“Yeah? Well, she’s forgotten you completely.”

  He stepped closer and said, “I know you’re still angry with me.”

  “Gee, I thought I was hiding it better.”

  “If I had stayed, I don’t know how things would have ended up. I was drinking more every day, and your mother—”

  “Do not talk about my mother. You lost that right the day you left. Now, I’m getting really bored with you so I’m going to rejoin my friend.”

  I left Dad standing in the entryway of the diner and returned to my table. Sliding into my seat, I said, “Sorry about that.”

  “You okay?”

  “I am now.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Butler said hesitantly.

  “It’s a story as old as time. Father leaves his original family to pursue a new shinier version.”

  He reached across the table and took my hand. “How old were you when it happened?”

  “Old enough to still feel the anger.”

  “Then I officially have a big problem with him.” He gave my hand a slight squeeze.

  The hint of a smile crossed my lips. “It’s nice having you on my side.”

  “I got yo back, babe.”

  Our gaze locked for several seconds with the familiar pull that occurred whenever I was near this man.

  “Whatcha say we get our food to go and hide out at your place? I’m feeling a little stressed,” I said.

  “I know just the thing to relax you.”

  While Butler went to get the boxes for our food, I leaned back in the booth and blew out a trembling sigh. The last time I’d seen my dad was at the lawyer’s office when we tied up the loose ends of putting the house in Mom’s name. Since that day he had attempted to contact me various times over the years, leaving messages, but I never returned his calls. I didn’t see the point. He had stopped being my dad and became the man who abandoned my mom. Whether or not I was right keeping him out of my life, I wasn’t sure. The only thing I was positive about was that my heart still wasn’t in a forgiving mood.

  Present

  Scrunching my face tightly, I pushed. “It doesn’t fit.”

  “Give it a chance. It’s just a little snug,” Butler coached.

  “This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said I needed something to relax me.” We were sitting at his dining table with Scooby-Doo puzzle pieces scattered in front of us.

  “Puzzles are the best thing for stress.”

  “Giving it or relieving it?” I smirked.

  “You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

  “I would never!”

  “Puzzles focus you, give you a sense of purpose and accomplishment. All while drowning out the world.”

  “You’re putting a lot of pressure on Scoob and the gang.”

  “Exactly what did you have in mind as a de-stressor?” Leaning over, Butler nuzzled just beneath my earlobe before placing a soft kiss on the side of my neck. Waves of tingles rippled up and down my body.

  Tilting my head to the side, I said, “You seem to be hitting the right pressure points.”

  The tip of his nose ran the length of my neck inhaling along the way. My lungs constricted, holding my breath captive.

  “You smell so good, Evie.”

  The sound of his voice whispering my name caused me to squirm in the chair. I tried to hide how much he was affecting me. Focusing on the puzzle, I said, “It’s the burger and onion combo.”

  A chuckle vibrated his lips, tickling and heating my skin. “The aroma is quite intoxicating.” Butler nibbled his way along my jawline.

  I shifted to face him. The lust in his dark eyes was unmistakable. As his hands slid up my thighs, I pressed my lips to his.

  Tugging on the hem of his shirt, I pushed it up, needing to feel his skin against mine. Sensing what I was going for, Butler pulled back and peeled off his shirt. His lips were back on mine immediately, devouring every inch of my mouth. His hands slipped to my ass and he pulled me toward him. I straddled him, sinking my hands into his dark hair. The music I’d heard playing was suddenly drowned out by our moans and heavy breathing.

  Leaning back, I broke the kiss. “Are you sure about this? I don’t want you to feel like you’re skipping steps.”

  Swallowing hard, Butler licked his lips, and tried to control his panting. “Orange sherbet, grad school, George Eliot, and you’re not a fan of your father. I think those are pretty substantial steps.”

  Before he was able to utter another word, I stripped off my sweater, thankful I’d worn the sexy black underwear. I went back in to continue the kiss when Butler stopped me.

