Surrender To Me (The Wolf Hotel Book 4)

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, inhaling the fresh, clean air, before opening them again to take in the scenic view of water and trees from our sizeable porch. It’s exactly how I remember it, right down to the rows of boats and float planes parked at the docks below, waiting to whisk guests off on an array of fishing and sightseeing excursions.

It feels so good to be back.

And so strange.

I’ve experienced so much in this place. The walls of Penthouse One—Henry’s suite while he was here—have seen him win my heart and then break it. They’ve seen me give my virginity to him, my full trust, and my unwavering love. They’ve heard our angry words, my tears.

The last time I stepped through that front door was the day I realized that Henry had lied to me about sleeping with that reporter. That it was me and only me who had cheated on him with Michael. That day, after weeks of careful mending by Ronan and Connor, my heart shattered all over again.

As much as I’ve missed Wolf Cove, being away made it easier for me to forget, I realize now.

“I’m sure Miles has already told you that we won’t be needing a liaison,” I hear Henry tell Isabella. “I do not permit staff to walk freely in here. We’ll call in for room service, but we’re not to be disturbed otherwise.”

“He informed me of your preferences,” Isabella answers in her faint accent. Spanish, I think. So far, she’s much more docile than Belinda ever was, all “yes, Mr. Wolf,” and “no, Mr. Wolf” and “whatever you would like, Mr. Wolf,” while staring at him with her big chocolate-brown eyes.

What does she really think of his request though? My roommates were convinced that Henry had to be hiding deviant things in his room, because he didn’t want regular attendance by staff. But Henry’s not stupid or unaware of his appeal, having faced numerous situations with maids throwing themselves at him, crawling through his used sheets. After the things I heard come out of Tillie and Katie’s mouths about him, I completely understand his need for boundaries.

“And make sure that whatever Abbi asks for, she gets immediately,” Henry adds.

“The concierge will be happy to assist with her requests.”

“Have Anderson and his people checked in yet?”

“Late last night. They’re at the site location now and waiting for you. We have a vehicle ready to take you out. I’ve also made 7:00 p.m. dinner arrangements for your group tonight at Lux. Will Miss Mitchell be joining you?” She’s so prim and proper, and molded. I almost miss Belinda’s sharp tongue, the way she challenges Henry.

“I doubt it, but we’ll call in if you need to make changes to numbers. Thank you, Isabella. I’ll be at the gate in ten minutes.”

Henry steps out onto the balcony a few moments later. I’m expecting him to tell me that he’s running, but instead he sidles up behind me and hands me one of two glasses of champagne. “To being back in Alaska.”

I hold up my glass. “To being back in Alaska.”

He sighs heavily. With everything that’s happened over the last few weeks, I don’t know how Henry has remained so forward-focused. On the business, on us. Still, I see him drifting off in thought sometimes, his jaw hardening, sadness in his eyes. He hasn’t forgotten what Scott robbed him of, what else Scott tried to take from him. And, though he’ll never admit to it, Scott’s death must have a significant impact on him.

I turn into him, to press my body against his from thigh to chest. “It’s over. He can’t hurt us or anyone else anymore.”

He clinks my glass with his again. I take a sip as I peer back out over the water. The champagne is sweet and bubbly, and probably more expensive than I can imagine. “I thought I loved the summer here, but now I’m thinking fall is my favorite.”

“Wait until you see it in the winter. We should have the runs ready within two years. Three at most.”

“So much for a seasonal Wolf, hey?”

“My long-term vision was always year-round. I just couldn’t sell it as that before I proved this could work.”

“You know, I’ve never skied.”

He shakes his head and mutters something under his breath that I don’t catch before saying, “We’ll go to Aspen over Christmas. I’ll teach you.”

Aspen for Christmas. Wolf Cove for winter in two to three years. He says it like it’s the most natural thing, to be planning so far ahead. To assume that we’ll be here, together.

A flash of me, lying naked with Henry among a heap of blankets next to a roaring fire, makes me smile. I smooth my hand over his abdomen, my fingers splaying over each ridge.

“I have to head out—”

“I know. The engineers. And you’re already late, so go.” Henry hates being late.

He leans in to press his lips against mine. “I’m going to be tied up until after dinner. I assume you don’t want to join us in Lux to listen to engineers talk about—”

“Sounds thrilling. No, thank you.”

He chuckles. “I figured as much.”

I trail him back inside and past the small fire burning in the fireplace, my eyes roving over the interior. It’s exactly how I remember it—a palette of creams and grays, and pure designer luxury. Only then I was a Wolf hotel employee, a secret lover. Now I’m a guest. Not just any guest. Henry Wolf’s woman.

“You remember how to call the concierge desk?”

“Yeah. And if I don’t, I know where to find the instructions.” In the tiny liaison room, where I never really spent any time.

“There’s plenty for you to do to keep yourself busy.”

“A Kodiak bear excursion by plane?” I watched Henry leave on countless tours, always wishing I could tag along.

He chuckles. “Let’s maybe save that one. I was thinking more like the spa.”

“I do want Tris to do my color again,” I murmur, running my fingers through my lackluster hair. No one has done it quite as well since.

“Then book it. Between that and a few spa treatments, you’ll be occupied until I get back.”

I know what he’s trying to do. “I’m going to see my friends, too, Henry. All of them,” I say carefully. I spent too many years listening to Mama’s orders and doing what others wanted me to do. But Henry pushes for us to always be open and honest with each other. I’m not going to start doing things behind his back now.

Henry’s feet slow to a halt. He sighs heavily. “Abbi, I’m not going to tell you that you can’t see your friends.”

“Good.”

“Just be careful what you get yourself into. I’m who I am and I do have to maintain separation and respect from my employees, even if we’re together.”

I frown. “What are you saying? That they won’t respect you because you’re with me?” My chest stings with that prick.

He holds up a hand in warning, closing the distance between us. “That’s not what I’m saying. I just don’t want you anywhere near the kinds of things happening in that staff village. I’ve seen enough security footage to know what goes on there.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “I doubt it’s worse than the things happening in a certain chateau in France.”

“That’s a controlled environment. No one’s recording it—”

I snort. “A lot of art gallery walls would beg to differ.”

“That’s… different. Here? People will be watching you. The wrong ones will be looking for stories and pictures of you to sell. They’re not your friends, Abbi. I’m trying to protect you.”

I fold my arms across my chest. “And what kind of stories and pictures do you think they’re going to get while I’m sitting on a couch in the staff village?”

“Well, you do have a bad habit of getting caught in rooms where people are fucking,” he says evenly.

“At least half of those situations have been because of you!” I say indignantly, even as my cheeks flush.

“Regardless, you’re not a Wolf employee anymore. You’re openly with me now, and I own all of this. You are in a different class from everyone here.”

“If you’re about to tell me that I’m above everyone here, then stop. Just because you have a swimming pool’s worth of money, doesn’t mean you’re better than the people who clean that pool. You know, you keep talking about needing your employees to respect you. You’d go a long way with earning their admiration by getting to know them. Letting them know you’re not the stiff asshole they all think you are.”

Henry’s mouth hangs open for a beat, speechless. “Did you just school me on how to act around my employees?”

I set my chin. “I guess I did. And also, you’d probably like Ronan and Connor if you got to know them. Or at least Ronan.” Connor can be a bit much for anyone.

Henry shakes his head. “Look, I just like my private life to stay private, when it comes to my employees.”

“You’re being ridiculous. I don’t know how me going to say hello to a few people I used to work with turned into me getting caught up in some orgy. And relax, I’m not going to give them intimate details about us.”

He smirks. “Even when they ask you how big my dick is.”

“They’re not going to ask me that!”

He gives me a knowing look.

“Okay, some of them might ask me that,” I admit reluctantly. I’ve heard firsthand just how crass the female staff can be when Henry is the topic of conversation. “And I’m not going to answer them.”

“You’re terrible at deflecting.”

“Fine. I’ll tell everyone you’re hung like a horse.”

His eyebrows rise in shocked amusement.

“What? I spent some time on the McArthur ranch when I was younger. I’ve seen things.”

“Now who’s being ridiculous? Just… remember who I am around here.”

“You’re the big bad wolf. How could I forget?”

“See? You’ve just proven my point. I’ve got to go. And have someone come out for a massage. I noticed you were tense earlier. I’m sure it could help. A female masseuse.”

“Yes, sir.”

His brow arches. “Sir?”

“Sorry. This whole exchange is bringing me back to the early days, when you were my tyrannical boss.”

“You weren’t mouthy back then.” He reaches up to cup one side of my face and smooth the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip. “You were shy and nervous, and awkward.” He slides his thumb into my mouth, grazing my teeth.

I softly bite down.

