“I’m not doing it right.”

“You’re doing great.”

“Seriously, I can’t get a good grip.”

“Just pull harder.”

“Eeek!” Tessa squealed, scurrying across her kitchen.

“What?” Tristan glanced between her and the pile of fresh mussels submerged in the sink.

“One bit me!”

“No way.” Tristan shook his head, laughing. “Mussels don’t bite.

“That one did,” Tessa huffed. “I was pulling the beard off like you showed me, and the little fucker bit me.”

Tristan dropped the mussel he’d been cleaning and dried his hands before dragging Tessa back to the sink. “Which one?”

“I don’t know,” she grumbled, glaring at the shellfish. “One of them.”

“Uh huh.” Tristan grabbed a towel and dried Tessa’s hands, grinning wider as she glared harder. “Let me see your hands.”

“See. Right there.” She stuck out a thumb, pointing at an invisible mark.

Tristan laughed, giving the unharmed skin a kiss. “You sure you’re not just making excuses? I’m happy to clean them, you know. All you have to do is ask.”

Tessa puffed wisps hair out of her face and leaned against his chest. “No. I said I’d help, so I’ll help. It’s a special occasion after all.”

“It is.” Tristan played with the tip of her braid where it rested against her chest. “Mark will be thrilled. Mussels are his favorite and he’s going to be so excited when he finds out you had these shipped in specially.”

“Yeah, well, just don’t tell Grace how much it cost.”

“Whatever,” Tristan said with a smirk. “I’m paying, my treat. We’ll tell her it’s an engagement present.”

“Shows how well you know your future sister-in-law. She made her own request for the party. I have an enormous flourless chocolate torte all ready. I had to hide it at Jo’s just to make sure Grace didn’t eat it before tonight.”

“Sounds delicious.” Tristan pulled her hands to his chest and cocked his head towards the sick. “So, what do you say? Gonna help me finish, or are you bailing on me?”

“How about we make a deal?”

“Hmmm?” Tristan murmured, kissing her temple.  

“I’ll help clean, if you explain why you’ve been holding out on me.”

“What do you mean?”

“All those times I cooked or we ordered room service or we ate stale food in the cabin, I assumed you couldn’t cook. But here you are, showing me—the professionally trained chef—how to de-beard mussels before steaming them exactly the way Mark likes.”

“Oh. That.” Tristan’s brilliant smile appeared, joined by a more recent addition. A devilish twinkle in his eye. “I didn’t want you getting the wrong impression. I can’t cook. Not even a little. I can’t even boil an egg without fucking it up. The mussels are a fluke. Mark’s da—” Tristan caught himself, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “Andrew. It was his specialty. He did it every summer. We’d all get together and he’d do a huge vat, steaming them with garlic and beer. And every summer, he’d make me and Mark clean them. That was the trade. We scrubbed off the beards and he wouldn’t make a separate beer-free batch. Telling teenage boys to get gross in a bucket of water in exchange for a buzz with dinner? We were in, no question.”

Tessa snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. “You know it was a trick, right? The alcohol cooks off. The mussels might’ve tasted like beer, but you definitely weren’t drinking any.”

“Yeah,” he answered, pulling the elastic band off the end of her braid. “Mark and I figured it out eventually. But by that time we didn’t care. It was the thing we did, every weekend, all summer. The three of us. And we loved it.”

Tessa gazed up at Tristan, her throat tight. He was unwinding her hair, slowly pulling the strands free till they fell down her back. He was focused, his eyes downcast, but she could still see the sadness in them. It was far, far less, a mere shadow of what it had been when she’d first met him. But it would never be entirely gone. “Andrew wanted to spend time with you.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“You know, Tristan. You never doubted Andrew loved you when you thought he was your uncle, right?”

Tristan combed his fingers through her hair, keeping his hands busy. “No,” he eventually answered. “I know Uncle Andrew loved me.”

“Andrew loved you, Tristan. Uncle, father, whatever you want to call him, however you think of him. Andrew, the man, loved you. I’m sure you have so many questions and we’ll try to get as many answers as possible when we see Tamsin next month. But, for now, believe it.” Tessa slipped her hands beneath his shirt, settling on top of his warm, hard stomach. “He showed you when he could. It wasn’t enough, I know that. But it counts for something. Because it was true. It is true still. Andrew loved you, and spent time with you, and brought you and Mark together so that you grew up closer than cousins. You grew up as brothers.”

