It’s late. Faith’s probably already asleep, thinking she’s resting up to head back to Boston in the morning. But she won’t be leaving, or sleeping for much longer, if I have anything to say about it.

I called my mom ahead of time and arranged for Darcy and Ferguson to stay with her tonight. She didn’t ask too many questions, which surprised me. But the moment I told her to tell Faith I wanted the kids there instead of home, with no other real reason given, I think my mom had a clue what was going on. She’s a mom; she’s probably known how I feel about Faith longer than I’ve known how I feel. She’s just that damn good.

I can only imagine the tears and conversations and promises that went down when Faith dropped them off. The kids are undoubtedly crushed, thinking they’re never going to see their beloved nanny again. Hell, Faith probably isn’t dealing with it that well, either. But I didn’t call my mom again to see how it all went. Chalk it up to being a chicken shit, but I just couldn’t bear it. I’ve got enough damn emotions churning inside me right now, and hearing about the kids’ meltdowns would only make things worse.

I sneak in through the front door, press a couple buttons on the alarm system keypad to keep it from blaring, and then drop my duffle bag onto the floor before locking the door behind me.

The house is silent as a tomb, and dark as night.

I make my way down the hallway. Faith’s bedroom door is partway open, and I can see her form under the covers.

If I’m supposed to feel guilty for waking her, I don’t. Some things take precedence over manners. “Faith?” I whisper.

She turns over, pulling herself up into a sitting position. There’s no fucking way she was asleep. When she reaches over and turns on the bedside lamp, casting dim light throughout the room, the wide, alert eyes that stare back at me confirm how awake she actually is.

“You’re home,” she says.

“And you’re beautiful.” In an instant, I’ve crossed the floor and dove toward her, crashing my mouth onto hers.

If she’s offended or upset, she doesn’t show it, kissing me back with all the pent-up desire accumulated during the weeks I’ve been gone. Skype’s great, but it doesn’t fucking compare to having my hands on her flesh and my tongue in her mouth.

We’re all hands and fingers and a flurry of desperate tugging to remove the barriers between us. I undress her, and she lets me, but I also kiss her roughly, nipping at her to mark her as my own as we fumble our way beneath the sheets.

“Oh, Tristan...”

I can’t control myself, and hearing my name so pleadingly and seductive on her lips nearly undoes me right then and there. The small whimpers and moans that come from her mouth as I hover over her, kissing the tender skin of her breasts and stomach and hips, only encourages me. I push her thighs apart, ducking my head just long enough to run my tongue along the sensitive skin of her inner thigh.

The scent of her desire for me is intoxicating. The moonlight cascading through the window of the room puts her on display as her body arches and her muscles clench in response to my touch.

Faith’s hands are in my hair, tugging me up to her. “Oh God, Tristan…please.”

She’s begging, and it ignites the fire within me into a full-blown explosion. Her voice is hoarse with longing, and aching with need.

She’s feels just like I do, I think. She’s just as desperate for me as I am for her.

I position myself over her, pushing my cock against her entrance.

“Faith—”

She arches her hips up, pleading with me to thrust into her, and her silent plea halts any further words I might’ve said, instead causing a low growl to erupt from my throat. I sink into her, hard and fast, and she gasps.

We both need a second, for her to adjust to me and for me to calm myself the hell down because the heat of her body clenched tightly around me could easily make me come in seconds. I pull back, only to thrust into her again.

She cries out, “Tristan, oh God…”

The sight of her beneath me, taking everything I give her, and the moans and whimpers she makes as her hips arch up to meet mine with each hard thrust—I can barely handle it. Hell, I can barely handle her. It’s like her body is made for mine, and the delicious sound of my name on her lips drives me closer and closer to the edge.

I kiss her roughly, and the taste of her mouth, combined with the perfectly synced rhythm of our bodies and the yearning stare in her eyes—it does something to me.

There’s more than just sexual chemistry between us. Even if I tried to tell myself it was only about physical attraction before, back in the beginning, I can’t hide from the truth now.

