“Come to the gym with me,” I whisper in Harper’s ear, sucking her lobe into my mouth.

Harper groans, trying to wiggle away from me but ends up just grinding against my dick. I’ve been sleeping in her bed for a week, each night fooling around but never taking it too far. She keeps insisting we’re keeping feelings out of this little fling, but my feelings for her are as strong as they were a decade ago. There’s no way to keep this strictly physical. I’m going to make damn sure she feels something for me before I bury myself inside of her and fuck her into oblivion.

“Wake up, let’s go to the gym.”

“Roman,” she mutters, her face still jammed into her pillow. “It’s my day off. My only day off this week. You and your tongue have been keeping me up all night. I want to sleep.”

“I can wake you up with my tongue,” I say against her skin, rocking my hard dick into her ass.

I hear the smile in her voice when she answers. “Tempting. Keep talking.”

My hand sweeps her hair from her neck and shoulder. I lay my lips right in the sweet spot that always makes her shiver and sigh as I pull down her tank top, exposing her breasts. She moans softly into the pillow, reaching behind her to wrap her hand around my length, slowly jacking me off.

My hand slides down from her breast to her pussy, already wet for me. I bite her shoulder as I groan, dipping my fingers inside of her. “Remember when I made you scream last night?”

“Yes,” she breathes, rocking herself on my fingers, trying to reach the edge faster.

“I want to do that all day,” I say, kissing her neck, sucking the skin just below her ear and rocking my hips faster in her silky palm. It’s going to kill me to do this, but I love working her up, leaving her wanting until later. When she’s denied that instant gratification, her orgasms explode through her body, making her quake and shiver all over. “I really do. I want to make you scream my name over and over all day,” I repeat, slipping my fingers out of her. “But first, we go to the gym.”

Harper growls, flipping over and staring me. “Not fair.”

“Just think how good it will feel when your muscles are tired and I make you come until you pass out.”

Harper sits up and straddles me, leaning down to kiss me lightly on the lips. “Fine, but first, just one thing.”

I cup her cheek, unable to deny her anything when she looks at me like this. “Anything, Sugar.”

She kisses my lips one more time before getting on her knees to slide her panties down her legs, straddling me once more, but facing the opposite way. The view in front of my face is making me pant. Fuck. She’s good. “Ask me what I want, Roman.”

I tear my eyes away from her slick pussy, looking into her eyes filled with heat. “What you do you want, Sugar?”

“Just one tiny orgasm before we go,” she says, tucking her hand into my briefs and pulling out my hard cock. When her mouth sinks down on me, I grab her hips until her pussy is over my face.

* * *

“I don’t know how I’m going to run,” Harper says as we walk into Raise the Bar. “My legs are like jelly.”

I smirk, feeling smug and like I’m ten feet tall. It’s me who makes her legs shake and her pussy wet.

Harper tries to bring me back down to Earth when she opens her mouth again. “Don’t look so smug. It’s just been awhile since I’ve been with anyone. Any guy could give me an orgasm to make me feel this way.”

She walks away, leaving me behind watching her go. She can say all she wants, but I know the truth. It’s us. Together. We’re what makes it different and so damn good. Besides, no other man is ever going to come close to touching her again. I watch Harper walk over to the treadmills and wait until she’s started to head over to the bags.

Liam and Savannah are in the boxing ring with James on the side, calling out commands to Savannah. I’m surprised by her ability to pound the shit out of the pads with precise punches and kicks. I never would have guessed her small frame could harness that much power.

“Marx,” Keirnan says coming up beside me. I haven’t seen him in a few days but he takes one look at my face and instantly knows that I’m pissed. I’ve been avoiding his calls.

“Fuck off,” I growl. Kiernan steps in between me and the punching bag, I have time to stop my punch, but I choose not to. My gloved fist lands solidly against his abdomen.

“Fuck,” he grunts clutching his stomach. “What the hell is going on with you? You’ve been dodging me for days. I’m here to help you, idiot.”

