It would be better if we were in first class,” Samson said under his breath.

“Drop it,” I warned.

“Why are we sitting back here?” Samson whined. “I’ve never flown coach in my life.”

“Exactly,” I said. “It’ll be good for you.”

“Bullshit,” Samson said. “You’re just trying to instill some stupid life lesson in Mila.”

“So?” I asked. “I’d like her to be humble, unlike her uncle.”

“I’m humble.”

I ignored him and buckled Mila’s seatbelt. Samson was right. I wanted to teach Mila to be humble, to be a good person, to not let money dictate her life the way it had always dictated my father’s.

Still, as the plane left the ground and we flew toward Florida, I felt guilty. This was Mila’s first vacation, her first time outside of Virginia. I wanted it to be amazing. I wanted her to remember her first trip to Disney World for the rest of her life.

So, when we landed and went to pick up our rental car, I let her pick it.

“That one,” she said firmly. She pointed to a bright red convertible.

“I knew you’d pick that.” I laughed.

“Is it expensive?” she asked.

“Yup.” I nodded and asked the man behind the counter to please rent us the bright red convertible.

Mila grinned and jumped up and down. The three of us piled into the car and headed toward Disney World.

“What happened to being humble?” Samson asked.

“Maybe I can teach her to be humble and rich,” I said.

Samson laughed as I pushed my foot down on the gas. We arrived at the resort, and Mila’s excitement was too great to be contained.

“Where’s our room?” she asked. “Can we ride the rides today? Where are we going to eat? Can I have that? No, wait, I want that!”

She ran around like a bat out of hell as Samson and I got the luggage into our room. It was a huge suite, complete with two bathrooms, two bedrooms, a pullout couch, and a mini kitchen. Mila was in heaven.

“Can we live here?”

“Our house is bigger,” I said.

“But this place is cooler!”

Samson and I took Mila all over the park that day. We let her ride whatever ride she wanted and then held her hand when she got scared. I bought her whatever she wanted. Souvenirs. Candy. Everything.

For the first time, I stopped worrying about what would happen if I spoiled her. I gave in to her every wish, and the smile on her face was enough to make it worth it.

“What do you want to do next?” Samson asked her.

“I want to have dinner with Goofy,” she said. “And Mickey Mouse but mostly just Goofy.”

“I think we have to schedule that in advance,” I said. “I’ll look into it for tomorrow night, okay?”

“Okay.” Mila shrugged and ran over to a stand that sold funnel cakes and cotton candy.

“We should eat real food at some point,” Samson said after Mila’s third funnel cake.

“Now who’s the boring one?”

Samson punched my arm, making us both laugh. It had been years since we acted like kids together. I’d been his boss for so long that I’d almost forgotten how to just be his brother. This vacation as exactly what we needed, and from the powdered sugar all over Mila’s face, she needed it to.

“Uncle Samson is right,” I said. “Let’s find somewhere to eat dinner.”

Mila nodded. Samson and I each held one of her hands and swung her forward as we walked through the crowds. It was the middle of the school year, so there were fewer people than I expected. I’d never been to Disney World, but I always heard it was a parent’s worst nightmare.

For me, it was the opposite. I would never say it out loud, but it was my dream come true. Being with Mila, watching her be a little kid … It was everything I wanted.

“How about this?” Samson asked. He pointed to a restaurant just in front of us.

“Works for me.”

We got a table on the patio and ate until we were bursting. Mila groaned and rubbed her stomach, her eyes already starting to drift closed.

“Full?” I asked, laughing lightly. “Too full for ice cream?”

“No!”

Mila perked up immediately. We ordered a huge ice cream sundae to share and finished it in minutes.

“So,” I said when we were done. “What do you think of Disney World so far?”

“It’s amazing,” Mila said. She stifled a yawn. “Can we ride more rides tonight?”

“Probably not.” I shook my head. “The sun’s already setting, and besides, after everything you just ate …”

“I would totally puke,” Mila said with a confident nod.

“Totally.”

We laughed and sat back to enjoy the night. Samson was unusually quiet on his side of the table, but I was too busy playing with Mila to notice. It wasn’t until her eyes really started to get heavy that I glanced over at my bother.

He was staring at something. I glanced behind me but didn’t see anything.

“What’s up?” I asked, snapping my fingers in front of his face.

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Just zoned out.”

Mila fell asleep in my lap a few minutes later. She’d been up for almost twenty-four hours, so I wasn’t surprised. I stroked her wild red hair and let my mind drift away. I’d been so busy getting the trip planned and then leaving that Alex had flown out of my head completely. As I sat at the table and watched the sky darken, my thoughts returned to her.

