Chapter Seven

MOMENTS AFTER SHE HAS assured her parents and Avery that she is okay and that she has planned to reheat some leftover pasta in her fridge they finally decide to leave her in peace. It isn’t that she didn’t appreciate their desire to watch over her, but it is smothering, and a moot point. The anger continues to simmer deep inside her as she thinks about how this entire mess could have been resolved when she was a teenager if they had only paid attention.

Everleigh can’t begin to count how many times she tried to tell her parents that something wasn’t right in their relationship, but whenever she tried to speak up one of the twins needed something or one of her siblings would be home from college. She knew her parents loved her, but her wellbeing always seemed to be overshadowed by her siblings’.

She had actually taken the time to explain it to her mother this afternoon when she seemed unable to cope with the knowledge of what had happened to her daughter. Everleigh didn’t want her parents to feel that they had let her down, or had been bad parents to her, she feels the opposite. She just needs them to understand why she had hidden this from all of them.

Their relationships are all going to change after today’s revelation, she knows that, and her parents know that as well. But they are determined to be there for her through it all, even helping her brother Ryker to charter a plane to take her away from the town that seems to be closing in on her.

The driver is due to arrive in four hours and Everleigh has every intention of catching a catnap and then getting out of dodge before Brooks can return. She doesn’t want him to follow her, to be a reminder of all the things she can never have.

Her mother had said she was the strongest person that she knew, but Everleigh didn’t feel the same. If anything, she feels weaker today than she did eight years ago.

In her room, she grabs two large suitcases and starts throwing her clothes in them haphazardly. In her dresser she grabs a few tee shirts and hesitates as her hand lands on the oversized shirt she stole from Brooks’ house. They may not be together, but she can’t help but want to feel him wrapped around her. Bringing the material up to her nose, she takes a heady whiff and sighs when his masculine scent drifts through her senses.

The suitcases zip up with a little effort and Everleigh drags them down the stairs for later then grabs her cell phone and sends a message to Evan to see if he can cover the pharmacy for the next week or two. He responds immediately and agrees to cover her shop. With a plan in place, Everleigh tucks herself under the sheets of her bed and drifts off for the next three hours.

The small aircraft bumps and jostles her as it descends into the small beach town of Manteo, North Carolina. She hadn’t wanted to go to a remote island like Ryker had suggested, so with his and his twin’s help, they were able to reserve a condo for her to stay in for the next two weeks.

The pilot helps her to exit the plane and she takes a deep breath of chilled air. She had forgotten how cold the early Fall air can be on the coast. The Outer Banks were always the family vacation spot of choice for her parents when she was younger. Most of her siblings loved the busier end of Nags Head and Kitty Hawk, both places offering something different to do every day, but not Everleigh. She loves the sleepy area of Manteo, still inhabited by yearly residents of the island. It isn’t just the cute waterside town that draws her in, it is also the history of the small island. She may have gone on to study medicine, but she has a soft spot for the history of Roanoke Island.

A black sedan with heavily tinted windows pulls onto the tarmac and Everleigh immediately takes a step back, fear that the paparazzi have followed her. But she narrows her eyes as the door opens and a tall and brawny man steps out from the driver door. The pilot distracts her momentarily as he sets her bags on the ground at her feet and by the time she looks up once more the man is standing practically toe to toe with her.

Damn, he’s fast, she thinks as she takes in his overpowering frame.

From his stance she can easily tell that he’s ex-military, he reminds her of her friend Cliff back home. His narrow waist expands to a broad chest where his muscular arms cross, the veins in his forearms pop against his tanned skin laced with tattoos. The ball cap shades most of his face but she can see a set of bright blue eyes beneath the brim taking her in as well.

A deep timbre escapes between his full lips, startling her from her ruminations.

“Are you, Ms. Connelly?”

He smiles at her fright causing the metal of the ring in his lip and in his ears to glimmer in the bright sun. If she had met him on the streets Everleigh knows that she most likely would have turned in the other direction, but for some reason, she feels no sense of fear.

“Yes, I’m Everleigh.”

Extending a hand, he introduces himself. “I’m Cohen. Your brother Jameson asked me to pick you up.”

Reaching down he starts grabbing her bags, one in each hand, and gestures for her to follow him to the car.

“How do you know my brother? You seem a bit older than him.”

Cohen chuckles as he shoves the bags in the trunk and closes the hatch.

“You don’t need to worry about that. He did mention that you’d be observant.”

