Nick stirred at the memory of last night.

God, what a night it had been.

What a night. He’d never wanted a woman more than he wanted Mia, and he’d taken full advantage of the time he had with her.

The game changed the minute he stepped on the dance floor and claimed her from that meathead guy. The game changed, and then his world changed.

His world changed and he pushed Glenn right out of it, out of the picture. That was why he couldn’t take her back to the house.

Nick didn’t want to think of Glenn and his damn warnings to stay away from his sister. He thought fuck Glenn and the consequences, if he’d been dumb enough to turn down Mia he knew that would have been it for him. Any chance of being with her would have gone out the window.

He wasn’t an idiot, and there was no way he was turning his back on her. That loyalty to his friend crept up to him several times during the night, but it was lost in the ether as his intense desire to have Mia overpowered it.

Mia.

Mia with her fantasy body. That smooth skin; beautiful, juicy, delicious breasts that he couldn’t get enough of; and that wild hair. She’d driven him insane.

Nick knew that the consequences of his actions were waiting just around the corner to dampen his spirits and pull her away from him, but he would deal with it later.

Much later, because she wanted him again.

He opened one eye and then the other and smiled as she ran her dainty hands down the full length of his cock. What a way to wake up and start the day.

“Baby, you seriously are the perfect woman,” he said smiling down at her.

She straightened up, giving him a better view of her gorgeous body, the morning light spilling onto her hair making it look like gold. Every time he looked at her he wondered if she was real, if this was real, and if she’d really been his last night.

He made love to her all night. All night. They must have only had about two or three hours of sleep. He hadn’t wanted to sleep but that last time where he had her in the Jacuzzi did him in. They’d crashed into the bed and sleep took them both.

Now she wanted him again, and he wanted her. His cock hardened the minute she stroked him.

“I live to please you,” she said with a saucy smile.

He could have exploded right there as he watched her breasts bounce when she lowered again and took him into her mouth, covering his shaft with her lips as she started sucking.

“God,” he moaned as she sucked and teased him with her tongue.

There’d been a lot of this last night, and it was something he would never grow tired of.

He reached for her head, guiding her deeper, but then he caught sight of those diamond-hard nipples and decided he had to feel her.

“Come here, baby.”

She stopped with a bright smile on her face and moved closer to him.

“I want to please you some more,” she smiled.

“The sight of you pleases me. I love your breasts, baby. You’re beautiful.” He pulled her into his lap as he sat up and covered those juicy nipples, sucking onto them as if he was feasting. He moved from one breast to the other and ran his hands down her to fix her over his cock.

They were practiced at this now. He knew she’d get wet enough for him to slide right in if he sucked her breasts, and he was right. He gripped on to her firm ass and started pumping into her.

That look of half pleasure and half pain on her pretty face made him go even crazier. His whole body felt tight from being so aroused and every thrust into her sent him reeling with pleasure.

“Nick, it’s too much,” she cried in a strangled breath, arching her back into him, her breasts bouncing into his face.

“Come for me, baby. Don’t hold back,” he told her, and she did. He felt her spasm around him, tightening over him with her release. He held her as she came and flipped her onto her back where he would finish.

It was impossible to exude the same control he had that first time, because he knew how good she felt, especially in the height of passion when they moved as one.

He pumped into her, not holding back, either. He just plunged in and allowed the carnal desires of his body to do the rest of the work. The enjoyment coursed through him and he was able to hold her like this for a good length of time before he felt his control slipping. He tried to slow down a little and savor the way she looked, but it turned him on even more.

That beautiful half pained, half pleasure filled look on her face was unreal. Her delicious breasts bouncing, her hair sparkling in the sun, that golden skin, and the moans of ecstasy that escaped her lips as she beheld him.

That last past did it for him, and all control was lost.

He tightened his grip on her as she grabbed onto the sheets and cried into his own release.

God. That felt like it took away a piece of his energy, his life force. It actually drained him but left him with that tingling buzz that flickered over his skin.