I didn’t know if I’d see her again. The deal with Tanner Bikes was so unsettled. As much as Samson wanted to issue them a formal offer, I still wasn’t sure. A huge part of my motivation for taking this trip was to avoid having to decide. If it were up to Samson, we would send Alex an offer right that second. I knew that was a mistake. Alex wasn’t ready to think about selling. Not yet.

After our lunch, Alex had made it clear she wasn’t interested. Even if we didn’t buy the shop, I still wanted to see her again. I couldn’t help it. Despite her guarded nature and her mean streak, I just wanted to be around her.

Still, I didn’t have high hopes. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I never saw Alex Tanner again.

“Hey,” Samson said, shaking me back to reality. “Check it out.”

He jerked his head to the left. I followed his gaze and saw two women staring at us with seductive smiles on their faces. They were clearly in their early twenties. One looked barely old enough to drink.

“I should have known.” I shook my head. “When you were ‘zoned out’ earlier.”

“What can I say?” he asked. “I have an eye for these things.”

“I think they prefer to be called women,” I said.

“I call the blonde,” he said. “You can have the brunette.”

“I’m good,” I said. I didn’t know why but, when Samson suggested I talk to those women, Alex was the first thing that popped into my head. I saw her face, and I knew those women couldn’t hold a candle to her.

“Come on!” Samson said. “We’re on vacation!”

“And we aren’t alone.” I nodded toward Mila who was still fast asleep in my lap.

“There’s childcare at the hotel, remember?” Samson asked.

“You want me to leave Mila alone with strangers?” I asked skeptically.

“It’s Disney World,” Samson said. “It’s like the most kid-friendly place on earth.”

“Not happening.”

“Fine,” Samson said. “But we can still talk to them.”

“I’m good,” I said again.

Samson shook his head. Like always, he was frustrated by my lack of interest in the opposite sex. He couldn’t believe I would pass up an opportunity to bang a hot brunette while on vacation.

“I don’t get you,” Samson said. “You wanted to take this trip.”

“For Mila,” I said. “Not for sex.”

“Whoever said you can’t have both?” Samson challenged. “You don’t have to be celibate to be a good father.”

“I know,” I said. “I’m happy being single, Sammy. Let it go, all right?”

Samson shrugged and finished the rest of his beer in one gulp. He glanced back at the two girls and then grinned at me. He wiggled his eyebrows and got to his feet.

“I’ll meet you back at the hotel,” he said. “Tell Mila good night for me.”

“See you in the morning,” I said, knowing full well he wasn’t likely to show up before dawn.

He grinned again and made his way over to the women. They offered him a seat, and he sat down immediately, putting on his best, most alluring charm. I rolled my eyes and looked away. I’d seen my little brother pick up enough women to know how it worked. I didn’t need to watch him in action.

Instead, I paid the bill and scooped Mila into my arms. She slept on my shoulder the whole way back to the hotel. It wasn’t a long walk, and Mila was light, so I took my time. I took in the scenery of the park, feeling myself relax for the first time in months. No, years.

Taking a vacation was initially just an excuse to get out of town, but now, I realized how much I needed it. My entire body felt different. Years younger. I knew I could run a marathon if I wanted to. Just being away from the office, away from Virginia Beach, was enough to improve my mood.

Samson was right about one thing. I did worry too much. I let myself freak out when I didn’t need to. For five years, my life had been about Mila and work. Work and Mila. I never thought about anything else. I never did anything else. And now, I finally wanted to.

I knew exactly what prompted such a drastic change, and it wasn’t Disney World.

It was Alex.

The first time I saw her, I felt something shift. Those damn eyes almost broke me. I couldn’t even speak. I became flustered and awkward, and I stayed that way every time I was around her. The only time I didn’t feel totally out of control was when she’d barged into my office to scream at me.

I smiled at the memory. Alex described Mila as a spitfire, but I knew she was also describing herself. Alex’s spirit was undeniable. It poured out of her in a flood of emotion. She didn’t hide. She didn’t back down.

Without knowing, I had the distinct impression that Mila was going to grow up to be just like her. My daughter already had an independent streak ten miles long. She would rather throw a ball than wear a dress, and I knew if she was ever given the chance, she would love to work on a car.

Maybe that was why I felt so drawn to Alex. Or, maybe not. All I knew was that my attraction to her wasn’t fading. No matter how much distance I put between us, she still held a place in my mind.