The drive in the tiny strip of islands is relaxing with the setting sun behind them. Cohen doesn’t make small talk, instead, he seems to realize that she needs the few moments to let her surroundings sink in around her.

“I guess I should probably call my family and tell them I’m somewhere safe.”

Cohen nods his head but offers no response, seeming to bask in the silence like her.

Everleigh whips out her phone and texts Jameson in the hopes that he’ll spread the word but is aware that he is the one sibling that may keep her whereabouts a secret, just as she asked. She knows that her mother is probably going crazy wondering where she’s jetted off to, but she doesn’t want to be bombarded by people that want to comfort and pity her. She’s done enough of that in her life. Enough of wondering what would have happened had she not agreed to go on a date with Rich. What would have happened if she hadn’t been a cheerleader, more of the brainiac that she is on the inside?

Her heart lodges in her chest as a ringing sound vibrates throughout the sedan, breaking her of her recollections.

Cohen effortlessly presses a button on his steering wheel then answers, “You’re on speaker.”

A rumbling voice responds on the other line with a sense of urgency, “We’ve had a breach.”

Everleigh watches as Cohen presses another button on the wheel and then looks in her direction.

“I need to head back to my office. Do you mind coming with me? I can have one of the other guys take you to the condo.”

At the chance to learn more about this mystery man and perhaps about her younger brother’s hobbies she vehemently bobs her head.

“Ok, hopefully, we won’t be long.”

The building is small, looking more like a small cottage a bit inland from the water. Cohen helps her from the car and escorts her inside where she is greeted by a petite woman hunched over a computer while she chats outrageously on the phone, a far cry from the princess-like appearance she gives off with her short blond hair and pale pink shirt.

“You can wait here or you can come back with me. I’m fine with either.”

Not wanting to be a hassle, but more than curious to see what goes on in the building she looks around the small waiting area until she hears a grunt beside her.

“Oh, sorry. Yes, I would like to come with you, please.”

His head tilts to the side pointing to where they’ll be heading and she quickly falls into step. Cohen types a passcode into a small device that juts from the wall beside a steel door, then he presses his thumb into a handle.

As the door opens she works to control her gasp but loses the fight when the wall before her comes into sight. Massive computer screens with multiple cameras and programs run along each of the three walls. In front of each screen sits various chairs where only four sit occupied.

“Guys, this is Jameson’s sister. She’s going to hang for a minute while I figure out who hacked the Brewer’s system. Behave.”

The guys don’t seem to pay much attention, two of the four concentrating on a scrolling list of green numbers on a black screen, another seems lost while watching video surveillance and the other is playing a military game on the massive screen to her right.

“Uh, hello. I’m Everleigh.”

The group may have ignored Cohen earlier, but when her feminine voice resonates in the room they turn their heads at once in a whiplash effect, all but the man who continues to play his game. She watches as a bottle of water comes sailing across the room and hits him point-blank in the back of the head. He chucks off his headphones and sneers at the other guy. As he nods in her direction the large man at the game turns to stare at her like she’s his favorite ice cream.

“Um, Jameson is my little brother. He, um… Cohen said…,” she falters under the sheer amount of masculinity engulfing her in the small room.

The men don’t speak, they just continue to stare at her, their eyes barely blinking, a trait that truly starts to freak her out.

A few clicks happen in rapid succession on a back computer and then Cohen stands from the chair.

“Fixed. The mayor really needs to watch out for her daughter. That little girl has figured out how to hack into the security system three times. Either we should take her under our wing now or the mayor needs to stop making her password each of her kid’s birthdays.” 

Everleigh watches as Cohen laughs at his own joke while removing his hat to run his hand through his hair. The man exudes sex and confidence, especially when he smiles, too bad for Everleigh her heart belongs to Brooks. Still, that doesn’t mean she can’t appreciate the male perfection before her.

“Guys, snap out of it,” the man who had been silent in the car ride from the airport commands to his colleagues.

“Shit,” they all grumble as if broken free from a trance.

Cohen steps over to her and opens the heavy door once more while placing a gentle hand on her back.

“Come on guys, pizza is on Jameson.”

As a collective group, the men all start speaking about starving and pizza and something about a hot broad she is sure is not meant for her ears. Although when she glances back at the towering man that had been playing on the computer he winks at her.

Everleigh blushes furiously and turns her attention in front of her as she scurries down the hall and into the waiting room.

“Tabby, we’re going to get pizza. Come join us,” he commands the tiny secretary instead of asking.