“You’re the reason Harper and I aren’t together,” I spit out. I know deep down that it’s not his fault, but right now, I can’t make myself think rationally.

“What?” He asks, taken aback.

“Ten years ago, she came after me. Harper fucking came for me, man. The day her family died one of your girls, wearing my shirt, answered the door and said some nasty shit to her.”

Kiernan blinks staring at me, his mouth opening and closing, searching for something to say.

“Who was she?” I demand, punctuating each of my words with a fist in his chest. My hits aren’t hard enough to hurt, just to make my point that I’m fuckin’ serious. I want to know who she is. I have half a mind to track her down, even if it’s a decade later.

“It’s been a decade,” Kiernan says slowly. “I have no clue who you’re talking about.”

“Ten years ago. March fifteenth,” I say.

“Yeah,” Kiernan says sarcastically rolling his eyes. “I know every woman I’ve ever slept with by the date and can remember it a decade later.”

“Why would one of your hook ups be wearing my shirt?”

“Fuck if I know, Roman,” Kiernan says. “You can’t put this shit on me. I’ve wanted you to go after her since you stupidly broke up with her. In fact, I told you not to do it.”

We stare at each other, both of us now pissed. It’s true, he did tell me that. He’s told me to pull my head out of my ass since I ended things with Harper but it doesn’t keep me from wanting to pin this on him. His one-night stand hurt Harper. I don’t know who she is, but Kiernan is here and he can stand in for her sins.

A light sparks in Kiernan eyes as he gasps. “Oh shit,” he says slowly.

“What?” I growl, still frustrated.

“Remember Arden? That girl that was obsessed with you?”

I think back, running that name through my mind. “The girl that slept with you because she thought it would make me jealous even though I didn’t know her name?”

“Got it in one,” Kiernan replies nodding his head slowly with his eyes wide.

“Her?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he says looking down at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck. He releases a frustrated breath before biting out a curse. “Fuck.”

Kiernan’s head slowly rises. “I remember her,” I say.

“She was a bitch, had a nasty streak, and was fucking crazy. It had to be her.”

“Know where she is?”

Kiernan snorts. “Didn’t exactly want to keep in touch after she tried to seduce you and told me she only wanted me for my roommate. What’d she do?”

“Damn,” I mutter before relaying the entire story to Kiernan.

“Fuckin’ psycho bitch. For what it’s worth, Rome, I’m sorry that she fucked things up. If I’d known Harper was there, I wouldn’t have let her leave until you saw her.”

“Not your fault,” I say, knowing he’s not lying. My lips twitch imagining him restraining Harper, forcing her to stay in our old apartment until I arrived. Kiernan would have done it, too. Crazy ass.

“I really am sorry, man. I wish I never would have brought that girl to our place.”

“’Preciate it,” I say. He doesn’t need to apologize, but it’s nice to hear anyway.

“Stop avoiding me, brother,” he says.

I laugh, softly tapping his shoulder with my glove. “See you later, man.”

I get back to my workout as Kiernan walks away, slowly working into a rhythm until I’m zoned out, focusing on nothing but each punch landing on the bag in front of me. James surprises me when he steps behind the bag, holding it place, allowing my punches to land more firmly.

“She good?” James asks about Harper, voice grumbling.

“Yeah, she’s good. It’s a lot to process for her and she has questions no one can answer, but she’s doing okay. Thanks, man.”

James nods and calls out punch combinations that I follow. “Anything I can help with?”

“Not unless you can talk to the dead. She’s beating herself up pretty bad that the man she knew and loved was the leader of a cartel. It doesn’t make sense to her. She’s curious if her dad knew about it or not. They were friends most of their lives.”

“I’ll see what I can find.”

I look up at him, taken back that he’s willing to do even more, find out more beyond what’s necessary. “If you do,” I rasp between punches. “Come to me, yeah?”

He gives a single nod. “I got you.”

