“Oh God, baby,” he whispered, closing his eyes. “I love when you love me like that.”

  She loved watching the ecstasy play across his gorgeous face. He was every woman’s fantasy, and he belonged to her. If she’d been afraid of whether she could still satisfy him in the bedroom after what she’d endured, he erased her fears with every moan and whisper. He made her name sound like a prayer, and that was how he made her feel, like the answer to his prayers.

  “I need to feel your arms around me, D.”

  He enclosed her in his strong arms, bringing her down on his chest. “I love you, baby.” He grazed her cheek with his lips. “More every single day.”

  “Show me,” she said, kissing his neck. “Make love to me. Don’t hold back. Show me how much you want me, how much you need me. Prove to me that I’m the only woman you want, the only woman you’ll ever want.”

  “Easy.” He gripped her hips, guiding her slowly before picking up the pace. “You see how we fit, Sabrina?”

  “Yes…” She buried her face in his neck, getting lost in the moment. “God, yes.”

  “You see how incredible this feels?” His voice was deep and raspy as he worked to steal her breath. “Nothing, and I mean nothing, has ever felt better than being buried inside you like this. I want this feeling to last forever. I want to make it last forever for you, baby.”

  “Yes.”

  “It can be like this every night. You know it can.”

  She moaned, feeling the rush of another orgasm sneaking up on her. “I want you.” Right here. In my bed. Every night. I don’t ever want you to leave.

  “You’ve got me.” He kissed her shoulder. “I’m yours for as long as you want me.”

  Forever. I want you forever, D. But that wasn’t the time for proclamations. She needed to take time, to figure out how much she was willing to compromise. When her body was doing the thinking, she’d give him anything he wanted, but she knew she couldn’t make life-altering decisions on the cusp of a mind-numbing orgasm.

  Her body trembled as he rocked in and out of her, filling her, stretching her, making her beg for more as she sobbed with the force of her release. She didn’t even have time to catch her breath before she felt a hot surge spreading through her. They’d made love like that dozens of times, but it had never felt so right. She’d never felt so committed, so invested, so in love.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dylan felt like a new man as he carried a breakfast tray in to Sabrina the following morning, and it wasn’t just because of the hot sex. They’d made a connection last night, a connection that went beyond what they’d shared before. While he didn’t want to rush her, he was dying to know what it meant for them moving forward.

  “Hey, gorgeous.” He brushed her hair out of her face after setting the tray on her oversized nightstand. “It’s time to wake up. I made you breakfast.”

  She rubbed her eyes before covering them to block the light seeping in through the blind. Sabrina had never been a morning person, and he knew better than to try to talk to her before she’d had her coffee, so he fluffed her pillows before passing her a cup of her favorite Columbian.

  She grumbled a little, which he found endearing, before muttering her thanks. “It’s Saturday. Why do we have to get up so early?”

  “I thought we might hit the gym.” He intended to have a word with her trainer, just to make sure Blaise understood Sabrina was definitely off limits. “Then I need to pass by my place and pick up a few more things.”

  “Just a few more things?” She sipped the hot coffee slowly. “You can bring whatever you want, D. I have plenty of closet space.”

  She wasn’t exactly asking him to move in with her, but it was a step in the right direction. “Your brother has a game in town tomorrow. You wanna go?”

  “Sure,” she said, eyeing the breakfast tray. “Since you told him about us, we don’t have to keep our relationship under wraps anymore.”

  “Does it bother you that I told Dalton?” Dylan knew he should have talked to her about it first, but he hadn’t wanted to hear her objections. Dalton had been his friend and teammate for years. He knew once he told Dalton how much Sabrina meant to him, his friend wouldn’t object to their relationship.

  “No, it doesn’t bother me.” She snagged a piece of buttered toast off the tray. “You know I can’t possibly eat all this food, right?”

  He’d made her bacon, eggs, and toast, assuming after the night they’d had, she’d need the fuel. “I’ll eat some.”

