Stay with me.

Her words lingered with me all through that night, clear into the next morning.

Standing under the hot, pulsating spray of the shower, I braced my hands against the wall and told myself to quit thinking about it – about her.

I needed to be thinking about my problems, of which there were many.

I still hadn’t heard back from Camry.

I’d left more than a couple of messages. She should have called by now. I didn’t know if I wanted to be pissed or scared. I was a little of both, but I couldn’t do anything about it here. And I couldn’t leave until the bloody money was in my hand.

It was quiet, not even a whisper, but the brush of chilled air against my skin let me know that the shower door had been opened. I turned just as Piety pressed flat against me, her breasts warm and soft – everything about her was warm…and soft enough. She definitely had an athletic build. She had the look that made me think she could take a run down the beach and maybe even join me when I went out surfing.

It made me wonder if she’d ever gone surfing herself.

If not, I could teach her.

She pressed her mouth to my neck, and I reached out, gripping her hips. “If you need the shower, I can let you have it in a few minutes,” I said, head falling to the side as she bit down.

Fuck.

“Hmmm. But I climbed in here because you're in here.” She eased back, blinking the water out of her eyes. She pressed her hands against my chest and let them slide down, the path made slicker by water. “I was thinking we could engage in some…water conservation.”

She slid her hand down to my cock.

“That’s…an important issue,” I said, the words rough.

She tightened her grip as she neared the tip, rotated her wrist as she moved closer to the base. It was enough to drive me to madness.

“Isn’t it?” She licked water from where it ran down the midline of my chest, then she sank lower, giving me a view that I knew men would kill for.

Then she closed her mouth around my cock.

“Oh, shit.”

She chuckled, and the reverberation had me slamming a hand against the wall. When she leaned forward, I eased my weight completely against the tile and threaded my fingers through her hair, shaking the water out of my eyes as I watched her swallowing my cock. I'd had her more than once since we'd met, but we'd both been too eager to take the time for this.

When the water clouded my vision again, I fumbled for the faucet and turned the spray off, shuddering out a groan as she paused a moment to lick the water away from my belly and left thigh.

“Didn’t want to waste that water, since we’re trying to conserve and all?” she asked, giving me a sly smile.

“Can’t have that.”

I grabbed her hair and tugged her mouth back. I clenched my teeth as she took me back inside, the wet heat almost enough to undo me. This time, she sucked on me with a fervor, not letting go until I was panting and half-mad. When she finally did, my cock slid from between her lips with a little pop before she stood up in front of me, raising onto her toes until our lips were pressed together.

The brush of her belly was damp against my cock, and I swore. I needed her again.

Spinning her around, I bent her over the built-in bench seat and drove inside.

She was even more wet and soft than usual, slick like satin.

And naked…

No.

“Shit. Condom,” I said, groaning.

I started to pull away.

“Don’t stop.” It was a weak whisper, and I told myself to ignore it. To do the smart thing.

Then she reached down and closed her fingers around my balls. My eyes crossed and hot licks of pleasure-pain went shooting straight up my spine. Talk about having someone by the balls.

“Shit, Piety, I…fuck, we need a rubber.”

“I brought one. But…” She wiggled her ass back against me. “Do we really need it? You feel so good. I’m…safe. Protected.”

I rolled my hips against her, told myself again to pull out.

“Please, Kaleb. You feel so good like this.”

She looked over her shoulder, her eyes deepened to indigo.

How the hell was I supposed to say no to her?

“Yes,” I muttered, knowing I was doing something incredibly stupid. But if I was going to be stupid about something, I might as well be stupid for her.

And maybe for myself…a little. This once.

She squeezed my sack again, and I thrust against her again. I could only withdraw so far with her holding onto me, but the friction was perfect, sweet and tight. And then I heard her cry out and knew that I'd found her sweet spot.

“Fuck me, Kaleb.” She released me, using both hands to balance herself.

She didn't have to tell me twice, not when I finally knew what it felt like to be skin to skin with her. I doubted I could ever have it another way after this. I reached underneath us and found her clit, stroking it as I thrust into her, long, deep strokes that would get us to our climax quickly.

I planned on having her again in her bed, and then I'd take my time.

As I felt her clench around me, heard her gasp out my name, I wondered if I'd be able to let her go when the time came. I pushed the thought from my mind as I let my own orgasm roll over me. I pressed my mouth against her shoulder, murmuring her name as I emptied myself inside her.

I wouldn't think about the future. Not now. I'd enjoy what time I had with her. All of it.

* * *

“Think of a happy place.”

Glancing at Piety, I asked, “Are you telling me or yourself?”

“Myself.” She sighed glumly as she parked her car, a sexy little McLaren that had almost given me a hard-on just climbing inside. Riding next to her had done the rest.

I’d almost asked if I could drive, but I thought that might be pushing it.

“I think this car is a damn happy place.” I thought a moment, then smiled. “And the shower. That's a very happy place. Between your legs, that's a favorite. Should I continue?”