I slow my punches when I see Liam walking up to us out of my periphery. He’s staring at Savannah as she hops on the treadmill next to Harper. I shake my head, chuckling at his lovesick expression.

“Hey y’all,” Liam says.

“How’s it going?” I ask, sticking my gloved fist out for him to tap.

“Great,” Liam responds with a grin, looking back at Savannah over his shoulder. “Listen, Sav and I are having an impromptu party tonight at our new lake house. It’d be great if y’all came. Sav’s already letting Harper know the plans.”

“I’m sure we’ll be there,” I look over to Harper talking excitedly with Savannah. I’m pretty sure that girl would go with or without me, but I’m not letting her out of my sight. “Cool if I bring a buddy of mine? He’s from out of town.”

“The more the merrier, man. Of course, bring him along. You’re good to come, too?” Liam asks, turning to James.

“Yup,” he responds.

“Savannah wants to celebrate the new house and landing a big client, so dress nice.”

“She told you to say that, right?” James asks, shaking his head.

“Yeah, she did.” Liam says, grinning.

“Whipped,” James grunts.

“Nah, man. Just really fucking happy.”

“Keep doing it. We may be brothers now, but I’ll still make sure no one finds your body.”

I bark out a laugh at James’ words. His head swings to me as his eyes narrow. “Same goes to you.”

* * *

I wake up from an afternoon nap to sounds of Harper moving around in the kitchen. Harper is baking and listening to soft music, wearing only my shirt. My heart hammers against my chest as I watch her dance around, singing along with the song while whisking batter in a bowl.

I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful. Her hair is piled on top of her head in a messy knot, with bare feet two-stepping across the floor, a streak of flour on her makeup-free face. Harper doesn’t go to the grocery store in anything less than a perfect outfit. Seeing her like this, without a care in the world, is just for me. This part of her is completely mine, something only I get to see. Thank Christ for that. If any other man saw her like this, I’d have to fight an army to compete for her love.

When her back is to me, with her hips swaying and a sexy tease of her ass showing, I move up behind her, placing my hands on her hips and move to the music with her. She sighs and melts into my chest, leaning her head against my shoulder, and sways to the music with me. My arms cage around her stomach, pulling her tighter to my body, not leaving a centimeter of space between us, and lean down to kiss along her neck.

“I’ve never seen anything as beautiful as you.”

She laughs, playfully running her ass along my hardening dick. “I’m a mess right now.”

“You’re stunning. Always. Doesn’t matter what you wear, you’re stunning. Like this, though? In the kitchen doing something you love with a smile on your face as you dance around wearing my shirt with me in the other room? You’re nothing less than magnificent. Gorgeous. Perfect. Mine.” I pull her even tighter with the last word.

“Roman,” she whispers, tilting her head and staring up at me. A small fire starts to blaze in my chest just from my name on her lips. Not able to deny her anything, I give her what she wants. I kiss her softly, licking along her pillowy lips until she opens for me, gliding my tongue inside, slowly moving it against hers. The blaze turns into a wildfire spreading through my body when I feel her tongue against mine. I growl when she bites my lip. She moans when I kiss and nibble along her neck. The bowl falls to the ground when my hand snakes under her shirt and I play with her nipple. Batter splashes along our legs, but neither of us stops exploring each other, begging the other for just a little more.

Spinning Harper in my arms, I rip the shirt from her body, leaving her gloriously naked and blushing for me. “Dios mio.”

Shaking hands strip the clothes from my body, leaving me naked and hard for her. We stare at each other, both of us panting and ready.

“No feelings, right? No strings?” Her voice is a hoarse whisper, trembling with anticipation.

“Whatever you need to tell yourself, Sugar.”

“I just need you.”

“Thank fuck,” I rasp, pulling her naked hips toward me. Sighing when her bare skin hits mine, I relish her silky smooth skin. I can’t stop the tremble in my hands as I slowly move them up and down her skin from her hips. My hands glide over her ass, landing on the backs of her thighs, picking her up so she can wrap her legs around my waist.