  She held out the toast and smiled when he took a bite. “You mean you’ll eat most of it. You still eat like a professional football player and manage to have a six-pack. It’s not fair.”

  “Must be my metabolism.” He grinned when she scowled. Picking up a piece of bacon, he held it out for her to take a bite before he did the same. “Your parents might be at the game tomorrow. Are you okay with that?”

  She frowned. “Ugh, I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe we should skip it. I’m not ready to deal with my father yet.”

  After popping the last of the bacon into his mouth, he settled the tray over her legs. “You can’t avoid him forever, you know. He is your father, and I know you love him. I don’t agree with his approach, but I have to assume he was just trying to protect you.”

  “I think the only thing he was concerned about protecting was his precious company.”

  “Baby, I’ve known Tom a long time. He represented me for years. He’s a lot of things—arrogant, opinionated, domineering—but in spite of his faults, I know for sure that he loves his family.”

  “I know he does. He just…” She bit her lip, staring at the tray. “The way he reacted to this just threw me. I thought he would be the first to demand I press charges after what that bastard did to me. Instead he told me to let him get away with it. What kind of father does that?”

  Dylan didn’t agree with Tom’s approach and he certainly didn’t want to play the devil’s advocate, but he knew how much it was hurting Sabrina to be on the outs with her family. “Maybe you need to talk to him, tell him how you feel.”

  “That’s what my therapist said.”

  “You haven’t talked much about your therapy.” He ran a hand up her thigh. “After last night, I have to assume it’s going well.”

  “It is.” She slapped his hand when he tried to venture higher, and she grinned. “I really like Dr. Hunt. The fact that she’s been where I am makes it easier for me to talk to her.”

  “Good.”

  “I’ve talked to her about us too,” Sabrina said, picking up her fork. “She suggested maybe you could sit in on a session.”

  “Sure.”

  Her head shot up as though she’d been expecting a different response. “You wouldn’t mind?”

  “Why would I mind?” He reached for his own coffee mug from the tray. “If it’ll help you, I’m all for it.”

  “I thought…” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought maybe you’d think it was my problem and not want to get involved. With the therapy part, I mean.”

  “Honey,” he said gently, “your problems are my problems. I want us to be a team from now on. If I can do anything to make this easier for you, I will.”

  “You’re amazing, you know that?”

  “So I’ve been told.” He laughed when she backhanded his arm. “Finish eating while I grab a shower.”

  “I thought we were going to the gym. Why not shower later?”

  “Uh, I’m thinking I might need a cold shower. You look way too sexy all sleep-rumpled with my T-shirt on.”

  She patted the empty space beside her. “We could always forget about the gym, and you could come back to bed.”

  “No way. We’re going to the gym.”

  ***

  When they arrived at the gym an hour later, a kickboxing class was starting, and Dylan encouraged Sabrina to participate. It would give him the perfect opportunity to talk to her new friend.

  Dylan approached Blaise when he spotted him alone, stacking weights. “Hey, man, you got a minute?”

  Blaise grinned when he looked up. “You’re Dylan Clark, right?” He offered his hand. “I was a huge fan. Too bad that knee injury took you out before your time.”

  “It happens.” Dylan gripped the end of a barbell poised on a weight bench. “I hear you were a boxer? I don’t follow the sport. Were you any good?”

  “You don’t follow the sport?” Blaise smirked. “I thought High Rollers is all about sports?”

  “It is, but that doesn’t mean I follow all of them.” He knew who Blaise was, but he didn’t want to stroke his ego by admitting as much. “What took you out?”

  “Had my bell rung too many times.” He laughed. “After the third concussion, the doc told me I’d better hang up the gloves for good.”

  “That sucks.” Dylan, of all people, knew how hard it was to be taken out of the sport you loved before you were ready. “So now you’re here training people?” He didn’t mean to make it sound as though the job was beneath Blaise, but it came out sounding that way.

  “Sabrina must be good at keeping a secret.”

