I hate seeing Jia in pain, but I also hate that tonight will not end the way I thought it would—with her panting and sweating beneath me as I pump into her. I’ve been thinking about her all day, which made it impossible to focus on any meeting that I attended this afternoon. The woman knows how to screw with my mind. I’ll let her off the hook tonight and make up for it in the morning.

“You look gorgeous,” I say as we approach my Mercedes. When she showed up at the restaurant earlier, not for the first time, I wondered how I could be so lucky to land not only a stunning woman but someone with a great heart.

Jia looks at me but doesn’t respond. Her lips form a smile, but her eyes don’t reflect it. There’s a distant look in her eyes that makes me think she’s not with me at all. She must be in so much pain. My chest aches at the thought that she made an effort to come out to dinner despite feeling unwell. Or maybe my family had brought on the headache. The LaClaires can be intense sometimes.

Dominick, my driver, reaches past me to open the door for Jia, but I place my hand on his to stop him. “I’ve got this.”

“Very well, Mr. LaClaire.” Even though Dominick is twenty years older than me, he’s my only employee who refused from the start to call me by my first name, but I’ve come to accept it. He steps back and clasps his hands in front of him.

When I open the door for Jia, she glances at me with another ghost of a smile and slides into the car. Frowning, I slam the door shut. For a moment, I stand under the light of the streetlamps, wondering whether something is wrong. Is this all about the headache, or is there more going on?

I want to pin everything to the headache, but there’s something nagging at me, something I can’t place a finger on. Or it could be my head screwing with me. Since the day I proposed, and she’d asked for time to think about it, something inside of me had changed. I was ecstatic when she had finally allowed me to slide the ring onto her finger, but at the same time the whole situation had left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I get into the car beside Jia who is sitting ramrod straight, hands clutching the purse in her lap, her jaw tight as though she’s clenching her teeth.

Watching her brings on my earlier discomfort, and my mind takes me back to when she had returned from the ladies’ room a few minutes ago. Her eyes had glistened with tears, but she’d blinked them away quickly. I’d put it down to her being tired, but what if I was wrong?

“Where to, sir?” Dominick asks once he gets behind the wheel. “Should I take you home?”

I take my time before answering because I need to think. “You know what, Dominick,” I say, coming to a decision. “Change of plans.” I glance at Jia who still hasn’t moved a muscle. “I think we’ll spend the night here.”

Jia turns to look at me, her eyes filled with questions. She glances out the car window at the hotel and then back at me. “We’re sleeping here?”

“If you don’t mind.” I pause. “It’s been a while since it’s been just the two of us ... without Rose nearby. We deserve some time alone, don’t you agree?”

She gives a small nod and turns to look back out the window.

Brushing my doubts aside, I call Rose’s babysitter.

“Luisa, I won’t be able to make it home tonight. Would you mind spending the night?”

“Yes, of course. I don’t have anything planned for the rest of the night.”

“How are things with Rose?”

“She’s an angel, as usual. We’re having so much fun playing with her dolls.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” I manage a smile. “Just make sure she’s in bed within the next thirty minutes.”

“No problem. She’s already in her pajamas,” the eighteen-year-old chirps. “Would you like to speak to her?”

“I’d like that. Thanks, Luisa.”

“Just a moment.”

I don’t have to wait long before hearing my daughter’s voice coming down the line, softening the hard edges around my heart. “Hello, Angel. Luisa said you’re having a lot of fun.”

“Lots and lots. We played with the dolls.”

“Daddy is happy to hear that. I have a great idea. Why don’t we have Luisa spend the night in our house?”

“In my house?” She sounds like she’s singing.

“Yes, in your house.” I chuckle. “You can both have the house all to yourselves. Daddy will be coming home tomorrow.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“At a hotel.”

“With Jia?”

“Yes.” I rub my temple.

Jia is still staring out the window. The distance between us seems to be growing by the second. “I’ll see you in the morning, my angel. We can have breakfast together. Be a good girl and go to bed when Luisa says it’s time, okay? Daddy loves you so much.”

“Rose loves you, too, Daddy.” Her breathing is soft and gentle as it drifts down the line. “I want to talk to Jia.”

“Okay, here she is.” I touch Jia’s arm, and she looks at me with wild eyes. “Rose … she wants to talk to you.”

