“That was…” I said, unable to string a coherent thought together.
“It was,” he agreed. His breath tickled the hairs on my neck and I shifted closer to him, relishing in how our bodies fit together.
He groaned in my ear. “Stop wiggling like that or I’ll take you again.”
“That’s kind of what I was hoping for.”
His growing arousal hardened against my ass and I arched my back, pressing my breasts into his waiting hands. After he put on another condom, he slid inside me with agonizing slowness. This time, he fucked me sensually, deliberately, each touch lengthened and loaded to draw out my pleasure. With each languorous stroke, I unraveled further in hishands until I came apart, crying out his name. Nolan sped up his pace, clutching me to his chest, and followed me into my pleasure.
Panting and sweat-slicked, we curved into each other, finally sated—for now.
“You’re so beautiful, Val,” he said, planting a kiss on my forehead and stroking my hair. I sighed, content to stay in his arms forever.
But it only took a few seconds before my practical mind took over.
This can’t last forever.
But I’ll enjoy it while I can.
Chapter 27
NOLAN
Straighteningmytie,Iwalked into the resort’s bar. It was early morning a few days after the gala, so the VIP crowd and paparazzi had mostly moved on, leaving Hale’s Peak a ghost town.
I checked my phone for the millionth time, looking for news alerts about Val and I, but Cressida had worked her crisis comms PR magic. The only tabloid stories from the gala were of me and Cressida, grinning and dancing. We weren’t out of the woods yet, but another week and the media cycle would turn over to the next thing.
There was no denying that what happened the night of the gala had been reckless. Selfish. Exhilarating. And fucking amazing. If I was being honest, part of mewantedus to get caught. It would have forced everything out into the open. My engagement would be over. I wouldn’t have to lie to Val—or live a lie with Cressida—anymore. But being discovered like that would have been devastating for all of us. We’d have no control over the narrative.But at least we’d be free of all the lies.
Since Val had given herself fully to me, we’d spent every night together. And what a wild few nights it had been. But it wasn’t just about her exquisite body and how much she turned me on, because fuck yeah, did I love the way her eyes lit up whenever I showered her with praise or shocked her with dirty talk. It waseverythingabout her—and the man Iwas becoming because of her. The urge to protect her, to block out all the darkness in the world that people like Erica threatened us with. To hold her and share in quiet, intimate moments. To hear her every thought, every wish and make them come true or help her to get there herself.
Val had consumed me, and I was better for it.
I never thought I’d want to be anything but CEO of Keller Resorts. Up until this point, everything in my life had been driving me toward that goal. But now, a more important role unearthed itself before me: I wanted to be Val’s. Val’swhatever.Whatever she wanted me to be. And I wanted it to last beyond just this season even though it was impossible.
It wasn’t like I could ask her to sign on for a lifetime as my secret girlfriend, but the thought of breaking things off with Val in less than two months and never seeing her again gutted me. And now, I was beginning to have the delusional thought that if I told her the truth about selling Hale’s Peak, maybe she’d understand.
Yeah, after you spent the entire season lying to her, sure, she’ll forgive you and she’ll definitely still trust you.
I was fucked.
I’d waited too long to speak up. I was in too deep. But things between us could never last, and because I was a selfish bastard, I wanted to keep Val for as long as I could.
And if I told her the truth, I would lose her right now.
That, I couldn’t handle.
With the secrets I’d been keeping from Val, I felt like I owed her. And I wanted to help her. So after a deep breath—I’d been practicing those, at Val’s instructions—I squared my shoulders and prepared to face my younger brother for the first time in years.
Dominic hunched over a cup of coffee at a small table in the bar, looking—well, hungover as fuck. His tanned Italian complexion anddark wavy hair resembled our father, whereas I’d taken after our mother. We hadn’t talked much at the gala, which had me feeling awkward. But despite our rocky relationship, I did love and care about him.
I reached out a hand and Dominic shook it. He looked most like my brother Raife, but unlike him, Dom had piercing green eyes. Which lifted to focus on me.
He didn’t smile. I didn’t smile.
I sat in the seat across from him as Frankie approached and asked me, “Café Americano?”
“Thanks,” I said.