I sink to my knees and lay her on the floor. We kiss deeply. One of her hands fists into my hair while the other runs down my back, pushing me closer to her. I grind my hips, and my dick slides along her wet pussy, causing both of us to shiver and moan.

My lips trail down her body, begging any entity that this will never be taken away from me again. I’d do anything, give anything, defeat anything, to have Harper shaking beneath me and asking for more like she is right now. I suck her peaked nipple into my mouth, groaning. “I love your tits, baby,” I moan around her skin.

“More,” she begs, arching her back, thrusting her tits farther into my face.

Fuck. She’s going to make me come just from her noises, but I’m determined to wring an orgasm from her body before I sink myself inside of her.

From the corner of my eye, I see the spoon laying in the bowl on the ground with batter all around it. I pick it up from the bowl and swirl the chocolate mixture around her nipples before sucking every last drop off.

“So sweet,” I whisper against her skin, trailing the spoon down her body, leaving a path of chocolate that ends right above her pussy. “What kind is it, Sugar?”

She moans, arching for me, but I pull away, keeping my lips, hands, and body just out of her reach. “Please.”

“Answer me, Sugar. What kind is it?”

“Double fudge chocolate,” she moans as I sweep my tongue along the batter I painted on her nipple, trailing down her stomach.

“It’s so sweet.”

“Yes,” she cries out.

“Not as sweet as you, though. My sugar. Always so sweet.”

Reaching the end of my chocolate trail right above her pussy, I skim my fingers along her slit, shuddering at her wetness. My dick pulses, aching to be inside of her.

I push one finger inside of her, my thumb rubbing circles over her clit when she begs for more. I push a second finger into her, tapping her g-spot each time. My mouth latches back on her nipple, sucking hard, grazing my teeth along the peak. Her pelvis grinds down on my hand.

“Fuck my hand, baby,” I say against her skin, fingering her faster and harder until her thighs tremble and her pussy clenches around my fingers. She screams, releasing her orgasm when I press down on her clit and move a third finger inside of her. I continue to stroke her through her orgasm, wringing out every last drop.

Her hand fists my hair, bringing my head to hers to kiss me passionately, completely wrecking me. Without breaking from the kiss, I move my body over hers as she parts her legs, with mine fitting perfectly in between. I cup her face, kissing softly over her lips. “I’ve wanted this for so long.”

She starts to speak and I know she’s going to insist we can’t bring feelings into this, so I put my finger to her lips as I shake my head.

“Don’t say it.”

“Okay,” she mumbles against my fingers.

Harper shudders as I glide a hand down her side and kiss her passionately. She moans and flexes her hips to meet mine when I grind my dick over her wet pussy.

“Now, Roman.”

“Yes, Sugar,” I grit out, guiding myself inside of her. Once the tip enters, I slam my hips into hers. “Fuck. I missed this.”

I move slowly in and out of her as she writhes beneath me. She is the most stunning sight. I take in every look that passes over her face when I push deeper, pounding harder when she begs for more.

“Estoy en el cielo. This is heaven.”

Her pussy flutters around me when I speak Spanish to her. I keep going, telling her everything. How she feels on my dick, how much I’ve missed this, how stunning she is … every dirty thing I want to do to her. I promise this is our new beginning.

She bucks her hips, growing wilder and getting closer to exploding around me. Her pussy clenches around my dick so tightly, it’s taking everything not to come before I get her to that edge.

I rise to my knees, hooking her legs around my hips. I bring my thumb to her clit as I fuck her. We’re moving across the wood floor with every thrust. I’m holding her so tightly, she’ll have bruises tomorrow. Her hands move to her tits and I fuck her even harder, crazy with lust.

“Vente, bebe. Come for me, baby.”

And, she does.

Her pussy tightens around me as she screams my name. Her moans and my name on her lips while I’m buried balls-deep inside of her hurls me over the edge. I roar her name as I empty inside of her, moving my hips, desperate for both of us to feel every last quake of the life-altering orgasms.