“I didn’t have much time to socialize, Vaughn, and forget social media.”
“Did you miss me? Will you miss me when we leave here?” Fuck, this woman is driving me mad.
“Come on, Vaughn, stop,” she whispers.
“Because over the years, Claire, missing you came in waves, and for so long I swore I was drowning.” I can’t stop, even if I try.
Her eyes are still fixed on mine.
“And seeing you again, it somehow feels like my head is above water for the first time in a while,” I whisper. I must be looking at her with pleading eyes. I want her to tell me she missed me, that her life would be better with me in it—that I could change it somehow and make everything right.
“It used to be at night, when I was alone in my apartment, that’s when I would feel it the most. Something alive, some sort of pulse beating along with mine, something bigger than me, bigger than anything I could ever imagine, and that’s what I sometimes think keeps me going. It keeps me believing that somewhere out there I’m connected to someone. Someone’s heart that beats alongside mine, however faraway he may be.” She averts her eyes to the fire and slowly shrugs. “I don’t know if you’re still the same person inside, Vaughn. People grow up and change, harden. They become other people. I don’t know if we’re each other’s person anymore.”
“I’m the same guy, Claire and if we try to be us again, I don’t think there’s anything to lose, but there’ll be a lot to gain. For the both of us.”
“Vaughn, I’m not in a good state to—”
“We can let the pain of what they did fill this room if we let it. We could let it overpower us, let it spill out of every window and door. But what’s that going to do to us? Huh? It’ll drown us.” I wrap her in my arms and tuck her into my chest. “I’m so tired of it all, let’s just walk away from it and go back to us.”
I brush my lips over the bottom of her jaw and she shivers. “Tell me to stop, Claire, and I will,” I whisper against her skin, but the only thing I hear is her breathing. I only hesitate to listen for a moment, then I trail my mouth over her neck, up to her mouth and capture her lips.
She makes a little surprised sound.
Then her mouth opens with a soft moan and I wrap my arms around her, bringing her closer. My cock is already rigid and swollen, still greedy from the last time I was inside her. Now it throbs against the tight material of my jeans and I need it out of its cage and back deep inside her.
I drag her pants and underwear off her hips one side at a time and breathe out a heavy moan when I see all she has to offer me. “Goddamn, Claire.”
“Vaughn,” she whispers, pulling at the buckle of my jeans, fumbling to free my cock.
I press my hands between her legs and she whimpers.
“Again. You’re not telling me to stop,” I say, stroking my thumb in circles over her clit.
A hot hand wraps around my cock and squeezed with the perfect amount of pressure, “Do you want to stop?” she whispers.
I push my fingers deep inside her. She gasps and rocks her hips against my hand. My cock throbs in her grip.
“Claire, I want you.” I kiss her deeply, pushing and pulling my fingers through her slickness. “Fuck…I need you.”
Claire wraps her legs around me in answer.
I growl, my hands moving all over her body, grasping and pawing like I can’t touch her fast enough. We tumble into perfect alignment and I sink deep between her legs. A fierce shot of pleasure explodes up my spine and I moan into her mouth. Her breathing is ragged as she moves her body underneath me.
I drop my mouth to her throat and pump my hips against her, in slow long strokes.
“Oh…God…Yes.”
I lean up, shifting my weight to look at her breasts, her lips, her eyes. Damn, the way this woman moves. We rock together, moving our hips like a slow, intense dance, our gazes fixed on one another’s. This isn’t just mindless sex. This is so much more.
I lean my head down and pass a tongue over her nipple. I lick and suck and bite.
“Oh, Vaughn…” She fists her hands in my hair, and whimpers. “Don’t stop. Don’t…I’m going to…Oh God…”
I feel her getting closer, wetter, tighter. My hips pick up speed, and I thrust harder and deeper. Over and over, until she’s shuddering hard beneath. Her arms tighten around my neck and she’s breathing heavily, panting and moaning and still staring right into my eyes. The arch of her body intensifies, pleasure spirals through my body and I peak, white hot and sharp and like nothing I’ve felt before.
Her body softens, muscles loosen. Her legs slide down from around my waist and slip down my thighs. “That was intense,” she whispers.
I nod, not able to find the right words. It’s never been that intense for me with anyone else. I’ve never stared into someone’s eyes and felt that desperate need, that frenzied…it’s love, isn’t it? Not just the word love, but real…deep love. I love Claire Radcliffe. I always have, and goddamn, I always will.
Claire nuzzles into me, and emotionally and mentally exhausted, we both drift off to sleep in front of the fire.
I don’t know how long I’m asleep for, but when I wake the fire is burning lower, the skies outside are darker than before and Claire is no longer in my arms. She’s standing, facing opposite me in the kitchen looking inside one of the drawers. I don’t move. I don’t make a sound or call out to her. I just watch as she takes something—a paper or an envelope out of the drawer and tiptoe to where her coat is hanging and slips it into her pocket.
So, she found the accounts.
She’s not running to me and waking me up. She’s hiding them. She’s taking the money for herself—that’s all she wanted. She doesn’t want me. I’m a fool to think she did.
She’s no different than her mother.
My chest is on fire, my brain a twist of fury. I want to slam my fists through the walls of this shitty house. Do I give her a chance to tell me? What if she never does?
My entire body numbs.
I need to get myself away from all of this—my father’s money—this Montgomery-Radcliffe war. I want out. Fuck them all.
She slips back under the blankets and snuggles her warm body against mine, but I don’t wrap my hands around or pull her close like I did before. I’m a stone statue, boiling with rage under the surface, and the hardest thing I’ve ever hard to do is lie here still next to her and not crush her with the pain she’s caused. As soon as she’s back asleep, as soon as her breathing evens out, I’ll call Matteo. If his mother knew about our parents, maybe he knew or at least he’ll be discrete about this whole thing when I ask him to come get me. I don’t want my mother or Chloe knowing about any of this. He’s my oldest friend, I could trust him with my life. He could bring the snowmobiles in his truck and get us out of here. Then I would never have to see her again. If my father left any secret offshore accounts for her mother and she did find them, I hope Claire drowns in them.
Chapter 17
Hello, Claire.
Claire, I think you forgot about me. You forgot about our deal. Our budding relationship. You haven’t answered any of my texts since yesterday. I’m wondering if I should be angry or worried. It’s not like you, Claire. You do what you’re told, always, don’t you? Something must be wrong. Did you get caught in the storm?