The plane ride had been difficult for all of them. Elena was restless and anxious, showing definite signs of trauma. She might not have been hurt, but being kidnapped like that was still a terrifying experience and she was going to need help to recover from it. Marguerite’s chest ached as she considered how she hadn’t been able to protect her daughter.

And if Bell ended up being as bad as he seemed? Then how could she protect her baby girl from him?

Once they landed, they got a hotel room. It had a separate bedroom that could serve as a buffer against attacks and was comfortably furnished. They were all exhausted by the long ride, and they all went to sleep, laying in the same bed together. Marguerite slept fitfully. At some point when the light outside was starting to dim, Everett slipped out of bed. Elena was breathing deeply, and Marguerite left her there and followed him out into the main room.

“I need you to stay safe,” he started to say and she cut him off with a kiss.

Emotion swelled in her and she had to work not to cry. “If I hadn’t looked into finding Bell, then none of this would have happened. We could have just figured it out together. Now Kristen is going to try to kill him and you . . . What if he captures you and—”

This time, he cut her off with a kiss. It was hungry and demanding, and he turned her toward the wall and pressed her against it while he ground against her. When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead on hers. “We need answers. You were right about that. We need to know exactly what happened to us and why this happens. We need to know what it means for Elena. It’s the only way we can have a future . . . together.”

Together. She closed her eyes, lifting her face so their noses brushed against one another. His warm breath wafted over her, smelling like that little bag of pretzels that they’d been given on the plane. Her fingers wound into the hair at the back of his neck and she made a humming noise of agreement.

“Together. And once we have those answers . . . then we’ll be together. And we’ll stay together.” It was too early to say that she loved him, wasn’t it?

Everett’s grip tightened, then loosened. “I should go. We don’t know how close Kristen is . . . ”

Screw it. They had no idea what he was going to find at Bell’s place, or what might happen after. They didn’t know if he’d be killed, taken prisoner . . . If she didn’t say it now, then she might never have the chance. As she opened her mouth to tell him that she loved him, though, he pulled away slightly.

“I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“For everything that happened.” He stroked her cheek and grimaced when she winced at the throb in her nose. “If I hadn’t gotten you involved in all of this, Elena wouldn’t have been kidnapped like that. And you wouldn’t be so afraid.”

Marguerite shook her head firmly. “No. Don’t be sorry. You aren’t to blame for any of this. The only thing you could have done to prevent this was if we hadn’t had that night together six years ago. And then I wouldn’t have had Elena. No. Whatever happens, I would never wish her away. And I’m glad that I had a reason to seek you out again, to find the person that you are now. I love you.”

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “What?”

“I love you. I know that it might seem too fast, but I love you and I need you to come back to me.”

“I’m . . . I’m not . . . ”

“Not what?”

Everett licked his lips. “I’m not worth it.”

The statement shocked her. It made her heart twist, and she shook her head again. How could he think that? “After all we have been through these past few days, you have shown the true strength of your character. And hadn’t Kristen told you that over these past six years you were the only one to be able to ground her? How can you say you’re not worth it?”

“You’re not the only woman I slept with and left,” he started hesitantly. “There have been dozens . . . I don’t recall their names or faces. I’d go to bars, pick up a girl and go to a hotel and then leave as soon as the sex was over. And it’s not like I checked to make sure they were single. Just made sure that they wouldn’t get pregnant.”

Marguerite cupped his face in her hands. “I know that it can be terrifying to commit. I’ve got issues, too. We had a one-night-stand all those years ago. There was nothing wrong with it. It wasn’t my first time and it wasn’t my last time. Sleeping around doesn’t make you a bad person. And I want you to know that there isn’t any pressure on you, okay? You don’t have to love me. I just needed to tell you.”

Everett turned to kiss her palm. It made sparks start to tingle beneath her skin and she ground her hips against him, the way he had been doing to her moments before. She could feel his arousal against her and shifted her weight, urging him to turn so he was against the wall this time.

“You were there when I needed you,” she continued. “And before you leave, I want to give you something to remember me by.”

