Page 106 of Bound To Be Mine

She reached up and cupped my face. “So, what do we do?”

“We make the most of tonight,” I said. “And then we figure out the rest later.”

She smiled, and then she was kissing me. She broke the kiss to move her suitcase to the floor, and then I was lowering her onto the mattress.

I took my time. We’d had plenty of urgent, desperate sex over the past week. Tonight, I wanted to savor her. Memorize every sound she made, every place that made her gasp.

I kissed my way down her neck while my hands worked the buttons of her blouse. She arched beneath me, her fingers threading through my hair.

“Briggs,” she breathed.

“I’m here.”

I stripped her slowly, piece by piece, kissing each new bit of exposed skin. By the time I had her naked beneath me, she was trembling.

“You’re beautiful,” I murmured against her collarbone. “Every single inch of you.”

And I showed her just how beautiful I thought she was the rest of the night.

32

MANDY

Istared out the car window as Briggs navigated the pre-dawn streets toward the airfield. The city was still dark, just a few early risers and delivery trucks breaking the silence. I should have told him not to bother and he needed sleep before court, but I was glad he insisted on personally driving me. I knew he didn’t drive all that often. And after being in Manhattan traffic, I completely understood. And to know he was doing something he hated just to spend an extra thirty minutes with me meant a lot.

His hand found mine across the center console, fingers lacing together like they belonged that way.

“You could have slept another hour,” I said quietly.

“I wanted to take you.”

This man who scheduled everything down to the minute, who valued efficiency above almost all else, had gotten up at four-thirty in the morning just to drive me to the airport.

We pulled through the gates of the private airfield. The jet was already on the tarmac, lit up and waiting. Briggs parked and killed the engine, but neither of us moved.

“So,” he said.

“So.”

He turned to look at me, his face barely visible in the dim light. “Call me when you land?”

“Of course.”

“And if the groomzilla gives you any trouble, I’ll be on the next flight out there. “

“I can handle him,” I said, but I was smiling.

“I know you can.” He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m going to miss you.”

My throat tightened. “I’m going to miss you too.”

He leaned across the console and kissed me. It was slow and thorough and tasted like goodbye. It was supposed to be a see you soon.

Except it didn’t feel like see you soon.

He walked me to the plane, carrying my bag despite my protests. At the bottom of the stairs, he pulled me into his arms.

“Text me,” he said against my hair.