“Oh, okay.” She takes the phone from me. Before she can lift it to her ear, it slips from her hand, but she catches it before it lands on her lap.

They exchange a few words while I try to figure out what’s going on inside Jia’s head.

“I love you, too, Rose,” Jia says finally and hangs up.

Outside the car, the balmy breeze roughens Jia’s dark hair as I walk her back into the building.

Since there’s always a hotel suite reserved for the LaClaires, the manager hands us the keycard immediately, and we disappear into one of the glass elevators. Neither of us says a word to the other.

“Take your clothes off,” I demand as soon as the door to our suite closes behind us. I lower myself onto the cushioned bench by the door.

Jia raises an eyebrow in surprise. “You want to ... Now?”

“You heard me.” I gesture for her to approach me. Talking is not on my agenda right now. We’ll have plenty of time to do that once I’m done with her.

When she’s close enough to touch, I pull her between my legs and spin her around to face the other way. I take my time unzipping her silver and black, figure-hugging dress, my cock hardening as her tan skin is exposed inch by inch. Done, I turn her around again to face me. Her eyes have taken on that sleepy look they resort to when she’s horny. She desires me as much as I desire her.

Her eyes on me, her lower lip between her teeth, she slides the dress off one shoulder, then the other and pushes it down the length of her smooth body. Once the fabric reaches her hips, she lets it continue its journey alone down her legs to pool at her feet like black liquid.

Her chest is heaving faster and faster as she removes her bra. Her swollen breasts spring free. My dick hardens to the point of pain, and I unzip my pants to offer it relief. Watching her is both torture and pleasure.

I wrap a hand around my pulsing cock, run it up and down. “Come over here.” My words are a croak in my throat.

Her plump lips curl into a smile as she comes to wedge herself between my legs again, stepping over the dress. She pushes a finger into the elastic of her lace panties. “Should I take these off?”

“Not necessary.” I slide my hand between her legs to push the unwanted piece of fabric aside. “Let me in,” I whisper, burying my face into her belly, eyes closed as I breathe in her fresh perfume. Then I lift my head and allow her to straddle me. She eases my cock into her pussy, letting out a stifled moan. When I’ve filled her completely, she closes her eyes and throws her head back, rocking against me. I encircle her warm breasts with my hands and pinch her nipples between my fingers.

“Oh, Lance.” She presses her forehead to mine and picks up her pace.

Between her moans, I hear the sounds outside in the hallway. Someone laughs, a phone rings, and the elevator dings. I don’t care that they might hear our lovemaking. There’s no way I can make it to the bedroom in this state.

My hands leave her breasts to cup her face. I press my mouth against hers and dip my tongue between her lips. She returns my kiss with the same hunger she always has for me.

I’m done holding back. I place my hands on both sides of her hips and lift her upward along my dick, her warm pussy clenching tight around me.

“Don’t ...What are you doing?” she asks, panting.

“This.” Before I exit her completely, I slam her down my length again so hard, she releases a scream. I do it again and again, reveling in the heat of her. Then when I’m about to break apart, I stop and rest my head between her breasts, her sweat transferring to my forehead. We only catch our breaths for a few seconds when I start again, bucking my hips as her body meets mine. I want to come inside of her but not yet. It’s more powerful for us to come together. I pump into her some more. Her nails dig into my shoulder, but the pain is a small price to pay for this moment of pure ecstasy.

“Come for me, baby. You can let go now.” I know she wants to, but she’s stopping herself from falling over the edge. She wants to have me inside her longer, to stretch the moment as much as she can.

I grab her hips tighter and pump into her harder. My dick hits her clit from all directions. I’ll get her over that edge if it kills me.

My spine tingles when her pussy clenches even tighter around me, and her body stiffens. It’s time. I lift her all the way to the tip once more and piston into her again. She bites her lower lip as she finally lets go and allows the pleasure we’ve built to arrest her. When the sound of my name spills from her lips, I follow her over the edge.

“Look at me,” I say as I come over and over inside her, my teeth clenched as her inner muscles clamp against me, sucking me dry.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, it’s time to get real. I have a question for her, but I had to fuck her one more time, in case it’s the last time I get to do it. She attempts to climb off me, but I hold her in place for a bit longer.

With my dick still buried inside her, I meet her gaze. “I need to know something.”

