“And what aboutyou?” Beau snarled.
“I survived.” I put down the moisturizer. “And I’m here. With you. So it all worked out.”
I meant it. Without all the struggle I’d gone through, I wouldn’t have needed to take a year off to finance nursing school. Wouldn’t have found my way to Beau and Clara.
Unthinkable.
I watched Beau’s jaw work in fury and frustration, mulling over what I’d said and understanding that in a way, I was right.
“I’d give up all the happiness you give me if it meant you got to live a life where you were protected, happy. Had a fucking good childhood.”
My brain short-circuited. I drew in a deep breath.
“I wouldn’t,” I said honestly. “I would go through what I went through ten times over to make my way to you. To Clara.”
Beau pushed off the tub, and in a second, I was in his arms. There was a dull clatter as various products fell into the sink.
“You better not have broken any of those,” I whispered, our mouths inches apart.
My body was already singing for him, desperate for him, despite the emotional subject matter we’d just discussed.
“I don’t give a fuck,” Beau grunted, easily lifting me with one hand while divesting me of my panties and shorts with the other. “I’ll buy you new ones.”
“Youdefinitelydon’t know how much they cost then,” I chuckled. But my smile was stolen by a gasp of pleasure as Beau’s finger entered me, setting my ass on the cool porcelain of the sink.
“Soaking,” he growled. “Good. I don’t have time to prepare you. I need to be inside you. To the fucking hilt after hearing you say that.”
I got no warning except for his words. After that, there was the rattle of his belt, and then he slammed into me, bottoming out.
His hand at my back kept me pressed to him, lips swallowing my screams of pleasure.
“Gotta be quiet, baby,” he murmured, hurtling into me again.
I sank my teeth into my lip to swallow a cry of pleasure. Beau was right. We’d been mindful but not overly worried about being heard by Clara, not with the music she played to sleep to every night and her sleeping like the dead.
My brother, though… My fucking brother was there, so we had to be quiet.
I was surprisingly turned on by the act of Beau covering my mouth with his hand to smother my cries.
It felt forbidden, but in the best way, playing into my dirtier fantasies. Beau, the older man, fucking me in the bathroom like a sordid secret.
Like he was going mad for me.
And I for him.
“I love you so. Fucking. Much,” Beau rasped in my ear, his words matching his thrusts.
I thought about it. Saying it back. I was almost brave enough. Almost ready to admit this was it. Forever.
That I was safe.
Almost.
But I let Beau’s kiss swallow my words.
Not yet.
Soon.