“Thinking about me crawling between my own legs isn’t exactly making me nice and calm.” But she smiled over at me.

“Oh, it’s not making me calm.” I took her hand, threading our fingers together. “It’s giving me nice thoughts. Or dirty thoughts. Some might not consider those so nice, but whatever. Why do you look so nervous? This was your idea.”

“Actually, it was Astra’s.” She rested her head on the padded headrest.

I did the same, enjoying the luxurious leather. These were moments I’d remember the rest of my life, and not just because I was sitting in a supercar that would make most men weep from the sheer beauty of it. It was the beauty in it. Piety was turning me inside out and we barely knew each other.

“She manages to talk me into the craziest shit. Always has. This wasn’t any different. Hell, I think this was the easiest of all.” She rolled her head on the seat and looked at me. “Because of you. You’re incredibly easy to say yes to, you know that, Kaleb?”

“Am I?” I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed it. “I’d say the same of you. I’d say yes to just about anything you asked at this moment.”

“Hold on to that thought,” she muttered. She turned her gaze back toward the house. “You might not think so in a bit.”

“Come on. They can’t be that bad, can they?” I’d said something along those lines before. They’d raised Piety, after all.

But she gave me that grimace again. “Just remember…go to your happy place.”

* * *

“I can’t believe you did this.”

I stood off to the side, remaining silent for the most part while Piety stood in front of her parents, looking like a queen. Her parents viewed themselves as royalty at least, no denying that.

Her father, one Senator Silas Van Allen had taken one look at me and dismissed me with barely a flicker of his lashes, right up until Piety had pressed a kiss to my cheek, and said, “Daddy, meet Kaleb Hastings. My husband.”

Her mother had gasped in outrage, and looking from me to Piety and back like she expected us to tell her it was all some big prank.

“What are you going to tell Windsor?” her mother asked, her voice low, as if I wouldn’t hear them.

Of course, I was standing right there, and she damn well knew it.

“What do you mean, what am I going to tell Windsor?” Piety asked calmly. “I’m not going to tell him anything. Well, unless I run into him at a fundraiser or something. We hardly know each other.”

“You’ve been dating,” Silas said, his voice just as neutral as his daughter’s. But his eyes were…cold.

How could these two have created somebody like Piety?

She was so warm. So alive.

And they were like a couple of wooden dolls, complete with sticks up their respective arses.

“No, Daddy. You wanted us to date. I went out with him once or twice to get you off my back.” She lifted a shoulder and turned away, moving over to a long table stretched against the wall.

“Is that what this…this farce is about?” Silas demanded.

I tensed. I really didn't like the way they were talking to their daughter.

His eyes came to mine. “Is that it…what did you say your name was?”

I didn’t respond. If he was smart enough to handle the political claptrap, he was smart enough to remember my name. He just wanted me to feel like I wasn’t important enough.

Fuck that.

“Kaleb,” he said slowly. “It is Kaleb, correct?”

“Yep, sure is, mate.” I exaggerated my accent and gave him a glib smile. If Piety wanted to piss him off, I might as well give her – and him – her money’s worth. “I’m a bit of a bastard, really, going and stealing Piety away like I did, marrying her without so much as inviting you. But we just couldn’t wait, could we, sweetheart?”

Piety was back at my side now, and some of the stress had melted from her eyes as she leaned against me. “No. We couldn’t.” Head resting against my arm, she gave her mom a dazzling smile. “Maybe we can plan a real ceremony here in a few months…something we can invite everybody to. The drive-in Vegas chapel thing was so…lame.”

“You got married…” her mother paused, a hand pressed to her chest, “you went through one of those drive-through chapels?”

Piety waved a hand, forgoing the answer, which was probably a good idea since neither of us actually had any idea how the ceremony had gone. “It was just making things official. Kaleb and I knew what we wanted.”

Damn, she was good at this.

Sliding a hand down her back, I glanced at her father.

He was still skewering me with his eyes.

“Just what do you do, Kaleb?”

“Right now? Not much of anything.” I shrugged and turned my head into Piety’s hair, nuzzling her neck. “I had to quit my job so I could be with Piety.”

She gave me a smile so warm and sweet that my heart ached a little. Then it ached more as I reminded myself that this wasn’t real. None of it was. We enjoyed being with each other, but that was as far as it went.

“How…thoughtful of you,” Silas said. I could hear the fury pulsing in his voice. “And what was it you did before you quit?”

“Well, I didn’t hold the job long. I’d only taken it mainly to get some money and get over here to the States.” I had a feeling that would piss him off – and it did. His mouth tightened, and I could see the redness slowly creeping up his neck. He looked like he wanted to punch me already. And I hadn’t even gotten to the good part. “Back in Australia, I did a bit of this, bit of that. Planned on opening up my own surf shop, but that didn’t pan out. Anyway, I came over here after Flames Down Under took me on.”

“Flames…” It was her mother who said it. Amara’s face went white, and she looked from me to Piety before covering her eyes with her hand.

