Page 68 of One Billion Reasons

“It’s never been this good.”

I want to punch the other guys who didn’t care about her pleasure, but instead, I ask, “What do you mean? What did they not do? What do you want from me?” I want to be perfect for her. The best she’s ever had. I never want her to forget.

“They treated me like I was made of glass.” I buck up into her, and she makes a breathy sound. “I like how rough you are.”

“Rough, I can do,” I murmur in her ear.

I can only thrust shallowly in this position, but I give it to her, and she fucking loves it. “You like my hand around your throat? You like dancing on danger’s edge? You’re a bad girl, Lane. If I’d known you wanted this, I would have snuck into your room and fucked you years ago. Just. Like. This.” It’s true, too.

“I love it,” she gasps out. “Because it’s real.” And then she’s coming around me and, fuck, that feels so good. I want to last, but I can’t, and then she moans my name and I’m coming before I even realize it’s happening, my body spasming over hers and lightning shooting through my veins, pleasure washing over me like a wave.

When we’re finally limp and sweaty on my jacket, I pull Lane onto my chest so she won’t get too sandy, and she comes easily. She’s a bundle of soft skin and sandy feet and limbs spent with desire. She traces patterns over my skin with the tip of one finger, and I shiver under her.

“That was really good,” she murmurs. “For me, I mean.”

I squeeze her hand. “For me, too.” Better than it’s ever been with anyone else. And somehow I knew it would be. “I watched you too, Lane.”

“What?” She tenses.

“For years. I watched you too. Out of the corner of my eye when Liam wasn’t looking. You’ve never been much of a tanner, but I remember one summer you decided to try. Do you remember that red bikini you bought?”

“That bikini was so not me, but yes.”

“Well, it almost put me into an early grave.”

“Ha. Twenty-three-year-old me would have been very happy to know I was making your life hard.”

“Hard is most definitely the right word.” I grimace, and she laughs softly.

“Now, I just wish I’d tempted you sooner.” She sighs. “I had no idea. You were so circumspect. You hid it well.”

“I had to. Liam could never know.”

She tenses. “And now? What would he say if we told him, do you think?”

A pit opens in my stomach. This isn’t territory I want to discuss with Lane. “You’re his sister,” I say lightly. “What do you think?” The truth is, we won’t be telling him because we will never be a thing. But I don’t want to tell her that. Not when her head is pillowed on my chest and she’s naked against me. It would ruin everything, and I can’t bring myself to do that right now.

31

Lane

“I’m not sure,” I say slowly. “Liam has never been that kind of brother. For one, he’s my twin, even if he’s the more responsible one. So it’s not like he tells me what to do. But I get the sense that he’s…I don’t know. Protective of you? A little jealous of your time?”

Miles is nodding. “I know. I’ve been his best friend for years. At one point, his only friend. You know how he is, Laney. He gets sucked into his work, and he’s a loner by nature.”

I nod. I do know, and it’s one of the things I worry about most for Liam.

“So, yeah. I also got the sense that I could put one of you first, not both of you.” Miles falls silent. His words hang in the air between us. What if he put me first, now? Do I even want that? It must be the hormones talking. I mentally shake myself. I don’t want to push him. I don’t want to be that girl. The one demanding more than he wants to give. Some part of me still wants to be the cool girl with Miles. The one who’s fine with just a week of sex, the one who totally understands that he’s broken. I’m sick of being the girl looking for love in all the wrong places and asking more from her boyfriends than they’re willing to give. So instead of laying on his chest and letting myself imagine we’re more than just friends, I leap up and give him my hand.

“Come on. Time for bed. We have a long day tomorrow.”

He levers himself off the sand, and I watch those impressive muscles ripple. I’m shallow enough to admit that letting Miles Becker go will be difficult, not least because he’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.

“Remind me again what heinous outings are planned for us?” He sounds resigned, and I laugh.

“You’re not enjoying this?”

“God, no. What gave you the impression that I would?” He pulls on his suit pants, and I step into my underwear, trying to avoid getting sand in them. Blech.

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