I held my breath as I watched Annalise work on the knot holding up her dress, my heart pounding harder as the fabric sagged and slipped, revealing her skin inch by torturous inch.

Finally—thank fuck—finally, she let go. The shimmering pink silk fell to her waist baring her upper body.

She was as beautiful as I remembered. More beautiful because this time the sight of her was precious. After eleven years apart, nothing meant as much as her trust. Pink bloomed in her cheeks as she worked the zipper at her lower back.

With a shimmy to her hips, she pushed the dress all the way off. Yards of pink silk pooled around her feet, and Annalise stood before me in nothing more than a pair of blush lace panties and miles of shining blonde hair.

She looked down at herself and hooked her thumbs in the sides of her panties, then shot me a look through the curtain of her hair that was both teasing and shy. She didn't have anything to be shy about as far as I was concerned.

Everything about her was perfect. Long legs, gently toned with muscle, gorgeously rounded hips leading up to the most perfect pair of breasts I'd ever seen. Round and full, the perfect weight for my hands, tipped with rosy nipples drawn tight.

My mouth watered, and I was done with waiting.

Striding forward I leaned down, set my shoulder against her stomach and stood, tossing her over my back in a fireman's carry. She let out a sound that was both a laugh and a screech of surprise, then reached down to close her fingers over my ass and squeeze.

I'd always loved that about Annalise. She wasn't just hot in bed; she was fun. We’d laughed together as much as anything else.

I returned the favor, squeezing one globe of her perfect ass just before I slid my fingers between her legs and stroked her pussy. Her laughter cut off with a gasp and I worked my finger under the lace shielding her heat.

She was wet. I needed more.

Leaning down, I flipped her to her back and dropped her on the bed, stripping her panties off and stepping between her legs before she could get her bearings. She looked up at me, her eyes hot, laughter shaking her body.

Just the sight of her breasts jiggling along with her giggles made me hard as a fucking rock. I loved the way her breasts moved—when she was laughing, when I was fucking her, it didn't matter. However it happened, it worked for me.

"Don't move," I warned, stripping off my jacket and tossing it aside before going to work on my cufflinks.

"I could help you with that," she offered, squirming a little under my direct gaze. Her nipples were hard, and between her legs, I caught the gleam of moisture.

I shook my head. "You stay right there. If you had any idea how many times I've jacked off in the last decade thinking about you, naked and spread out for me…"

I shook my head again. Probably better if she didn't know.

"What was I doing? Just laying there, or something else? Was I doing this?" Annalise reached up and cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples. Her blue eyes went dark and her lids drooped.

My cock jerked in my pants, and I tugged harder at the buttons of my shirt, two of them popping off and bouncing on the carpet.

"Sometimes," I managed to say, tearing at my belt in frustration.

"What about this? Did I ever do this?" Annalise cocked up her left knee and let it fall open, baring her pussy. She slid one long finger between the pink of her lower lips, and it came away shining with moisture.

That was it. I shoved my suit pants down, toeing off my shoes, and lunged forward, grabbing her hand and sucking that shiny finger into my mouth. Fuck, she tasted like heaven, salty and sweet. I ran my tongue over her fingertip before I pulled her legs over my shoulders and dragged her to the edge of the bed.

I needed more of that taste. I needed my mouth on her.

Her fingers sank into my hair, and I raised my head. "No, I'm busy," I said. Taking her wrists, I led her hands to her breasts, forming her palms around them, placing her fingers at her nipples. She took my cue and went back to rolling them, tugging, her teeth sinking into her lower lip at the sensation. "You do that," I ordered. "I'm going to do this."

I dropped back between her legs, bracing my palms on her inner thighs, pushing them wide. She smelled as good as she tasted, her pussy already swollen with arousal. I ran my fingertips over her, stroking the springy golden hair. She rocked her hips up at me, urging me to touch her.

"Impatient," I whispered against her skin, my breath teasing her clit. I flicked out my tongue to taste her, and she tensed, her gasp dissolving into a moan as I closed my mouth over her and sucked hard. She cried out, and I glanced up to see her back arched, her hands gripping her breasts, fingers pinching her nipples.