Everleigh watches as the woman lights up at the request but shrinks down when one of the other men steps into the space, ready to leave. She can tell there is a story there, but she is very anxious to have another woman at the table so she’s not left surrounded by the group of overly good looking alpha males.

In a feminine voice a bit lower than Everleigh is expecting, Tabby begins, “I have a few papers…” but Cohen interrupts and tell her that it’s a job duty, not a request, to join them for dinner and the poor woman practically sinks into the chair before rising to go with them.

The group crowds the small diner that boasts the best pizza on the island and as Everleigh takes the first bite of the greasy goodness she is hard-pressed to disagree. Tabby, or Tabitha as she asks Everleigh to call her, sits to her right, staring daggers at Brent as he scarfs down a folded piece of the pie. Cohen sits directly across from her and Eli, Tyler, and Luke fill the rest of the table.

As they finish the pizza and the guys guzzle down a few beers Everleigh asks the question that had been lingering in the back of her mind. “So, how is it that you all know my little brother?”

The table goes silent and Everleigh begins to worry.

“How well do you know your brother? His hobbies?”

“Um, not too well. I just know he is opening a software app company. He’s had his face glued to a computer since he was old enough to count his numbers.”

“Let’s just say your brother has developed some of the best technology for the government and its security teams. We met him at a software conference two years ago where he presented a new type of surveillance device and we were so blown away that we invested in the product. In the meantime, he’s become a good friend to all of us.”

“What kind of product? And what is it you do exactly?” she asks curiously.

“I can’t disclose that, but in the next year or two, your brother is going to blow the tech field away with what he’s created. And we run an Information Technology Security System named Scarlet Tech.”

He proudly drinks his beer, his pride in their business evident on how he boasts their name.

“Marines?”

Cohen and Luke cock their eyebrows in her direction while the other three stop eating mid-bite.

“Good guess,” Tabitha shoots out as she finishes typing on her phone.

Everleigh shrugs her shoulders and then yawns openly before covering her mouth.

“I’m sorry, you’re probably exhausted. Let me take you to the condo. We keep it on hand for, uh, emergencies.”

She didn’t want to know more, but as she steps into the opulent space residing on the top floor of the shingle-sided building and offering her a glorious view of the water, she practically smacks herself for not speaking up.

Her night in the condo should have been spent sleeping in the king-sized bed, but Everleigh finds herself tossing and turning in the bed wishing she had a pair of warm arms wrapped around her. The arms that made her feel safe, secure, and most of all, loved.

Unable to sleep she unplugs her phone, turns it on, and runs an internet search. Hundreds of articles pop up mimicking Rich’s tale of their childhood romance, all painting her as a vindictive bitch, but at the very top of the searches is an article timestamped about two hours ago. This is her statement, her honesty, her secrets for all the world to see.

Powerless to control herself she opens the web document scanning the words before her. The article paints her in a different kind of light than those that sided with Rich. The writer pours Everleigh’s heart and soul into his words and as she continues to scan the article she can feel the power laced into each sentence. This small piece of her, brought forth from heartbreak, causes the blossom of hope to rise. She hadn’t believed her family that speaking the truth would give her a piece of herself back, but it has. She feels like a weight has been lifted off her weary shoulders and she can finally see her life, her dreams, in a new light.

Before closing out the screen, her exhaustion finally taking its toll, she opens up a picture of her and Brooks from outside his work. The picture that spurred the entire situation. Minus all the turmoil that came with letting herself let someone in, she can tell in her body language that Brooks is far more to her than just a man she cares for. Her body craves his closeness, his magnetism, his adoration.

This time away from him may hinder whatever relationship they had begun to build, but Everleigh knows deep within her heart that Brooks will give her this time to heal, this time to repair her soul so that she can love him freely.

As she closes her eyes and finally drifts off to sleep she allows herself to fall into a deep slumber filled with her dreams – her job, her home, a family, and love. All of which center around the man that turned her hate for him to affection and by proving how he would worship her for all eternity. The best kind of dream to have.

 

***

 

BROOKS HADN’T BELIEVED THAT he would have to stay in the small community jail cell for longer than a few minutes, but after spending eight hours in the stuffy room he’s about had enough.

“Finally,” he says just as Preston unlocks the barred gate of the room.

“Sorry, man. You know that I didn’t have a choice. Anyway, I hear that we might have a problem on our hands with Rich. And since I need to focus on that I am letting you out.”

“What kind of problem?”

“Outside of being a general jackass,” he says as he hands Brooks back his personal belongings, “he may have some false identities floating around. And unfortunately, that is all I can say at the moment. I’m headed to the hospital to question him now.”