  Dylan didn’t like the idea of his girlfriend keeping secrets from him, especially when they involved a guy like Blaise. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I told her I bought this place, but asked her not to say anything until we’d made the official announcement. Nice to know I can trust her.”

  Dylan frowned. He didn’t want Blaise to feel comfortable trusting Sabrina with his secrets. Dylan was being jealous and irrational, but after the road they’d traveled to get back on track, he felt justified. “She mentioned you’re into Kiara. That true?”

  Blaise tried to hide his amusement by dipping his head, but Dylan caught a glimpse of his smile. “Would it make you feel better if I were?”

  “Honestly? Yeah, it would.”

  “Then I am.”

  “Are you just saying that to shut me up?”

  Blaise threw a towel over his shoulder before facing Dylan. “Sabrina’s exactly the kind of girl I’d go for. She’s hot, smart, sexy…” He grinned when Dylan glared at him. “But, dude, she’s totally into you. Trust me, you’ve got nothing to worry about on that front.”

  “How do you know that?” Dylan felt ridiculous asking for validation from a virtual stranger, but he couldn’t help himself. If Sabrina had said something to Blaise about him, he wanted to hear it.

  “She told me.” He moved to the barbell, adding plates and fastening them.

  “Huh.”

  Blaise laid down on the bench to press three hundred pounds, and Dylan moved behind to spot him. He’d spent half his life in a gym, as part of a team, and it seemed natural to offer Blaise assistance. Besides, he was beginning to think he could like the guy… as long as they were clear about Sabrina’s allegiance. Blaise struggled to press the weight numerous times before setting it down.

  He looked up at Dylan. “You satisfied I’m not after your girl now?”

  Dylan bit the inside of his cheek, trying to suppress his smile. “I guess.”

  “Good. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’d much rather talk fantasy football.”

  Laughing, Dylan said, “Man, if I can’t play the real thing, I don’t play.”

  ***

  Sabrina wasn’t surprised to see Kiara warming up for the next fitness class. Her friend always tried to hit the gym on Saturday morning, claiming she had to work off the cocktails from the night before.

  “Hey, you,” Kiara said, wrapping a clean towel around Sabrina’s neck and drawing her closer. “I wanted to call you last night, but I was afraid of interrupting something.” She wagged her eyebrows as she fired a look at Dylan over her shoulder. “Was I right to be concerned, or what?”

  “You were.” Sabrina giggled when Kiara clapped.

  “Yay! You and Dylan are back together! I’m so happy for you guys.”

  “Thanks, hon. We’re happy too.” A month ago, Sabrina hadn’t known if she’d ever be happy again, but having Dylan back in her life changed everything. “But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. We’re still feeling our way.”

  Kiara rolled her eyes. “I hope you don’t mean dragging your feet. The guy’s already living with you. Don’t tell me you’re not sure you’re compatible.”

  “No, we’re definitely compatible, but there are still some things we need to work out.”

  “You mean the whole marriage-and-kids thing?” Kiara walked with Sabrina to the cooler to refill her water bottle. “Have you guys talked about that at all?”

  “Not yet.” They couldn’t put it off forever, but Sabrina wanted to enjoy the happy glow of their new relationship before they introduced a subject that could easily put a damper on things. “But we will eventually.”

  “I know you’re scared,” Kiara said quietly, mindful of the people within earshot, “but this is Dylan we’re talking about, hon. That guy has been in love with you as long as I’ve known y’all.”

  “I know.” Sabrina leaned against the wall, watching as a pretty blond across the room chatted up Dylan while he secured more weight on his barbell. “But look at him, Kiara. He’s Dylan-freakin’-Clark, a football hall-of-famer and co-owner of one of most successful restaurant chains in the country. Girls like that are always going to throw themselves at him.”

  Kiara shot a quick glance at Dylan. “And he’s going to continue rejecting them as long as he has you waiting on him at home, so I don’t see the problem.”

  “The problem is I love him too much to deny him something he wants so much.”

  Kiara linked her arm through Sabrina’s. “Come on, I can catch the next class. Let’s go get a smoothie.”

