Page 85 of Shattered Dreams

And then Dre sets his and Rylee’s flowers down on the island, and she tugs my hand.

“Can you read to me tonight?” she asks.

“Of course,” I tell her. “But you should probably get into your jammies first.”

Rylee speeds up the stairs, and I take my time following her, but when I get to the top of the steps, she’s already in her pjs and waiting for me. She grabs my hand and drags me to her room and shoves Sleeping Beauty at me. I grin as I take it and she launches onto her bed, her smile full of warmth.

I swear, she looks just like Dre when she smiles like that.

I’m half-way through Sleeping Beauty when she’s asleep, and I notice Dre watching me from the door. I close the book and get up, meeting him in the doorway.

“Thanks for the coffee,” I say, my voice a low whisper. But it’s the strangest thing. Thanks for the coffee sounds different. It sounds like I’m saying something else.

I open my mouth, the words making their way out of my throat. “I—”

Andre leans in, swallowing up my confession with his perfect mouth and kisses me, this time slowly.

Deeply.

I stumble from the shock, back against the doorframe, and my hand comes up to rest on his neck as I kiss him back.

When he breaks away, I look up into his eyes, my heart beating so loud against my chest I think he has to be able to hear it.

It’s quiet for a moment, and I suck in a breath as I say, “I’m going to head into the shower.”

Dre nods wordlessly as he lets me exit, his knowing gaze full of unspoken things.

I almost don’t want to leave him, and the thought of doing so makes my stomach twist, but…

It’s not like he’s going anywhere. He’ll be up inside me in ten minutes, I know it.

So what am I worrying about?

Nothing.

It’s probably just my insecurities getting the best of me.

At least that’s what I tell myself as I undress and head into his shower.

I’m barely under the spray before the curtain opens, and his hands are on my hips, and he’s shoving me against the wall.

I gasp as he nudges my legs apart and slides into me, and though I expect him to start fucking me hard and fast like he’s been doing the last couple of weeks, he doesn’t.

His thrusts come slow and steady as one hand holds my hip, and the other finds my cock.

It’s like I’m a puppet and he knows every string that holds me together. I look back at him, at his shadowed blue gaze. His mouth finds mine, and everything else disappears.

There’s nothing but his slow, deep thrusts, nothing but his touch. I don’t know who comes first. All I know is that I don’t want to lose this.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Andre

I know it’s not the plane that’s making me nervous. I never cared much for flying. I don’t like it one way or another. It’s just a mode of transportation. One that is uncomfortable but convenient, because it’s fast.

My interview is later this evening with a bunch of people from the school.

That’s also not what’s making me nervous. I’ve done full interviews on TV and in rooms with thousands of people. Public speaking isn’t an issue for me.