“Happy Birthday, Sela!” Mom’s sing-song voice sounded over the miles and wrapped me in a hug. “I hope you’re having a good birthday?”
I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “So far, it’s shaping up to be pretty good. How’s Alaska treating you guys?” I listened to her tell me about the fish Dad had caught and the snow hike they’d done hand in hand while opening another bottle of red. “That sounds wonderful. I’m happy to hear that.”
“That’s enough about us. What do you have planned?”
Brock appeared in the kitchen doorway in all of his naked glory, with his hands on his hips and a smile on his face. His cock started to grow, stretching out toward me. “Oh, you know me, Mom.” I licked my lips and reached out to him. “Probably eat too much cake and watch Nineties rom-coms.” How is this my life right now?
“Eat a slice for your dad and have a huge glass of wine for me. Love you, honey. Happy birthday!”
“Thanks, Mom. Love you guys too. Be safe out there!” The call ended, and I was still smiling, eyes closed and happy foronce on my birthday. Just happy. I hummed when Brock’s lips met mine, sinking into his heat. “What was that for?”
“That smile was happy, too delicious to pass up.” He kissed me again, slower and deeper, his hard body pressed against mine, his big hand cupping my face like I was precious to him. “Fucking delicious.”
My heart pitter-pattered against my chest, not just at his words but the hungry, affectionate tone in which he growled them. “You are far too tempting, you know that, don’t you?”
“I’m trying to tempt you.” He nipped my earlobe, my shoulder, the flesh at the top of my breast. “Speaking of, I know it’s your birthday, but if you want to inject some Thanksgiving into today, we can go to Lee’s for dinner.”
And burst the bubble. “I’ll think about it. Man and woman cannot live on dessert alone.”
“No,” he sighed heavily and licked a trail of heat from my collarbone up to my ear. “But they can sure as shit try.”
And then his mouth was everywhere all at once, and I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think of anything but this man and the way he felt, the way he tasted, the way he smelled. Good god, he smelled so good.
His lips were soft and gentle, his passion was white-hot and sincere. Everywhere his lips touched chipped away at my defenses, and somewhere in the distance, I heard the clang of the warning bells, but I didn’t listen. I didn’t have to, because you couldn’tactuallyfall for someone in a week.
Could you?
No, that only happened in the movies, and they fade to black before the red flags start popping up. So no, you couldn’t. Or maybe some women could, but not me. I’m too cynical.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything that would make sense of what I was feeling, but no words came out—onlymoans of pleasure, gasps when his teeth sank into the most sensitive parts of my flesh.
The only word I knew in that moment?
Brock.
Chapter 14
Brock
As I lay awake with Sela’s magnificent curves pressed against my body, one thought played over and over in my head like it was my own personal theme song. Why? Because I was doing something I never thought I would do again. Something I promised myself I wouldn’t ever be foolish enough to undertake again: falling for a woman. The last time had ended in disaster, and keeping to my plan hadn’t been a problem at all.
Until Sela.
She nuzzled closer, and my grip tightened at her hip, pulling her even closer.What the fuck am I doing?I wasn’t a cuddler, not even when I thought I was in love with my ex-wife, but here I was, holding this woman like she was mine. Like this was more than a weeklong fling.
Sela moaned, stirring beside me. She looked up with a frown. “What’s wrong?”
How did she know? “Who says something is wrong?”
“Your heartbeat. It was steady and calming, and now it’s wild and erratic. Are you okay?”
“Fine,” I grunted and untangled my body from hers. I needed space. I needed to think about what the fuck was happening before it went too far.
“Um, okay.” There was hesitation in her voice, and it was like a gut punch. I didn’t like it.
“Sela,” I whispered, just as my phone rang—the lifeline I didn’t know I needed at the moment. “What?”
There was a long silence, followed by the sound of a voice I never wanted to hear again. “Your phone manners get worse with each passing year.”