Heat flares in his eyes. “But I’m beginning to think you’ve always been a wolf, hiding in an innocent girl’s clothing.” His gaze dips downward, over my fitted light sweater and the deep V that plunges into my cleavage. “How’s your hip?”

I smile coyly. “I guess you’ll have to wait to find out.”

Henry’s jaw tightens. And then a wicked smile curls his lips. “No, I don’t think I will.”

Everything changes in a split second.

Suddenly, I find myself facedown and bent over the dining room table. “Arms up.” I comply and Henry tugs my sweater up and over my head, leaving my bare torso against the cool wood. With a flick of his wrist, my bra is unfastened and peeled off me. Then he moves on to my lower half, dropping to his knees to peel my leggings, panties, and socks off in one go.

In less than thirty seconds, Henry has stripped me bare.

“I’ve always loved the mirrors in this place,” he murmurs, fumbling with his belt.

I look straight ahead to find our reflection staring back at us, my mussed hair and cleavage, and Henry hovering behind me, his hard cock gripped in his hand. Heat pools between my legs.

“I thought you had to leave,” I say innocently, spreading my legs farther apart and arching my back to give him a better view. My lips apart as I feel the first slide of his finger through my core.

“I do. I promise, this won’t take long.” Pushing his jeans down to his thighs, he slips his hands between my legs to wrap around the front of my thighs.

I gasp in surprise as my feet leave the floor, as my hips lift and tilt toward him. I have a second’s warning—the feel of his cock pressed against my entrance—before he’s sinking deep into me, earning my guttural moan.

And then he’s thrusting mercilessly, and I’m crying out, my body not fully prepared for this. But I did taunt him, I remind myself. I should know better.

My back and shoulders strain as I manage to adjust myself on the table and watch us in the mirror again, to see the tense look on Henry’s face, the concentration as he focuses on where we’re joined, his eyes searing as he pumps in and out of me

This is the Henry Wolf of the early days. The seemingly cold, volatile rich bastard who intimidated me like no one else, who took me where and when he wanted, with no apologies but full of passion.

Heat builds deep within my body as he hits that special spot with each thrust. If he keeps this up long enough, I won’t even need to touch myself to orgasm. “Harder,” I demand through soft, shallow pants.

His searing eyes lift to meet mine.

I cry out as his hips slam into me over and over again, my ass taking the brunt of the impact as that heat spreads through my veins, along my thighs, into my lower belly. My fingers claw against the table, the only purchase for my body where my breasts press against the wood, the rest of me in the air and at Henry’s mercy.

He comes moments later, his head thrown back, his cries slipping from his parted lips as I feel him pulsing deep inside me.

Those pulses have barely stopped when my feet are settling onto the floor and he’s pulling out of me.

“Henry.” I whisper his name, but it’s more of a pleading moan, the ache between my legs unbearable.

“Come here.” He guides my body, wired with tension, up and over to the other side of the table. He lifts me onto it, and hoists my legs up to spread me wide in front of the mirror. He kisses my temple and then checks the reflection. “Fuck, Abbi,” he mutters, his eyes locking on the view—of heavy, full breasts, my swollen folds. His seed is running out of me. Reaching for my hand, he fits it between my legs.

“Watch me.”

His jaw clenches. “If I stay and watch that, I’ll be fucking you on this table again, and I’ll never get to the engineers.”

He makes a move to tuck himself into his pants.

And hisses, as I seize his semihard length with my free hand. “Watch,” I demand more firmly, unwilling to let go. “It’ll only take a minute.” I draw my finger through my slick core and over my clit, making circles around it with his cum.

He sighs heavily, but then caves, casting his eyes downward. With an arm around my back and a hand settled on my knee, he watches me as I masturbate for him, the mirror reflecting the entire intimate act.

Not even thirty seconds later, heat floods my lower half and that slow build erupts in waves of ecstasy that engulf my entire body, pulsing through my core, causing my muscles to spasm.

“See? I told you. Not even a minute,” I whisper, releasing him.

He leans in to kiss me in a way that only Henry can, deep enough to make my knees buckle if I were standing. It leaves me dizzy with lust and brimming with love.

“And I told you what would happen if I stayed and watched.” He gently pushes me back against the table and starts peeling off his clothes.

~ ~ ~

I spot her cinnamon-colored pixie hair and I smile.

“Oh my God! Abbi!” Autumn squeals. She runs out from behind the concierge desk and tears across the cavernous lobby to throw her arms around my neck, earning several looks.

“It’s so good to see you again.” I left in such a hurry the last time because of my father’s accident, I never got to say proper goodbyes.

“Tillie said she saw you out on the dock.”

“We just got in about an hour ago.”

“So, where is he?” Autumn whispers, searching the faces around us.

“Meeting with engineers.”

She grabs my hand and drags me over to one of the benches. “Sit and spill.”

I laugh nervously. “There’s not much to say.”

She settles wide, knowing eyes on me. “Your boyfriend is Henry Wolf and there’s not much to say? Oh come on! Enough with the lame answers you’ve been giving me over text. Talk!”

It sounds strange, hearing her call him my boyfriend. A man like Henry Wolf just doesn’t wear a label like “boyfriend” well. And he’s so much more than that to me.

I shrug.

“So, when exactly did it start?”

Of all my roommates, Autumn was probably the nicest. But still, I’m not about to admit to being with Henry all that time when I was working for him. He and I agreed that the only person who had a right to know the truth was his father.

“After I left to go home,” I lie, hoping she doesn’t notice the way I shift my gaze.

She studies me for a moment. “He told you not to talk about it, didn’t he?”

“We agreed that there is enough gossip circulating about his family that we don’t need to add more to it.” That sounds like the best answer.

“Oh my God, right? I read about that. Isn’t that insane! Were you actually there when Scott died?”

I wasn’t just there. I was trapped underneath him. I fight the urge to touch my forehead, the bruise suitably covered now.

If nothing else, at least Scott serves as good distraction from the topic of Henry and me.

“Yes.”

She shakes her head. “It’s just crazy. Both of them gone in weeks. Henry’s all that’s left.”

“I know. It’s still a shock. So, how’s life here?” I don’t want to talk about Scott anymore. “

“Oh, you know. Everything’s changed and yet not much has changed.” Autumn fills me in on Wolf Cove’s goings-on for the next ten minutes—Tillie moved cabins because she and Lorraine couldn’t make peace after that fiasco with James, Ronan and Connor got busted by security for being ringleaders to a secret fuck club—where players went into a dark cabin and waited for an unidentified person to be led in to perform a sexual act on them—and somehow weren’t fired, and Katie and Rachel have finally admitted to dating each other.

 “Come to the staff lounge tonight!”

“We’ll see how late Henry’s tied up. I want to be home when he gets back.”

“I’ll bet you do. Oh, shit, that’s my supervisor.” Autumn smiles and waves at the stern-looking man hovering nearby. “He can fuck right off. Does he not realize I’m talking to the future Mrs. Wolf?” she mutters.

“Oh my God, stop. That’s so far off from where we are.” But my heart pitter-patters all the same.

Her eyes twinkle. “It’s so good to see you, Abbi. I’m glad your dad is okay. And Henry Wolf!” She lets out a little girlish scream.

“It feels like a dream. I was so nervous coming back here,” I admit. “I was afraid of how people might react.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, we’re all jealous as fuck. But we’re also happy for you. Except for Tillie. She’s just jealous, no surprise.” She rolls her eyes.

“Great. Can’t wait to see her.”

“Whatever. Come to the staff lounge tonight and you can rub it in her face.”

“I’ll try. Tris is going to do my hair and then I’m going to the spa for a facial.” I’ve never had one, but the brochure promises a glowing complexion.

She tsks. “Rough life you lead, huh? Come visit us peasants when you have a chance.” With a wink, she trots off, leaving me shaking my head.

~ ~ ~

I’m going to be another two hours. We just sat down at Lux. Someone delayed me from my day earlier, and discussions went later than expected.

Those must have been some intense discussions. I heard they serve only the best scotch at Rawleys.

I see your vast network of spies is serving you well.

I respond with a smiley face so he knows I’m not bothered. Rachel texted me an hour ago from the upscale pub where she was serving Henry and his engineers drinks, wondering when I was going to come in. It’s almost nine now. With the time difference, and the fact that I’m curled up on the couch with a soft blanket, it’s not likely that I’m going anywhere tonight. I’m struggling to keep my eyes open.

I’ll probably be asleep when you get in.

I’ll wake you up.

Thoughts of how he might do that make my body stir with anticipation. After days of undivided attention—his hands and mouth on me at every opportunity—I’m suffering from Henry withdrawal. I need to feel the press of his body against mine. I keep inhaling, hoping to catch that delicious scent that is all him—his cologne, his shampoo, the lingering soap on his skin. And my fingers itch to crawl along his curves, weave through his silky hair, again. It’s enough to drive a person crazy.

