Page 61 of Fragile Hearts

I smile when I see the crab cakes Sloane and I had last night, along with some sashimi and mini shrimp cocktails. “No tentacles,” I whisper, leaning toward her.

Sloane grins, bumping her shoulder against mine. I press a kiss to her temple before turning back to my plate, not missing the way Mom is smiling at us. “What, Ma?” I ask with a laugh.

“This,” she says, waving her hand toward us. “It just makes me so happy to finally see you together like this.”

“Finally?” Sloane asks, taking a sip of water.

Mom laughs, turning her attention to Sloane as she says, “You didn’t know that my son has been pining after you for ages?”

Beside me, Cara bursts out laughing. “Mom, everyone knows!”

“It’s true,” Zach chimes in.

“Did you know, Sloane?” Cara asks, practically leaning across me. “’Cause he’s not exactly known for being subtle or anything.”

“Hey, what the hell does that mean?” I ask as my whole family now starts laughing.

Sloane turns a little, her hand resting on my thigh beneath the table as she says, “Yeah, I knew.”

“Just wanted to make him sweat a little, huh?” Cara now asks.

I tighten my arm around Sloane, who smiles as she says, “Something like that.”

“Well, I for one am very happy you are now officially part of this family,” Mom says, lifting her glass of champagne toward us. “Welcome, Sloane,” she says, my dad, sister and future brother-in-law all joining in.

When I turn to Sloane, she’s smiling at my parents, her eyes shining as she blinks, trying to stop the tears that now fill them from falling. Leaning down, my mouth against her ear, I whisper, “You okay?”

“Mmm hmm,” she says, nodding.

“My family adores you, Sloane,” I add, pressing a soft kiss just below her ear. “I adore you.” She turns to look up at me now, and I smile before closing the distance and pressing a kiss to her lips as I murmur, “More than adore you.”

The dinner ends up being good fun, and it’s great having Sloane with me and her getting to know my family. But by the time the dessert plates are being cleared, I’ve had enough of sharing her.

“What do you say we call it a night?” I whisper.

Sloane smiles. “Tired? Ready for bed?” she asks, a playful tone to her voice.

Chuckling, I reply, “Bed, yes, tired, absolutely not. I wanna fuck you in these heels, remember?”

Sloane’s smile widens as she puts a hand on my cheek and says, “Then let’s go.”

We say our goodnights to my family and a few of the other people at our table before I take Sloane’s hand in mine and walk us through the lobby toward the elevator. The second the doors are closed, I have her backed up against the wall, my hands on her hips and my mouth on hers.

“You,” I growl, my tongue teasing her lips. “This fucking dress.”

“What about it?” she asks, her fingers moving to the buttons of my shirt, undoing the first one.

“So. Fucking. Hot.”

She grins, her fingers moving down to the next button. “Your sister is right. You have great taste.”

“Hmmm,” I murmur, my hand gathering the material as I lift it higher and higher. Just as it reaches mid-thigh, the doors ping open, and I pull Sloane out of the elevator and toward our room.

Closing the door behind us, I back her up against it, my hands once again fisting the material as I lift it higher and higher, exposing her bare pussy to me. I can’t get it off though, and Sloane laughs as she gestures to the tie around her waist.

“You need to undo this.”

I let out an impatient huff, dropping the material as I tug at the knot at her waist. As soon as it’s undone, I turn her around, pulling at the string that crisscrosses her back until it’s undone, and I can push the straps off her shoulders.