“I don’t know. It’s sexy, I guess.” I hadn’t known how to articulate the appeal. My entire life, I’d felt powerless. With my mother and her drinking. With my body and its abundant curves. With the swim coach who considered me a team filler and never bothered to time any of my laps or check out my form. Power was an enigma to me. I was fascinated by it – by what it could do, by what it could inspire, by what it could create.“Personally, I like a guy with money,” Amber had said. “Which is a lot like power, but not really. I want the guy to have the money and me to have the power.”“Yes. That’s what I mean,” I’d said, wanting to be liked more than to be understood.But Amber had already understood me more than I’d realized. Propping herself up on her side, she’d said, incredulously, “You wouldn’t know what to do with power if you had it. You don’t know what to do with the power you do have.”“I don’t have any power.”“Those knockers!”I shook my head. “You’re funny.”“You’re naïve.”It

“It was both,” she admitted. “You can’t tell me there aren’t things you’ve done for me that didn’t have a benefit for you as well.”Reeve. I’d gotten involved with him because of her, but also because of me. “No, I can’t.” It wasn’t enough of an apology. I just didn’t know what exactly to apologize for.I tried to imagine what it must have been like for her, to feel like I’d always been between her and the various men she loved. “You should have gotten rid of me earlier.”“Emily,” the word was thick. “I never wanted to get rid of you at all. You were my touchstone. I kept hoping that somehow, someday it would work out, and we’d both find whatever happy ending we were looking for. But then Bridge… not only was I not enough for him – not good enough for that fucking useless asshole – but he also ended up hurting my best friend. So bad.” Her voice cracked, and my gaze followed a tear dropping down her nose.“You pushing me away hurt almost just as bad.” My eyes were dry, but my chest ach

I bent my legs, widening until I was completely displayed for him. My breathing grew heavier, and I curled my fingers into the sheets, anticipating his next move. He’d strip. He’d brace himself over me. He’d jut into me and I’d be destroyed.But the devil teased me. He taunted. Leaving his clothing on, he bent over me and flicked his tongue across one nipple. Then, he moved to the other, closing his teeth around the sensitive area and jerking his mouth up until I yelped in ecstasy.“Where should I touch you next?” He bit down over the curve of my breast down my belly, hard enough to leave a trail of teeth marks as he lowered himself down my body. “Here?” He thrust his tongue into my navel, and I writhed as intense shock waves rolled through me.He slid to kneel on the floor, wrapped his hands around my calves, and pulled me to the edge of the bed. “Or how about I touch you here?” He brushed across my clit with the tip of his nose, and my thighs clenched.“Don’t worry, Blue Eyes. I’ll

CHAPTER 24I slipped out of Reeve’s room early the next morning, without a message, without good-bye. He’d assume I didn’t want Amber to see me in his room, which was true. It didn’t need to be discussed. More importantly, I’d already said good-bye to him in the way I’d wanted to say good-bye.The sun was still low on the horizon when I’d finished packing my bags. I didn’t want to see her, but Amber hadn’t given me any details about my flight. Waking her early would at least feel satisfying.But when I got to her room, it was empty.What’s more, her bed, though rumpled, didn’t look really slept in. Like, maybe she’d gotten in, but hadn’t stayed there. And when I looked around the room more closely, I saw that the vanity was clear, and her makeup and toiletries were in disarray on the floor nearby.The hair on the back of my neck stood up. It was too soon to panic, but I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.Then I remembered Tabor. He’d been on guard all night, and I hadn’t

So I spit out the idea that had tossed around inside my head all day. “He told me last night that he’d… well, he said he wouldn’t let anything come between us. He said he’d handle anything or anyone who did. Amber wanted me to go home and that was going to come between us.”Again, he asked, “What’s your gut telling you, Em?”“My gut says that something fucking happened to her. I’m scared out of my goddamn mind.”“About Reeve. Do you trust him?”I rubbed my fingers across my forehead, remembering that he’d been dressed when I’d come to him that morning, remembering how he’d dismissed me when I’d asked about it.Remembering the night I’d spent with him and the things he’d said and the things I’d felt.I’d been in this quandary once before – torn between loving him and the things Reeve was capable of. I didn’t need to examine the conclusions I’d come to again.“I do trust him,” I admitted honestly. “But that doesn’t mean he didn’t do something to her.”I didn’t eat or sleep all day. Fili