Fine. I’ll just be lying on this couch, naked, waiting for you.

I’m actually not naked, but maybe that’ll make him rush.

It’s a few minutes, but another text comes in.

I’ll show you exactly how much I love you soon.

A thrill courses through me. Will I ever get used to that? Will Henry telling me that he loves me ever not make my heart swell? God, I hope not, because this feeling is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. If what I felt for Jed was actually love, then whatever I feel for Henry transcends love.

With a sigh, I set my phone on the coffee table and replace it for the remote control, flipping through the channels in search of a movie.

My phone chirps with another text, and I assume it’s from Henry.

Yo. Is the Wolf in the house?

I was wondering how long before I heard from those two.

No. He’s at Lux.

Moments later, there’s pounding on the front door. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who’s on the other side.

Henry will not like this, I recognize with a sigh. I wander over, torn between excitement for seeing my friends and unexpected anxiety over facing the two men I shared such an illicit afternoon with, one I don’t think I’ll ever forget, no matter how many orgasms Henry brings me to.

As soon as I open the door, as soon as I see Connor’s goofy smile and the cans of beer in their hands, all I remember is the comfort and care and friendship they provided me with during those many dark weeks, and how many times they made me smile and laugh. How desired they made me feel, when I believed that Henry no longer desired me at all.

“Red!” Connor exclaims.

“What are you two doing here?” I laugh, reaching for him.

His muscular arms immediately wrap around my body to hoist me in the air. He makes me feel like a child.

“Oh my God, did you get even bigger?” I squeeze his bulging biceps.

“Alaska” is all he says, as he grins down at me with that devilish smile.

Ronan hangs back, reserved and sly as usual. “Hey, Red.”

“Hey.” I reach for my dear friend. Of the two of them, Ronan is the one I share an inexplicable but special connection with, something I never expected when I first met the brooding tattooed guy with the buzz cut.

Ronan envelops me in his arms and pulls me against his hard chest. His smell is familiar. It brings me back to many nights, but mainly the night he curled up in my bunk with me and let me cry about Henry on his shoulder without saying a word. He’s the only one who seemed to have figured out what was really going on between Henry and me, way back when. “It’s good to see you again.” He’s always had a deep raspy voice, but now it’s tempered by softness.

It’s a few extra beats before I pull away from him, my emotions swirling unexpectedly. “How have things been?”

“Without you here? Boring as fuck.” Connor’s voice booms into the night. He gives me a knowing look. One that matches the look Ronan’s also giving me.

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” I counter, though I’m blushing furiously, wondering exactly what mental images are flashing through their minds right now. I’ve done a lot of things with Henry that I can’t believe, but that day? That was all my doing. “Fuck Club?”

“The first rule of Fuck Club is: you do not talk about Fuck Club!” Connor’s grin grows wide. “Damn, that was fun while it lasted. So?” He throws his arms in the air. “You went to see Autumn but not us when you got in?”

“I know. I’m sorry. I was at the spa for a few hours and then I ordered dinner.”

Connor’s gaze shifts from me to the open door behind me. “Damn, so this is what the penthouses look like. Good for you, Red.”

“It’s definitely an upgrade from the staff cabins.” I laugh, suddenly nervous. “I wish I could invite you guys in but you get it, right? With our history and all.” Henry may have relented on the idea of me staying away from Ronan and Connor, but there is no way he would be okay coming home to find my two “fuck buddies” on either side of the couch with me. I can’t blame him. If the situation was reversed, I might be uncomfortable too.

Connor’s brows pop with surprise. “Exactly how much does he know about that?”

I smile sheepishly. “There are no secrets between us.”

“Whoa.” He looks to Ronan and scrunches his face up. “Seriously. How the hell have we not been canned yet?”

“Because of her.” Ronan nods to me.

“Well, whatever. That’s fine. We don’t want to hang out in here anyway.” Connor exchanges a look with Ronan.

“Don’t, man,” Ronan starts.

Suddenly, strong hands are seizing my thighs and I’m lifted off the ground. I find myself dangling over Connor’s shoulder. He slaps my ass playfully.

“Oh my God! Connor!” I squeal.

“Dude, you are going to get us fired for this,” Ronan warned as Connor starts heading down the path.

“Why? Because Red wants to hang out with her friends?”

“Because you’re manhandling Wolf property, you jackass.”

“She’ll protect us, won’t you, Red?”

“Put me down!”

“Sure thing. As soon as we reach the staff lodge. There’s a lot of people who want to see you. We’ll have you back before he knows you’ve been gone. Plus I think you owe us some rounds of shots for being such a sly chick. Seriously. Banging the Wolf? Good on you. Never saw that one coming, did we, Ronan?”

“Nope. No idea.” I look up in time to catch Ronan’s wink.

~ ~ ~

“I might actually miss this place,” Rachel admits just before downing her shot of Fireball, her gaze drifting to the rafters and peaked ceiling of the staff lounge. “The money has been unreal.”

“Is that what you’re going to miss most? The money?” Katie grins as she rubs Rachel’s leg with her hand. All three of us are sitting on the couch near the roaring fire. The heat radiating from it is warming my left side to an almost uncomfortable level.

Rachel smiles as she meets her friend’s knowing gaze, her fingers playfully twirling through her bottle-blonde ponytail. “Definitely the friendships.”

“Don’t you mean the fuckships? Lord knows you’ve had enough of those,” Tillie murmurs in her southern croon, holding her flask to her lips. My guess is it’s filled with Jack Daniel’s, her alcohol of choice. And she’s clearly had plenty of it.

Rachel’s head falls back as she laughs, unaffected by our old cabinmate’s intended slight. “Especially those.”

Everyone starts chuckling. Everyone except Tillie, who studies her nails with a scowl.

I lean in to whisper to Katie, “Autumn told me she moved out of your cabin?”

“Oh, yeah. As ugly as things got between her and Lorraine when you were around, after that joke the guys played on her, they got ten times worse.”

I frown. “What joke?”

Katie’s eyes widen. “Oh, they didn’t tell you about their little fuck club?”

“I heard about it.”

“Well, Connor was egging Tillie on, saying that she didn’t have the nerve to let go like that, calling her a prude and all sorts of things. People started thinking they split because Tillie wasn’t any good.” Katie waggles her eyebrows. “So Tillie agreed. I guess she assumed she’d end up with either him or Ronan, or one of the other guys playing. She stripped down and waited on the bed, in the dark.” Katie pauses for effect. “They sent Lorraine in there.”

My eyes widen. “Wait. So Lorraine’s not straight?”

“She is, but that was the thing with this club. Whatever you walked into… was what you walked into.”

“Oh my God.”

“Lorraine must have assumed it was me or Rachel that she was with—”

“Wait, so you and Rachel were a part of this club?”

Katie shrugs, and offers me a sly smile. “Anyway, you weren’t allowed to say a word, that was a strict rule. But then Tillie came and, well, she sounds like Tillie.”

I think back to her in the shower. Yeah, there’s no mistaking that.

“So both of them flipped out. Tillie, especially. We thought we were going to wake up to Lorraine’s throat slit one morning.” Katie’s pretty blue eyes narrow as she regards Tillie. “That is one mean-ass redhead.”

I frown. “That was a bit of a jerk move by Connor and Ronan, though.” I never thought my friends would stoop to that.

“That’s the thing—they got bombed that night and forgot. Moe decided to take the lead and set it up. So, she’s pissed about that, and that we took Lorraine’s side in the first place, but come on! Tillie knew those two were together.” Katie’s pretty brow furrows. “It’s really too bad. We had some good times in that cabin together. All this started because of a stupid guy.”

I think back to that first night, when I walked into a cabin full of laughter and budding friendships. It’s sad that it’s fallen apart, but with this many people in close proximity for this long, it was inevitable that someone would fall out of sorts. I hesitate. “What has she said about me being with Henry?”

Katie’s gives me a look. “Nothing worth repeating. She’s still bitter that Connor liked you a million times more as a friend than he did her when they were dating. The only reason she’s lingering now is because she’s hoping for some juicy gossip about Wolf.”

And she’s not going to get that.

“So?” Katie leans in to bump shoulders with me, her big blue eyes curious. “What’s it like? Does he have a huge dick?”

I burst out with a nervous giggle, even as my cheeks flame. Why is Henry always right? “I am not talking about that with you.”

“He must be huge. And I’ll bet it’s as amazing as we’ve all imagined.” She waggles his brow. “Is he into anything dirty?”

Probably not by your standards, Katie. I take a long sip of the beer Ronan supplied me with, and ignore the question.

