Page 64 of Secret Sins

That was the thing, though. It was my fault; it was all my fault. "Beth."

"All I've ever wanted was for you to find who you're meant to be in this world."

Her words reminded me of what Riley had said about raising Bailey. "You've been more of a mom to me than our own mom."

"I'm not old enough to be your mom. Don't make me travel across the country to kick your ass."

I chuckled, feeling better. Lighter. "Please come. I need to see you for myself."

There was rustling on the other end of the line, and then I heard the muted sound of her husband's voice. "Mike says he can swing it at the end of the month. I can take a week off, I think."

"God, Beth, I can picture you here. It's such an amazing place; you'll see."

"Stay out of trouble, okay? I'll call you again when I have more information about dates."

"I love you so much, Beth."

"I love you too, Van." Her voice was full of emotion. "You're the best brother I've ever had, but I'll wring your scrawny neck if you ever disappear on me again."

Laughing, I said, "I won't have any reason now."

As soon as I hung up, I pulled on fresh clothes and ran a comb through my hair. Heidi sensed my excitement, dancing around me and whacking her tail on the bathroom door. Quickly, I leashed her up and pocketed the phone and my keys before walking to Corner Café and Bakery.

They were busy when I stepped inside, but Ellie smiled at me.

"Is it okay to come through here with Heidi?" I asked.

"Of course. Bailey's upstairs."

With a small wave, I went down the hall to the back staircase and took the steps two at a time. Heidi's tongue lolled outside her mouth, and I grinned at her expression. After a quick knock, I waited impatiently for Bailey to open her door, almost getting ahead of myself and barging in.

She swung the door open, a bright expression on her face. Dropping the leash, I backed Bailey into her apartment and slammed the door, shoving her against it as Heidi circled the rug in my periphery before settling down.

Without a word, I pressed my mouth to hers, hearing her quick intake of breath before I stole it selfishly. Threading my hands through her hair, I tilted her head and went in deeper, swiping my tongue inside her mouth to enjoy the burst of cinnamon and toffee, her whiskey flavors exploding throughout my senses.

Her fingers gripped my t-shirt, one leg coming up to grind our pelvises together. Whimpering, she dug her fingers into my flesh, and I silently begged her to go deeper, harder, to mark me forever as hers. If there was a way to take her inside me, I wanted to know it as intimately as I knew every inch of her skin.

"What . . ." Trailing off, Bailey seemed to change her mind about asking, simply rearing up to trap my earlobe between her teeth.

I hissed, dragging her legs around my waist to hold her in place against the door. Loving the tangled waves of her heavy hair, I pushed off the bandana so I could take a double handful, forcing her head back and opening my mouth along the column of her throat. Her breathing in tatters, Bailey clamped onto my arms as though I was the last thing holding her to the earth. Hoisting her higher, I closed my mouth over her shirt, finding her nipple hard beneath the layers of clothing.

"Fuck," she cried when I bit down.

"Working on it," I replied.

Spinning, I carried her to the bedroom and held her in my arms for another minute, simply because I could. Simply because my life was no longer in shambles, thanks to her.

Her coffee-colored eyes were enormous and focused on my face. My heart skipped, then beat in triple time as my love for her overwhelmed me. "You're such a magnificent woman."

Her lips curved, and I leaned forward with her in my arms, trapping her beneath me on the bed. With eager hands, she pulled at my shirt, and I did the same to her. With her tits in my hands, I rolled my tongue over one nipple and pinched the other, causing her to buck her hips against mine. Moving just enough to pull down her shorts, I threw them and her panties over my shoulder. Bailey reached for me, but I flipped her over, hovering over her back and kissing down her spine.

Gripping the sheets, Bailey moaned as I licked and sucked each precious bit of her flesh, finally pulling her hips until her ass was in my face. I found particular pleasure in kneading it, spanking it, and biting it as she writhed and panted under me. Eventually, I slid off the bed to kneel beside it, burying my face in her delicious pussy and listening to her lose her mind.

Absolutely nothing could cap off such a fantastic day better than getting lost in Bailey. Swirling the tip of my tongue just right, I found her hands and clasped them tightly as she fell apart, trembling and moaning until she slumped all the way forward.

"Not quite done yet, baby."

I don't think I'd ever taken off my shorts faster, needing her so desperately I could feel it pulsing through my veins. My need for her settled in my cock until I yanked her to meet me, sinking inside her so deeply I swear I hit her tonsils.