  Sabrina allowed herself to be led away, but she couldn’t help sneaking one more peek at the girl flirting with her man. Dylan caught her eye and winked before rolling his eyes to let her know the attraction was entirely one-sided. God, she loved that man. He always knew exactly what to do or say to make her feel better.

  Sabrina and Kiara each ordered a small mixed-berry smoothie with whey protein before they settled into a corner booth.

  Kiara took a sip followed by another. “Mmm, that’s so good. Okay, back to Dylan. We all know he wants kids and he’d be a great dad. If you ask me, that makes him even hotter.”

  “I’d agree with you if I were equally as sure I’d be a good mom. But you know me. I’m not like Dylan—I’m not good with kids. I feel awkward around them, like I don’t know what to say or how to act.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Kiara said. “Remember last year when we helped Dylan with that Christmas Wish program? You were great, handing out presents to all those kids. They loved you.”

  “Only because I was giving them presents.” Sabrina wasn’t usually so negative, but she couldn’t wear blinders on this issue. Her entire future with Dylan was at stake. “You know that youth program he runs? I go with him sometimes, and he’s amazing with those kids. I mean, they really love and respect him.”

  Kiara snickered. “Of course they do. He was an NFL quarterback. Those boys think he’s a god.”

  “I want to be everything he needs me to be, but I have to be true to myself. I’ve never been able to pretend to be someone I’m not just to please other people.” She took a sip of her smoothie and wished she’d thought to order extra yogurt. “You know that’s why I kept my relationship with Dylan platonic for so long. I knew once we crossed that line, we’d be in trouble.”

  “Okay, you’ve been his friend, you’ve been his lover, you’ve been his girlfriend, and you’ve been his ex. Could you see yourself being his wife?”

  “I didn’t think I’d ever be anyone’s wife.” Sabrina took the lid off her drink to stir it. “But I have to admit, Dylan makes me think about things I’ve never thought about before. I love going home to him, and I miss him when he’s not there.”

  “That answers your question then, doesn’t it?”

  “Does it?” Sabrina wasn’t so sure. “You know this job involves a lot of travel. I was on the road more than a hundred days last year. So were you. That doesn’t make it easy to have a relationship.”

  “If anyone could understand that, it would be Dylan,” Kiara argued. “He was a professional athlete. He understands that travel goes with our line of work.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing. That man loves you as you are. He’s not trying to change you or get you to give up your career. You know he’d never do that. You’re making excuses because you’re afraid of making a life-long commitment that would mean giving up your freedom.”

  It wasn’t her freedom she was worried about—it was her free will. Being part of a couple sometimes meant doing things she didn’t want to do just to make him happy. Would her compromise involve having a baby she didn’t feel emotionally equipped to raise?

  “Have you talked to Dr. Hunt about this?” Kiara asked when Sabrina stayed silent.

  “Some, but we’ve been dealing with…” She glanced at the dozen patrons around them. None were paying attention to them, but she still chose her words carefully. “The other issue. I’m sure we’ll get around to my fear of commitment, as you call it, eventually.”

  “The sooner, the better, as far as I’m concerned,” Kiara said. “You can’t expect Dylan to wait around forever for you to make up your mind.”

  “Gee, thanks.” Kiara was right, but Sabrina still didn’t like being reminded that the clock was ticking.

  “It’s only because I love you so much that I feel the need to set you straight so often.” Kiara flashed the perfect smile Sabrina knew was the result of a painful year of wearing braces during her awkward pre-teen years.

  “Enough about me. Tell me what happened with Blaise when I left last night.” Sabrina was dying to know, but she’d known better than to ask before her friend was satisfied that they’d dissected Sabrina’s love life and looked at it under a microscope.

  “That guy is pretty hot, isn’t he?” Kiara rested her chin in her upturned palm. “Thank God he doesn’t have cauliflower ears like so many boxers. That would be a serious turn-off. I think he’s had his nose broken, but that only adds to his rugged sex appeal, don’t you think?”