“Oh come on! Tell us something about him!” she cries in mock anguish.

“Or don’t, seeing as you broke my heart by running off to him before I had my chance with you,” Connor announces as he rounds the couch with a platter of shots and lemon wedges.

“Oh please. Don’t act like you didn’t find a quick replacement.” Tillie nods toward another group sitting in the corner.

It doesn’t take long for me to pinpoint the girl she’s referring to. The striking willowy one with a messy bun of raven hair, who’s stealing frequent glances this way, her sharp almond-shaped eyes shifting between Connor and Ronan, who sits perched on the back of the couch next to me.

I catch Ronan’s eyes.

Really? You two and her? I try to convey with my look, my curiosity getting the better of me.

He merely shrugs. And then the corners of his mouth curve up in one of his signature dark smiles.

I shake my head. “You’ve been really busy.”

He hesitates and then leans down, using the couch behind my head to hold himself up. “None of them come close to being with you,” he whispers into my ear.

I chuckle, even as I blush. “Yeah. Okay. You tell that to every girl.” I’m not stupid.

“You know I don’t.” He pulls back enough to show me his eyes, and the sincerity framed within those thick, dark lashes. “You were special. You were different.”

My chest fills with an odd sense of adoration. “You were special to me, too. I’ve never had a friend like you. I’m guessing I never will again.” Unless I count Margo, but that friendship is unique on a whole different level.

His gaze slowly skates over my features as he takes a deep breath. “Does he make you happy?”

“Yes.”

His jaw tightens. “Does he satisfy you?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure? Because you were ready to—”

Katie’s sharp elbow against my arm pulls my attention away. That’s when I notice that it’s grown quiet in the lodge, the buzz of voices dying down to leave nothing but the sound of music through the speakers.

Henry stands ten feet away, staring at me. His face is unreadable but menacing all the same.

I hear a soft “fuck” slip from Ronan’s lips. Slowly he sits upright again, and sighs as if resigning himself for the shit storm to come.

Oh God. What did that look like?

A few more uncomfortable beats pass and then Henry holds up my phone that I left on the coffee table at the cabin. “You forgot this.” His tone is friendly enough.

I peel myself off the couch to weave through the bodies to him, feeling so many eyes boring into us. I wrap my arms around his waist. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was so late. I just swung by to say hello.”

“Swung? Or were carried…,” he murmurs low enough for only me to hear, his piercing gaze taking in the situation—the faces, the beer in my hand, the platter of tequila shots—with a lightning quick pass before stalling on Ronan. And narrowing.

Ronan doesn’t balk, meeting his glare.

“For old times’ sake?” Connor holds up a shot of tequila for Henry. There are no old times. These two have never drank together. If Connor is at all nervous—about the fact that Henry knows our history and could fire his ass on the spot if he wanted to, or give him a good run for his money in a fight—he doesn’t show it.

Henry settles that steely gaze on Connor for two… three… four beats before he accepts the shot. “I think Abbi needs one, too.”

“No, I’m good, thanks—” I start to say, but Henry smoothly plucks another from the tray and holds it out to me.

“Oh, no. You’re going to need it,” Henry warns softly. His smile is downright wicked as he throws back his shot without salt or a lemon wedge.

Despite the looming tension, my thighs clench with anticipation. He’s going to punish me for what he just saw, but in a way that I’ll enjoy.

I pour back the shot, wincing against the vile taste as I suck on the slice of lemon.

Henry lifts a hand and snaps at the bartender. “Next round’s on me.”

Everyone cheers.

“What are you doing?” I hiss.

He gazes down at me. “Getting to know your friends. Isn’t that what you want?”

~ ~ ~

I quickly scrub soap over my hands, intent on getting back to Henry as quickly as possible, before he’s mauled by one of the drunker female staff or Connor says something obnoxious that sends him over the edge. My body is buzzing from the alcohol after the four rounds Henry bought for everyone and insisted I partake in. I’m one shot away from stumbling home.

“Oh my God, Henry Wolf is so hot. How can you even handle having sex with him? I don’t know if I could do it! I’d be too nervous!” A girl—Tina, I think she said her name was—slurs as she fluffs her long brown hair in the restroom mirror next to me.

She’s not the first to say that to me tonight, even though I’ve been attached to Henry’s side until just now. But the combination of alcohol and Henry Wolf make most women brazen.

I simply smile at the girl, just like I’ve simply smiled at the others.

The farmost stall door creaks open and Tillie strolls out. “Abbi!” She offers me a wide smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Your hair wasn’t that red when I saw you on the ferry earlier.”

“Yeah. I got Tris to do it again. She’s so good at it.” I subconsciously reach for my shiny red locks. I used to envy Tillie for her fiery red hair, back when I believed Mama was right and I couldn’t dye my hair for fear of it turning orange, or worse, green.

“My, haven’t things gone your way. Started out as a maid and end up in the boss’s bed.” She rubs soap all over her hands while watching me with her sharp eyes.

“It was definitely unexpected,” I admit with a polite smile.

Rinsing her hands, she quickly towel-dries them and then slides out a deep crimson lipstick. “I guess now we know why Wolf hired you.”

That’s definitely not an “I’m happy for you.” If what Autumn and Katie say is true, then I can only imagine the kinds of things a jealous Tillie has been saying about me behind my back. And to think that the first night here, Tillie and I walked arm in arm down the path, laughing and joking. I was ready to label her my new best friend. I was also blazing drunk, but that’s besides the point.

“I heard Wolf does have a thing for his assistants, though, so we shouldn’t be too surprised.” She smears the lipstick over her lips. “It’s too bad you’re not actually workin’ for Wolf anymore. The last one got a huge severance package out of it, didn’t she?”

So Tillie has somehow heard about Kiera. And she’s digging for more information. Something to gossip about.

Not that it matters, but it’s annoying.

“No idea what you’re talking about.” I turn to leave.

“I know you’re naïve, but are you actually stupid enough to think this is going to last? ’Cause I’m sorry to say, it won’t. Everyone knows it. Everyone’s sayin’ it. They’re all smiles to your face but you know they’ve got a pool goin’ to see how long before he dumps you and goes back to his supermodels.”

Her words spear me right where she intended—my confidence. “Who? Who’s betting in this pool?”

“Pretty much everyone.”

“Who?” I demand. Autumn? Katie? My stomach twists. Ronan?

She shrugs noncommittally. “I don’t squeal on things I might overhear.”

It dawns on me. So that’s what this bitterness toward me is about. She must have found out that it was me in the shower that night she and James had sex, and she obviously thinks I told Lorraine.

Now she’s just trying to get under my skin. God, Tillie’s so vindictive. And to think I once liked her.

“Hey Tillie, next time you spread your legs for a woman, maybe ask for her name first,” I murmur as airily as I can.

I leave Tillie in the bathroom with her mouth hanging open and her cheeks flushed, the moment of pettiness easing a bit of the sting. I head straight for where I left Henry, ready to go back to our penthouse, my mood soured.

He’s no longer there. “Did you see where Henry went to?” I ask Katie.

“I think he was heading for the door.”

“Thanks.” I don’t bother saying anything about the bet—there’s no point. I weave through the dwindling crowd and out the main door.

 “…I should fire your ass right now. I should have fired you months ago,” I hear Henry snarl, squared off against Ronan.

Oh, shit. I’m instantly sober.

“If it makes you feel like a bigger man, go ahead. But I’m just looking out for Abbi,” Ronan retorts, not backing down, his face equally hard.

“You’re just looking to fuck Abbi.”

“How could I not want to? She’s fucking perfect.” Ronan grins wickedly. “And we like the same things. You know which kinds of things. Stuff a fucking asshole like you can’t give her. Won’t give her, because you’re too damn jealous and selfish and controlling.”

Ohhhhh… shit.

I watch as Henry’s fist closes tight by his side.

Ronan’s not done though, stepping right into his face. “And if you hurt her again like you did last time—”

“I’m ready to go.” I dive in between them, forcing them apart, and rope my arms around Henry’s waist.

Henry’s chest is puffing with anger. The last time I saw him look like this, he had just punched Scott.

“Come on, Henry. It’s time to go,” I plead. “It’s not worth it.”

After several long, tense moments, he releases a long sigh and weaves his fingers through mine. He leads me out into the biting night air.

I glance back at Ronan once, to find him lighting a cigarette, his intense gaze still on us. “What the hell was that about?”

“I was just getting to know your friend,” he answers mildly. In his next breath, his voice turns steely. “Do you still want him?”

“No! Why?”

“Are you still attracted to him?”

Ronan still is and will always be attractive. I can’t say that to Henry, not in his current state. But I also don’t want to lie. “Are you attracted to Margo?” I throw back.

