Page 85 of Sincerely, Mr. Braden

Barney goes paws up on the desk beside us.

“Not now, Buddy,” Seth says, laughing against my mouth.

He gives Barney a gentle nudge off the desk, then proceeds to fuck me like it’s the end of time and he can’t fathom going out any other way. Papers scatter. I giggle, and Seth curses. That lethal sound is filled with lust and greed as he gropes and bites and kisses the ever-loving hell out of me. Pleasure consumes every inch of my body. This is what I crave. The connection, this closeness, the power of this incredible man who has become the breath to my lungs, the fuel to my fire, the blood that feeds my heart. This explosion of want and need is as all-consuming as our luxurious lovemaking in the wee hours of the night, when we wake up reaching for each other like we need the closeness to survive. As the world spins away and we ride the highs of our passion, I’m starting to think we just might.

Seth holds me close, our bodies shuddering through the last ripples of pleasure as we try to catch our breath.

Barney barks, and we both look over. He’s lying on the floor, his tail thumping happily.

I whisper, “I think he wants an encore.”

Seth dips his head beside mine. “You and me both, buddy.” The alarm on his phone chimes. “Shit. Call in two minutes.” He lifts his face, gazing at me through a lustful haze. “You’re a wicked woman. I’m too full of you to think about work.”

Oh, how I love this man. “I promised to alleviate your stress. I never said I’d leave your ability to think intact.”

He lowers his smiling lips to mine in a slow, sensual kiss that has us both moaning for more. But I know how important the call from his Melbourne team is, so I press my hand to his chest, prying us apart. “Go. Before I beg you not to.”

His eyes spark with heat. “Are you trying to tempt me? Because it’s working.” As he leans in for a kiss, his phone rings. He stops short, utters a curse, and quickly reaches down to pull up his pants. “When I’m off this call, you and I are going to give Barney that encore.”

“I’ll pencil it into my schedule, but it’ll cost you overtime. Emphasis on O.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Seth

“This feels like the start of a horror movie,” Ellie says, standing in front of the entrance to Rysche Caverns.

She looks cute as hell with her hair spilling out from beneath the shiny red protective helmet that I surprised her with when we first started training, one gloved hand on her hip, knee pads strapped into place. Frank, also sporting new equipment I gifted him, is eyeing the entrance to the cave like he’s weighing the thrill of surviving said horror movie.

I can see how the mouth of the cave, a dark, angular crevice tucked into a hillside between massive boulders, could be intimidating for new cavers, but I know how tough Ellie and Frank are. These last few weeks, we’ve conquered endurance hikes with steady inclines, rocky ledges, small boulder climbs where the footing tested their patience and strength, and similar boulder scrambles to get their muscles used to the pull and balance of rope work.

Ellie’s skills are solid across the board, and Frank is strong and determined, but his fingers and feet don’t always comply with his demands. I’ll be watching both of them closely, but I’ve explored these caverns before, and I’m confident they can handle them. The terrain is rugged enough to give them a real caving experience without being too difficult to navigate, and there’s only one pit to descend with about a fourteen-foot drop. I’ve mapped a route that’s just long enough to take strength and focus and leave them with a sense of pride without putting them in danger or wearing Frank out.

“You mean you don’t find a cold, dark, limestone tunnel that breathes damp air and smells like something ancient inviting?” I tease.

“She’s survived me for all these years,” Frank says. “This’ll be a piece of cake.”

“I’m not worried about surviving.” Ellie flashes a sly grin. “But you should be, Dad. If something grabs your ankle, I’m cutting the rope and running.”

I chuckle. “Hopefully we won’t need to sacrifice anyone today.” I pull out my phone. “Get over here. Let’s get a picture.”

“To commemorate our first adventure together?” Ellie asks.

“Every day is an adventure with you.” I steal a kiss.

“Christ, Braden,” Frank grits out. “That the best line you’ve got?”

“It’s the only appropriate line in front of you,” I tease, and he grumbles. “Marking our first trio caving adventure is only half the reason I want the picture.”

“What’s the other half?” Ellie asks.

I extend my arm, focusing the camera on the three of us, and say, “To prove three people really did go into the tunnel, no matter how many come out.”

They laugh, and I get a hell of a shot.

As we head into the cave, the light fades fast, and we flip on our headlamps, carving a path through the dark passageway of jagged rock. The air grows cooler and denser, carrying the faint tang of stone and mineral dust as we make our way deeper into the cave.

“Watch your feet,” I say, stepping over rubble.