Page 177 of At First Catch

Leaning forward, Nolan floats above me, and my legs are bent on either side of my chest. The thrusts that had been slow and steady, enough to bring me down from my earlier orgasm, begin to pick up in pace and strength. He slams his hips against me, pushing me forward on the bed only to be stopped by his pillows. He repeats the motion over and over until we’re so lost in each other that I barely notice the beads of sweat dripping off his chest onto me.

“God, I’m so fucking close, sweetheart,” Nolan claims as he grips my jaw and tilts my head upward, then seals our mouths together.

The kiss is feral and rough, our gasps of pleasure mixed with the need to taste each other. My legs drop from his shoulders, and he maneuvers his arm between my body and the bed, holding himself close to me.

Nolan pounds his erection into me as he pulls away from my mouth and buries his face into my neck. The powerful grip he holds on my back tightens as he releases himself into me, and I realize that I’m going to have a Nolan hand-sized bruise in that spot, which I gladly accept. His body jolts above me as he spills himself inside my sex.

We lay like this for a while, our bodies connected by more than just a physical bearing, but something more that has entwined us together.

“Can we stay like this forever?” Nolan asks, his voice heavy, filled with pleasure and lust.

Stroking my hand up and down his muscled back, I consider his words. I wait for the fear to slither its way through me, and I’m surprised when all I feel is contentment.

I curl closer against him while rain falls outside and marina lights shimmer faintly through the room.

Nolan’s hand moves over my back as I trace lazy circles across his chest.

“You know...”

He glances down at me.

“Hmm?”

“I still don’t understand half of those spreadsheets.”

He chuckles.

“I barely understand half of them.”

“But next time”—my fingers lace through his—“don’t figure them out by yourself.”

Nolan squeezes my hand.

“I won’t.”

Nolan’s phone buzzes on the nightstand. I see my brother-in-law Dean’s name flash on the screen.

“Mom probably told Dean to call.”

Nolan looks over.

“Seriously?”

The corners of my mouth tilt up.

“Nobody gets through this family without being fed or helped.”

He glances over at me then settles against the bed, tapping the speaker.

Chapter Twenty-Two

NOLAN

Three days after I finally tell Hadley the truth about the marina finances, I make a dangerous mistake.

I start pretending everything is under control again. And unfortunately? The panic keeps growing anyway.

By Wednesday afternoon, the marina office feels too small for the pressure it’s under.