  “Fuck, Evie…”

  “What? Is something wrong?”

  “You’re beautiful.”

  My chest flooded with a tsunami of emotions. “You’re incredible. I’ve never met anyone like you. Now please fuck me before I explode.” I whispered, leaning back into the kiss.

  Hesitation fell over his expression.

  “Butler, I want this. I want you. I’m not going anywhere.”

  I knew the last part would be looked at as a lie later, but I couldn’t help myself. In this moment, every part of my being believed and felt the words that came out of my mouth were the truth.

  Butler’s lips pressed hard against mine as his arms tightened around my waist. Without even straining, he stood, allowing my legs to take their rightful place firmly encircling his hips. As he carried me to the bedroom, I felt just how much Butler wanted me. With each step I got wetter and more turned on, to the point I had to begin rocking my hips against his toned abs to get relief. The anticipation was killing me.

  Butler gently laid me across his bed. With his hands on either side of my head, he hovered above, looking at me. I wiggled under his gaze and reached for his jeans. His hips lifted up just enough for them to be out of my grasp.

  “That’s not nice,” I panted.

  “It wasn’t meant to be.” He smirked.

  Starting at my forehead, Butler kissed his way down. As he traveled the kisses got wetter and hotter, and so did I. He made a quick stop at my mouth, plunging his tongue deep inside before continuing on his journey down my body. He nibbled along my neck and across my collarbone. My nipples were achingly hard and needed to be sucked. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait much longer. Moving the black lace to the side, Butler’s magical tongue circled one nipple, while pinching the other between his calloused fingers. My body was barreling toward the edge of ecstasy. I wanted to come, I needed to come, I was on the verge of coming, when he stopped.

  “Ugh! Butler!”

  “I want to make sure you’re good and relaxed.” He smiled at me from my cleavage.

  His tongue continued to work its magic on my right breast while his hand slid the bra strap down. Every nerve ending in my body was screaming. I wanted him inside me, but I also wanted this to last forever. Licking his way to the left, he repeated the movement until both breasts were free. Leaning up on my elbows, I watched Butler’s hand travel to my back, unhook my bra, and toss it over my head.

  He undid my jeans and slipped them and my underwear off. The slap of cool air between my legs caused a shiver to jolt my body. I writhed, anxious for Butler to be inside me. I wanted the connection to him and only him. I had never felt this taken care of or desired. Butler’s sole focus was pleasing me and only me.

  Crawling up my body, he settled between my legs and stared down at me. God, his look alone almost had me coming undone right there and then. Looking into his beautiful face a twinge pierced my stomach. It wasn’t until this very moment that I realized how intense my loneliness was and how low I’d felt for such a long time. Panic clenched my chest at the fearful thought that there was a great possibility Butler was indeed my person, my cute nerd, my home.

  A tear bubbled up and spilled over the side of my face.

  Butler’s brows furrowed with concern. “Are you okay, Evie? Did I hurt you?”

  “No, you didn’t hurt me,” I said, words trembling, head shaking.

  Lifting his thumb to my face, he gently wiped the tear away. “Then why the tears?”

  My head and my heart played tug-of-war with my word choice. In the end, I simply whispered, “You make me happy.”

  I didn’t mean to expose myself this much or this fast. It just happened. Like being drawn to this man who popped into my life unexpectedly. I wasn’t looking for him, but somehow, he found me, and I was so thrilled he did.

  A sexy grin spread across his face. Leaning down, Butler’s lips brushed mine. “That’s my job. That’s what you pay me for.” His grin slipped away, replaced by a serious expression. “Evie, from the first day I saw you I was knocked off-balance. You overwhelm me.”

  Sinking my fingers into his hair, I pulled him down to my parted lips. Butler’s tongue slipped inside, taking its sweet time exploring. The fire inside me grew, the flames licking every part of my body. Tightening my legs around him, I tried without success to slip his pants off. Reading my movements, he broke free from me and quickly whipped off his pants and boxers. Within seconds he was back on top of me where he belonged. The feel of his hard flesh against mine was exquisite. Running my fingernails down his back elicited a guttural moan that rumbled from his chest.

