“I love you so much,” he breathed, never taking his eyes off mine.

A minute later, my hips slowed as I felt ripples of pleasure coming to the surface. I pressed my clit into him, and his breathing became erratic as he dug his fingers into my sides. That gave me permission to let go, so I bent my head back, releasing my orgasm. Within seconds, Brayden’s body shook beneath me as he came harder than I’d experienced with him before, his yell echoing through the room. I tightened my muscles around him to receive every bit of the cum he’d released inside me. I loved feeling his warmth. I loved everything about this. About us. And I knew I couldn’t go back. Never again. This situation was far from perfect, yet Brayden was perfect for me. That was the fact of the matter, regardless of right or wrong.

After we came down from our high, I lay next to him on the bed as we faced each other. “What got into you tonight—besides me?” he asked. “I have to say, I love this version of Alex.” He caressed my cheek.

“What got into me tonight? I might ask you the same after what you pulled today.”

He moved his thumb along my face. “I guess we both decided to give up the fight together, huh?”

“What does this mean?” I asked.

He leaned in to kiss my forehead. “It means we take it moment by moment and stop worrying about what anyone thinks, start accepting what’s already in our hearts. Stop being fucking miserable because you think that’s somehow the right thing. The right answer is never to lie to yourself, Alex.”

I nodded, understanding that for the first time.

“You asked me what got into me... There’s a bit more to the story.”

I listened as Brayden recalled the fortune he’d come across at Ryan’s gravesite. It did seem like a message from above. And I was grateful for the timing.

“I think he’s sending me another message,” Brayden said, looking up at the ceiling.

I straightened. “What?”

“He says I need to go for round two.” He wriggled his brows and laughed.

“Glad to see Ryan has time to be concerned with such things from up there.”

“Right?” Brayden pulled me toward him and nuzzled my neck. “He’s so considerate.”

We fell into a kiss, and I spoke over his lips. “Well, lucky for you, I don’t think I can go another second without having you again.”

“This time, I take the lead, okay?”

“Yes, please,” I murmured.

Brayden flipped me around and pressed his body against my backside. The next thing I knew, his hand was between my legs. He massaged my clit before sliding his fingers inside of me. “I love feeling my cum inside of you.”

I tightened my muscles. “Me too.”

“There’s gonna be more where that came from.” He chuckled against me, sending a shiver down my spine. He cupped my breast as he kissed my back. I could feel his rock-hard cock at my butt crack and pushed my ass into him.

“You hinting at something, Miss Jones?”

I pushed again. “Not so subtly...”

“Ask, and you shall receive,” he whispered against my neck.

“I want it.”

“What do you want?”

“You to fuck me from behind.”

He let out a low groan. Within seconds, I felt the burn of his cock entering me. He thrust in and out and gently bit my back as he fucked me. “You’re so fucking perfect, Alex...”

I moved my hips to meet his thrusts, which grew harder and faster by the second, his balls slapping against me. There was nothing else like this—our bodies skin to skin, him inside me, his hot breath caressing my body, the noises he made. It was a symphony of pleasure I’d never experienced before him. Brayden Foster had officially ruined me for all others.

“Shit!” He groaned, his body shaking.