Page 70

“Ha. Yeah.” My voice was faint.

He pulled me from the floor, wrapping me in his arms, hugging me tight. “Welcome to the Fenwick Family,” he murmured in my ear, a smiling apology in his tone like he was inviting me into the dentist’s chair.

Slowly, my breathing eased, my heartbeat slowing to a more normal rhythm. “Where the family motto is:I will remember and repay, not forgive and forget?”

Drew chuckled. “Not quite. Can I interest you in my personal motto?”

“What is it?”

“Nudus currere et loqui sordida.”

“Is that a fancy way to sayI get even?” I asked wryly.

“No, but I like it. I think you’ll like this motto even better. It’srun naked and talk dirty.”

“Is that an invitation?”

“Most definitely. Just let me check my bedroom for more surprises first.”

“You don’t want to decapitate any other cardboard cutouts tonight, huh?”

“Nope. I’m all done with fight, flight, or freeze for the night. It’s time to embrace the last ‘F.’”

“Classy, Fenwick.”

He ducked into his room, returning a moment later. “All clear.” His eyes rounded as he realized I stood in front of him, naked. My discarded clothing pooled at my feet.

“Sunny Girl, that motto was meant for you.”

Stripping myself bare was easier than talking about the drama with Owen. For a few hours, all I wanted to do was forget. Lose myself in pleasure.

“Now I have to catch up.” Drew stripped away his shirt, dropping his jeans to the floor. He stood in front of me, gloriously naked.

I should have felt vulnerable, every physical imperfection on display. The ugly mole on my hip. My wonky second toe. But his gaze was so clearly adoring in the way it swept over my body, I focused instead on how he made me feel: loved. Treasured. Like the only woman in the world. A power to be reckoned with.

“I’m down with the dirty talk, but not so sure about the running part,” I teased.

“That’s okay, honey. I’d rather take things slow. I’m the tortoise, remember?”

I chuckled. “I’m not sure you can claim that anymore. We happened pretty fast.”

“Bite your tongue, woman. I’ve been into you for over a year. Don’t you remember the study about friends, yadda-yadda?”

“The one you made up?” I pointed out dryly.

“I remembered another one,” he said, ignoring my question. “Studies also show that couples who fall in love after traumatic events are bonded for life.” He interlaced his fingers, his expression earnest. “Inseparable.”

My pulse took flight. Did he even recognize what he’d just said? He stood before me naked, erection proudly announcing his future plans, and proceeded to getmorenaked.

He’d made himself so vulnerable to me. I could only respect that kind of bravery. Even if I was too emotionally exhausted to reciprocate aloud in the moment, a flutter of answering emotion beat in my chest. The liquid warmth grew and expanded, like a chemical reaction that threatened to burst from beneath my skin.

Drew Fenwick was one in a billion. Green flags for days. What would it be like to keep him forever? Heaven. It’d be heaven.

I drifted toward him, step by careful step until our bodies brushed. He cupped my hips in his massive hands, capturing my mouth in a gentle kiss. The brush turned into a deep, seeking exploration. Still soft, but driving toward a destination.

He took over every sense. All I could feel was Drew. The reverent way he stroked my skin, inciting an answering electricity beneath the surface. All I could hear was Drew, whispering how much he adored me. My body. My mind. My heart.

All I could smell was the subtle musk that clung to his skin, a hint of sweat and the sea, reminding me that he’d protected me without hesitation. All I could see was Drew, naked skin for days, the hard muscular planes of his body pressed against my softness. And all I could taste was him, the urgency and delight clear in the way he kissed me.