Page 7

I had never been this aggressive during sex, but Crew seemed to know what my body craved and gave it to me.

My body slumped back on the window as I came down from my orgasm.

Crew placed gentle kisses on my inner thighs and then slid my body down his until he was lined up at my entrance.

He thrusted in, bottoming out, causing us to both moan into each other's mouths. Crew’s large arms caged me in against the glass as he drilled into me, grunting and groaning with each roll of his hips.

The loud, wet sounds my pussy was making would have been embarrassing if I wasn’t being fucked within an inch of my life right now.

Crew gripped my hips changing angles and the pleasure became too much.

A sharp tingle shot through me making my muscles spasm and explode causing me to squirt all over Crew’s dick.

He thrust into me a few more times before he stilled, driving his dick as deep as he could get.

His dick throbbed and pulsed inside me as our bodies convulsed from the aftershocks of our orgasms. We stayed like that for a moment before Crew carried my limp body over to the bed.

As soon as my head hit the bed I was out.

I woke up sore, satisfied, and tangled in the softest sheets I'd ever felt. The soft light from the penthouse windows crept across Crew’s bare chest as he slept beside me, one thick arm thrown possessively over my waist. I should have slipped out, back to my suite, but something about his hold on me, the quiet way his body caged mine, made me stay.

This wasn’t the deal. I needed to get back to my suite. Reality was starting to set in.

But for a little while longer, I let myself pretend.

I would pretend that I wasn’t a woman on the run.

And that I wasn’t one text away from the past finding me.

But reality didn’t wait forever. The soft crackle of the fireplace and the slow, steady beat of his heart under my ear lulled me into euphoria and I was lost. For a moment, I didn’t move.

Didn’t think. Just breathed him in. Warm, solid, dangerous, Crew Sanderson had almost made me forget that I couldn’t have this.

That I couldn’t be safe in the arms of a man.

I lifted my head carefully, blinking against the early gray light spilling through the penthouse windows.

Snow drifted outside like the world had finally slowed down to let me breathe.

I slid out of bed carefully, hating how cold the room felt the second I left his warmth behind.

My legs ached in a way that made my cheeks heat, a reminder of how thoroughly he'd fucked me last night.

A reminder that I hadn't just slipped once. I’d fallen, hard.

I found my silk shorts and cami on the floor before slipping them on quickly.

My heart hammered as I tiptoed around the bed, grabbing my coat.

Maybe I could get back to my suite before anyone noticed I was gone.

Maybe I could pretend last night hadn’t shifted something deep inside me.

Maybe I could…

"Where you sneakin’ off to, Princess?" Crew asked, scaring me out of my skin.

His voice was rough with sleep, low and dangerous, dragging across my nerves like velvet and steel. I froze, hand halfway to the door. Crew shifted onto his side, head propped on one arm, watching me with those unreadable gray eyes.

"You really think you can run from me?" he quizzed, with an edge of amusement in his voice that made my stomach flip.

"I wasn’t…" I stated.

He raised an eyebrow.

I sighed. "Okay. Maybe a little."

A slow, wicked smile spread across his mouth.

"You’re cute when you lie."

I tightened the coat around my body, needing the barrier.

"Timberly’s gonna wake up soon. Tyra and DJ too. I need to get back."

Crew’s smile faded, not completely, but enough that I saw the serious man underneath.

"I’m not gonna keep you from your kid, Nova," he said.

"But don’t you dare pretend last night didn’t happen."

I swallowed hard.

"It was a mistake."

He laughed, low and sharp. "Really?"

He swung his legs off the bed, standing up slowly, moving toward me like a predator.

"You telling me this was a mistake, Princess?" he said, catching my chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting my head back gently.

I could still smell him; he smelled of cinnamon and expensive whiskey. I still felt him in every sore muscle.

"Tell me," he whispered, voice sinking lower. "Say it."

I opened my mouth. But nothing came out.

Crew’s eyes softened, just barely but it was enough to break me wide open inside.

"You feel safe with me," he said.

