Glancing at the alarm clock on my bedside table, I see it’s past two in the morning and I sit up, scratch the back of my head and lean over to flick on the lamp. My cell is sitting on the bedside table, taunting me and I grab it, push the button to see if anyone called or texted when I see it. A text from Fable and it says one word.

Marshmallow

Holy shit. She sent it to me hours ago. Hours. Feeling like a complete asshole, I practically trip over my feet as I scramble off the bed, shoving my phone in my back pocket and grabbing my keys off the dresser. I should text her back, but that’ll take too much time and I’m consumed with the need to see her. I’ve left her hanging for hours. The thought of disappointing her…

I can’t stand it.

I leave my apartment and charge out into the still-pouring rain, climb into my truck and take off. The streets are pretty much empty, I pass only the occasional car and all I can think about is Fable. Maybe I should’ve called her. What if she’s in real trouble? What if she really needed me and I let her down?

Pulling into her complex’s parking lot in record time, I get out of my truck and practically run to her door, remembering her apartment number from picking her up when we left seven days ago.

Damn. I can’t believe I’ve known this girl for only seven days. She’s become my everything—and with all my baggage, I’ve probably become her worst nightmare.

I bound up the concrete stairs to her second story apartment, the metal railing rattling loudly and I knock on her door almost frantically, my breath coming in short spurts, the rain dripping down my face.

Long, agonizing minutes go by and I knock again. What if she’s not there? Damn it, I definitely should’ve called first. Pulling out my phone, I’m just about to when the door cracks open, the safety chain in place.

Relief floods me, making my knees wobble. It’s Fable, peering through the narrowly open door, wearing only a thin, oversized T-shirt and nothing else. All I see is long, shapely legs and tousled blonde hair.

My body instantly reacts.

“What are you doing here?” Her voice is small. Cold.

“I got your text.” I swipe my hand across my face, wiping the raindrops away.

“You’re two hours too late.” She’s about to shut the door but I wedge my foot in, keeping it open. “Go away Drew.”

“Fable, listen to me. I fell asleep. I’ve been asleep for hours. I woke up not even fifteen minutes ago and the second I saw your message, I hopped in my truck and sped over here.” I spread my arms wide. “Look at me. I ran in the f**king rain across my apartment parking lot and yours to get to you.”

“So what?” Her flippant tone irritates me. Fable in tough mode is back on full force and I don’t like it, though I probably deserve the attitude.

“Come on.” I scratch the back of my head. “Just tell me this. Are you all right? Everything okay with your mom and your brother? No crazy emergencies or anything?”

She frowns. “No emergencies. We’re fine.”

“Good.” My heart eases a little and I rub my chest, thankful she’s okay. “If you don’t want me here, I get it. I just...after seeing that text, I had to make sure you were safe.”

I ease my foot away so she can close the door and turn, ready to leave when I hear her speak.

“Drew…wait.”

Slowly I turn back around to find she’s opened the door all the way, allowing me to fully see her. And fuck, she’s so beautiful. Her face scrubbed completely of makeup, her expression wary, all that gorgeous hair a wavy mess that tumbles just past her shoulders. The T-shirt only hints at her curves, but I know exactly what she looks like beneath it and my fingers itch to take it off of her.

“Yeah?” My voice cracks and I clear my throat. I should stay away from her. Keeping her close brings her into my disastrous world and she has enough problems on her own. She doesn’t need mine to royally screw up her life.

“Could you…will you come inside and stay with me?”

My heart stills, literally skips a beat and I take one step forward, ready to leap at this opportunity. Despite the warnings going off in my head, despite knowing I’m not good enough for her, I don’t want to turn her away.

I can’t turn her away. I’m drawn to her. I have to have her. At least one more time before I walk away from her for good. It would be in her best interest that I stay out of her life, no matter how selfish I want I am. I want to keep her with me.

Forever.

“Where’s your mom?” I ask, my voice deceptively casual.

