She sighed. “Sounds like you, but shall we get back to work?”

  “We do have an hour for lunch.”

  Then we would quit working, and she would run out of excuses to talk to me. I had plenty of time to win her over entirely.

  25

  Elon

  Dinner was a simple affair, with no interruptions. Sam told us about school, and after initially denying he needed a tutor, admitted he could use extra help in some subjects. His teacher had sent a note detailing Sam's weaknesses. Sam then asked for permission to join a youth football team as practices started next week.

  He definitely had some of his mother in him. She’d been pretty shy in the past about expressing what she wanted and had always let me pick what we were going to do.

  So I liked that Sam spoke up for himself. I understood silence wasn’t always good.

  I needed Clarissa to talk to me about the important things.

  After dinner, Sam went upstairs, showered, and crawled under his blankets.

  Clarissa and I showered in our separate bathrooms, but I hoped to speak to Clarissa alone. So I tugged on the cotton pants and T-shirt I wore as nightclothes and headed out of my room.

  No one was in the hall. I opened Sam’s door to say good night, but he was already asleep. I went into his room, checked that he was under the covers, and brushed his hair back from his face.

  Somehow, he was the best thing I’d done in my life, and I’d not even known about him until recently. He was better than earning degrees and opening my business and expanding it.

  I felt somebody place a hand on my shoulder. Clarissa was behind me, and desire washed through me. She was in a silky black robe with a matching nightgown underneath.

  My heart pounded as she whispered in my ear, “I’m surprised you're here.”

  I stood. “Sam put himself to sleep.”

  She took my hand. “He usually does.”

  She led me out of Sam's bedroom into the hall.

  “I’m hoping that means he’s getting used to the new schedule,” I said.

  She pointed downstairs. My heart sped up. Talking with her was the first step. I needed to figure out what to do. Desire rushed through me, but part of me thought I needed to keep everything in check.

  When we were downstairs, we walked to the bar.

  “I think Sam’s still in the dream state where he feels safe and secure in a big house,” Clarissa said.

  I didn’t need my son living in fear of anything. I took out glasses, a bottle of wine, and a corkscrew. “It’s not a dream. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you or Sam.”

  She watched as I poured wine into the glasses. “You might get bored with me.”

  “I doubt that.”

  Day and night, all I wanted was to be near her.

  Her lips met mine, and I tugged her close.

  The passion inside me was too hot to handle. I brushed against her thighs, and it was like I was home. She dropped her robe. The black nightgown barely covered anything.

  I needed to be inside her more than I needed to breathe. She was into it as her hands were in my hair and tugging at the waistband of my pants. She succeeded in pulling my pants down.

  We continued kissing and touching each other.

  My one mission was to be inside her. I grabbed a condom from a side drawer. She took it from me and unwrapped it before I undressed her.

  She was gorgeous, and watching her breasts come free made me harder.

  She rolled the condom on me, and I kissed her neck and jaw. I suckled on her nipples as she arched her back.

  Clearly, she wanted this as much as me.

  She ran her hands all over my body and lifted her leg onto the built-in bar. My entire body was hard and ready as she gently tugged on my ass and directed me inside her. I held her thighs as I drove in hard and fast.

  Tonight, she’d skipped the conversation. I swore we’d talk later. I needed her, and she needed me.

  This was enough for now. I had her, and at this moment, we were one.

  26

  Elon

  My mind started to clear after I'd stayed inside her for just a few moments. I was in heaven.

  However, she looked uncomfortable, so I helped her down from the bar and slipped out.

  I still tasted her on my lips. She reached for her wine and not her clothes. My heart still stirred, but I took my glass too. “I thought we were going to drink wine and talk before we did anything else,” I said.

  She clinked glasses with me and let out a laugh. “That was the plan. At least, I think it was. Let’s drink the wine now.”

  Her confidence was a turn-on, and I couldn’t quite breathe. “Naked?”

  She stared at me quizzically, like I was the crazy one. “Is there a better way to enjoy wine?”

  “You’re not worried Sam might wake up?”

  She blushed and tugged on her robe.

  The truth was, I wasn’t ever this free. I took her hand and something sparked inside me. “Let’s go into the living room.”

  The sway of her hips was hypnotic. She squatted and sat on the floor instead of choosing the couch. I joined her. “I wanted to thank you for giving me the job. I think I’ll be good at helping you out with scheduling and—“

  “I don’t want to talk about work right now,” I interrupted, holding the stem of my glass tighter.

  She closed her eyes. “Right. I’m sorry.”

  My shoulder brushed hers, and my heart thumped. “Don’t be sorry. I was going to try and slow things down.”

  Her face took on a bright-pink blush .“Oh. Okay.”

  I assumed she didn’t understand at all. “I want to do right by you.”

  She lifted her chin and pressed a hand against my abs. “And I like that we’re enjoying each other. I found the outfit in the closet and decided I’d surprise you, hoping you enjoyed it.”

  My heart raced. “Oh, I did. I do. I was distracted.”

  She blinked and asked, “But I embarrassed you, and now you don’t want me anymore.”