My cock throbbed, jealous of my mouth. I drove my tongue inside her, the heat of her pussy scalding. I went back to her clit as my fingers took its place in her pussy, first one, then another, filling her, getting her ready.

She thrust hard on my fingers, taking them deep, and when I lifted my mouth, she rode my hand with abandon. I needed to watch her come. I drove my fingers in to the hilt and ground my palm against her swollen clit, rising over her to watch her face.

I needed to absorb every nuance as her eyes widened, her pupils dilated, and her lips fell open. She dragged in ragged breaths, her ribs rising and falling as she trembled below me.

"I want to watch you come," I whispered, my lips feathering against her cheek. "Are you going to come for me?"

The orgasm broke free with a strangled cry as her eyes went wide and blind. Her hands fell to her sides, and she stared at me, lids heavy, as I slowly drew my fingers from the clasping heat of her pussy.

"I feel like I've been waiting for that forever," I said.

"Me, too." Her words came out on a breath, barely audible.

I lifted my fingers to my mouth and licked them clean, watching as her breath hitched and her eyes widened.

"I'm going to do that again later," I promised, leaning over her, bracing my elbow on the bed as her legs came up around my hips, cradling me, opening for me. She fit me perfectly. She always had.

I meant to take her slowly. That was the plan. But once I was inside her, once I felt her tight pussy close around me, I couldn't hold back. I pulled out, my head spinning at the slide of that tight hot flesh and sank back in, dizzy with the sheer fucking pleasure of being inside Annalise again. I drove into her again and again.

Her fingers sank into my shoulders. Her legs twined around my waist, her heels digging into my ass, urging me to fuck her harder. Her back arched as she lifted her breasts to my mouth and I closed my lips around one nipple, sucking hard. She ran her hands down my back and up again, bucking beneath me, pulling her legs back to give me more. Without warning, her fingers sank into my skin, and she cried out my name, "Riley, fuck, Riley."

Her pussy tightened around my cock like a fist, and I fucked her harder, driving her higher, my own orgasm taking me by surprise, a white-hot rush blanking out my mind as I stiffened between her legs and spilled myself inside her.

I was barely aware enough to roll us over. Annalise went limp on top of me, her legs splayed beside mine, her hand coming up to rest against mine, palm to palm. Our fingers twined, our heart beats slowly calming, breath evening out. She turned her head so her cheek rested against my chest, the flutter of her eyelashes a delicate caress.

My softening cock slipped from her body, cool air chilling my wet skin. I realized with a shock that we'd forgotten a condom. I'd never had sex without a condom. Not since Annalise. And not before. She was the only woman I’d ever fucked bare. Maybe that was why I never stopped to think. I had a box of condoms in my suitcase. Wishful thinking. The second I'd seen her naked, I'd forgotten all about protection.

I felt safe assuming we were both clear of disease. I knew I was, and Annalise hadn't slept with anyone in a while. I shut down that train of thought, my stomach tightening at the knowledge that there'd been men since the last time we had been together. I didn't have a right to be upset about that. My own sex life had been a lot more active than hers in the years we’d been apart.

But what about pregnancy? I turned the thought over in my mind, surprised that I didn't feel the slightest twinge of panic at the thought. If she were pregnant, we'd deal. She'd always talked about having kids.

All those years ago that had been the plan. Finish school, get married, work for a while, and then settle down and start a family. I doubted she’d changed her mind about family. I'd seen how she was with Vance and Maggie's kid. And if she were pregnant, she couldn't run. She'd never do that to a child.

I was just getting used to the idea when she shifted on top of me, propping herself up on her hands and looking down at me. I got distracted by the sway of her breasts, tightening my arm around her waist too late to keep her where she was.

Annalise slid from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. Water ran in the sink for a minute before she reappeared, a warm wet washcloth in hand. She climbed onto the bed beside me and stretched out, hooking her leg over mine and stroking the washcloth over my cock cleaning me gently, slowly.