“With her boyfriend.”

“And your brother?” I sink my teeth into my lower lip, gnawing at it. I’m this close to doing the right thing and walking away from her.

But I’m also this close to pushing her inside and tearing that shirt right off her tight little body so I can have her na**d and beneath me in seconds.

“He’s spending the night at his friend’s house.” She opens the door wider, a clear invitation she wants me there. “Please Drew. Come in. You’re getting rained on.”

She’s right. I am. Even with the slight overhang that covers her front door, I’m getting drenched. And it sucks.

“Are you sure you want me?” I ask, my voice low. There’s double meaning behind my words. I hope she gets it.

Fable nods slowly, her lips curving into the slightest smile. “I definitely want you.”

Without another word, I stride into her apartment, walking right past her. She closes the door, turns the lock as I turn on her. I slip my arms around her waist and pull her in to me, needing to feel her body as soon as possible.

She surprises me, launching herself at me, her arms going around my neck and her legs curling around my waist. I grab her to keep her in place, my hands gripping her ass. She’s wearing flimsy panties, so thin I can feel her warm, pliant flesh and I groan as she presses her mouth against mine.

We were last together only a few hours ago. Hell, I was inside her body only this morning. But I feel like we’ve been separated for weeks. Months. Our mouths are ravenous, her hands buried in my hair, holding me close as I stumble around her living room, finally collapsing on her couch with her still wrapped around me. She’s shoving at my sweatshirt, I’m pulling on her T-shirt, and I win the first round, disentangling her from the oversized shirt and whipping it off her body.

She’s na**d save for the panties and they don’t cover much. My c**k is hard as steel as I drink her in greedily, my eyes unable to focus on just one thing. The entire package is gorgeous. Sexy as hell.

And all mine.

Fable scoots closer, lifting her body a little so her br**sts are right in my face. She’s teasing me, those pretty pale pink ni**les so close to my mouth. I take one in deep, sucking her, swirling my tongue around the hard bit of flesh. She’s moaning, grinding her h*ps against me, her hands clutched tight in my hair and I slip a hand beneath her panties to stroke her wet flesh.

“Oh God, Drew.” She’s panting my name, writhing against me while I continue to stroke her. This is nothing like last night, where we took our time and explored each other’s bodies.

Right now, I’m frantic, almost out of control with the need to make her come. She moves her h*ps against my fingers when I sink them deep, her gaze locking with mine as she parts her lips. A shuddering sigh escapes her and then she’s coming, just like that.

Pride suffuses me as I watch her. I’m thinking like an arrogant prick, but damn that’s a turn on, how easily I just made my girl come.

Somehow we end up in her tiny bedroom, me carrying her in there. Knocking into furniture in the dark, making her giggle as I drop her onto the bed. Her laughter moves through me, she sounds so happy, so carefree and for a little while, I can pretend I’m the same.

“Take off your clothes,” she whispers, her eager voice twisting me up inside and she’s reaching for my jeans, unsnapping and unzipping them quickly. She spreads the parted denim wide and reaches inside, her fingers drifting across the front of my boxer briefs and I swallow the groan that wants to escape, backing away from her.

She keeps touching me like that and I’ll explode.

Shedding my clothes, I grab the single condom I shoved in my wallet this morning that’s in the back pocket of my jeans and I slip into the bed with her, gathering her close. She’s warm and fragrant and so silky smooth I instantly need to be inside her.

“Let me,” she whispers, plucking the condom from my fingers and tearing it open. She reaches for me, her slender fingers wrapping around my erection. I roll over on my back and close my eyes, overcome with the sensations her fingers are creating as she slowly strokes me, rolling the condom on so seductively, a shiver steals through my entire body. “I want to be on top,” she whispers and I freeze.

Adele—she almost always wanted to be on top. It didn’t bother me to have Fable sitting in my lap when we had sex, but riding me…God. I don’t know if I can do it.