  “I don’t get how you came to that conclusion.” Heat rose in my face. I'd made a mess of everything. I couldn’t get enough of her. I brushed her thigh. “It’s the opposite. I fucked up this whole conversation. I only want you, and working with you all day without being able to touch you drove me wild.”

  She took a sip of wine and leaned closer. “So you want to work naked?”

  I laughed, knew she was distracting me from asking more questions, and cupped her backside. “I want to be inside you fully, all the time.”

  “I want you too.”

  Our lips met. I was ready for more.

  She tasted better with every kiss. As we put down our glasses and kissed again, a thrill raced through me.

  One thought overwhelmed me. I was in love with Clarissa. She made me feel alive, and I’d never get enough of her.

  27

  Clarissa

  The evening was better than expected. It was amazing how free I was with Elon and how easy it was to show him how I felt without talking. I’d not had so much fun in a long, long time.

  Maybe it was the fact that I wasn’t afraid of him, though I still feared he’d grow tired of me, but today wasn’t that day.

  And all I wanted was to feel like we were together. I got he was a trillionaire, and I was the servants' daughter. Our worlds didn't mix. Years ago, he’d thought he’d broken my heart. I’d taken it as proof we weren’t meant to be, but now…

  I recognized Elon had always had trouble expressing himself. It was one of the sexiest things about him. We were a little alike in that way, and I’d recognized that. He'd always been so bottled up, and he needed me to help him.

  I took a deep breath and listened to the sound of the howling wind outside. The floor was getting cold, so I sat up. “We should probably bring this party upstairs, lover boy.”

  He jumped up. “With or without the wine?”

  “Bring it. Maybe by morning, we’ll finish it.”

  He cupped my ass. “Your room or mine?”

  I giggled. “Yours. It’s a little more distant from Sam’s room in case we make noise.”

  We made it to the stairs, and I took his hand. He kissed my cheek and whispered, “We can be quiet.”

  Neither of us said a word as we made it to the landing and then past Sam’s room. Elon held his bedroom door open for me and closed it after he was inside the room.

  I took a deep breath, placed my clothes on a chair, and gestured to the bathroom. “You can join me in the shower.”

  I shook my hips a little more than usual as I strutted to the bathroom.

  The tone of his voice went higher. “Shower?”

  He came into the bathroom, and I flipped on the water and then turned toward him. Somehow even his dick had grown thicker and more mature just as he had in the years we were apart.

  “I worked you hard downstairs," I said. "It’s time to ensure you’re clean.”

  I stepped in and refused to dwell on the fact that I sounded like someone else entirely. I put my head under the water. He stood at the door, and I reached out to him. “You’re joining me?”

  He walked inside, and I stepped back for him to enjoy the water.

  He started to sponge himself, so I reached over him. “I’ll be washing your back.”

  I ran my fingers over his muscles that he’d clearly worked to develop. As the water rushed down, taking the bubbles away, he said, “Your confidence tonight is sexy.”

  I laughed and reached around to clean his cock with the soap. “It’s you who gets that title.”

  He grew harder. I continued to stroke him, and he took the soap away.

  I didn’t stop, and soon his cock was standing at full attention. “Let’s turn this water off,” he said.

  He turned to face me, and my heart realized that it didn’t matter how different we were. We were together. “Why?”

  He lifted up my leg. “Because the water takes your natural lubrication, and I want you enjoying yourself.”

  My heart shifted. “Really?”

  His lips came closer, and my lips parted for a kiss. “I’m a doctor, remember?”

  My entire body trembled. I was ready. I said, “Well, doctor, I think the only remedy for me is your cock filling me.”

  “Your wish is my command.” He adjusted my position, and I used the shower wall for support. His hands pressed against my breasts as he pushed into me from behind.

  My eyes rolled back. I’d never been this turned on in my life. I lost control as he was still deep inside me.

  28

  Elon

  My heart was heavy as I realized this was the first time I’d lost this much control. As a doctor, I knew the risks of having sex without protection, but in my heart the only thing I truly feared was forcing Clarissa's hand.

  I needed her to choose me. I threw a towel around her and held her so she wouldn't shiver. “Let’s get you in the bed.”

  She walked with me, reaching up to touch my face. “I don’t mind that you lost your control with me.”

  My shoulders tightened. The last thing I’d ever do was hurt her. I swallowed and said, “I should have—“

  “I hate the word should.” She patted the bed. “Let’s lie down.”

  My mind raced, but I joined her. “We can get you the morning-after pill.”

  Her lips thinned, and she shook her head. “No, I don’t want it. Sam is the best thing that ever happened to me, and if we did it again...”

  Yet she wasn’t ready to commit to me. I lay down next to her and took her hand. “I never want to be a mindless jerk who doesn’t honor you.”

  She hugged me. “You aren’t. You haven’t. Elon… you couldn’t.”

  My heart thudded. She wasn’t the one who was supposed to be giving comfort. I was responsible. “You’re tired. Let’s rest a few minutes. I’m just glad you trusted me enough to be yourself.”

