His voice softened further. “I don’t say it enough, but I am. And ... your dad isn’t your fault. Neither is your mom. You did well for yourself.Allby yourself. And I hope you continue to succeed. I’m just a grouchy old bastard.”
“That’s not your fault either.” I took a step inside the room. “That was a job requirement at the IRS.”
Walter’s scoff sounded as tired as my chuckle. “Good night, Owen. Safe flight. I hope you get what you worked hard for.”
“Thanks.” I walked toward him. He was sitting in his usual spot—his cozy chair in front of the TV.
Bending down, I hugged him.
He patted on my back. “Okay, okay. No need to get all mushy about it.”
I laughed because, with Walter, I couldn’t help it.
UPSTAIRS, RIO LIT EVERYcandle she owned. And she owned many. The cream-colored walls glowed golden, casting soft shadows, while the large, white bed looked like a haven. One I’d have to kick myself out of in the morning.
And then there was Rio.
In lavender lace bra and panties, she was heaven.
“You took the words out of my mouth,” I managed to say when my breath steadied.
She chuckled, her eyes warm. “Now you know how I feel.”
I stepped forward, traced my thumbs over her cheekbones, memorizing her. The way her lips parted, the glimmer of candlelight in her eyes. Rio Mio.
I cupped her face and kissed her long, slow, deep. Etching her taste into me.
Her fingers slipped under the hem of my shirt, sliding it up my chest, her touch igniting every inch of my skin. I let her pull it over my head, and the second it hit the floor, she pressed against my bare skin, her lavender-clad curves a soft contrast to my rough edges.
Her hands moved to my belt, unfastening it with deliberation. My own fingers skimmed down her back, the silky straps of her bra, her skin warm beneath my touch.
The fabric came away, and I didn’t just look—I savored.
“Heaven,” I murmured, my lips finding the slope of her neck.
Rio exhaled, tilting her head to give me more, and I took it, trailing kisses down to where her heart pounded under my mouth.
I bent to lift her, guiding her onto the bed. She gasped as I settled above her, my weight pinning her against the mattress.
I brushed her hair away from her face. “I love you, Rio Mio.”
Her hands framed my jaw, her eyes holding mine. “I love you, Owen.”
Even though I’d heard them before, the words hit me like a gut punch. I let them sink in, fill the empty spaces in me.
Her lips curled, and she pulled me down, and there was no more talking. Just whispered breaths, soft moans, and hands and lips that knew exactly where to go.
I traced every inch of her, learning her all over again. My heaven. My haven. My Rio.
When we came together, it was slow, deep, a confession in every movement.
And when we finally lay tangled in the sheets, her cheek pressed to my chest, I closed my eyes, holding on to the feeling for as long as I could.
A BLUSH OF PINK SUNRISEtore through night’s mist as I held the carry-on on the way to the Range Rover.
The ocean lay near, and in the cool silence that wrapped the world, I could hear its low hum.
Kissing a sleeping Rio before I left, leaving the warm bed, letting go of her soft body from within my arms was stepping away from something I’d only just discovered and already had to let go of.