“Drew.” She touches my cheek, startling me and my eyes meet hers. Even in the darkness, I can see them, shining bright with so much emotion. This girl…I want to still claim her as mine, but we said all that stuff last night. Before I knew how much more Adele betrayed me. How much she betrayed our entire family.

I can’t subject Fable to this complete mess that’s my life. I just…damn.

I can’t.

“I was losing you.” She smiles, repeating the very words I said to her last night and I lean into her palm, turn my face so I can kiss her there. “Let me help you erase the bad memories, Drew. Please?”

“I…” Hell, I don’t know how to put into words how much this might f**k me up. Not because I’m with her, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be, but I’m afraid I might get caught up in the past and do something stupid.

Like push her away. Freak out. Lose my shit completely.

She’s already seen you do that and more yet she’s still here. Give her at least this chance.

Reaching for her, I drag her on top of me, her legs straddling my hips. “All right,” I whisper, gripping her by her waist, my fingers biting into her skin.

Fable

This quiet moment in my messy bedroom between Drew and I is major. Like, the most important moment between us yet, at least in my eyes.

I’m trying to help take back his life. Help him forget the past, what Adele—God, I can hardly think her name, let alone say it—did to him. I refuse to let the woman have this firm of control over him after all these years. She’s not that powerful. I won’t let her be.

Keeping my eyes locked with Drew’s, I lower myself on him, a little sigh escaping me as he enters me slowly. Every time our bodies connect, shivers cascade all over my skin and I can’t believe it’s actually happening. Again. Me. Him.

Together.

His hands are wrapped tight around my waist and I lean forward, brushing my mouth with his. Our eyes are still open as we begin to move and I grip hold of his muscular shoulders, lifting my hips, lowering myself on him and sending him deeper. Deeper still, until I’m so full of him, I’m overwhelmed completely.

“You feel good,” he whispers, rocking into me.

“Keep looking at me.” I don’t want him to look away. He needs to banish her from his mind completely and focus only on me.

And him. Us. Together.

I’ve already come once, I was so hot for him, so eager and ready when I realized he actually came to rescue me after all, it didn’t take much for his fingers to bring me near-instant pleasure. That orgasm temporarily took the edge off, but I’m foolish to think it would last.

I always want him. Always.

It’s always like this between us, too. We come together and we simply…combust. So easily. Beautifully. Does he even know how much he affects me? Does he realize how my heart now rests in his hands? I belong to him completely, just as he said last night. None of the bombshells Adele dropped earlier matter. I want to be here for him. Console him, heal him, I want to be his partner in every way.

If he’ll let me.

Within moments we’re lost so completely in each other. Our skin is damp with sweat as we slide and grind our bodies, swaying in perfect rhythm, The shivery sensations of my second cl**ax already threaten to take over me with his every thrust. I gaze into his eyes, see the desperation, the franticness shading the beautiful blue depths and I know he’s close. So, so close.

“Say my name,” I whisper, needing him to know exactly who he’s with.

“Fable.”

I lift up, pressing my hands against his rock hard chest, and begin to ride him in earnest. “Say it again,” I murmur, closing my eyes for a brief moment, overcome with pleasure.

“Fable. God, I’m going to—” He arches into me as he completely loses control and I open my eyes, watch him as he shudders and shakes beneath me. All the while, his eyes are still locked with mine, never breaking the connection and it’s by far the most intimate encounter I’ve ever experienced with another person.

Collapsing on top of him, I drape my body across his, savoring how our heated skin feels so right pressed together. My head is on his chest, I can hear his heart beat rapidly against my ear. My eyes close of their own volition when he slides his big hands up and down my back, lulling me, comforting me.

“Thank you,” I hear him whisper and I snuggle in close, desperate not to break away from him yet.

“For what?” I need to hear him say it.

“For helping me push her out of my memories.” He tugs on my hair and I lift my head, meeting his gaze. “It worked.”

I smile lazily, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. “Really?”