“What?” She sweeps her long hair to one side and runs her fingers through it, then drops her head.

One of my hands moves from her hips to her chin. I make her look at me again. I need to know from her amber eyes whether she’s telling me the truth. “Is this what you want, Jia?”

“What do you mean?” She chews a corner of her lip.

“This.” My gaze lowers to the place where our bodies meet. “Me inside of you ... Forever.”

“Of course.” A nervous giggle escapes her lips. “That’s why I’m marrying you.”

“Do you agree to have me as the only man to fuck you till death do us part?” My gaze bores into her.

“Of course. You’re so silly, Lance.” She giggles, but the sound comes out as a squeak.

“It’s not my intention to be silly. I mean it. I want an honest answer from you. Do you want to get married to me?”

“I don’t understand why you’re asking me this.” She places her hands on both sides of my head and moves her face closer to mine, but I move my head away. I want to have a clear view of her eyes. “What’s going on, Lance?”

“You tell me.” I pause. “I’m not really sure you want this. I have a feeling something has changed between us. On the one hand, I believe you want to be a part of my life, but, on the other, I feel you slipping away. You’re here and not here at the same time.”

Her shoulders sink when she sighs. “Really? I didn’t think—”

“During dinner, did you really have a headache?”

She shifts her body ever so slightly, but I get the answer I need. “I thought so.”

“I’m sorry.” She blinks several times before meeting my eyes again. “I’m so sorry, Lance.”

“Why did you do it? Why did you lie to us ... to me? Do you have a problem spending time with my family?”

“That’s ridiculous, and you know it.” Fire explodes in her eyes. “That’s really unfair of you to say. You know I love your family.”

“And yet you lied to get out of having dinner with them.”

“I did have dinner. We had already eaten.”

“And a few minutes more in their company would have killed you? They took time out of their lives to celebrate with us, for God’s sake.”

“It’s just that I was exhausted. I’ve been so busy with the wedding and everything.”

“I hired a wedding planner to take care of all the details, so you wouldn’t have to do everything yourself. Why don’t you let her do her job?”

“Because I want everything to be perfect. I want to add my own personal touch to the happiest day of our lives. I really do want to marry you, Lance. I don’t want anyone else but you.”

“But you don’t seem happy. If you really want to be my wife, why are you not happy? Does your being distant have something to do with my late wife?”

She doesn’t respond. Shit. Another question answered.

“Jia,” I run my hands down her shoulders. “Do you feel as though you’re second-best?”

“Sometimes.” She manages a tremulous smile. “I don’t think I can compete with your love for her.”

“But Alice is gone, Jia. She’s not coming back.” My hand cups her cheek. “You are here with me. She’s just a memory, a memory I will always cherish, but a memory nevertheless. You’ve been in love with other people before me, but I don’t let that stop me from building a life with you.”

“I know. I’m being silly. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m sorry.” She presses her lips to mine, and I kiss her back for a moment before pulling back.

“You mean the world to me. Alice taught me how to live and love again. She gave me another chance at love and life. I get to live out that chance with you. Never doubt how much I love you.” I press my forehead to hers. “Don’t you dare!”

“I promise,” she whispers.

“I know my family can be a lot sometimes. If you ever need a break from them, tell me. Don’t ever lie to me again.”

“Okay.” She leans back to look at my face. Her eyes sparkle with tears. “I’m really sorry I lied. I love you so much.”

“And I love you.” We sink into another kiss that heats up our bodies again, but as she starts to rock against me one more time for another round of fucking, my phone rings.

“Shit,” I say against her lips as I pull it out of my pocket.

“Just ignore it.”

“I can’t. It’s Luisa.”

“Oh, no. I hope nothing is wrong.” Jia lifts herself off me and goes to the bathroom while I talk to Luisa.

“What did she say?” Jia asks when she returns, looking incredibly delicious naked.

“Rose is refusing to go to bed. She wants me to say goodnight in person.”

“Then you should.” She picks up her bra and starts to put it on. “I can come with you to sleep over.”

“Fine.” My gaze sweeps the length of her body. “On one condition.”

“What is that, Mr. LaClaire?”

“That we finish what we almost started again, but in my bed this time.”

Jia places a hand in front of her mouth to stifle a giggle. “Well, I happen to love your bed.”