He lowered next to her and pulled her into his arms where she rested her head on his chest.

“I don’t want to stop,” she said, her breath hot against his skin.

“Me neither, baby. I feel like we need some kind of battery that will keep us going forever.”

She laughed and eased herself up onto her elbows, still keeping close to his chest. “What are we going to do today?”

He closed his eyes, not wanting to think about anything else other than her.

“What do you want to do?” he asked, smiling at her when he opened his eyes.

“Anything, as long as it involves spending time with you. Do you have work? I haven’t been to your office yet.”

She hadn’t, and while it was great to have her come by he had other things in mind for today. Other things that didn’t involve work.

“Baby, we aren’t going anywhere. How about we just stay here and order room service for the day. I’ll take you to the office tomorrow.”

“Seriously?” She straightened up and looked at him in surprise.

“Yeah, we should.”

“Nick, this room cost an arm and a leg. I appreciate the night here, but another night is—”

He kissed the words from her mouth. “Another night is exactly what we need.” He smiled against her lips. “You’re worth it.”

He took in the look of awe that she gave him.

Apart from the fact that he didn’t want to go back to the house and have any memory of Glenn, he also wanted to take her somewhere nice and memorable. She’d remember this place, because it was the best, and all he wanted was to give her the best. He didn’t have his own place yet, so until then he’d be doing things like this for her.

“Oh Nick,” she said softly, reaching out to touch his face.

“Come here, baby, let me hold you.”

She came to him, nestling her head against him.

He just wanted to hold her. Hold her and savor her. They’d have fun today; they’d have fun tomorrow, too. But then there was every chance of Glenn coming back and Nick would have to face him.

It was fine, he’d do it, and when he did he’d make sure that he gave him every reassurance on Earth that he wouldn’t be the kind of man to take advantage of Mia and hurt her.

Like always, he’d take care of her.

* * *

They spent every minute of the next two days together, as if they were making up for the lost time of the past.

It felt like they’d been together for years, not just a few days. Mia couldn’t remember ever feeling this happy or fulfilled. Particularly in light of the fact that she’d lost everything she worked for with her business and was with that idiot Alan.

Being with Nick made up for it. He was like a gift to compensate for her loss and all the years spent wondering if he could ever feel for her.

They were great together, and their years as friends just made them better lovers.

When they left the hotel, he took her shopping instead of going back home. It almost felt like he didn’t want to go back, which was fine since she had no complaints in where he wanted to go. She was happy as long as she was with him.

He took her to his office, which was near the police station. There she met his new secretary and enjoyed learning about what he did. It sounded fantastic, just the thing to suit him, and she was proud of him.

As he spoke, she recalled when they were younger and Glenn always seemed to have a plan on what he was going to do, but Nick didn’t. Glenn was always going to be a lawyer and planned his whole life around that. Nick was more of the carefree type of guy who always joked about not going to college.

Things changed a lot for him after his father was killed. Mia was really young at the time and didn’t know all the specifics, but she remembered and knew it affected him a lot. He never spoke about his father, not to her anyway. And she never asked.

He seemed nervous as they went back home. Anxious even, and unlike the strong, confident person he was.

It was only after Glenn called to let them know he’d be back tomorrow that Nick relaxed, then he took her up to his room to make love to her. She wondered if he was worried about telling Glenn about them. She couldn’t imagine why, if he was. Of anyone Mia could be with, she couldn’t imagine anyone better. Nick was Glenn’s best friend and he knew he was a good man.

The last few weeks had been chaotic because of her, but Nick had fixed it all.

It was her who was worried about what Glenn would think and how he would react.

It was about two a.m. when she woke up to find him sitting by the window looking out. He sat there looking like he’d materialized from a dream in just his boxers with those fantasy muscles on display. The moonlight bathed him in its light, shining on him through the long French windows.

She could have easily lay there and watched him forever—easily. But again, she wondered if he was worried about Glenn. She got up, pulled on one of his t-shirts, which swamped her, and went over to join him.