  “You drive me insane, Evie,” Butler murmured.

  “Ditto.”

  “I’m not just talking about…”

  Butler’s lips pursed together, stopping his words. I saw in his eyes that he didn’t understand the connection we shared any more than I did. We had already revealed more than either of us expected to today. No need to say something in the heat of passion that we’d both regret later. It would be extremely easy for me to have uttered the L word. By the expression on Butler’s face, I think it was sitting on the tip of his tongue as well. I was getting too lost in him too fast. I needed to regain some control.

  “Stop talking. I’m on the pill. Fuck me, please.”

  Butler’s hips began rocking into me. With each movement the sensations were more intense and all-consuming. Our bodies synced together perfectly. There was no awkwardness or clumsiness. It was as if we were made for each other.

  As Butler slid into me, my head tilted back, my back arching. Never in my life had I felt anything so incredible as this man inside me. Butler’s hips ground harder against me; my nails dug into his flesh. The all-consuming wave of ecstasy caused my grip to tighten. I belonged here with him, and no matter how much my head argued with my heart, in this moment my heart was winning. Shifting, Butler tucked his strong thigh under my knee, forcing my legs to open wider and positioning my body in such a way that allowed him to sink even deeper inside. He was hitting all the pleasure points with expertise.

  Tremors took over as my body quickly convulsed with the most intense and powerful orgasm I had ever experienced. My legs clenched like a vice around Butler’s hips as I held on, and he pumped voraciously into me until he fell over the edge and into my arms.

  I squeezed my arms and legs even tighter around his body. I wanted this moment to last as long as possible. It was obvious Butler felt the same way, making no attempt to disconnect from me. We lay silent in the dimly lit bedroom, our erratic breathing filling the air and our sweat-slick bodies glued to each other.

  When our breathing regulated, Butler pushed up onto his elbows and gazed down at me. The look in his eyes was earth shattering. If I stared any longer, I’d have another orgasmic experience in record time.

  “Evie, I…”

  I cupped the side of his face. “Would you hold me?”

  “It was next on my list.”

  Butler shifted, moving off of me, but never lost contact with my body. As he laid on his back, I snuggled into his side, his arm wrapping securely around my shoulders. The room filled with quiet contentment. Butler’s thumb slowly swirled small circles over my upper arm. His outstanding sexual prowess had my body completely relaxed. The intangible bond we shared soothed my mind, heart, and soul. I not only felt safe in his arms, I felt safe with him. The realization hit me: Butler was my home. Before I knew it, my eyelids fluttered shut and the entire world disappeared.

  Present

  My eyes eased open at the warm touch of Butler’s lips on the back of my shoulder. Never had I been this satisfied. I was floating on cloud nine when suddenly it dawned on me how dark the room was. My gaze flitted over to one of the blind-covered windows. Peering between the slats I could see that not only was the room dark, it was dark outside.

  Fuck!

  I must have slept a lot longer than I thought. Panic ran through me like wildfire. My thoughts scrambling.

  Butler.

  Mom.

  Saturday.

  Liza.

  Dark.

  Liza doesn’t drive after dark.

  Not wanting to cause a scene that would prompt questions, I slowly scooted out from under Butler’s arm, taking great care not to disturb him. After each slight shift, I stopped, making sure his breathing remained steady and his eyes closed. Once at the edge of the bed, I carefully eased off the mattress. Spotting my jeans and underwear, I snatched them from the floor and stepped into both at the same time. The pair were halfway up my thighs when a loud growl emanated from the bed. Butler repositioned. I froze, my pulse throbbing faster and faster in my ears.

  “Evie?” he moaned, slinging his arm to the side in search of me.

