Chapter 1

  Evie

  Now

  Eight in half years later

  “Oh my God!” Jax’s wife, Sophie, exclaimed, causing Caleb and me to jolt awake.

  We immediately covered our naked bodies with the sheet as my hands flew to my hammering skull.

  “My head is pounding,” I groaned, closing my eyes. “Please stop shouting, Sophie.”

  “What are you guys doing in bed together?”

  Caleb reached for his boxers. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  She gasped. “How long has this been going on? Does Jax know?”

  “No!” I called out. “And you’re not going to tell him either. This was just a drunken mistake.”

  “A mistake?” Caleb bit, eyeing me up and down. “That’s not what you were screaming last night.”

  I glared at him. “Listen, you arrogant asshole—”

  “Yeah? Well, this arrogant asshole made you come five times, and I’m only counting on my cock.”

  “Caleb!” I shrieked with wide eyes, shaking my head. “Stop talking and get dressed.”

  “Holy shit,” Sophie breathed out, bringing my attention back to her.

  “Please tell me this was just a drunken hook-up and you guys haven’t been sneaking around behind Jax’s back since your divorce, Caleb?”

  He didn’t pay her any mind, and I couldn’t understand why. This man spent years reminding me we couldn’t be together because of my brother. Now my sister-in-law just walked in on us naked, and he didn’t have a care in the world about it.

  He simply stood and threw on his black slacks, causing his abs to constrict from the harsh movement. It only emphasized the deep cut of his Adonis belt and six-pack that was right above his happy trail. His muscular physique was doing all sorts of things to my core when it shouldn’t. Even with a hangover from hell, my body still responded to the way his back muscles flexed while his toned arms were prominently on display.

  My thighs clenched the moment he realized I was gawking at him, but it was the much-needed reprieve to my defenses against him.

  Damn you, tequila.

  Never. Again.

  “Is someone going to answer me, or am I going to have to assume?”

  “Can I have some coffee before we get into this?”

  “Evie!” Sophie chastised. “It’s the morning after our vow renewal.”

  It was true. I ended up in bed with the best man.

  How freaking cliché is that?

  Jax and Sophie had been through so much. They deserved to be happy after months of pretending to be married. Although, they were actually married. Legally that is. My brother found her after he’d broke her heart years ago. He was coming off a scandal after his trade from Miami to Fort Worth. His management decided the best solution was for him to get married to take the heat off his fans thinking he was a traitor.

  After months of proving himself to Sophie, everything came to a head between them. The truth was finally out. There was a huge misunderstanding about how they fell apart to begin with. However, she finally knew who I was. Their whole family did. Thankfully, we didn’t have to hide our father’s secret anymore.

  His mother also knew the truth, and she filed for divorce the very next day. Neither one of us spoke to our father. I hadn’t for years, and I also hadn’t spoken to my mother either. Jax was all I had, but now his new family was included in my life too.

  Sophie was everything I ever wanted in a sister. I felt horrible about the situation we suddenly found ourselves in with her. I didn’t think she would walk in on us. Which was precisely the problem.

  I didn’t think at all.

  Once again, after years of us staying away from one another, I fell victim to Caleb’s bullshit charm, and it was as toxic as us waking up in this bed together.

  “You do realize in a few hours this house is going to be filled with family and friends again for our luncheon, right? When are we supposed to have this conversation?”

  I shrugged. “How about never?”

  “What Evie is trying to say,” Caleb chimed in, “is that we have a lot to discuss before we can—”

  “We have absolutely nothing to discuss. I drank too much tequila and made stupid decisions. It won’t happen ever again. End of conversation.”

  He narrowed his enticing hazel eyes at me for a second before his gaze shifted to Sophie.

  “Can you give us some privacy? Evie and I need to talk.”

  I shook my head at Sophie, silently praying she wouldn’t listen to him and leave. The last thing I wanted was to get her involved, but it was becoming clear I didn’t have a choice in the matter.

  “Ummm…” Her stare went back and forth between us until it settled on me. “Why do I feel like this isn’t the first time you guys have slept together?”

  “I wouldn’t call what we did sleeping.”

  “Caleb! Oh my God! Who are you right now?” My eyes snapped to Sophie’s. “It’s not what you think.”

  I needed her to understand this wasn’t serious between us. It was just a mistake. A very stupid mistake I already regretted.

  Evie, what did you do?

  “I can’t imagine what Jax would have done if he was the one who walked in on you and not me.”

  “Well,” Caleb emphasized, sliding on his dress shirt. “For one, he would have knocked.”

  “Caleb!”

  “What? You want to pretend like last night didn’t happen? I hate to break it to you, darlin’, but you look thoroughly fucked. Not to mention, I left marks all over you, so good luck covering those up.”

  I threw my hands up in the air, exhausted with all of this. There was only so much I could take, and I was reaching my breaking point.

  Sophie must have noticed because she quickly excused herself, leaving us alone. However, I could tell by the expression on her face that this conversation was far from over. She would get to the bottom of Caleb and me.

  Except, I barely understood us.