Back in the suite, I laid Mila down on the pull-out couch and tiptoed away. She slept peacefully as I pulled the bedroom door closed with a click.

My back ached from carrying her all the way back, so I slowly climbed in the shower and turned the knob to full blast.

Hot streams of steaming water hit my aching back. I moaned an arched forward, letting the water cascade over my skin and sooth my aching muscles. Shaking my head, I sent droplets of water flying off my hair and onto the shower curtain.

Alone for the first time, my thoughts returned to Alex.

There were states between us, miles and miles separating… And yet, I could see her face as clearly as if she were standing before me. Her brilliant green eyes shone in my mind, tightening my stomach sending shocks of desire shooting through my body.

I thought about the first time I saw her.

Her long hair fell over her face, hiding it from view, but her body had been perfectly visible. I hated to admit it, even to myself, but couldn’t stop my eyes from raking a hungry trail down her body.

I had lingered on her hips, wondering what it would feel like to grip them between my fingertips. When she finally looked up, her eyes had captivated me completely. And when she turned around…

As the water poured down my back and Alex’s ass flickered through my memory, I felt my dick harden.

Groaning, I closed my eyes and tried to force myself to relax. The memory of seeing Alex for the first time was too strong. My mind couldn’t shake the image of her perfectly sculpted ass as she walked across the garage at Tanner Bikes.

I leaned back in the shower, letting the water fall over my chest and down my stomach. It slid over my erect dick.

Even with my eyes open, I could still see Alex’s face.

Her green eyes blinked at me, full of fire and determination. Strength radiated off her skin, making her even more undeniably sexy.

Without thinking, I wrapped my fingers around the base of my cock. My eyes fell shut again, my head tilting back.

Alex was walking away from me again, her hips swaying seductively from side to side. I imagined stepping up behind her, my hands flying to her waist and pulling her roughly against me.

She would giggle, one arm rising to wrap around my neck.

My lips would find her neck and her giggle would turn immediately into a moan. Just her imaginary moan was enough to make my dick twitch in my hand. I tightened my fingers and pumped my fist forward.

Alex would push herself back against me, reveling in the feel of my rock-hard cock pressed against her ass.

Just when her desire was about to overwhelm us both, I stepped forward, pushing her gently against the cabinets at the back of the garage. She would gasp, her hands darting forward to grip the cabinets.

Spinning her around to face me, I would finally kiss those enticing lips.

Alex would sigh against my mouth and sink in to me. I would wrap my arms around her waist and pulled her closer to me. She would moan again, melting into me.

My eyes flew open and focused on the shower wall.

Water poured down around me, but all I saw was Alex. My fantasies had taken on a mind of their own as my hand pumped hard over my cock.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Alex’s lips on mine. Her tits pressing against my chest. I imagined tearing her clothes off and devouring every inch of her body, licking and nibbling my way down her stomach until I disappeared between her legs.

The sounds she would make…

“Fuck.” I groaned and slapped my free hand against the shower wall.

My body trembled with need, flushed from the steaming hot water and my insane thoughts about Alex.

In my mind, Alex was moaning and writhing beneath my vicious tongue. She was coming so hard that the earth shook around us.

I pictured her gasping and panting, twisting violently against my bed and begging me to take her. Again and again…

My hand flew over my dick until I saw stars.

I was between Alex’s legs. Pounding my hips forward so fast that Alex could barely breathe. She cried out, my name heaven on her tongue. I leaned down to kiss her, to taste her, my dick buried deep inside her… Pleasure was etched on inch of her face. Her mouth hung open, her tits bouncing in rhythm with my thrusts…

She clawed at the sheet and moaned, the sound ripping through my body and sending me flying over the edge…

Fantasy met reality and my hips shot forward. I finished in my hand and slid down to the shower floor, my head still spinning with the image of Alex’s naked body.

Breathing heavily, I tried to regain control of myself. The water had lost some of its heat as it rained down over my head, soaking my hair and sending shivers down my spine. When I could finally trust my legs, I slowly got to my feet and pressed my palms against the shower wall.

“Fuck…” I said again, shaking my head side to side.

If that’s what happened after one fantasy, I couldn’t imagine how incredible it would be to make it reality.

Alex didn’t leave my mind for a second that night. As I quickly washed myself off, she swam through my head more clearly than ever. And when I shut off the water, reaching out to grab a towel, I thought of ways I could see her again.

Suddenly, the trip to Disney World didn’t seem like such a great idea. Not when Alex was still back in Virginia, miles away from me…