She didn't meet my eyes when she said, “We didn't use anything."

I swallowed, bracing and said carefully, "I know. I'm sorry. I've been tested recently. You don't have anything to worry about."

She dragged the warm washcloth down the inside of my thigh and back up again, teasing me, before she tossed it on the floor and stroked her fingers up the length of my hardening cock.

"Me too," she said. "And I have an IUD.”

I tried not to think too hard about the stab of disappointment as she shut down the possibility of pregnancy. I should be glad. If we were going to have a baby, we should plan for it. Of course, we should.

I didn’t have time to dwell on my weird reaction. Lise moved down the bed just far enough to close her mouth over the head of my cock.

It should have taken me a lot longer to get hard again. It usually did. I'm a regular guy, not a superhero, but it had been a while and Annalise had been driving me crazy for days.

She rubbed her tongue against that spot on the underside of the head of my cock, remembering exactly the pressure that made me lose my mind. I tried to resist the urge to thrust into her mouth and instead reached down and buried my fingers in her long hair, twisting it around my fist, feeling every flex of her jaw and pull of her head as she took my length in her mouth.

I'd be lying if I said I'd forgotten that Annalise Winters gave amazing head. Fucking amazing. For a girl who hadn't had much experience when we’d met, she'd caught on fast. I pressed my skull back into the pillow, gritting my teeth against the need to move, to fuck her wet, hot mouth. My fingers tightened in her hair, not guiding her head so much as hanging on for the ride.

She sucked me until I thought my head was going to explode. Both of them. When she pulled her mouth from my cock, she said, in a raspy, husky tone, “You're okay if we don't use a condom?"

"If you are," I ground out.

"K." That was all I heard before she straddled my hips and nudged the head of my cock against the gate of her pussy. I froze, letting her sink slowly, taking my length and rocking against me, grinding her clit into my abs, bracing herself on her palms and dangling those perfect breasts right in front of my face.

She rode me slowly, letting it build, watching as I sucked at her nipples, going from one to the other until they were shiny and swollen, more red than pink. I dropped a hand to close over the curve of her ass, urging her to fuck me harder. Her hips swiveled in a figure eight, her pussy stroking my cock from a completely different angle, setting off fireworks behind my eyes.

I slid my hand between her legs, finding her clit and squeezing with a pulse of pressure that made her gasp. I wanted to watch her come on my cock. Wanted to know I was the one who gave her that, needing to know that she was mine.

I closed my teeth around one nipple and squeezed her clit again, sucking at her breast as I worked her clit, loving every gasp, the way her rhythm stuttered from the flash of pleasure, the way it took her over, dragging low moans from her chest as her orgasm swept her under.

Her pussy clenched hard on my cock and I let go, following her, giving her everything I had as pleasure took us both.

I managed to carry her to the shower, keeping her hair out of the spray as we let the hot water wash away the sweat and sex. After a lazy swipe with a towel that left both of us still mostly wet, we climbed under the covers and slid easily into sleep, Annalise tucked in my arms, her head on my shoulder, her breath fluttering across my skin. Her hand lay across my chest, the engagement ring I'd given her sparkling on her finger.

It would put a dent in my savings account, but as soon as I could get to my phone, I was wiring the money for the ring to the Sinclair account. I’d picked that ring for Annalise, and it wasn't going back to the store.

We could have a long engagement. I could work with that if it was what she needed, but none of this was pretend. It never had been. I’d been kidding myself before. There wasn't another woman for me. I'd always belonged to Lise.

Even when I hadn't wanted to.

We lay there, Annalise dozing and me lost in thought, in plans for the future, when my stomach rumbled. The sun had long since set and dinner had been hours before. Annalise's hand drifted lower, resting over my abdomen and she murmured, her eyes still closed, “Hungry."

I kissed the top of her head and slid out from beneath her, tucking the comforter around her body. "Stay there. I'll be back with food."