  Grabbing my silk robe from the end of the bed, I carefully slid it on. When I lifted my gaze to meet Caleb’s, he was grinning at me like a fool.

  “You were sitting on my face a couple of hours ago. Isn’t it a little late to play coy?”

  I glared at him again, standing tall while tying my robe into a tight knot.

  Taking a step in my direction, he baited, “You think that’s going to keep me away?”

  I stepped back and held my hand out in front of me, halting his descent.

  “You can gloat all you want, but you’re never going to see me naked again.”

  “I can see you naked anytime I want. All I have to do is close my eyes and fuck my fist to the memory of you riding my cock.”

  “Why are you talking to me like this?”

  “How would you like me to speak to you, Evie?”

  “Not like this. You spent the last … what? Eight years ignoring me? Now I’m supposed to suddenly swoon over you because we casually hooked up? Get over yourself, Caleb. I want nothing to do with you.”

  “Darlin’, your pussy contradicts you. It still loves me.”

  “There’s a very thin line between love and hate, asshole.”

  “I meant everything I said to you last night.”

  I jerked back, confused. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  My response finally got his attention. “You don’t remember?”

  “Does it look like I do?”

  “What’s the last thing you recall?”

  I blinked while hasty images of last night tore through my mind. One right after the other with no end in sight.

  His lips slammed onto mine. “Fuck, I missed you…”

  My head hit the wall as he slid my panties to the side, rubbing my clit in a back and forth motion.

  “Jesus, you’re soaking wet. When was the last time someone touched you, Evie?”

  “What?” I moaned, taken aback.

  “You heard me, but I’ll elaborate. When’s the last time someone made your sweet cunt come?”

  My eyes rolled to the back of my head. “Stop talking.”

  He grinned against my mouth. “That long, huh?” To prove his point, he slid two fingers inside of me, going right for my g-spot.

  I leaned into his hand, rocking against it. “We’re not having this conversation.”

  “Great, seeing as I have no desire other than to make you come down my hand. Give it to me, Evie.”

  Faster and faster, I swayed my hips in the opposite direction of his skilled fingers.

  “Let me love you, darlin’.”

  My eyes shot open. “What?”

  “Did I stutter?”

  “You can’t just—”

  “What? Huh? What can’t I do? Tell me as I get on my knees in front of you.”

  “Caleb, please…”

  “Of course, darlin’. How can I say no when you’ve asked so fucking nicely?” In one swift motion, he did exactly that.

  The liquor coursing through my veins had me losing all sense of reason when it came to him. We were at my brother’s vow renewal, in a corner of his house where anyone could catch us. The thrill of getting caught was as much of an aphrodisiac as all the booze in my blood.

  For the first time in over eight years, we were hooking up.

  Chapter 2

  Evie

  The subtle touch of his lips against my silk panties had me melting into his embrace, making my body shudder and head spin.

  Lightly, he bit my clit through my panties. “This what you want, Evie? My mouth on you? Tell me … I want to hear you beg for my love.”

  “Caleb, stop saying the word love.”

  He roughly pulled my panties to the side to blow on my clit. “Then tell me you don’t want this… Tell me you don’t think about me anymore… Tell me you’ve never made yourself come to the memory of my tongue fucking your cunt.”

  “Holy shit, just stop talking.”

  “I’ll stop when you tell me you still love me… Just say the words, and I’m forever yours.”

  I gripped onto his hair. “Caleb,” I panted, trying to form a coherent sentence while he rubbed my clit with his hand.

  “You don’t know me, and you never did.”

  “Bullshit. I know what it feels like when you come.” He slid his fingers back inside of me in a much more demanding way than before. “I know how your face gets flushed. How your breathing elevates, and you moan the sweetest fucking sound as you whimper my name. I know your pussy pulsates so goddamn tight that it pushes my fingers out, just like it is right now.”

  I bit my bottom lip and suppressed another moan, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of how well he still knew my body.

  “I know what you taste like, but most importantly, I know what it feels like to be inside you.”

  I gasped the second he sucked my clit into his mouth.

  “And I’m not talking about your sweet cunt. I’m talking about your heart. You’re going to let me back into your life, Evie. Because that’s what I want. You and me. Then. Now. Always.”

  There was no holding back—I was about to come.

  “You want me, darlin’?”

  Silence. Not one word from me.

  “You’ve always been a stubborn little shit. It was one of my favorite things about you. Nice to know you haven’t changed and my girl is still the same.”

  I snapped, “I’m not your girl.”

  He chuckled before making love to me with his mouth. It didn’t take long until I was crazy with desire for him. Right as I was about to come, he moved his finger and lips away as he threatened,“Tell me or I’ll stop.”

  “Oh, come on,” I griped in distress.

  “I’ll give you what you need as soon as you give me what I want. Now tell me.”

  Without giving it another thought, I shoved him away and sternly stated, “Not a chance in hell.”

  I took a step, about to leave, but he used my own momentum against me. He gripped onto my wrist and spun me around until my face was against the wall and the front of his body was along my back.