I bit back a smile. Her mother knew what Flames Down Under was. I’d have to point that out to Piety later if she hadn't caught it already.

“You’ll have to help me out there, Kaleb.” His jaw was tight, yet he managed to sound calm, casual even as he continued. “I’m not familiar with Flames Down Under. Is it a restaurant?”

“No. It’s a dance troupe…of sorts.” I paused and then added, “We’re – well, it’s not we anymore since I quit – but Flames are kind of like the Aussie version of the Chippendales. Strippers.”

I added the last part in even though it wasn’t necessary. He’d figured it out.

“You married a stripper,” he said, finally giving up the pretense and whirling on Piety with rage stamped all over his features.

“I married Kaleb.” She lifted her chin and stared him down. “I’m hardly a child, Dad.”

“That’s hardly evident!” He flung a hand in my direction. “He just outright admitted that he came over here for money, shakes his ass…for money, and you went and married him. You don’t even know him!”

“I know what I need to know.” Piety looked over at me and the smile on her face did little to calm the anger that had started to burn in me.

The anger had nothing to do with what her father was saying about me – I didn't give a damn about that – but he had no right to talk to her like that.

Bastard.

“And just what is that?” Silas held up a hand. “Never mind. I don’t want that answer. This is insane, Piety. I won't stand for it.”

After a moment, he turned on his heel and moved to pick up a phone. He spoke quietly into it and then replaced it before looking at me, eyes hard and cold as steel. “I’m having a car brought around. The driver can take you…wherever. But I need to speak with my–”

“I’m not going anywhere without my wife.” I took Piety’s hand. “Not unless she wants me to.”

“This is my house, you son of a bitch,” Silas said, voice choked.

“And he’s my husband.” Piety tightened her hand around mine. “If he’s not welcome…well.” She glanced up at me. “Come on, Kaleb. Let’s go.”

“Piety, wait.” Amara rose as she spoke for the first time in several minutes.

“I won’t stand here and have Dad talk to me like I’m an infant.” Piety lifted her chin.

“Then stop acting like a child!”

I turned on the senator then. “Exactly what is your problem?”

He blinked, clearly caught off-guard by the stripper daring to talk to him.

Next to me, Piety tensed.

I continued, “I couldn’t understand it, the whole way here. Piety has been so…well, she’s amazing. I’ve seen her give her heart to people. She laughs, and she makes me laugh. She’s kind and sweet and funny and confident. And then on the way here, all that changes. Now I get it – she was worried about dealing with you.”

He opened his mouth, but at that moment, a towering man appeared in the doorway, his bald head gleaming as if it had been polished with wax. The thought made me chuckle, and I shook my head, amused at the absurdity of it all.

“You think this is funny?” Silas asked, the words grinding between his clenched teeth.

“Sir, how may I be of assistance?” The giant eyed me narrowly.

“You aren’t needed, Timothy,” Piety said. “Dad was trying to make my husband leave, but if he can’t stay, neither can I. We’re both going.”

“Your husband…” Timothy – the giant – studied us for a moment, then nodded at Piety. “Congratulations.” Then he nodded at the elder Van Allans and left.

“She makes me happy,” I said without thinking. For a minute, this wasn’t a scam, wasn’t anything I was doing for money. I was just seeing the rage, the disappointment, all the negative emotions in the older man’s eyes – emotions directed at Piety – and it pissed me off. “And I think I make her happy. If you love her, I don’t understand what your problem is. Unless, of course, you’re more worried about your life than hers, and that makes you the son of a bitch here.”

A soft gasp escaped Piety at my words, and I decided I needed to stop before I said something stupid – or more stupid. Taking her hand, I lifted it to my lips. “Come on, love. Let’s go.”

* * *

“Thank you.”

We'd been driving in relative silence for the past ten minutes, and the soft words were loud.

I looked over at Piety. “You’re not mad?”

She laughed. “No. I…hell, Kaleb. There have been so many times I’ve almost said those exact same words to him.”

“Not being related to the uptight bastard makes it easier.” Grimacing, I added, “Sorry. He just…I didn’t like how he talked to you.”

“It’s okay.” She smiled, her gaze locked on the road. “My parents love me, Kaleb. I know that. They just don’t understand me. Anyway…it went about as well as we could hope. Now we just…well, we’ve got the family reunion. Then you and I will have some massive blow-up, and we’ll call this quits so you can go on your way. I’ve got the money I promised you – half of it now, the rest after the family reunion. Okay?”

I swallowed hard. “Sounds good.”

“Oh, by the way…” She glanced at me. “Astra’s cousin is a lawyer. I don’t know if you’re wanting to stay over here or go back to Oz, but we can talk to him. He can help you figure things out.”

“Brilliant.”

But I wasn’t paying that much attention.

In a few more days, this would all be over.

I should have been relieved. I could focus on what really mattered. I could deal with Camry. Do what I'd come here to do.

Yet I wasn’t relieved.

And even though she was sitting right there next to me, I was already missing my wife.