There with You (Adair Family 2)

His grip on my hip tightened, and he seemed to swallow hard before replying gruffly, “Good.” He pressed a quick, hard kiss to my lips and shot off the bed, marching across the annex in the space of a second.

I blinked rapidly, feeling like I’d just been punched in the gut.

Good?

Good?

That was his reply.

Also known as, “I’m pleased for you, but it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had.”

Hurt was a burn in my chest as I drew my knees up.

“Why don’t you come over today?” I was aware of him stopping at the door, staring back at me, but I couldn’t quite look at him. “We’re just having a lazy Sunday, but I know Eils and Lew would love for you to hang out with us again.”

I had no plans.

I could absolutely hang out with them.

Speaking to his shoulder, I gave him a tight-lipped smile. “I have plans.”

“Oh?”

Ignoring his question, I reached for the coffee as I stood. “Thanks for the coffee.” I saluted it in his direction and rounded the bed to disappear into the bathroom, where I was pretty sure I was going to cry in the shower like a big baby.

Out of sight, I dumped the mug on the sink, not really seeing anything, only hearing his “good” in my head over and over as I brushed my teeth.

Not long later, as I reached to pull the hem of my nightdress up, I was halted by the brawny arm that encircled my waist. I squeaked in surprise as Thane pulled me back against his hard, now-familiar chest. His lips brushed my ear, and he said in that deep, delicious voice, “Best sex of my life.”

I stiffened.

And then turned my head to meet his eyes.

There was something guarded in his.

“You don’t need to say that.” I shrugged, feeling horribly vulnerable.

“I’ll never lie to you,” he promised, his hold on me tightening. “Best fucking sex of my entire life. By a long shot.”

And just like that, I melted.

His expression hardened, though. “But we agree it’s just sex. You’ll get in the shower, get dressed, and abandon your nonexistent plans to come spend the day with us. We’ll go on as before, friendly in front of the kids, so Lewis knows everything’s okay, but nothing more. And then at night”—he hardened against my behind—“I’ll sneak in here so we can have more of the best sex of our lives … and that’s it. Agreed?”

I refused to acknowledge the chill in my heart. Instead, I concentrated on the one thing I had from him that no other woman had apparently had, not even his late wife.

I turned in his arms, his arousal brushing across my ass as I did. “What time is it?”

Thane frowned. “Nine o’clock.”

Good. I unbuckled his belt. “The kids won’t be up for another hour at least.”

He sucked in a breath. “Regan …”

But his willpower was already out the window as I released him from his jeans and underwear and lowered to my knees. He cursed under his breath, his eyes blazing, chest heaving as his hands clasped my head. I hadn’t even touched him yet.

Thane’s long groan, the way his stomach rippled when I touched him, was the most empowering feeling in the goddamn world. At that moment, I was absolutely everything to him, and just as I’d decided last night, I was going to take (or give, as it so happened) all I could while it lasted. No matter what happened between us, I’d always have this of him. The best sex of his life.

It wasn’t everything, but it was something.

21

Thane

The computer screen before him was a blur of lines, his mind somewhere far beyond. With Regan. He could still smell her perfume, feel the slide of her silken hair across his skin, feel the tight, hot sheath of her. His want for her was driving him to distraction. While he was a man, and there was a part of him that got off on sneaking into the annex each night to be with her, Thane couldn’t rid the dread that had settled over him since they’d agreed on their sex-with-no-strings arrangement.

In fact, the dread had only worsened since that first night. The only reprieve he had from it was when he was inside Regan. Nothing else penetrated his thoughts but the overwhelming need that consumed him in those moments.

“Thane!”

Jarred from his now daily daydreams about his kids’ nanny, Thane turned from his computer screen to see Keelie standing in the doorway, frowning at him.

“Sorry for shouting, but I said your name a few times and you didn’t respond.”

Fuck.

This was getting out of hand.

“Sorry about that.” Then it occurred to him Keelie was in his office. On their floor. “What brings you down here?”

She closed his door and walked over to his desk.

Thane felt awkward. When he hadn’t called Keelie back, he’d presumed she’d understand what that meant. That was how the dating game worked. Unless she was here about something else.