  “You stubborn little shit,” he whispered in my ear from behind me. The sound of his belt unbuckling was loud and sharp, echoing off the walls. His zipper was next, and the removal of both felt like atomic bombs. My mind and heart raged war with one another, knowing what would come next.

  “Don’t worry, darlin’. I have no problem fucking it right out of you.”

  I opened my mouth to reply at the same exact moment he thrusted deep inside of me.

  Immediately, I shook away the memory, fucking seething, “You didn’t use a condom!”

  He smiled, fully aware of what I just remembered.

  “Evie, since when have we ever used condoms?”

  Unable to resist, I pushed him. “That was before, asshole! Who the hell knows how many women you’ve been—”

  “There was Tessa, and then there was you.”

  “You’ve been divorced for almost a year. You really think I believe you haven’t had sex since your wife?”

  He folded his arms over his chest. “Why would I lie? And it’s been more than a year.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means last night was the first time I’ve had sex since my daughter, Ariel, was conceived.”

  “Ariel is five.”

  He smirked, loving the fact that I knew how old his baby girl was.

  “What are you going to tell me next, Caleb? Before Ariel you didn’t have sex since your son, Ethan, was conceived two years prior?”

  “I don’t have to. You just did.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You must really think I’m stupid if you expect me to believe you’ve only had sex with your wife twice.”

  “She’s not my wife.”

  “Whatever. Your ex-wife.”

  “Darlin’, there’s a lot you don’t know.”

  “I’m sure there is.” I nodded. “It’s what happens when you completely cut someone out of your life.”

  “I had no choice.”

  “You always have a choice, Caleb. Just like you chose to marry Tessa, and then you chose to have two kids with her. Now you’re choosing to lie to me about how many times you’ve had sex with her. All your choices. Take some accountability for once.”

  “Alright, if you insist. The first choice I’ve made in a long time was to divorce Tessa. The second was to bury my face in between your legs. Satisfied? Or do you need my mouth on your pussy again? Trust me, darlin’. I could eat you all day.”

  “Stop,” I roared, becoming furious. “I don’t need to hear your lies anymore. Last night was a mistake that was stirred solely by way too many shots of tequila. I barely remember any of it, especially what you claim you said to me.”

  “You remember enough that if I touched your pussy right now it’d be wet,” he paused for effect. “For me.”

  “We’re done now.”

  Instantly, I spun, but he gripped onto my arm and made me face him again. His mouth was now inches away from mine.

  “The fuck we are. If anything, this has only begun between us.”

  “I have nothing else to say to you.”

  “Well, I have plenty to say to you. Starting with, I never stopped lov—”

  I shoved him as hard as I could, and he barely wavered, which only infuriated me further.

  “Fuck off, Caleb.”

  “I’d much rather fuck you. Again. But I have no problem proving myself to you this time around, so please let me. I want to make things right between us.”

  “I’m not the one who pushed you away.”

  “I know, darlin’, but—”

  “But nothing! Everything is still the same. Jax is still my brother. I’m still his sister. He’s still your client and best friend. The only thing that’s changed is the time I’ve wasted since you approached me last night.”

  “Evie, let me worry about Jax.”

  “Oh! Now you want to handle Jax? How convenient for you. What else would you like, Caleb? My heart and soul?”

  “Yes, but I’ll start with being your friend.”

  “We were never friends.”

  “You’re right. We were so much more than that.”

  “That’s not how I remember it.”

  “Then let me remind you of the man who saved you once.”

  I yanked my arm away. “I don’t want to remember him. I spent years trying to forget him.”

  “Evie, just let me explain.”

  “You’re a day late and a dollar short. I don’t care to hear your bullshit anymore. I’m not that doe-eyed young girl who loved you. She’s gone, Caleb, and she’s never coming back. Get used to it. Last night I was horny, and you were available. End. Of. Story.”

  With that, I turned around and rushed toward the bathroom, making sure I locked it behind me, needing to keep him out. It was where he belonged.

  I turned on the shower, trying to tune out the memories of last night. It was nearly impossible. Especially when I took off my robe and looked in the mirror.

  The truth was staring me in the face. He wasn’t lying—there were marks on my neck, my breasts, stomach and thighs.

  Fucking bastard.

  It didn’t take a genius to figure out he did it on purpose. He wanted to mark me, claim me, make me remember the night we shared, and I hated him more for it. The audacity of that man was inconceivable. He had some brass balls, but he always had.

  Deciding to shake off the anger, I stepped into the hot shower, wanting to wash away any stench of him on my skin. When I made my way back into the bedroom, he was nowhere to be found. Not that I expected him to be.

  Once again, taking a deep, reassuring breath, I reached for my overnight bag and grabbed the maxi dress I was going to wear today. Something else fell onto the bed. Right there before my eyes was our past glaring at me with a blaze of glory.

  Damn you, Caleb. How did he still have this?

  It was the first photo we ever took together. The same night he saved me, catapulting my mind back to another place and time.

  When I fell for the man who’d only end up breaking me.