“Then why couldn’t you—?”

“Because, don’t you see? I feel guilty about what happened between us. I was sober, you were drunk. Patrick is my responsibility. I hate taking money from Sean, but I can’t ask you—”

“No.” I shook my head. “No, no, no. You’re not asking me, I’m insisting. He’s ours. He’s my responsibility and yours. You have to start thinking of him in this way.”

She nodded again, and it was clear she was fighting back tears. “I’m so sorry.”

Seeing my window of opportunity, I closed the rest of the distance between us. When my chest met hers, a tension I hadn’t even realized released from deep in my bones. It had only been a few days, but I’d missed her so bloody much. Being close to her now was an odd but welcome relief.

“So, can we start over?” I asked, my voice a gentle caress.

“Yes, of course, but—”

Before she could finish the sentence, I kissed her, my relief propelling me forward. She gasped into my mouth. I lost myself a little in how soft her lips were. I pressed my entire body to hers, like I couldn’t get enough. I pressed so close I could feel her heartbeat pounding against my chest.

I teased her mouth into opening for me, and after only a second’s hesitation she let me in. I slid my tongue along hers, tasted her with every fiber of my being. She arched her back, and I felt her breasts push into me. My cock stirred instantly. I lifted my hand and took hold of her neck, brushing my thumb back and forth over the hollow of her throat. A strangled moan escaped her. I groaned and kissed her deeper, wishing I could be inside her.

Her hands came to my shoulders, and even though I was so lost in kissing her, I still felt them shake. She pulled away, her eyes pleading. I knew she’d let me take her here, I knew she wanted me as fiercely as I wanted her. But this wasn’t the place.

Still, I couldn’t help teasing her, lowering my voice to a rough whisper, “Eilish, we might be stuck on this lift for hours. We can do what we like.”

She whimpered. I grinned.

Whispering in her ear, I said, “And I would. I would take you here, against this wall, make love to you with your skirt around your waist, your knickers torn off, but . . .”

Her breathing was shallow, frantic, and her hands tugged at my shirt. I caught them before she could undress me, sucking and biting her lip into my mouth.

“I’m sure the security guards wouldn’t be amused. But turned on? Maybe,” I teased with a tender smile.

Her eyes widened in realization as she stared at me, lucidity warring with mortification. “Oh my goodness. They’ve probably been watching this whole time.”

“Probably,” I agreed, loving how embarrassed she got over a few kisses.

“And we never even pressed the emergency button,” she went on, rushing by me to slam her hand down on the red button.

I approached her from behind, brushed her hair over one shoulder, and kissed her neck. “God, I love you,” I whispered fervently. It wasn’t even a slip of the tongue. I’d meant to say it. I wanted her to know. I didn’t want any more misunderstandings between us ever again.

Her back arched instinctively against my body as she said, “I love you, too, Bryan.”

And that was the moment the lift decided to jolt back to life.

Chapter Twenty-Six

SeanCassinova to ECassChoosesPikachu and THEBryanLeech: YOU’RE WELCOME.

*Eilish*

“I wouldn’t have trapped you in the lift if you hadn’t insisted on being so stubborn.” Sean twisted his cufflinks and cocked an eyebrow at me. “I accept your apology.”

“I didn’t apologize.”

“Yes, I know, darling. But I can tell you want to.”

I grinned, very reluctantly. “You overstepped.”

“Someone needed to do it.” He shrugged.

My cousin and I were in the extra office on the top floor of the sports complex. Bryan had driven me back, and I needed the lift since Sean had abandoned me at the solicitor’s.

Of course, I didn’t at all mind spending the extra time with Bryan, and we’d made plans to meet up after work. But that didn’t change the fact that Sean had locked us in a lift and then proceeded to spy on us via the security camera.

The last thing I wanted to do was finish my day at work, preferring instead to spend the rest of the afternoon snogging with my boyfriend.

That’s right. Snogging. With my boyfriend. You might have heard of him? Bryan Leech? He loves me. Just FYI.

My desires were completely unprofessional and maybe not very adult, but I didn’t care. I embraced these whimsical wishes as a reawakened facet of my personality.

“Someone needed to put you two in a room together and lock the door, throw away the key, etcetera, etcetera.”

God, I loved my cousin. There was no one else in the world like him, I was sure of it.

“Thank you,” I said softly, leaning forward and on my tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek.

“You’re very welcome,” he responded warmly, catching my shoulders before I could step away. “You know I love you, don’t you? I only want what’s best for you and Patrick. You’re my family.”

He sounded so earnest, maybe a little vulnerable, I felt a lump rise in my throat. “I know, Sean. And we love you, too.”

He nodded, his eyes moving over my face as he hesitated a moment before saying, “Don’t let Bryan get rid of those suits.”