Narrowing his eyes Brooks hopes to use his power of intimidation but the former FBI agent doesn’t budge, he actually seems to smirk at Brook’s expression.

“Fine, I’ll find out from someone. I’m sure Fred or Shirley know, they seem to know everything. I’m going to be at Everleigh’s so if you need me you can find me there.”

With a shocked expression, Preston stares at Brooks with wide eyes. “No one told you?”

With his hand on the door, Brooks opens it wide. “Told me what?”

“She left.”

It took a while longer than Brooks had anticipated, but he is finally able to track down Everleigh’s brothers to ask her where she went. The problem is none of them want to tell him.

At that moment all of the anger, fear, and grief bloom in his chest and he grabs a vase resting idly on a shelf in Austin’s living room and throws it against the wall. The tearing of his shoulder and the searing pain go unnoticed as he lets his emotions travel through his fingertips and out with the object.

Nikki and their infant Grace jump from their place in the kitchen while she fixes up a bottle causing Austin to lash out at him.

The man who isn’t as tall, but has more bulk muscle fists his hand in Brooks’ shirt bringing his attention to him.

“Look, I know you’re upset but you’re scaring my wife and Grace. I suggest you get the fuck out of my house before we both do something we regret.”

Brooks shakes off Austin’s hold and runs his hands through his hair repeatedly, a nervous tick he remembers doing a lot as a child getting tossed back and forth between his parents.

He hasn’t thought of them for a while, his grandmother is the only person that cares about him and his well-being, but his parents and their secrets all too clearly push their way into his thoughts. The nights of not knowing where he was going to sleep seem all too familiar as Everleigh hides away without telling him her whereabouts. He realizes it isn’t rational, but as his emotions simmer on the surface it all seems too real, too similar.

“Please, Austin,” he pleads with his friend. “Just tell me where she is.”

“I can’t do it, man. And it’s not that I don’t want to, ok,” he adds as Nikki scowls at him from the kitchen. “I don’t know where she is. All I know is that she’s somewhere safe where she can be watched over. No one is going to hurt her, so calm down.”

He had been fine as he listened to Austin’s response, but the moment Brooks is asked to calm down his fury spikes once more. His fists clench in his hands and he yearns to reach out and pummel the man in front of him.

Clenching his teeth Brooks seethes as he says, “If anyone is going to watch over her it is going to be me. And if you won’t help me then I am going to find someone who will.”

Storming from the house he allows the screen door to snap behind him as he stomps back to his car. He hadn’t been able to locate Jameson, probably the only brother with the skills to locate his sister or Ryker who had most likely paid for her travels. So, Brooks heads back into town to find the one person with as many secrets as Everleigh.

The lights in the tattoo parlor are off except for a lone bright light pouring from an office in the back.

“Cliff?” Brooks asks into the room as he steps further into the shop. He knows that Cliff liked to hang out at his shop more often than he does in his apartment upstairs. The two don’t know each other very well but have tossed back a few beers together at Horizons.

The man in question wheels out into the hallway in his desk chair and then beckons him back.

“What can I do for you, man?” he questions as he points to a small couch in the corner. “Finally going to take the plunge to get that tat you’ve been eyeing?”

Brooks watches in amazement as Cliff hand draws an amazing dragon design onto transfer paper.

“No, not today. I was hoping I could get your help with something else. Something personal.”

The pen in his hand instantly drops, clinking in the quiet room as Cliff turns back around in his chair to face Brooks.

“What do you need?” the heavily tattooed man asks with concern and a hint of skepticism.

“I’m sure you’ve read or heard about the article posted about Everleigh.” Cliff nods so Brooks continues. “Well she’s gone and I need to find her.”

“What is it with this family getting into trouble?” Cliff adds remembering how Sydney had been kidnapped earlier in the year and Austin had an employee and ex-girlfriend try to have him killed. Not to mention Harlan, Cassidy’s new husband, being drugged and held against his will.

Luckily all were found safe and alive, but the town harbors more mysteries and high-ranking military and government people than most big cities.

“Well, this time it’s different. She wasn’t kidnapped, she just…left. And no one will tell me where she is.”

“Hm…it seems that she doesn’t want you to know her whereabouts. Why should I help you?”

Beginning to panic and needing the help Brooks knows that Cliff can provide, he acknowledges a little-known secret about the man, and about himself – their marriages.

“Because she’s my wife.”