  Holding my breath, I waited a few seconds to make sure Butler wasn’t waking up before hoisting my panties and jeans the rest of the way up. I scanned the pitch-dark room for my bra. My black bra. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. I remembered the lace flying over my head. Tiptoeing to the other side of the bed where Butler was thankfully still in a deep sleep, I spotted the puddle of lace right in front of the nightstand. With catlike quickness, I shoved my arms through the straps and hooked it. In my mind’s eye I saw my sweater, socks, boots, and purse in the other room. I just had to grab them and I would be out the door in a flash.

  Wanting one more look at Butler, my gaze dropped and my breath stopped. He looked so peaceful and happy, a ghost of a smile across his beautiful face. I liked to think it was there because of me. I shook my head free of the fantasy I’d been living in for the past few hours and forced myself to turn toward the door. I was about to step away when a large warm hand grabbed my wrist.

  Fuck!

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Butler whispered.

  “Shhh, go back to sleep.”

  He tugged on my arm. “Come back to bed.”

  “I can’t…I have to…study.”

  Still holding my hand, Butler sat up and turned on the lamp next to his bed. His skin took on a golden tan in the dim light. Looking into his heated eyes, my knees weakened making it easier for Butler to pull me toward him. My hands landed flat against his chest as my hair fell forward, framing us in red strands.

  Butler whispered his words over my lips. “Don’t go.”

  “I don’t want to, but…” The tip of his nose ran the length of my jawline, causing tingles to hopscotch over my skin.

  Stopping at my ear, he whispered, “Stay with me.”

  “You have no idea how much I want to, but…”

  Butler’s hands moved to the back of my neck, making my head tilt to the side, giving his lips more area to explore. I was on the precipice of falling under his spell when out of the corner of my eye I saw the clock on the nightstand. I was an hour late! I tried to remain calm on the outside—Butler didn’t need to see the roaring panic attack beneath the surface.

  Forcing myself to stand, I said, “I’m sorry. I have to go study for a huge exam.”

  “You can study here. I’ll set you up in my office and bring you coffee and snacks. Let’s get your stuff.”

  God, he was adorable and delusional. If I were, in fact, a real grad student, there would be no way I could study with Butler around.

  He started to get out of bed, but I stopped him. “While the idea of you serving me is hot, we both know I wouldn’t get any studying done if I did it here. I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me.”

  Looking up at me, he said, “I could never hate you, Evie.”

  I hoped that would stay true.

  “I gotta get out of here.” My gaze locked with his before I gathered the strength to turn and walk away.

  In the next room, my things were exactly where I’d dropped them. I stepped into my socks and boots, my head was just peeking through the top of my sweater when a clothed Butler walked into the room.

  Grabbing my purse, I slung it over my shoulder. “Thank you for an incredible time.”

  Standing in front of me, he smiled. “And thank you. When can I see you again?”

  “I’ll have to check my schedule, but definitely soon.”

  We stared at each other for several seconds, enjoying the view.

  Clearing his throat, Butler said, “We better get you home before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you back to my bedroom. Let me grab my keys.” He took off toward the entryway table where he kept his car keys.

  “Butler, there’s no need for you to follow me home. I’ll text like last time.”

  “You never let me be the gentleman my mother raised. Are you hiding something from me, Evie Chapman?” he teased.

  Beads of sweat popped up on the back of my neck. “Of course not. Why would you think that?”

  “I’m joking with you, babe.”

  “I knew that.” I tried to make my tone light and airy. “Your mother has nothing to worry about. You are the perfect gentleman. Except when you were doing that thing with your tongue.”

  A growl rumbled from Butler’s chest. “You’re killing me. Text me when you get home.”

  “I will.”

  I placed a quick peck on his lips before hurrying out the door. Once in my car I pulled out my phone. Holding it in one hand, I eyed the missed calls and texts. There were a few from Maine, but mostly from a concerned, then pissed Liza. Tossing the phone onto the passenger’s seat, I told the car to call her. She answered before the first ring was over.

  “Ms. Chap…I mean, Evie, are you okay?’ Judging by the tone in her voice, she had swung from anger back to concern. I appreciated that.

 

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