Tristan dropped his forehead to hers, his inky lashes hiding his eyes. “God, Tessa. How do you do that?”

“What?”

“Hold me together. Keep me whole. Cast away all of the other shit and make me see the good that’s always been there, even when I couldn’t find it before.”

Tessa slid her lips across his, clinging for a moment. “You’ve always had the good parts, my love.” She pressed one hand above his heart. “You’ve always been strong. You fought for yourself, you fought for me. For us. Sometimes you just need a little reminder of how strong you are. Just like the rest of us.”

“Always remind me,” he whispered, lowering his hands to her waist. Then her curves below.

“Happily.” Tessa sighed when Tristan’s breath kissed her neck.

“Something else, Tess.” Tristan picked her up, chuckling when she gasped.

“Hmm?”

He dropped her on the counter. “Tell me you love me.”

Tessa bit the inside of her lip, her heart skittering as she felt the warmth and adoration in his gaze wash over her. “I do.”

Tristan stepped out of reach, his delicious mouth curving up slowly. “That all you have to say?”

She leaned back, her chest rising a little bit faster. “What did you have in mind?”

“Something a bit more specific.” Tristan watched her watch him as he dragged off his shirt, revealing the ribbons of muscle she spent her days dreaming about and nights tasting.

Tristan’s hands dropped to his waistband. Tessa slicked her lower lip and practically purred when he undid his fly and his jeans slipped, revealing the deep grooves that never failed to make her mouth water. She wanted to touch him, to kiss and stroke him. To love him.

“Are you trying to torture me? Come here.”

“Tell me, Tess.” His voice was sinful, and so fucking tempting.

“I love you.”

He took one step forward. Tessa started to unbutton her shirt but stopped when he shook his head. “No, sweet Tess. That’s my job. And I’ll do it. As soon as you tell me again.”

“I love you, Tristan.”

He came closer, the powerful lines of his abdomen shifting.

Tessa gripped the counter, her throat drying. “Undeniably.”      

Another step. His fingers flexed. Tessa’s burned.

“Uncontrollably.”

His brilliant, beautiful eyes flashed and Tessa swore her body was going to burst into flames. Just one more word, one more step.

“Eternally.”

His tongue stripped the word from her mouth, his hands shredding her shirt. In seconds they were skin to skin, Tessa’s breasts crushed against Tristan’s chest. Her heels scrambled above his ass and she yanked his hair, swallowing his groans.

Tristan grabbed her legs and broke her grasp long enough to rip her shorts and underwear off. Tessa pressed her head against the cabinet when he spread her legs wide and rocked his hips against her exposed core.

“Fuck, Tess. I love you. So fucking much.”

Tessa squeezed his hips with her knees, gasping when his erection, still trapped in his boxer briefs, grazed her clit.

Her fingers flew to his waist, about to haul off the rest of his clothes, but Tristan stopped her. And fit the covered ridge of his cock between her saturated folds.

“Jesus. You’re so wet, Tess. I can feel you, even like this. So hot, so fucking glorious.” Tristan stroked once, the friction of the cotton against her sensitive opening making her lungs collapse. Her arousal molded the fabric to his solid shaft.

Tessa squirmed, on the verge of screaming. “Take it off, Tristan. Now. I need you inside me. This fucking second.”

He taunted her with one more thrust before freeing himself. Tristan fisted the base of his cock as he reached for a condom. Tessa grabbed his hand and gave herself a little shake, trying to clear her head long enough to speak.

“No. We don’t need one.”

Tristan squeezed her fingers, his eyes widening, searching hers.

“I’m on the pill, now. It was time, Tristan. Like we talked about. It is time. You can come inside me. I want you to. Come inside me. Nothing between us. No condom.” She nipped her bottom lip. “Not if you don’t want one.”      

“Holy—” Tristan was kissing her before he finished the thought. His mouth was possessive, his lips dominating. And he was injecting every ounce of passion he had straight into Tessa’s bloodstream.    

Tessa traced the crown of his cock then stroked down, squeezing his shaft until his own hand fell away. He groaned, dropping his gaze to watch her fondle his erection. “Tristan?”

“Tess. I love you. But shut up and give me a second.”

Her hand stilled, and Tessa’s mouth fell open in surprise. Tristan rocked into her grip before pulling free.