She mumbled something into the pillow, wrapping her arm around it and tugging it close with a little sigh. I checked through the bedroom curtains to see the courtyard empty of cars. There might still be staff in the kitchen, but the guests were gone. I threw on clothes, stopping for a minute to grab my phone and send the money for Annalise's ring from my savings account to Sinclair Security.

I didn't want to wait. I wanted that ring to be mine. To be hers. Not on loan from the store. Not a tool for a job. I hadn't been thinking about the job when I picked it. I'd been thinking about her.

The confirmation flashed on the screen, and a sense of completion settled in my chest. Years before I’d dreamed of putting my ring on Annalise’s finger. Now I’d done it. Not as a ploy or a game. For real. Even if she didn’t know it yet.

The door to Jacob and Abigail’s suite was firmly closed when I passed. I hoped the family room would be empty, but I was out of luck. The bride and groom were missing, probably locked in Gage's rooms upstairs if they had any sense, but Charlie, Lucas, Aiden, Vance, and Maggie were all in the family room, sprawled on the oversize couches and curled in the armchairs, watching a movie.

"And where have you been?" Charlie asked, her eyes sparkling with laughter.

"Taking a nap," I said with a straight face. Looking at Vance and Maggie, I asked, “Are you two staying here?"

Vance grinned and shook his head. "No. Sophie hasn't officially moved out of my room yet. She's been holding off until she and Gage made it legal."

Maggie poked his arm and explained, “We would've gone home anyway. Rosie's with Ella, our nanny, so we’re taking advantage of a grown-ups night out." She yawned, and Vance tightened his arm around her, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Some date you are. Hours from midnight and you're ready to turn into a pumpkin," he said.

"It's not my fault. Rosie woke me up at five o'clock this morning," she protested, burrowing her head into his chest and letting out a sigh.

"I know, I was there."

"You were there, but you pretended to be asleep." Turning her head to look at Charlie she said, "when you two have kids, watch out. Vance pretends he's in a coma every time Rosie needs something in the middle of the night."

"Why do you let him get away with it?" Charlie asked. Maggie's cheeks turned pink, and Charlie burst into giggles. "Oh, yeah. I have that problem too."

Aiden narrowed his eyes at his baby sister and her husband. I grinned when Lucas shifted uncomfortably under Aiden's hard gaze. Lucas and Charlie were married, had been for almost six months, but I got the impression Aiden was still getting used to his baby sister being someone's wife. Especially a guy like Lucas Jackson.

I worked with Lucas at Sinclair Security. Different departments, but we’d gotten to know each other. He was smart as hell, honest, and loyal. He also loved his wife like crazy. Still, taking in the look in Aiden's eyes and seeing the way he could make a guy like Lucas squirm, I thought about what it would be like to have these people as in-laws.

I guessed I'd find out. After I talked Annalise into marrying me. Getting her into bed didn’t mean this was a sure thing, but I was one step closer. I shoved a hand in my back pocket and made my way down the hall, ignoring Charlie as she called out, “Where do you think you're going?"

The kitchen was mostly empty except for Mrs. W and Abel, who were standing suspiciously far apart considering Mrs. W’s swollen lips and flushed cheeks. Looked like Sophie was right, there was something going on between those two.

"Sorry to interrupt," I said, easily. "I was just going to get something to eat. Lise’s taking a nap, but she said she was hungry."

"Good idea. Have a snack now so you won't wake up in the middle of the night starving. I'll make you up a tray."

"You don't have to do that," I said, moving toward the giant stainless steel subzero refrigerator.

Mrs. W intercepted me, shooing me away and said, “Go find whatever you want to drink in the butler's pantry while I make your tray.”

The side of Abel's mouth quirked up, and he said, “You might as well let her have her way."

She sent him a look that turned his half smile into a full-on grin, and he sauntered out of the kitchen saying over his shoulder, "I'm just going to head up to my apartment."

I didn't know Mrs. W well enough to tease her, and I wasn't willing to risk pissing her off after witnessing the shortbread incident, so I disappeared into the butler's pantry and tried to decide between beer or wine, while Mrs. W put together our food.