Brooks watches as the man’s eyes glaze over before he stands from his chair with such force that the seat continues to spin.

“Come with me,” he commands and Brooks dutifully follows him up the back stairs to the apartment upstairs and then into a small room where a computer resides.

Scanning his finger in a biometric reader, Cliff logs into the computer and begins typing aimlessly into some databases.

“Is what you’re doing legal?” Brooks asks as he tries to interpret all the numbers and letters flashing across the screen in rapid succession.

“Would it matter if it isn’t?” Cliff retorts as a piece of paper starts feeding through the printer in the corner.

“No, not at all.”

Cliff stands and retrieves the document, scans its contents, and then nods before handing it to Brooks. “Here you go.”

Cursing, Brooks reads over the paper and is amazed at all the detailed information Cliff is able to pull on Everleigh and her location.

“Man, what did you do before you came here?”

He shrugs and then turns off the computer. “I have extensive military background. That’s all you need to know. And for the record, the men keeping an eye on your girl are top notch. No one will come near her on their watch. That will include you as well.”

“What can I do to fix that?”

“What do you know about the woman that worked with Dylan in the FBI?”

Brooks doesn’t know much, but he had spent time with Alexis Alta during Austin’s situation. He spends twenty minutes with Cliff telling him what he knows and watched as the man takes extensive notes.

As they finish up Brooks asks, “Should we be concerned about her?”

“No, I don’t believe so,” Cliff replies as he tucks the paper into his back pocket. “Come on I’ll let you out. It seems you have a long drive ahead of you.”

Brooks doesn’t spend much time in his house. Instead, he grabs his duffle bag, tosses a few items inside and gets right back into his car, thankful for the full tank of gas. Nothing is going to slow him down from getting to Everleigh. He didn’t understand her reasoning for staying away from him, but he is too invested in her to let her shut him out again.

Brooks yawns as he crosses the final bridge ending his six-and-a-half-hour drive to the small islands off the coast of North Carolina. His car veers to the right as he turns into the parking lot and he looks up at the condo building overlooking the water. If he wasn’t so exhausted and in desperate need to see Everleigh he would love to take the chance to take in the ocean view. Instead, he opens his car door and slings his bag across his back. Gripping the piece of paper in his hand he notes the room number and then steps into the building.

Standing just inside the doorway is a man about his height and build, but with just enough tattoos to match Cliff’s.

“Do you have your ID?” the man bellows from his perch against the wall.

“Uh, I’m just here to see someone.”

“Sorry, man. I can’t let anyone in that doesn’t live here. I’m sure you understand. Why don’t you head on back to your car and go home?”

“I can’t go home, man. My home is here.”

Damn, he is so tired he sounds like one of those televised movies his grandmother loves to watch.

“Then show me your ID.”

Dropping his bag, Brooks dives into his back pocket to reach for his wallet and then extricates his ID from its tight confines. He hands it into the colorful hand of the guard and watches as the man smirks before handing the ID back.

“It’s nice to meet you, Dr. McCafferty. My mom is a huge fan of yours,” the man says as he smiles beneath his hard veneer.

“That’s great. Does that mean you can help me?”

Instantly shutting down his features the man bellows, “No.”

“Look, I have been on the road for six hours and I need to make sure that my wife is ok.”

“Your wife?” he asks as he cocks his brow.

“Yes, my wife. We’ve been married for about five months. And while she ran off I was busy pummeling her ex and making sure he feels an ounce of the pain she has.”

“Look, I’m going to level with you. Her brother asked me for a favor and I always follow through on my promises. He asked me to keep everyone away from her, but when I checked on her earlier she was in the bedroom crying and I heard your name. Now, I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but I’m willing to break my promise to her brother if it would make her happy in this messed up situation she has going on.”

“I would appreciate that. What’s your name?” Brooks inquires as he holds out his hand.

“Cohen. And I know how to kill a man fifty different ways with a pencil, so I advise you to leave if she doesn’t want you here. Understand?”

“Yes,” he agrees as he picks his bag up and hoists it on his shoulder once more. As he begins to enter the elevator car he asks Cohen, “Are you going to stand watch while she’s here?”

“My team and I will have an eye on her at all times, even with you here.”

“Thank you.” The words filter through the elevator as the doors close and Brooks’ heartbeat begins to quicken at the thought of seeing Everleigh. He begins to question his hasty move to come, wondering if she really will embrace him being here or if she will throw him out on his ass.

Before he can make that decision, the elevator chimes and opens onto her floor. He follows the long hallway down to the end, stopping at the door with the metal numbers along the side.