Henry’s jaw tightens. He knows he can’t deny that without lying, because he’s already admitted as much. Every breathing, heterosexual male is attracted to Margo, along with most everyone else.

I’m shivering. Henry shrugs off his checkered jacket and holds it out for me to slip on. “I guess you didn’t have a chance to grab a jacket, what with those two assholes coming to my doorstep to throw you over their shoulder and carry you here.”

“How do you—”

“Security cameras, Abbi. They’re everywhere. Don’t ever forget that.”

I curl my arm through his to bring myself closer to him. “I don’t want Ronan, if that’s what you’re asking. I don’t think about being with him again. I don’t think about anyone but you. You are all I need or want.”

The gravel crunches under our feet as we pass the shower houses, where the sounds of running water and laughter carry.

“And yet I walked in there tonight to find him hanging over you, and you looking like you were enjoying every second of it.”

“Ronan wasn’t trying anything. I mean, he asked me if I was happy, but after how sad he saw me, of course he would. We just…. I can’t explain our relationship. I guess maybe it’s like yours with Margo.”

“He has feelings for you.”

“No. It’s not like that.”

“It is. Trust me.”

I sigh. “How did that fight start, anyway?” Henry was listening politely to a few of the kitchen staff rave about the chef, and how talented she is, when I left to use the restroom.

“I needed some fresh air. I went out and found him there smoking. He didn’t waste any time telling me that you deserve all my love and attention and I better be giving it to you.”

“Oh.” I frown. “Well, that’s not the worst thing for Ronan to say.”

“He also said that you don’t want to be treated like a good little girl.”

I sigh. I remember telling Ronan something about that—about how Henry liked that I was so innocent—way back when I also believed that he slept with that journalist because he wasn’t satisfied with my innocence. I can’t believe Ronan would have the balls to say that to Henry, though.

“It took everything in me to not knock his teeth out. I know exactly what you need.”

“I’m sorry, Henry. Maybe you were right. It was a bad idea to come here, tonight.”

Silence lingers. “They didn’t hurt your hip carrying you over here, did they?” he finally asks, more softly.

“No. It’s fine. After this afternoon, you know it’s fine.”

He smiles slyly. “Did you have fun tonight?”

“I did, until I ran into Tillie.” I tell him about the betting pool, and note the lack of shock or anger on his face. “You don’t seem surprised.”

“I’m not. And you shouldn’t be, either. You can’t let those kinds of things get to you.”

“Yeah, but they’re my friends.”

“Friends will disappoint you all the time. That’s why I don’t keep many friends.”

“But they—”

“They’re people who came into your life and who will leave just as quickly. You won’t remember half their names in ten years. Others, you won’t even remember that they exist. They won’t come running when you need them, believe me. If they want to waste their time and money betting against us, let them. None of them will be winning a damn dime, that I promise you.”

“You’re so sure?”

He slows to a stop, to face me. Roping his arms around my body, he pulls me into his chest. “Do you remember the first night we met? When I had to carry your drunk ass home?”

I giggle as I peer up into his beautiful blue eyes, slipping my arms around him. “Some parts, yeah.”

A couple heads toward us along the path, and I hear a whisper of, “Is that Wolf?”

Henry ignores them, leaning in to whisper in my ear, “You were going on and on about needing to lose your virginity, and your mouth was pressed up against my neck.”

“Yes. Unfortunately, I remember that well,” I mutter wryly.

“I carried you along this path, past that,” he points to a nearby toolshed, “and I was so fucking tempted to bring you in there and give you exactly what you needed. Right there.”

“Why didn’t you?”

He gives me a flat look. “Because contrary to what your mother thinks, I do have some morals. But you owned me that night.” His alcohol-laced breath skates over my face. “I went home and jerked off—twice—thinking about fucking you. I couldn’t tell you the last time I jerked off to thoughts of a woman before that, let alone twice in one night. It’d definitely been a few years.”

My breath quickens. “Where?” I whisper.

His eyebrows rise.

“Where did you do it? In the shower? In bed?”

“Once on the couch. Once in bed.” He smirks. “Why? Do you like picturing me doing that?”

“Yes,” I admit, smiling shyly. Thoughts of watching Henry in the shower that very first time—his legs spread and his arm flexing, his fist gripping his length tightly as he stroked himself—flood back to me. I’ve watched him touch himself plenty since then, but that first time will always burn in my memory.

A familiar ache throbs between my legs, and my skin starts to flush.

He’s hardening against my stomach.

“And were we in that toolshed, in your thoughts?” I ask softly. It’s like toying with a dangerous animal now, taunting him and arousing him like this so far from our place, but thanks to the tequila, I can’t help myself.

He slides his hands into the coat I’m wearing and then feels his way under my shirt. I squeal with the chill from his hands, but he doesn’t stop, sliding them all the way up my back to unfasten my bra.

“We were. The first time.” He bends to whisper into my ear. “I stripped you down and fucked your pussy on the work bench. The second time, I bent you over and fucked your ass until you came. You screamed the entire time, but you loved it.”

My thighs clench together. Blunt, dirty-talking Henry is one of my favorites. “That would have been a very enlightening night, then.”

“I knew even then that I didn’t have a hope in hell of resisting you, even though I convinced myself otherwise. You’d already won me over. And you keep winning me over, night after night. So, yeah. I’m sure that those fools who are betting against us are nothing but fools.” He bends down to lay a soft kiss against my lips. It’s followed quickly by a much deeper one, stirring every nerve ending in my body.

Behind us, I hear the sound of footfalls on gravel and a few catcalls, but Henry doesn’t relent, his one hand sliding down to cup my ass and pull my body flush against his erection.

I’m surprised that he’s doing this in the middle of the staff village. Maybe he’s more drunk than he’s letting on, what with all the Scotch earlier and the shots he just did. Or maybe he’s so angry with what Ronan said, he’s trying to prove that satisfying my “appetite” will not be an issue. Either way, I’m not about to stop him. Let people see us. Let the jealous bitches like Tillie get a good look at us. I let my hands fist around his hair and I lose myself in the feel of his tongue dancing against mine, no longer aware of the cool temperatures. My desire to get his clothes off and feel him thrusting into me outweighs everything else.

“I need you right now,” I whisper against his mouth.

“Then we better start walking, fast.”

An impulsive idea strikes me. “I can’t wait that long.” Breaking away from his mouth, I grab his hand and begin tugging him down the path.

“Abbi, what do you think you’re doing?” he asks with amusement.

“You know exactly what I’m doing. If they haven’t changed the code….” I punch in the five-digit code I used when I needed a shovel or trowel from this toolshed, surprised that I still remember it.

“I’m not sure you realize—”

I yank open the door to find the dull light already on inside.

“Oh my God!” I yell. Simon the bellhop is bent over the work bench with his pants pushed down to his ankles and Omar from outdoor crew is behind him, thrusting into his ass.

“Holy shit.” Omar’s eyes grow wide with fear as he pulls out of Simon and scrambles to yank his pants up, jamming his condom-clad, hard dick into his briefs. Simon moves almost as quickly, tucking his own swollen length in with a touch more care.

And suddenly the two of them are staring at the two of us, both of their faces panic-stricken.

Henry nods to the door. “Get the fuck out.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Wolf. We just didn’t have anywhere else to go,” Omar says, a pleading tone in his voice.

Henry’s hand in the air stalls Omar from saying more. “No need to explain. No one will hear about this. Now get out.”

The two of them scurry out, tossing a “sorry” as they pass us.

Henry pulls the door shut. And starts to chuckle. “What was that I said, about you somehow always finding your way into rooms where people are fucking?”

My giggles follow soon after as I press my face into his chest. “Oh my God, I had no idea….”

“That people used this shed to fuck? Or that those two are gay?”

“Both? I mean, I’ve overheard some people talking about doing it in the sheds, but those two….” I look up at Henry’s secretive smile and it dawns on me. “You knew. How did you… security footage,” I answer for myself.

“All these keypads are connected to a main system, so we know when people are going in. Someone’s been going in every night around the same time for the last few weeks, so they checked the camera footage on the path nearby. It wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on.”

“So you’ve known and you let it happen?”

Henry’s lips twist. “People are fucking like rabbits everywhere around here. But I’m guessing it’s a lot harder for guys like these two. Some of their roommates might take issue with them bending each other over in the showers. So I told Belinda to leave it alone, as long as no problems arise.”

“That was… kind of you.” I glance over to where Omar and Simon were and see the bottle of lubricant. “I’ve never seen two guys like that before.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“Have you?”

“Yes,” he answers without hesitation, his hands rubbing and down my arms in an affectionate warming motion. But of course Henry has.