Marguerite brushed the hair from Everett’s face, her heart pounding as she considered what she was about to do. He stared at her hungrily. Wanting the same thing but uncertain. Hesitation beat against her chest as she slowly reached for his belt. Not because she didn’t want to have him hold her in his arms, to join together in a connection more powerful than the time that had separated them. Because of the situation. Kristen was hunting Bell. Could they really afford to have this distraction?

But if they didn’t, would they ever be able to again?

“I want to give you this,” she repeated as she undid his belt and knelt, pulling his pants with her. She took him in her hand and began to stroke him. He hardened under her touch and threaded his fingers through her hair.

When she took him into her mouth, he let out a half-sigh, half-moan. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes as she moved, using her tongue to heighten his experience. The hesitancy from before fled, leaving her feeling calm in its wake. Everett’s big hands cupped her skull and moved gently with her, not forcing her, just following with her movements. Marguerite tugged his pants lower as his breaths became pants, but she wasn’t able to keep it up as long as she wanted since her swollen nose made it difficult to breathe. She kept going with her hands though, watching his face as he looked down at her.

“You’re amazing,” she whispered to him.

“I’m . . . ”

“Amazing.”

She took him back into her mouth, sucking harder this time. He groaned again and his hips thrust forward. His taste increased and she could tell he wasn’t going to last much longer. The stress of the situation must have been getting to him. She kept going, determined that she was going to give him everything she could.

Just as he began to tremble, he held her head back. He pulled himself away from her and grinned down at her as he moved his hands to her shoulders and lifted her from the floor. With one deft move, he lifted her shirt over her head, then reached around her and undid her bra. As he tossed it to the floor, one hand moved to her breast, squeezing it, while he bent and sucked her nipple into his mouth. Her core flared to light, tightening as her nipple hardened.

Her hands flew down his shirt, undoing the buttons, and his hands moved to her pants. He delved into her neck, making everything tighten further as he lifted her into the air. His huge hands cupped her ass as he walked to the couch and laid her down, then draped himself over her. Marguerite wound her hands into his hair as his mouth moved back to her breasts and a hand slipped between her legs.

Everett’s touch was gentle, raising her quickly to join him in desire. As his movements became more fevered, she clutched at his hair and rolled her hips, panting with the effort to stay in control.

“I want us to finish at the same time,” she blurted out. “Even if it’s not possible, I want you to be inside of me before I finish.”

Everett’s movements slowed. He lifted his face to her and shook his head slowly. “We can’t.”

Disappointment hit her so hard that she didn’t know how to respond. “Why?”

“We don’t have any protection, and I know you’ve missed a few days on your birth control. I can’t smell ovulation on you, but we can’t risk it. So we’ll have to finish each other in other ways.” He pushed a finger inside of her, making her gasp.

“I don’t care.”

Everett froze, eyes going wide.

Marguerite cupped his face. “I want you inside of me. Please. Please . . . ”

He moved up her body, settling as his hips came between her thighs. Looking into her eyes, he slowly, gently, pushed inside of her. The sensations of his entry had her back arching and a cry tearing from her throat. He pulled her closer, then adjusted her legs around him before he started to thrust into her. Gently at first, but with increasing desperation. Marguerite wrapped him in her arms, never wanting this moment to end, never wanting to let him go.

The fire inside her reached its boiling point, sending flames up and down her spine. She gritted her teeth and fought against it, staring into her lover’s face, their movements matching as they came together again and again.

Everett kissed her hard, his movements becoming jerky. Pleasure rolled through her and she clung to him, holding him tightly as the waves crashed over her. They kept going, not letting themselves stop until they couldn’t move anymore. Only then did they allow themselves to stop. Their bodies were melded in sweat and Marguerite realized that tears were rolling down her cheeks. Everett kissed her again and again before they were still.

Eventually, he withdrew. She knew without asking that it was time for him to leave. He dressed quickly without looking at her. A hand pressed over her mouth, keeping in her pleading for him to stay. They both knew that this had to be done.

And then he was gone. And Marguerite’s head dropped into her hands and she began to sob.