I thought Minnesota was pretty, but this was different. It has a more majestic, grander feel to it. Larger.

“My house isn’t too far ahead,” Reese said. “Traffic normally sucks here, but we got lucky today.”

“That’s nice.”

We’d been on the interstate for most of the trip, but now on the smaller roads, I felt a calm settling into my bones. It didn’t make sense, though I wasn’t going to fight it or try to explain. Watching the ocean, the waves rippling over the surface, I was struck by the vastness.

“We have lakes where I live. They’re pretty and calming, but they’re small.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I wasn’t at all sure what I was saying. “You know there are boundaries. Your danger is more from drowning, not being pulled away by an undercurrent and taken out to sea.”

But despite the danger, there was something freeing about driving along the shore. And just like that, I knew I wasn’t talking about the different bodies of water.

Damian was a lake. He had made me feel trapped. Caged in.

Reese was this shoreline, the edge of something new, something freeing.

“You okay?” He slowed the truck, turning onto another road.

We moved away from the shoreline to drive past houses now.

“Yeah.” The word caught in my throat. “So. Roman…” My voice squeaked, and I smoothed my one hand down my leg. “You share now.”

He grinned, glancing over. “Need a subject change?”

“Drastically.”

“Fair enough.” He inclined his head. “But we’re almost to my place, and you’ll see for yourself.”

“What?” Did he mean…?

“No!” He must’ve read my thoughts. “No, no. I’d never let my brother into my place, but I have to warn you that once we get to the house, you’ll have a front-row seat to the Roman Show. One of my lawyers is coming over, my agent, my manager, a rep from the team. We have a game today, so they’re all coming over for a powwow on how to handle everything. Roman’s supposedly trying to come to the game tonight.”

“No.”

Another jaw clench. “Yes.”

Then we were slowing. He reached over, touched a button, and a wrought-iron gate started to open.

I was dumbstruck—fitting, because I’d forgotten who exactly Reese was. I knew, but I didn’t know. And him being rich was one thing I’d definitely forgotten.

I was looking at a three-building lot. Five-stall garage to one side. The main house was a giant square with arched posts around the door. Another building sat to the other side, a smaller one, and I could see the bright blue of a pool just beyond, nestled among lush green lawns.

Reese pulled up in front of the main house, saw me, and snorted. “Come on. And you’ve got drool coming down the side of your mouth.”

Drooling. He wasn’t exaggerating.

“Coming.”

And I think I really was, which was awkward. I walked to the door, my legs pressed together, a grimace on my face.

? ? ?

Once inside, Reese hauled me up, his mouth on mine. And—oh! Oh.

Lust and pleasure trailed down my spine, making me shiver, and he wasted no time. Carrying me straight through his house, he took me to his bedroom, and we were writhing naked in no time. He entered me—a hurried, desperate edge to him that I hadn’t felt at my place or at camp—and then it was lights out. My mind stopped working.

“God.” He dropped a kiss to my bare shoulder after we’d both climaxed. “I really love being in you.” He thrust one last time before sliding back out and collapsing to his back.

I… Yep. No words.

A speeding horse had come along, plucked me up, and taken me on a twisted pathway over a mountain’s edge. Exhilarated and worked over completely—that’s how I was feeling.

“Reese.” I was blind. The orgasm had taken my sight. I threw my arm out, patting for his hand until he chuckled and took it. “You broke the he-girl. My spine. I can’t see. I’m wrecked.”

There was a buzzing in the house, and he groaned as he sat up. “Hey.” He tapped my chin.

I opened my eyes—that’s why I couldn’t see. And I grinned up at him, knowing my smile was akin to a wasted sailor’s. “Hey there.”

He gave a short chuckle before he grew serious. The buzzer sounded again. He looked over his shoulder, but turned back to me. “I’ll bring your carry-on up here, but take your time coming down. These guys are…” He sighed.

Buzz.

BUZZ!

He ran a hand through his hair, scooting to the edge of his bed. The sheet pooled over his waist, but I appreciated the corded muscles in his back.

He stood and looked back down at me.

His jaw was back to clenching, and my heart sank.

“Look—”

BUZZZZZZZ!

He ignored it, bending down so his hands rested on both sides of me, an apology already in his eyes. “Meeting you at camp and the time with you afterward has helped me. It distracted me from what’s happening now.” His eyes softened, and he smoothed his thumb down the side of my cheek, leaving a trail of tingles. “I don’t know how to say this, except that a guy’s gotta…”

He paused again, took another breath. His eyes flashed, a hardness replacing the gentleness before. “Being a pro athlete, you’re a professional. You have to be. This is my day at the office, and along with that comes lines I won’t cross, people I won’t let in, and I put up harsh boundaries sometimes. It’s a high-pressure living, and that means sometimes I’ll be hard, but not with you. Whatever you see from me down there, I’ll never be like that with you. I want you to know that.”