Like it wasn’t a question. Like it was the only truth that mattered.

I hated that he was right. Because Crew didn’t feel like danger.

He felt like my safe haven. He was addictive and for the first time in years, I didn’t feel like I had to carry all the weight alone.

My shoulders slumped slightly. Crew leaned down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss against my forehead

"You’re not alone anymore," he murmured.

I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to. But the past had a way of finding me.

Dragging me back no matter how far I ran. I pulled away gently.

"I need to go." Crew let me. He didn’t stop me. He just nodded once.

"You got today, Nova. Get your head right. But tonight?" He stepped close again, mouth brushing my ear. "Tonight, you’re back in my bed.”

I shivered, nodding before my brain could catch up. And then I was gone, heart pounding, mind racing, body already missing him.

Everyone was still asleep when I made it back to the room.

The kids were passed out in their beds, and Tyra was snoring like a grown man in her room.

I went to my bedroom undressed and took a long shower, letting the hot water relax my sore muscles.

My mind was all over the place with thoughts of Crew’s words.

He was trying to tear down the walls that I had carefully crafted after all these years.

I had to be strong. No amount of dick should be able to throw me off my square like this.

It was the only one thing I could do. I wasn’t going back.

"You’re back early," Tyra mumbled, stretching as she entered the living room.

I jumped, splashing coffee on my wrist. "Damn, Tyra. You scared me."

She grinned sleepily. "I figured you’d be gone for days. Thought I was gonna have to tell Timberly you ran off with a rich mountain man."

I snorted, sitting across from her. "Not funny."

"Kind of funny," she said, sitting down on the couch and rubbing her eyes. "You good?"

"Yeah," I lied automatically.

Tyra stared at me for a long second, then shrugged. "If you say so."

The day passed in a blur of cartoons, popcorn fights, and trips to the overpriced arcade downstairs.

Minus the annoyed faces Tyra was making because I refused to tell her about my night and the fact that I said I wasn’t going back.

My only concern was enjoying my time with my daughter.

After making breakfast for Tyra and the kids this morning we started our day out on the slopes with the trainers.

The kids were doing such a good job on the skis and snowboards.

Tyra and I were another story, but we had fun nonetheless.

After some time in the snow, we had a hearty lunch in our suite.

I opted out of going to one of the restaurants, scared I might run into Crew.

After lunch, we spent the rest of the day inside playing games and watching movies by the fire.

Our private chef prepared a delicious roast with carrots, potatoes, and freshly baked bread.

The kids crashed early, knocked out from sugar and arcade-induced exhaustion.

Tyra and I cleaned up the disaster zone they left behind.

Somewhere between loading the dishwasher and arguing over who cheated at Uno earlier, my head started spinning.

"I’m not going back tonight," I said suddenly, out of nowhere.

Tyra looked at me over her shoulder. "Okay."

"I’m serious," I said, flopping down onto the couch. "I need to... think."

"Sure," Tyra said casually, wiping down the counter. "Think with your coochie. Think with your heart. Either way, that man’s gonna get you."

I threw a pillow at her and she cackled.

"Sleep it off, Nova," she said, flicking the light switch off.

The last thing I remembered was Timberly crawling up next to me on the couch, her tiny body curling into mine.

I kissed her hair and closed my eyes. Telling myself I was strong enough to stay away from Crew.

The feel of being carried woke me from my deep slumber on the couch.

For a moment, I thought I was floating but then I felt the warmth from the hard chest that I was being cradled against.

This can’t be… I was on the couch in my suite. I opened my eyes and Crews' stormy gray ones were looking down at me. His lips quirked up into a sly smirk.

“I thought I told you that you would be in my bed tonight?”

“I- I fell asleep,” I said. It wasn’t a lie I had fallen asleep after a few too many glasses of wine.

“I told you it was cute when you did that. But if you do it again I’ll have to punish you,” he said.

“What?” I asked, already knowing.

“If you lie to me again I’m going to fuck your throat until you can’t speak. He said, eyes shining like he couldn’t wait to do exactly that.