I know he hasn’t been with a guy before, he’s told me as much. I hesitate. “And does watching two men… do anything for you?”

“No. But it also doesn’t bother me.” A mock frown settles across his face. “So, why did you bring me in here again?”

“I was feeling adventurous, but….” I giggle nervously as I press myself into him. “Who knows who else uses this shed. Maybe we should head back to our cabin.”

Henry smoothly grabs a hammer from the rack and jams it through the door handle, stopping anyone from being able to open it. “You know I don’t like quitters.” With a hand on my back, he guides me to stand exactly where Simon was moments ago. “Not when there’s a perfectly good bottle of lube here that shouldn’t go to waste.” He spins me around and stands behind me, his hands gripping my waist. He dips down to nibble and kiss the crook of my neck.

Shivers course through my limbs, over my breasts, between my legs.

“Are you cold?”

“A little,” I admit, even though adrenaline is racing through my veins.

“Then you should leave my coat on. For now.” Slipping his hands down into either side of my leggings, Henry eases them down to my ankles, followed by my panties, leaving my most sensitive flesh exposed to the air.

Gooseflesh covers my thighs, and small plumes of hot air sail from my mouth, and yet even with the temperatures, my breath begins to quicken in anticipation, the promise for release under Henry’s touch sending a flush of heat through my core.

“Put your arms on the table and bend over.”

Just like Simon.

I obey, and find myself studying the smooth concrete floor beneath my feet, and Henry’s black work boots as they come up behind me.

My mouth falls open in a slight gasp as Henry slides his hand in between my legs and begins rubbing back and forth. I instinctively set my legs farther apart to give him better access, which he eagerly takes.

Two fingers slip into me and begin stroking in and out, growing the pool of wetness already there. Soon a third finger joins, stretching me wide.

“You’re dripping, Abbi.”

“Because I want you so badly.”

“You made me come all the way out here, tonight. I was expecting to find you warm and naked in my bed. You made me wait,” he says calmly. “Maybe I should make you wait.”

I rock my body against his hand in the same way I would against his cock if it were there.

“Abbi,” he growls, earning my taunting laugh.

I hear the jingle as he unbuckles his belt and unfastens his zipper, and then pushes his jeans down his thighs. Blood rushes to my belly and between my legs. I can feel it pumping into my pussy, making my clit swell with anticipation.

I arch my back and prepare for the sudden thrust into me that I know is coming.

But instead Henry grabs the bottle of lubricant. A moment later, silky liquid hits my tailbone and begins sliding downward in a stream. He uses his thumb to smear it along my tight entrance.

“You want that tonight?” I realize with a hint of nervousness. He hasn’t done that to me since that night in the truck, at that seedy bar.

“Let’s be clear; I want everything, every night.” He begins prodding with his thumb. It’s slick enough that it slides in with only a slight burn. “Open wider.”

I move my legs farther apart, and he continues to work me with both of his hands, his right stroking that spot deep inside me that makes heat flare in my belly while his left thumb slowly pushes in deeper from behind. My body responds quickly, the pressure growing and spreading down between my legs.

“Oh my God, this is too intense.”

His dark chuckle rattles in my chest. “Babe, I haven’t even started with intense.” He pulls his three fingers out. I feel the head of his cock rubbing against my entrance. I adjust my stance slightly to welcome it in. His first thrust is so fast and deep that I cry out with surprise.

“Too hard?” he murmurs, not sounding sorry at all.

“No. I want it harder,” I dare.

Every thrust after is at a languid pace, in and out, in and out, in no rush to get either of us off it seems, as Henry divides his focus between his cock and the thumb he’s pumping in and out of my ass.

The burn is just starting to subside when I hear the bottle of lubricant compress and a dollop of lube pool over my tight skin. He trades his thumb for two fingers.

“Breathe. I’ll go slow,” he guides.

I close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing as he very slowly pushes two fingers into me, stretching my muscles. His pelvis barely rocks as he allows my body to adjust to the intrusion.

“Still good?” Henry murmurs, pushing my jacket and shirt up. He loves a good view.

“Yes,” I manage to get out, my muscles involuntarily squeezing tightly. There’s so much lube on me that it’s not long before I feel the press of his knuckles against my skin. He’s all the way in.

He folds over me to whisper into my ear, “Do you like it?”

I pant at the pressure this new position has caused. “I like everything you do to me, Henry.”

His free hand slips up the front of my shirt to fill with a breast, the bra that he unfastened earlier useless in this position. “Everything?”

“Everything.”

“Did you like it when I fucked your ass?”

“Yes,” I admit shyly.

“Good.” He presses a kiss against my jawline, sending shivers through my core. “Because I’m going to do it now.”

My muscles spasm against his dirty words. Am I ready for this again? Right here in a toolshed? “Okay.” I don’t think I could say no to Henry, even if I wanted to.

He promptly slides his fingers and his cock out of me, leaving me empty. Grabbing me by the waist, he turns me around and hoists me onto the bench.

“How come this way?”

Working his jacket off me, he balls it up and sets it behind me. He lines my hips up with the edge and then guides me down to lie on the table.

“Because it’s more intense this way. And I want to see your face.” He pushes against the back of my thighs until my legs are practically pressed against my chest. “I want to watch you scream.”

He drops to his knees and, leaning in, swirls the very tip of his tongue over my slick puckered skin.

“Oh my God.” I gasp, my muscles clenching.

Around and around, his tongue works, his eyes locked on mine as he teases me mercilessly.

I’m terribly exposed in this position, but I guess that’s the point. I glance at the door, momentarily horrified at the idea of someone walking in on me like this. But it’s barred with a hammer. Even if someone punches in the code, no one’s coming in.

Henry doesn’t allow my focus to stray for too long though. He stands. I watch with nervous excitement as he coats his rigid length with more lube and then strokes himself to spread it around.

“This table is the perfect height,” he murmurs, his eyes flickering from my face to his target as he rubs the tip of his cock back and forth over the tight spot several times. “It’s almost like you built it for this very purpose.”

“I am a forward thinker.” He smiles, his fingers spreading my cheeks apart. “Relax your muscles. Take a breath.”

And then he begins sinking into me.

There’s so much lubricant on the both of us that my body accepts him much faster than the last time. Still, I wince against the burn, and I find myself wondering how much I could really have enjoyed it. Maybe I was just caught up in the moment.

“Look at me.”

Henry settles his thumb on my clit to draw smooth, slow circles around it as his hips rock back and forth, subtly inching in a little deeper each time.

“Do you really enjoy this?” I ask between panted breaths.

He fixes me with an even stare. “I love it. And you will, too. But I need you to relax your muscles and let me in.”

“Can you take your shirt off?”

He smirks. “It’s a bit cold, Abbi.”

“I want to see your body.”

Without another word, he reaches over his head to yank off his long-sleeved black shirt.

I focus on his chiseled upper body for the next few minutes as he maintains his slow pace of inching in and out of me, picturing my tongue twirling around his hard nipples, or dragging along that dark line of hair below his belly button. And I try not to flex my muscles.

“How much farther?” I feel like I might split apart.

“Almost there,” he whispers through gritted teeth, his eyes dark and full of desire as they watch where we’re joined. He slides his hands over my inner thighs, pushing my legs apart farther.

“You’re so deep,” I whisper through a pant. He was right. This is so much more intense than the last time.

He reaches for the lube.

“Don’t we have enough?” I exclaim with a laugh as he squeezes more over me. I feel it dripping along my slit and down farther.

“There’s no such thing as too much lube. Touch yourself for me.”

I don’t hesitate when he asks me to do that anymore. I slip a hand between my legs. My fingers slide easily over my swollen mound and clit.

He begins gently thrusting in and out of me without warning. My hand momentarily stalls with the sting. I bite my lip, trying to keep myself from crying out.

“Don’t, Abbi. I want to hear you,” he demands. A thin sheen of sweat has formed across his muscular chest.

“But someone else might hear.”

“Good. Let them.”

 “What happened to keeping your private life private?”

“Apparently some of my employees think I can’t satisfy my woman. Keep going, Abbi.”

Around and around my fingers go, slipping and sliding over my clit, along my slit, dipping in every so often. The burn has subsided and my body is finally loosening up for him. He must feel it too, because he starts thrusting harder into me.

“Oh, God. Henry!” It’s getting harder to remain quiet, my lips parting and letting small moans and cries slip out unbidden.

He tips his head back as he pumps, giving me a great view of his jagged Adam’s apple.

This cedar table is far from comfortable, even with Henry’s jacket offering some cushion for my head, and yet all I can think about right now is what he’s doing to me.

“You are so damn perfect. So fucking tight, Abbi,” Henry moans. I sense my body producing its own lubricant now as my muscles welcome his intrusion, and my nerves buzz with heady anticipation.