“I almost fucking came just then. The idea of being in you raw, bare…. Fuuuuuck.” His groan coated her cheek and his cock bobbed in the air, searching for friction. “I almost came all over my hand. So just give me a second so I don’t embarrass myself.”

Arousal coursed through Tessa so fast her vision blanked. His voice, his confession, the way he didn’t hide what she made him feel…it was pushing her to her breaking point. Tessa found the sweet space between her thighs, her fingers searching, slipping and suddenly Tristan didn’t need any more time.

He batted her away, covering her core with the heat of his palm. He brought his other hand to her mouth. And tapped her lips with his middle finger.

“Open up.”

Their gazes locked, Tessa opened her mouth and dragged a breath through her nose when Tristan pushed his long digit inside.

“Suck.”

Tessa curled her tongue around his finger, hollowing her checks, and pulled him in. Tristan’s eyes narrowed. Hers closed, and her hips bucked against his other hand. Tristan pushed back, the pressure nowhere near close enough. Tessa sank her teeth into the callus just below his knuckle and Tristan growled.

He moved so fast Tessa had to grab his shoulders for balance.

“That’s right, sweet. Hold on.”

His hand was between her legs and Tristan parted her with that saliva-slicked finger, reaching far, pressing the heel of his palm against Tessa’s clit.

“Christ, Tristan. Yes!” Tessa turned herself over to him, her nails biting into his muscles as he rocked her, stretched and stroked her. Soon the only sounds in the kitchen were her cries, his murmurs, and the unrelenting rhythm of skin against skin.         

“No,” Tessa finally gasped. “No. Stop.” She grabbed his wrist, pulling him away. Cracking her lids, Tessa searched his beloved face, begging him with her eyes. “I want to come with you inside me. Your cock. Not your hand.”

She thought she heard his jaw crack. Tristan gripped her ass, pulling her forward. Tessa found his shaft, pushing him down so they met, his head catching her opening.

Tristan hovered, his entire frame radiating desire as he fisted her hair. “Eyes open, Tess. I want you to keep them open. I want you to see what you do to me.”      

And she did.

Tessa watched his eyes darken and his brow drop and his lashes flutter as he sank into her oh so slowly.

She watched his mouth gape and his tongue shape a groan and his chin fall as he bottomed out, his balls brushing her ass.

Tessa watched Tristan’s throat work and his neck strain and his eyes lose focus as he stared at the place they were joined. She saw lust harden his face as he thrust home, and wonder soften his lips as her body accepted him, openly. And so fucking willingly.

“Sweet Tess,” he whispered, and she was lost. Tessa dove into the pools of his eyes, brilliant and blue, and let herself drown.

Tristan cradled her neck, kissed her shoulder, and held her close as he loved her with his body, his heart, his soul.

Tessa cried out when the first shock hit her. It was sudden, a spark that ignited when Tristan slowed, the broad head of his shaft pressing against that hypersensitive spot inside her. He pumped, his hips rocking slightly, his muscular ass flexing, as he caught her there, again and again, triggering the toe-curling orgasm that ripped through her.

The swell was epic, almost overwhelming. Tessa felt tears prick her eyes and a scream burn her throat. She broke apart, her mouth fused with Tristan’s as he destroyed her and remade her with punishing ecstasy.   

Tessa’s sheath seized, rippling, and Tristan shouted, his hips jerking as he lengthened inside her. Sweat slid down his throat and his eyes were wild as he pounded her against the counter, the drive of his cock refusing to let her fall back to earth.

“Come, my love,” she moaned. “Come.”

Tristan’s fingers locked in her hair and his entire body went rigid, helpless to do anything but what she asked.

Tessa felt him swell, her womb stretching just for him, her heart pounding as he filled her on a deep groan.

Tessa dropped her cheek to Tristan’s chest and listened to his blood thrum through his body, the beat echoed where they stayed joined together.

“Tess?” He eventually broke the silence.

“Hmm?”

“What time is dinner again?”

“Oh,” she muttered, “not for ages. Why?”

“I’m starving.”

Tessa’s giggle turned into a moan when he slipped free. “You always are.”

Tristan’s chuckle coasted across her breasts, then her stomach.

“I’m sure I can find you something to ea—” Tessa lost her voice when Tristan knelt and his tongue skimmed the inside of her thigh.

“Oh, don’t worry, sweet. Now that I’ve found you, I’ll never be hungry again.”