A whimper. A real, broken, raw sound.
“F-fuck, baby…yeah,” he panted. “You doin’ so good. So fuckin’ good.”
I felt it in my core—tight, hot, surging. My hips moved faster, chasing it. The pressure building until I couldn’t hold it anymore. Until my thighs were shaking, my fingers digging into his chest. “Miles?—”
And then I shattered.
Clenching around him, pulsing, crying out as the pleasure tore through me.
He groaned deep in his chest, thrusting up into me once, twice—and then he was gone too, head thrown back, body jerking beneath me as he came hard into the condom.
I collapsed on top of him, breath tangled with his, heart racing.
He didn’t say anything for a moment. Just wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. “If you want…I’ll come with you.”
I lifted my head, blinked down at him, still catching my breath.
But I shook my head slowly, brushing my thumb over his cheek. “You need to finish the renovations. You’re already behind.”
He studied me like he wanted to argue, but I pressed a kiss to his lips—soft and sweet—and that was enough.
My phone started buzzing on the nightstand.
I sighed, rolled off him, and reached over to grab it.
Mama.
I answered, trying to catch my voice. “Hello?”
“I’m at the office,” she said, curt and clipped. “Get here.”
The line went dead.
I stared at the screen for a beat before tossing the phone aside and slipping out of bed. I made it to the office in record time, and as I stepped into my office I said, “Mama, I?—”
I froze.
Erik was standing with his back to the door, staring outside the window. He turned slowly around, and he gave me a half smile. “Wassup, Rena.”
“Where’s Mama?”
“She’s here,” Erik said.
My knuckles went white as I gripped the strap of my purse tighter, the weight of its contents pressing into my side. Before he could speak, before I could think better of it, I walked up to him and my hand flew. The slap rang out, a sound like a gunshot that filled the room.
Erik’s head jerked sideways, spit flying from his mouth as he stumbled a step back.
“How dare you?” I asked Erik. “Why? Miles was your best friend and you brutalize him in that way? What? Is he an easytarget for you? Like everyone else in this town thinks?” I glared at Erik.
“Don’t youeverput your hands on my husband again.”
Erik’s jaw flexed, but he didn’t respond.
“Oh, I get it.” I laughed, bitter and cold. “You didn’t do it forme. You did it for you. For your little ego. For the messed-up sense of brotherly affection youfinallydecide to have after twenty years because you have a vendetta.”
“He didn’t tell you?” he asked.
“Tell me what?”