Taking a deep breath, he knocks three times on the wooden door, his pulse echoing in his ears. Brooks waits a minute before knocking again, his hope beginning to falter as he hears no movements on the other side. Glancing down at the silver watch resting on his wrist he notes the time as 4 a.m. When the door doesn’t open Brooks hikes his bag onto his other shoulder, still sore from his altercation with Austin earlier, and turns to head to a hotel in town.

The elevator doors open just as he hears a delicate voice at the end of the hall calls out.

“Brooks?”

He turns to find her peering out of her door, her hair a wild halo around her face, her eyes heavy with sleep, and her body covered by an oversized shirt – his shirt. In a move his old baseball coach would be proud of, Brooks darts down the hallway as if he’s trying to steal a base and practically slides to a stop in front of her.

Everleigh’s eyes widen as he stops before her and then stands. His bag slides down his arms and then he’s on her. His hands cover both of her cheeks, resting right on her jawline, and his lips shift against hers, his tongue plundering inside her mouth. Beneath her shirt he can feel her breasts press against his chest, her nipples rising for attention.

Pulling back, he takes in the dazed expression on her face and he smiles knowing that she still craves him.

“What are you doing here? How did you find out where I was?”

“I have my sources and no, it wasn’t your family. They’re sealed up tight. And I didn’t want you to be alone.”

“I’m sorry. I…”

Reaching down for his bag he tosses it back on his shoulder before asking, “Mind if I come in? We can finish this conversation inside.”

“Oh, yes. Please.”

Brooks doesn’t take a minute to look around instead he abandons his bag in the small entry and pins her against the wall, boosting her up with his hands under her thighs. She instinctively wraps her legs around his waist and he can feel her warm heat pressing against his pants.

Tilting his head forward he nips at her lips as he asks her to continue her thought from earlier.

Between kisses she explains, “I thought it would be better if I wasn’t around for you to deal with everything. You don’t need this situation tarnishing your career, Brooks. I want what’s best for you.”

“You’re what’s best for me,” he argues as he kisses her deeply again.

She moves her head to the side as she rocks her body against his growing erection. “We can agree to disagree.”

Tightening his grip on her thighs he rocks her body harder against his, causing her to expel a seductive moan. “Fuck, are we going to fight about it? It’s been a while.”

She giggles. She actually giggles as her warm center shakes against the tip of his cock aching from pressing against the zipper of his jeans.

“I fought with you because I wanted you and I didn’t like it. Can I deck your other eye this time?”

Growling, he moves away from the wall, her body still wrapped against his tightly and he ambles back to the bedroom. He tosses her on the bed where she bounces twice, a smile budding on her lips. Brooks hovers over her body, thrusting his jean-clad cock against her center, eliciting a groan and grip the bed in her hands.

“No hitting, I have something better that you can do with your fist,” he implies as he shoves his pants down and his pierced dick juts forward, smacking her lightly trimmed mound.

She reaches down and wraps her hand around his cock and strokes three times before she guides it into her already soaked entrance.

Their lovemaking begins as fierce, powerful, and violent; two bodies aching for the other, dominating in their need for control. But as her body begins to shake their emotions take over and he covers her body with his as his movements slow, letting her feel every inch of him as he slides into her body, her tight sheath grasping at him with every thrust. Everleigh’s nails claw at his back as she strains to hang onto herself, but she loses the battle as her climax spirals her over the peek. Brooks watches as she loses herself to the passion, to the uncontrollable feeling of desire, as the orgasm rolls through her body.

As her body milks his release from his cock he melds their mouths together, craving for one final taste of her. When his shakes subside and Everleigh comes back into herself Brooks rolls onto his side, bringing her body with him.

His hand threads through her hair, the silken strands sliding effortlessly through his fingers. Chocolate eyes cloud with happiness and exhaustion and possibly love, something Brooks hopes is mirrored in his own.

“Everleigh,” he whispers as she begins to nod off, but her eyes open at his call.

“Yes?”

“I hate you, sweetheart,” he lies, allowing their play on words from their many fights to hold the true meaning of his feelings. Words he should have spoken in their truth long before this moment, but it never felt right until now.

Tears pool against her lower lids, the wetness seeping from the corners and spilling down her cheeks. “I hate you too, Brooks.” Sobbing she adds, “I hate you so much.”

He holds her until her cries turn to soft snores, and with his wife wrapped securely in his arms he finally allows himself to drift off to sleep.