“Harder,” I whisper, my stomach and thigh muscles tensing as I start to meet each thrust.

Henry slams his cock into my ass. “You should see yourself right now.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “I don’t know if I could handle it.”

“You could. You’d love it. Here.” He slows long enough to dig my phone out of the pocket of my jacket. Swiping the camera on, he aims it between my legs. He adjusts his stance and begins pounding into me again while recording it.

I suck in a breath as my muscles begin tightening around him, as my clit begins throbbing, as the urge to spread my legs as far as possible takes over.

“So you like having a camera on your pussy.” Henry chuckles darkly. “Good to know. Here, watch this.” He hands me my phone.

I gasp as I watch his beautiful swollen cock filling my ass, my slickened body stretching around it, accepting him, with each of his thrusts. The video is only fifteen seconds but watching it while he’s still fucking me there is all it takes for the familiar telltale tingle to begin in the base of my spine.

“I’m coming,” I pant, pressing my palms against the table as if to brace myself, my focus now on the low cedar ceiling above.

I cry out as Henry pushes his fingers deep into my pussy again.

He presses down inside me, against the back of my muscle wall. I can feel his cock stroke the other side.

He picks up the pace of his thrusts. “Abbi,” he forces out between gritted teeth.

The first wave explodes through my lower belly and down my thighs. I cry out and still my hips as the sensation flows up my spine, as my muscles pulse around Henry, squeezing against both his cock and his fingers.

“Fuck!” He follows immediately, a deep groan tearing from his lungs, his one hand gripping my ass cheek tightly, his pulsing length working against my muscles to drive me insane. I can feel warmth as his seed flows into me. “Christ, Abbi.” He slides his hand out of me, his heavy body falls on top of me. My legs are like Jell-O, splayed to either side.

We lay like that for several long moments, our pants filling the silent night.

“So, was the toolshed as good as you imagined it would be?” I whisper.

“Better. Way better. I didn’t have a bottle of lube in my version,” he murmurs, earning my giggle.

“I need a shower now. I’m covered in it. I’m all slimy.”

He nuzzles his face into my neck and presses a kiss against my throat. “I’ll draw you a bath when we get back. I think certain parts of you are going to need it. I was pretty hard on you.”

My body clenches around his cock, still deep inside me. “I liked it,” I admit shyly. “Especially that last part, when you added your hand.”

“I had a feeling you would.”

I rope my arms around his naked, hot upper body. “I love everything you do for me.”

He lifts himself just far enough to gaze into my eyes. “And I love that you’re so agreeable with everything I want to do for you.”

“I love you.” I reach up to play with the ends of his brown hair. “But can you please get your dick out of my ass? It’s a little uncomfortable now.”

He chuckles. “Sure. Give me a minute.” Very slowly and with care, he slides himself out of me.

We dress quickly, the cold creeping over our damp, flushed skin.

“What about this?” I hold up the almost empty bottle of lube.

He smoothly takes it from my hand. “Probably shouldn’t leave it in here. I’ll pitch it on the way.”

He slides the hammer from the handle and we head out. Three figures linger on the main path, only twenty feet away. Connor and the willowy brunette from earlier stand by the lamppost. The brunette’s eyes widen when she sees Henry. Connor’s face has been taken over by a smug grin.

Ronan is near the trash can. He’s his usual cool self, a lit cigarette in his hand, even though he knows he’s not allowed to be smoking along the paths or other main staff areas. His dark, knowing gaze is on us.

They had to have heard us.

Looping his arm around my waist, Henry leads me past them calmly, as if he doesn’t give a shit. He slows just long enough to press the bottle of lube into Ronan’s free hand. “Should be a little bit left for you,” he murmurs with a smile, just loud enough for Ronan and me to hear. We continue on.

I glance back to see Ronan studying the bottle of lube in his hand. Then, with a shake of his head and a small smile, he dumps it into the trash bin.

~ ~ ~

“When are you meeting with the engineers?” Morning sun streams through the cracks in the blackout curtains where we didn’t fully draw them, allowing me just enough light to study his nipples, hardened by my mischievous fingertips.

“I’m not.”

I frown. “Really? I thought they were here today, too.”

“They are. But they don’t need me there to tell them how to do their jobs,” he murmurs sleepily, his voice deep and scratchy.

“Since when do you not tell people how to do their jobs?” I press a kiss against his hot, clean skin. It smells of the mint-scented soap from the bath we took together last night.

“So you’re in one of those moods this morning.” He rolls into me, curling is arm around my body to fold me into him. I feel so small when I’m up against him like this. “Since this know-it-all redhead came in to my life and disrupted things.” He drags his tongue over the seam of my lips. “Speaking of telling people how to do their jobs, it sounds like Nailed It has all the back end work done for online ordering.”

“Yes, I saw that email.”

“You need to meet with them next week to make some decisions. Once they get the production running, you can start selling.”

“I know. How’d they get everything ready so fast, anyway? I mean, the regulatory stuff alone can take months.”

“It’s amazing what an impatient tyrant with a pool full of money can accomplish.” Humor laces his words.

“Henry….”

“Don’t tell me not to be demanding on your behalf. I’ll never listen.” His strong, warm hand smooths over my spine.

“But you realize that you’re putting all this money and effort into something so small.”

“You are getting every advantage. If it stays small, it’s because you wanted it to. Is that what you want?”

“I don’t know. But —”

“Have more faith in yourself, Abbi.”

I burrow in closer to him, curling my thigh around his. “So, what are we going to do today then?”

“Besides this?”

“You can’t lay in bed all day. You’re not capable. Your head would explode.” This guy always has pressing matters.

He pulls my thigh the rest of the way around his hip and rolls onto his back. I end up lying on top of him, straddling him, his hard cock nestled between my thighs perfectly.

Instinctively I begin rubbing myself along him, earning a sound of contentment deep within his chest.

“I figured we could grab a nice meal in Lux later.” He matches my movement.

“I’d like that.”

His finger slides down my spine again, this time continuing farther, down between my cheeks. “How are you this morning?”

“A little sore,” I admit. “But not in a bad way.” In the way that I love, where I can still feel Henry deep inside me, hours later.

Seizing my hips, he re-angles my pelvis and expertly pushes into me. “Sit up.”

I do as requested, letting the covers fall away from us.

He’s just close enough that he can reach the light. He switches it on, filling the room with soft light. His sleepy eyes, now a dark heated blue, settle on my full, heavy breasts as I languidly ride him, watching them sway with each roll.

“God, Abbi….” He moans softly, covering his eyes with the palms of his hands momentarily.

“What’s wrong?”

Suddenly he’s sitting upright, having pulled himself up with an impressive layer of muscle across his stomach. “Nothing’s wrong.” One hand curves around the back of my skull, the fingers of one hand weaving through mine while the other hand settles on my tailbone, pushing my body flush with his. “Everything is fucking perfect. You are perfect for me. How are you so perfect for me?”

It must be a rhetorical question, because his mouth closes over mine before I can answer, and doesn’t leave until long after he has come inside me.

~ ~ ~

“I’ve never tried lobster,” I admit.

“Then have the lobster.”

“But what if I don’t like it?”

“Then order something else.” He says it like that’s what everyone else would do.

When I pause over the menu again, hesitating, he tells the waiter, “She’ll have the lobster tails and possibly something else after. I’ll have the T-bone, rare.”

“Yes, sir. Cedric will be here momentarily to help you with your wine selection.” The waiter nods politely to me before swiftly moving away.

I let my eyes roll over the interior of Lux. The place is only half-full, its patrons sitting at round tables with expensive white linens and dancing tapered candles. I’ve been here a few times before, but not in a while, and always as Henry’s assistant, fetching things for him or taking notes. “I could never appreciate how nice it is in here. Not from this viewpoint anyway.”

“You mean as a guest?”

“Yes.”

Henry unfolds his napkin and sets it on his lap. I follow suit. “Get used to it. You’re going to see places like this, and nicer than this.” He reaches across the table to weave his fingers through mine. “I’m going to give you the world, Abigail Mitchell.”

You already have, I feel like saying. “I don’t need the world, Henry. I just need you.”

Crystal-blue eyes settle on me, studying me for a long moment. “Well, you have me.” A small smirk curls his lips. “Bad temper and all.”

I shrug playfully. “You’re not so bad.”

“No?”

“No. Not when I know how to ease that temper.”

His brow lifts a touch. “And how is that?”

I kick off my heel and, stretching my leg out, I slide my foot in between his thighs and begin rubbing. He parts his legs a touch more, giving me access. I feel him hardening against my toes. “See?”

He smiles. “But I wasn’t in a bad mood to begin with.”

