When Grayson had called and invited me out with him and the guys for an impromptu dinner, I’d been geared up to shoot him down. It had been days since I’d last seen Daphne and I’d finally had enough. The plan was to show up at her house unannounced and tell her… well, I really didn’t have the first fucking clue what I was going to tell her other than the current situation where one of us avoided the other wasn’t working for me anymore.

But before I could shoot him down, he’d mentioned that the girls were already there. Deciding that Fate was smiling down on me for the first time in a really long fucking time, I agreed.

The instant I walked in and locked eyes with her, I saw it—the longing. It was clear as day. She still wanted me, and I was going to take full advantage of it. I’d rushed to the table, pulling a chair up next to hers, and started on Operation Entice the Hell out of Daphne.

We’d spent the evening tiptoeing around each other while our friends sat around us none the wiser.

When it was finally time for everyone to leave, I made my move. Leaning in close, I rested my arm on the back of her chair and whispered in her ear. “Did you drive here?”

“Uh… no.” Her pupils were dilated, goose bumps had broken out across her arms, and she chewed that bottom lip of hers in a very telling way. “I was going to take an Uber home.”

“No need,” I said, standing and pulling several bills from my wallet. I tossed them on the table, then grabbed her hand and pulled her to standing. “I’ll give you a lift.”

“You don’t have—”

I started walking, not bothering to listen to the rest of what she was saying. She stumbled behind me as I pulled her toward the exit. I guided her to my car, opening the passenger door and depositing her in the seat. “Buckle up,” I commanded before closing her in and quickly rounding the hood. I didn’t speak again until we were out of the parking lot and on the road. “You know, I’ve been with my fair share of women—”

Before I could continue my thought, she cut me off with a disapproving, sarcastic tone. “Wow. Careful, Caleb. Your ego is showing.”

I took my eyes off the road just long enough to shoot her a playful smile. “Would you let me finish?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared out the windshield. “By all means, please continue telling me about all the women you been with.”

I cleared my throat and continued. “As I was saying, I’ve been with my fair share of women, but not a single one of them has gotten under my skin the way you have.” I saw her straighten her spine and begin to fidget from the corner of my eye. “When we started this, I didn’t have any expectations. I just planned to ride it out for as long as it lasted, but then I started counting down the hours until I got to see you again.”

She inhaled sharply but I kept going, knowing that if I didn’t get it all out fast, it was more than likely I’d lose my nerve. “It was only about sex with all of them. I didn’t care about getting to know them or seeing what the future would hold. But it was different with you. The sex is….” I couldn’t possibly put into words how unbelievable it was with her. “It’s fucking phenomenal, Daph. You have to know that. But it’s so much more. I like just being with you. Telling you stupid jokes just so I can hear your laugh. It’s the best sound I’ve ever heard.”

Silence enveloped the inside of the car for so long I feared I’d somehow screwed up. I flipped on my blinker and was turning into her driveway when she finally spoke. “Why are you telling me all of this?”

I pulled to a stop outside her house, throwing the car into Park before giving her my full attention. “Because I can’t stand the way it’s been between us lately. I think about you all the fucking time, Daph. You’re all that’s on my mind, and I hate that there’s a distance between us now.” She opened her mouth to speak, but I held up my hand to stop her. “I know it’s my fault. I got weird and started pulling back. I’ll take the blame for that. But I couldn’t go another day without telling you how I really feel. I’ll understand if you’re not in the same place. I just had to get it out.”

My palms grew sweaty, and I clenched the steering wheel tightly to prevent from reaching out for her. If she was going to shoot me down, I didn’t want to make it even more awkward than it already was.

She remained quiet for several seconds, and I’d just started to come to terms with the fact that what we had was good and done when she spoke again. “Stay the night with me.”

“What?”

She smiled, reaching over to place her palm against my cheek. “I feel the exact same way. And I want you to stay the night with me.”

I had her unbuckled and across the center console in a blink. I fused my mouth to hers, needing the kiss like I needed oxygen. We clawed at each other like animals. It hadn’t been long, but it felt like an eternity since I’d last been with her that I couldn’t wait any longer. With her still wrapped around me, I threw the car door open and climbed out, navigating my way up to the front door by feel alone.

Unable to stop touching Daphne the length of time it took for her to unlock her front door, I latched onto her neck, kissing my way across that sensitive spot I knew made her shiver and moan.

The deadbolt unlatched and she shoved the door open. I couldn’t remember ever climbing stairs so fast in all my life. The taste of her mouth, the way she whimpered and pressed deeper into my touch and kiss drove me wild. I tore at her clothes and she returned the favor until we were both completely naked.

I pushed her onto the bed, letting out a feral growl when she spread her legs wide, opening herself up to me. “Caleb,” she panted desperately as I came down on top of her.