  She curled her legs into her and hugged herself as she stared at the wall. “Trust?”

  My pulse zipped. I closed my eyes, wishing I hadn't put her on guard. “I wish I’d not said that.”

  “Friends with benefits means—“

  "I don't want that with you." Blood pooled in my ears. I needed her to open up to me. “I told you that you were more than that to me.”

  She rocked like she was physically hurt. “I can’t offer more. I’m not good for you or a relationship.”

  I wished she trusted me. I wasn’t sure I should ask about her secrets, but my soul pushed me. “What happened to you, Clarissa?”

  She met my gaze and didn’t blink. “Hunter.”

  The man who'd hurt Sam. I swallowed. If she wanted to press charges, I could help her. “I hope you know you can trust me with the truth.”

  She glanced up at the chandelier over my bed and let out a small laugh. “I can’t trust anyone. I learned as a girl that I’m a burden, and I used to fear that you or anyone might see how unworthy I truly am.”

  I had no idea how to change her mind on that one. She had never been a burden. She was the only person I'd ever wanted to spend every second with. I swallowed and hoped I found the right words. “That’s not—“

  “I wanted to ensure Sam never once felt like he was unworthy, and I've tried to be a great mom to him.”

  “You are,” I said quickly. She hadn’t had much money, but that wasn't important. In my own childhood, it had been the simple things like a hug when I scraped my knee that made me love Roxanne Norouzi. My adoptive mother had been there for me at every event of my life—that counted.

  She wiped a tear from her eye. “I wanted to be like your mom, who protected you from the horrors of the world.”

  I offered my hand and let our linked hands rest between us. “Maman is great, and she wishes she was there for you too.”

  She uncurled her legs but shook her head. “There is a good reason I can’t be like Roxanne, and it’s not just money.”

  I whispered, “Your parents are gone now from our lives.”

  “Doesn’t matter where they are.” She snorted. ”They taught me the truth about myself. I was clearly targeted because I’m weak, and I brought Sam and me hell.”

  I met her gaze. “What happened?”

  She lowered her head. “I… I wasn’t looking to date anyone. We met a few months ago, and I didn’t have my guard up. I let Hunter into our lives as a friend… but then he raped me.”

  My entire body tensed. I wanted to find him and murder him with my bare hands. The level of violence inside me hit me like a punch. I took a breath, calmed down, and asked in an even tone I would use with a patient, “He what?”

  Tears streamed down her face, and she sobbed. I ached to hold her, but I was afraid that would push her away. She swallowed and wiped her eyes. “I said no, but he didn’t care. The next day he came back and beat Sam. When I tried to kick him out, he…. raped me again and again. I failed Sam.”

  The horror she'd endured played out in my mind over and over again, and a shiver ran through me that I hadn't been there to help her when she needed me. She was clearly still processing what had happened to her. I scooted closer to her. “You found a way to escape and ran. That says a lot.”

  She rested her head on my shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. I realized I’m the opposite of the character I played.”

  “What?”

  She wiped her face and laughed. “No one would ever believe I was a princess.”

  Our foreheads met. I’d never understood her obsession with princesses. “So what?”

  She cupped my face. “Whoever you end up with will live a charmed, happy life, and that’s never going to be me.”

  I came alive from her simple touch. I opened my eyes and stared into hers. “I have more faith in you than you have in yourself.”

  “Why? What do you possibly see in me?”

  “The only woman who has ever made me happy.”

  “I’m scared, Elon.”

  I squeezed her hand and hoped she understood I’d be there for her. “You can get therapy and work out your fears.”

  She raised her eyebrows then blinked. “That doesn’t help.”

  Now that I understood more of what she'd been through, I wished I’d have searched for her sooner. But I couldn’t change the past. And it didn’t matter. She was here now, and we would go slow. “I get you’re not ready for a relationship, but I can’t walk away from you.”

  She closed her eyes. “It’s better if you do. In time, you’re going to see that I’m no good for your life.”

  I tugged on the covers and waited for her to settle in. She needed time and sleep. “Impossible, because you’re the only woman I ever loved. You returning here to be with me… every second we’re together… I realize that I am absolutely falling in love with you again, and this time I want to get it right.”

  She held me. Her story hadn’t changed how I felt. She was the love of my life, and time was on our side.

  29

  Clarissa

  My body was warm, and it was like I was inside an unusual cocoon where I felt absolutely safe. Therapy wasn’t a horrible idea.

  I opened my eyes and yawned. The idea played in my mind as smart. I’d liked talking to the counselors at the shelter. And I hated hurting Sam and Elon.

  Elon held me, and his eyes were half-open. I closed mine to let myself hold on to this moment. I asked, “Did I sleep?”

  He kissed my forehead. “It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”

  Nothing was ever okay. “I’m still shocked I told you almost everything.”

  He pressed his hand over mine. “I’m happy to understand, though if you have another secret I should know...”

  “When I first arrived, I thought I would make sure you and Sam bonded as family as you could protect him better than me.”

  “I’ll watch him with my life.”

  “I thought eventually I’d disappear, and it would just be you two.”