I decide now’s as good a time as any. “Why didn’t you tell me that your birthday is tomorrow?”

The smile sours as his gaze wanders. “I guess I’ll need a new assistant after all,” he mutters dryly.

“Don’t blame Miles. I asked him to tell me. Something I shouldn’t have had to do.”

“You’ve never told me when yours is.”

“I don’t have to. I’m sure you already—”

“March 3.”

I roll my eyes at him. “See?”

“It’s a regular day for me. I have my meetings at the gold mine.” He takes a long sip of his ice water. “Birthdays have never been a big deal in our family.”

“Never?” Even Mama, for all she is, always made sure everyone and their dog knew it was my happy birthday.

“My grandmother always made sure we had a cake.” He smiles wistfully. “The woman had all the money in the world to buy one and yet she’d always take the time to bake it. She used those boxed mixes, too. They were the best. After she died… it’s just any other day.”

“That’s sad.”

“That was my world.”

“Well, not anymore it’s not. So what do you want?”

“Your mouth around my cock,” he says without missing a beat.

“Henry!” I glare at him and flush, searching the two tables within hearing distance. Words like “cock” tend to grab attention. Thankfully, no one is glancing our way. With a rub of my foot, I murmur, “Well, that can easily be arranged. But what else do you want?”

He sighs heavily. “Nothing. I’m in Alaska with you. It’s all I could ask for right now. Seriously.” He slides a hand under the table to grasp my foot and start massaging it. “And you have to stop or we’re going to have a real problem when I get up to leave.”

Cedric the sommelier appears next to our table then, ending any playful banter I could have thrown back.

~ ~ ~

I pull my jacket tight against myself as I follow Henry along the dock toward his fishing boat, our footfalls making a hollow sound against the boards. “Are you sure it isn’t too late for a boat ride?”

“We’re not going far. Just out into the bay.”

“Good, because I didn’t take my Antivert.” The last time I was on this boat, when Hachiro was here to take photographs of Henry for a magazine, I had to lie down below deck to keep from puking.

“It’s good to go?” Henry asks a guy who I’ve seen working around the dock before.

“Engine’s been warming for a bit. Sounds smooth.”

“Thanks, Ken.” They clasp hands, and then Henry’s helping me aboard. Ken unfastens the ropes and we’re pulling away slowly, Henry at the wheel.

“What’s all this?” I ask, peering over at the pile of blankets sitting in the center of the deck. Two of those tall electric heaters sit on either side, the glowing red telling me that they’re on and pumping out heat.

“Lie down. Get comfortable” is his only answer.

To my pleasant surprise, I find a rollaway mattress and a sleeping bag buried beneath the other covers. Kicking off my shoes, I slide into the bag, happy to have changed into sweatpants and a sweatshirt for comfort. “It’s warm in here.”

“That’s the point.” Henry’s chuckle carries over the low rumble of the boat engine. “I’ll be there in few minutes.”

I rest my head against one of the pillows and settle my gaze on the sky above us, and the thick blanket of stars. “I used to lie under the stars with Jed when we were kids,” I murmur. “We’d make up stupid names for constellations. The only ones we ever got right were the dippers.”

“Did the sky down there look like it does up here?”

“No. Nothing is as pretty as it is up here,” I admit with a smile.

Henry shuts the engine about ten minutes later. The plunk of the anchor sounds as it drops into the dark water. I sit up long enough to see that he’s parked us in a small cove, the closest light from a cabin at least half a mile away.

“What’s this place?” I ask as he climbs down. He kicks off his shoes and slips into the sleeping bag, bringing a wave of cold with him that makes me shudder.

“My grandparents used to bring us here at night when we were young.”

“To look at the stars?”

“Sure,” he answers mysteriously, reaching over my head for something. He produces a bottle of champagne and two flutes from a basket I didn’t even notice sitting in the corner.

“Who knew you could be so romantic?” I tease.

“Thank Isabella. She’s the one who arranged all this for me. Sit up.”

I do, and he props up all the pillows behind us—six in total. I happily settle back against them, his arm curled beneath me, the smell of him wafting around me.

“The water is so calm here.” Thank God, the boat’s not even rocking.

“Watch the sky out there,” he whispers, pointing with his free hand.

We lie there in comfortable silence, sipping champagne and staring off into the sky, my hand dragging back and forth lazily over Henry’s chest and abdomen. His body is utterly relaxed against me, something I usually only sense in him in the minutes after he’s climaxed.

A wave of pale green light suddenly dances across the sky.

I frown. “What was that?”

Henry says nothing, smiling as his eyes remain locked above and ahead.

A few moments later, another wave skitters across, this one brighter, with a touch of pink.

It dawns on me. “The northern lights!” How had I forgotten about those?

Henry grins. “Aurora Borealis. They’re most active in the fall and winter months. With the clear skies, I knew we’d likely see them tonight. This is the best place to watch around here.”

I sigh and settle back into Henry, and watch the light show in absolute awe as the waves of green, pink, and purple grow in intensity and frequency. Each one of them makes me gasp and squeal.

“I’m starting to think these lights do more for you than I do,” he murmurs, shifting us until his large, warm body is spooning mine, and my head is nestled in the crook of his arm.

“It’s my first time with them, so I guess it remains to be seen. Do they last longer than you?” I joke.

I get a playful but sharp slap against my cheek in response. And then his warm hand slips down the front of my sweatpants and into my panties. His fingers stall between my folds. “Seriously. Are you getting off on lights?”

“Shut up!” I softly elbow him in the stomach.

His fingers resume their leisurely exploration between my legs, pulling a sigh from my lips as his index finger pushes inside.

“Hot and soaking wet. Just how I like it.” He pulls out long enough to work my pants off my hips and down past my knees. Now I know why he insisted on loose clothes.

I make to roll but he stops me with a soft, “Stay.” He buries his face into the back of my neck, his hot breath tickling as he licks and gently bites and kisses along my skin. I feel him shifting behind me and I realize he’s pushing his own track pants down.

I raise a hand up and over, hooking it around the back of his head. “I don’t want it rough tonight, Henry.”

“It won’t be rough tonight,” he promises. Hiking my thigh up and out with his hand to open me up, he holds it there while fitting himself in behind me. I feel his smooth tip prodding my entrance.

And then he’s sinking into me.

I close my eyes as my senses go into overdrive.

“Who knows when we’ll get to see this again. Relax your leg and watch. No touching yourself.” He settles in, his thrusts unhurried, only breaking every once in a while to press a sensual kiss along my neck and shoulder.

It’s a punishingly slow pace that goes on forever. He expertly drags both of our releases out, stalling every time my hip rolls become more urgent, or when his own breathing has grown ragged, a sign that he’s about to come. Within the cocoon of blankets, our skin is slick with sweat and every nerve below my waist feels like a live wire.

“Who do you think will last longer? The northern lights or me?” Henry murmurs tauntingly. They’ve already started to fade.

I close my eyes, feeling another rush into my lower belly. “You, babe. Definitely you.”

“Do you want to come?”

“God, yes.” My orgasm has been lingering there, just outside of reach, forever.

He releases my leg and slips his hand in between my legs to touch my swollen clit.

I come almost immediately, my cry echoing through the silent bay.

He doesn’t quicken his pace but he makes sure the last five thrusts are hard. That’s all it takes until he grunts into my ear and I feel him pulsing inside me.

I twist back to kiss him tenderly. “Thank you for tonight.”

Henry sighs against my mouth. “We’ll do it again next year. Deal?”

I smile. “Deal… wait. What time is it?”

“No idea.”

I reach for my phone, cast aside earlier. “It’s after midnight. It’s your birthday.”

“Hmm….” His palm smooths over my bare belly.

“Happy birthday,” I whisper against his lips, pulling his bottom lip playfully between my teeth.

He grins. “Is that what you got me? A birthday fuck?”

“More than one, if you’re lucky.” I chuckle. “I love you, Henry.”

He pauses. “Every time you say those words, I can actually feel them inside me.”

I smile. “I know exactly what you mean.” Jed used to say them to me all the time. I thought he meant it, and maybe he did. But I know Henry doesn’t love easily. Every time those words slip from his lips, my heart swells.

“And when you look at me like that….” His gaze skates over my face. “You are the gift that I didn’t realize I wanted. That I needed. I love you, Abbi.” We get lost in a sensual kiss for a few moments, before he pulls out and adjusts himself to stretch out behind me once again. We lie in comfortable silence, our bodies tangled and hot and fully satisfied, gazing up at the Alaskan sky, until I begin dozing off. Somewhere in the sleepy distance, I sense him drawing my pants back up and rolling out from the covers to start the boat. The engine is a soothing rumble. I stay under the warm covers as Henry takes us back to Wolf Cove.