He smiled when he saw her and looked her over in that adoring way. Mia sat in his lap and put her arms around him, loving the feel of his skin against the palms of her hands.

“You should sleep, baby. I know I tired you out.” He chuckled, tracing kisses down her neck. She loved it, loved it a little too much, and had to will herself to answer.

“You did, but I woke up and saw you, then there was no way that I was going back to sleep.” She giggled.

He slipped his arms around her and held her close.

“Are you okay, Nick? You seem worried.” She thought she’d pose it as a general question to see if Glenn was really on his mind.

“I’m okay. I do this sometimes. Wake up in the quiet morning hours to think,” he explained.

“What are you thinking about?” It did sound like he had something on his mind.

“Well, aside from you, I was thinking about my old man.”

Mia stilled. This was the first time that he’d mentioned his father to her, and she didn’t know what to say.

“I remember he had a great sense of humor,” she offered. When she thought back to what Nick’s dad looked like, an image of Nick came to mind, because he looked a lot like his father.

“Yeah, he did. I hate that as time passes, the memories fade. They don’t go, but they fade. I hate that. He was everything to me, and more.”

“I’m so sorry he died,” she told him.

“Thanks. Me, too.”

“He would have been proud of you. Really proud.”

“I don’t know, I’ll never know. He always talked to me about joining the Marines, but I was a blockheaded, selfish teenager who never listened. I think he would have been happier if he actually knew I joined,” he reasoned. “He just didn’t want me to make a mess of my life.”

“And you didn’t. Lieutenant.” She smiled, lifting up his dog tags. There were two: one for him, and the other had his father’s name on it.

“I wear it to remember him.”

“That’s really honorable.”

His lips slid into a slow, easy smile and he cupped her face and kissed her. She kissed him back, enjoying the sweetness of him and the taste of him. He tasted like something she needed and never wanted to be without. Like pure energy, filling her with new life.

It was hard to imagine her life without him.

She giggled as he lifted her up and carried her back to his bed where he made love to her again.

She slipped straight into sleep, a deep slumber that took her into blissful dreams that were filled with him.

The next morning she had a plan ready for the day. She wanted to meet him at work for lunch, and then she thought she would spend the afternoon with him. However, she heard him on the phone when she went downstairs into the kitchen, and by the sound of the conversation it didn’t look like they’d be able to plan anything.

After a few minutes he finished talking and put his phone in his back pocket.

“Morning, baby, I have some news,” he announced.

“What happened?” She walked over to him and kissed him quickly.

“That was Sawyer. Alan’s back in Florida. I’m going to fly out there and check it out, see what I come up with,” he explained.

She should have been happier to hear that, but she couldn’t bear the thought of him being away.

“Oh wow, that’s great. When are you going?”

“Now, it’s always best to work fast.” He nodded. “Or as fast as possible.”

“Couldn’t you guys send someone else? Maybe Sawyer could go.”

He laughed at her response. “Baby, I do this job for these reasons, so I can move around to wherever I need to be. I’ll be back with you as quickly as I can.”

“I know, I just…” It really was that she didn’t want to be away from him. “I could come with you.”

He tweaked her nose playfully. “No, baby, believe me when I say you’ll distract the hell out of me. I’m the best person for this, and I need to be there alone. Just think, I could end up getting back some of your money.” He beamed.

Money. Sure, that was important. She knew it was. If she had enough she’d sort out her business plans. She’d have that spa retreat and all the things she used to have in Florida. But was it crazy that she’d rather have him here with her?

It was just that she didn’t want anything whatsoever to take him away from her.

“Okay…and thanks,” she decided to say.

“I’ll be back before you can blink, and then I’ll take you out to dinner or something. You pick.” He kissed the top of her nose and then her lips.

“Dinner,” she said into his kiss. She loved spending her evenings with him.

“Dinner it is, now let me go get the son of a bitch who thought he could mess with my girl.” He smiled confidently.

She couldn’t help the blush that warmed her cheeks. He called her his girl.

He was right.

She was his.