“Tell me we’ll be able to stop doing this one day.” She turned to me, sliding one of her long legs along mine as she did.

“This?” I looked down at our entwined bodies with a smirk.

“Yes, this.” She rolled her eyes. “Meeting in secret. You knew that was what I meant.”

“It’s probably not even a secret,” I reasoned. “Do you honestly think nobody knows we’re meeting at random hotels almost every night? Somebody’s bound to put two and two together.”

She winced. “Yes, like my son. He announced it to everyone at the meeting tonight that we were together.”

It was my turn to wince. “How could he do that to you?”

“He hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you.”

“No, you’re right. He hates you and the fact that we’re together.”

“That’s about right.” I slid a hand up her arm, over her shoulder and up to her face. I cupped her cheek in my hand and stroked it with my thumb. “But that won’t last forever. He’ll get over it.”

“What if he doesn’t?” she whispered. “He’s my only child. What will I do if he never comes back to me?”

I wouldn’t disrespect her by pretending that wasn’t a very real possibility. Sometimes, families split up and never got back together. The way my brother and I never had.

“You just have to trust that he’ll come around. That’s all you can do. When he sees how happy you are, and how none of his fears have come true, he’ll see.”

“I feel like I failed him somehow. I should’ve made sure he had the sort of support he needed from a man. I wasn’t enough. Bradford must’ve slipped in there when I wasn’t looking and got hold of my boy. It’s the only explanation I can come up with.”

“There’s nothing you can do about that now.” A surge of protectiveness made me slide my arms around her and hold her tight against my chest.

She was mine, she always had been mine. We were meant to be. Anybody who wanted to get to her would have to get through me—even if it meant fighting her son, I would do it if it meant keeping her safe. I would rather not have to, of course.

I wondered if there was any way to get through to him, if I could talk to him without her knowing. She’d only worry if she knew.

“You think it went well tonight? I mean, otherwise?” I stroked her back—long, smooth strokes from the base of her skull to base of her spine.

Her skin was so smooth. Her scent enveloped me, made the lion in me roar to life every time it hit my nose.

“I do. I mean, it wasn’t looking good there for a while. It was looking downright awful there for a while, if truth be told. But they let me speak long enough that I think I was able to get through. Time will tell.”

“The election is scheduled for three days from now?” I could easily find the kid in three days. The sooner the better, in fact—he could help round up more votes before the election. What would it take to get through to him?

“I’m so nervous,” she whispered, burrowing into my arms like a scared animal in need of protection.

“You’ll be fine.”

“What if I lose?”

“What will you have lost? Nothing. You’ll still have your position in the north.”

“What good does that do me if you’re down south?” She looked up at me, eyes wide. “I couldn’t be without you now. It would be cruel to even try to be without you after this. Haven’t we been through enough?”

“You’ll never have to be without me, Veronica. Not ever. We’ll find a way.” I kissed her upturned mouth—so sweet, so soft and full—and let myself sink into the kiss as her arms tightened around my neck and she pulled me closer.

There was still so much need in her, years and years of need that had built up while we were apart. She didn’t show it all the time, but there were moments like that one in which she clung to me so tight, I could barely breathe. But I wouldn’t have pushed her away for anything in the world. How could I not respond to her? The lion inside me roared to life, demanding satisfaction.

The hand that had been stroking her back moved down to stroke the curve of her full, round backside. She groaned and strained against me, sliding her leg up and down mine.

I rolled her onto her back, pinning her to the bed. I couldn’t control the animalistic need to conquer her—and she loved it. She responded to it.

I felt the heat between her thighs and smelled her excitement. It went to my head and just drove me further.

The sound of her soft, satisfied groan when I slid home was like music. I leaned down to touch my lips to her throat as I moved in and out as slowly and carefully as I could. I liked to start slow, to build her up instead of taking her hard and fast from the beginning.

Her sighs and whispers were worth it. The way her hands roamed over my back and shoulders, gripping and digging her nails into my skin. Her legs tightening around my hips, pulling me deeper, begging me for more.

Then, she surprised me by rolling me onto my back while I was still inside her. She didn’t usually take the lead—I liked to be in control—but there was something hot about being unsure about what she’d do next. She looked down at me with flushed cheeks and bright eyes, a sexy smile curving her lips. She was magnificent.

I held her waist as she started moving up and down, watching her face as she worked her way to bliss. It was heaven, looking at her body, touching her in all the places she liked best.

I cupped her breasts and guided them to my mouth, licking and sucking, before sliding my hands over her sides and down her thighs. Her mouth fell open as she picked up speed, gasping every time our bodies came together. I thrust upward, holding her hips, doubling the intensity.

“Oh, Vincent… yes…” She closed her eyes and rolled her head back on her shoulders, finally collapsing on top of me as she finished.

I held her in place, thrusting faster and harder as my own finish came closer. I came to the sound of her whimpering in my ear, urging me on. I roared against her shoulder when the explosion hit.

We stayed that way for a long time after we finished, wrapped up in each other with our eyes closed, breathing heavy. No wonder I had been so tense and uptight for so long.

“I love you,” I whispered into her hair, brushing it out of the way to plant a kiss on her ear. “I’ll always love you.”

She sighed and wriggled a little against me before relaxing again.

I held her to me for as long as I could, wanting to push off the inevitable moment when we’d move onto “real life” and away from the perfection we had when we were together.

She pushed herself up on her arms and looked down at me. “I used to think this part of life was over for me. You know?”

“I know.” I tucked her long, fiery hair behind her ears so I could see her face. “That’s why I was alone after Sarah.”

She smiled. “I didn’t know I was just waiting for you to walk back into my life.”

“Careful, now. You say things like that and I might never let you out of this bed again. We’ll die here, starved to death.”

She giggled. “I thought we could live on love.”

“Yeah, well, that’s nice in theory.” I nibbled her neck and her giggles turned to laughs as she swatted my hands away from where I was fondling and teasing her.

“You’re an animal!” she laughed. “Twice isn’t enough for you?”

“Since when is twice enough for you?” I asked.

“Come on, come on. I should get back.” She pouted as she pulled herself out of my arms. “You should get back, too.”

I hated to see her go, even though I knew she was right. We both had things to do. It was easy to forget that when it was so much better being with her.

Like we were going through that whole fresh, new period all over again when we couldn’t keep our hands off each other and our hormones raced out of control. It might not have been hormones anymore—we were too old for that—but the feeling was still there. That breathless, almost heartbreaking joy when she was back in my arms after being apart for just a single day.

I waited until the sound of the shower reached my ears before I got up and fished my phone out of my pants pocket. Jace would be awake—always a night owl.

“Where are you, as if I needed to ask?”

In another life, I would’ve bristled at that. I wasn’t the type who liked to be teased. Maybe it was all the sex, but things that used to bother me didn’t matter much anymore.

“So why ask?” I countered.

“Because it’s fun, putting you on the spot. Now I know why you used to do it to me so much.”

I chuckled before remembering the reason I’d called. “I need you to reach out to our friends around town,” I muttered, one eye on the closed bathroom door.

“Who are we looking for?” He didn’t need to ask which friends I was referring to, and I noticed the way his tone changed. He knew when it was time to get serious—another reason why I trusted him the way I did.

“I need to find Christian Eastwing.”