“Are you ready for me, baby?” I asked as I ran my hard cock along her entrance. Her wetness coated every inch of me.

“So ready,” she gasped, arching her back off the mattress. “Now, Caleb. I need you inside—” Her words morphed into a cry of pleasure as I buried myself to the hilt.

“Fuck,” I grunted, pulling out and plunging back in. “Fucking missed this, Daphne. Missed you.”

She wrapped one arm around my neck while bracing herself against the headboard with the other. Her hips came up to meet mine with every thrust, taking me harder than she ever had before. “Me too,” she breathed, her face awash with desire.

But it wasn’t enough for me. I needed to claim her, mark her. I needed every inch of her gorgeous body to feel me. Daphne whimpered when I pulled all the way out. “What are you—?” I silenced her question by flipping her onto her stomach and hiking her hips up. I rammed back in, causing her head to fly back as she pushed up onto all fours. “Yes!”

She shoved herself backward, riding my cock as I fucked her from behind. At one point she turned to look at me over her shoulder, biting down on that plump bottom lip. It was so goddamn hot I nearly blew my load right then and there.

“I’m close, honey.” The endearment on her lips was my undoing. Reaching around her tiny waist, I zeroed in on her clit, circling it fast and hard with my fingertips as my cock swelled painfully. “God, Caleb! I’m coming!”

I followed right after, grunting and growling as I poured myself inside her tight, hot channel.

It had been rough and frantic—I couldn’t remember the last time I’d come so quickly—but was still the best sex of my fucking life.

I collapsed onto my side, turning Daphne so she was facing me as I laid us down against the pillows. “Mmm,” she moaned happily. “That was so good,” she mumbled, an exhausted, dreamy look on her face.

I smiled as I lifted an arm, sifting my fingers through her soft golden hair. “Always is when it’s with you.”

Her smile lit up her whole face, and I couldn’t help but lean in to kiss her red, swollen lips. I’d done that to her, and it felt amazing. “Feeling’s mutual,” she giggled. Pulling back, she looked into my eyes. “About what you said earlier in the car. I wanted to tell you something—”

I placed a finger over her lips to stop her before I spoke. She needed to know I wasn’t going to push her further than she was willing to go. “Look, I think I know what you’re going to say.”

Cocking her head in confusion, she asked, “You do?”

“Yeah. And I want you to know there’s no pressure, okay? I want more than what we had before, but that doesn’t mean I’m thinking marriage or kids or anything insane like that.”

For a second it looked like she stopped breathing. “You don’t…?” Daphne’s throat bobbed with a thick swallow. “You don’t want kids?”

I rolled to my back, taking her with me. Propping one arm behind my head, I wrapped the other around her back, holding her warm, naked body against my chest as I stared up at the ceiling in thought. “I guess I’ve never really given it much thought. Growing up with my parents kind of put a damper on the thought of having children of my own. If I’m being honest, I don’t even know if I’d be a good dad. I didn’t exactly have the best role model, you know?”

Her breath hitched. I assumed it was in relief, but when I looked down I couldn’t see her face to be certain.

“Hey.” I tightened my arm. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just tired.” Her voice was husky with sleep, and I felt bad for keeping her up when she was still on the mend.

Placing a kiss on her head, I gently rolled her to the side and sat up. “Okay, sweetheart. You get comfortable and I’ll get the lights.”

I shut the house down for the night and crawled back into the comfort of Daphne’s fantastic bed. Curling into her back, I held her tightly to me, my chest feeling light for the first time in weeks. I finally had her back where she belonged, in my arms.

I fell asleep with a relief I hadn’t thought possible.

Unfortunately, a phone call late into the night ruined that sense of peacefulness.

* * *

The ringing of my cell phone jolted me awake. I checked the clock, seeing it was after two in the morning before reaching for my discarded pants on the floor. Pulling my phone from my pocket, my entire body tightened at the sight of my mother’s name on the caller ID.

“Mom?” I answered on a whisper. “Is everything all right? It’s the middle of the night.”

“Did you know?” she asked, her voice horribly slurred. Fucking wonderful. I was getting a late-night phone call from her when she was sloshed out of her mind.”

“What?”

“Did. You. Know?” she repeated slowly. From the sound of it, she’d already gone through a whole bottle of vodka. “Did you know about your father and that slut?” she hissed.

“Fuck. Mom, now’s not really—”

“I can’t believe you, Caleb! You’ve broken my heart!”

I carefully stood from the bed, starting for my clothes. “Look, Mom. Just calm down. I’m on my way to you right now, okay? I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

I ended the call and finished dressing. Daphne was sleeping like the dead, sprawled out on her stomach along the mattress. I didn’t have the heart to wake her, knowing she needed her sleep, so I bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before rushing out to my car. I’d call her later and explain why I took off.

But right then I needed to take care of my mother, since it was clear she couldn’t take care of herself.