“Oh…” Faith’s eyes squeeze shut, and I can feel her clenching agonizingly around me.

I don’t slow my thrusts. “Faith,” I demand. “Look at me. Let me see you.”

Sweat glistens on her forehead, but her hips still roll to meet each thrust, whimpering as she gives herself over to the sensual combination of pleasure and pain.

“Come for me, Faith.” It’s a demand, and I thrust into her faster and harder, not giving her another choice.

“Tristan!”

Her body shatters beneath me, her fingernails digging violently into the flesh of my shoulders. I suck in a breath at the sharp pain of it, but I don’t slow down, thrusting into her again and again as my own orgasm overtakes me.

Every muscle within Faith’s body contracts around me, and I can’t hold it back any longer.

“Faith!” I bellow out her name in desperation. Blindly, I find her hand fisted amidst the sheets, and I entwine my fingers with hers, holding on for dear life until I finally slow my hips. Exhausted, I lower myself onto the bed beside her.

“That was some going-away present.”

Faith’s words hit me, but they sound distant, and it takes me a minute to realize I’m dozing off. Stay awake, asshole. You’ve got too much to say.

“It wasn’t a going-away present.”

I turn my head sluggishly, and see her wince. Then, I realize how gruff I sounded. “What I mean is...shit, Faith, I—”

“I get it,” she says with a sad smile. “One more night together before I—”

“What? No.” I pull my tired body up into a sitting position, reaching out to pull her up with me. The covers fall, and Faith immediately pulls them up to cover her naked body. I sigh, knowing damn well I’m making a fucking mess of this already. “I’m not very good with words, in case you haven’t noticed.” I attempt a crooked smile, but she’s staring at me blankly. “This isn’t a going-away present, Faith,” I repeat. “It’s my way of asking you to stay.”

Her expression doesn’t change. “You want me to stay.”

“With me,” I add. “I don’t have any right to ask that of you, but damn it, Faith, I mean it. This thing between us...I want to find out where it leads.”

Finally, comprehension crosses her face. “I...I don’t even know what to say.”

Her broken speech is sending an alarm bell off in my brain, but I keep reminding myself that, up until now, she’s been resigned to the fact that she’s leaving. That I’ve just been playing games, enjoying what little time we have left together. “You don’t have to say anything except what you really feel, Faith.”

She lets out a slow breath. “You want to know how I really feel.”

“I want you to stop repeating what I say,” I chuckle uneasily. “What do you want, Faith?”

She stares at me for a long moment, unblinking. Then, she crawls forward, pressing her lips to mine again. “What I want is a replay of tonight, every night, for the rest of our days.”

I’d been so damn nervous, knotted up inside that she wouldn’t want to be here any longer, with me and the kids, that it takes me a fleeting moment to realize what she’s saying. “You’re staying,” I say, unable to believe my ears.

“You bet I’m staying.”

My mouth is on hers in a heartbeat. “You’ve just made me the happiest man alive, Faith.” I push her back onto the bed, trailing kisses down the side of her jaw. “Now, let me see what I can do about giving you that replay you asked for.”

She chuckles, and I can feel her breath against my shoulder. “You must be so tired, Tristan. We—”

I press a fingertip to her lips. “Shh, I don’t want to hear it. You agreed to stay with me, so the least I can do is sacrifice a good night’s sleep to make you remember why it’s such a damn good idea.”

She laughs again. “A sacrifice, huh?”

“We’ve all got to make sacrifices,” I whisper against her skin. “That’s what we do for the ones we love.”

I raise my gaze to meet hers, and her eyes are wide. “Did you just say you—”

“Love you?” I smile wryly. “Damn right. And you better get used to hearing it, since you’re staying.”

She smiles, and I see tears glistening in her eyes. “I feel the same way, but I feel it’d be cheesy if I said it back to you now.”

“Don’t worry,” I say with a grin. “You can scream it out during the replay I’m about to give you.”