CHAPTER 25

It was dark as Ares walked Kelsey up to the front door of her condo. Sally’s words echoed in his mind as she turned her key in the lock and set her bag and purse just inside the door. You had your eyes set on the wrong sister from the very beginning.

He looked at Kelsey beside him. Sweet Kelsey. Hot, sexy, wild Kelsey.

Loving Kelsey.

She tipped her chin up to smile at him. “Thank you for a lovely weekend. And for that wonderful trip down the coast.”

That wonderful trip? It had been so much more. Standing out there on the beach with her in his arms, her lips open beneath his, he

had never felt such passion. And yet ending with only that kiss had been its own perfection in that beautiful moment.

He’d spent nearly every second of the past two days with her, yet he wasn’t even close to being ready to let her go.

“You’re welcome.” It sounded so freaking inadequate for all the emotions churning inside him.

When she smiled again, his hands flexed with the need to haul her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

To love her senseless.

Sally was right, he had chosen the wrong sister. He recalled all those nights in Kelsey’s dorm room or sneaking into the university

library, talking until he was hoarse, delving into her mind, relishing the way she did the same to him, the brilliant way she helped

him shape his plans.

Then he’d seen Keira. And he’d grabbed on to her because she made it easy for him. With Keira, he didn’t have to really look inside

himself and decide whether or not he was worthy of a truly good woman. He’d always felt good enough for Keira, because deep in

his heart, no matter what he told himself and everyone else, he’d known she wanted him for the money he’d make, for the things he

would eventually be able to buy her.

Whereas Keira had never wanted those things. All Keira had ever wanted was to love a man with a true heart. A good man. A worthy

man.

And he’d never felt worthy of Kelsey.

He still didn’t. Especially when he couldn’t erase his marriage to Keira. When Kelsey would never be able to forget that he’d slept in

Keira’s bed, tried to have children with her sister. That Keira was the sister he’d chosen back then, even if he chose her for all the

wrong reasons. He worried that his past and the terrible choice he’d made would forever stand between them like a living, breathing

human being.

And yet…

He couldn’t turn away from Kelsey. Couldn’t shut down this need, this attraction, this connection. Maybe it was the revelation of

what he’d been running from all those years ago. Her beautiful, caring nature. Her pure love. His own feelings of unworthiness.

But even as he lowered his mouth to hers for a good-bye kiss, his gut cried out that it couldn’t be good-bye. He needed her, wanted

her. Last night and this morning would never be enough. He wanted more beautiful days on the beach with her. More long

conversations in his library. More nights in her bed. More of her.

In an instant, the good-bye kiss stopped being sweet or nice…or good-bye. He held her face in his hands and plundered her gorgeous

lips. She opened with hunger, taking him with the same desperation he felt, a moan purring in her throat.

Not enough, never enough.

He devoured her. Consumed the air right out of her lungs. And they still weren’t close enough.

Bending, he hauled her up against his body, her legs rising to his waist. He cupped her, held her tight, her center hot against all his

hardness. She shoved the door all the way open, and with his hands under her butt and her arms anchoring him to her, he carried her

inside.

He’d barely kicked the door closed behind them when she tore at his clothes, their lips still locked together. First his jacket, then the

buttons of his shirt. He let her feet slide to the entry floor. He heard the suitcase fall on its side as his foot knocked it out of the way.

He threw her coat somewhere, heard the zipper thwack the wall. Then he whipped her sweater over her head. “You are so beautiful.”

He cupped each gorgeous breast, feasting on them.

“Shoes,” she said. “Everything. Please. I want it all off. Now.”

Then there were just hands, mouths, gasped breaths, and the rustle of clothing as they ripped and tore and tossed. Something fell off

a table and rolled across the carpet as he dragged her down to the floor in her living room. Her scent was a mixture of sea air and

chocolate. He buried his face between her breasts and gloried in her moan as he took a tight peak into his mouth.

“Ares. Oh God.” She arched against him, riding him.

Never enough. He tore off her panties, the last scrap of fabric between them, needing his hands on her, in her. She was so wet, so hot,

and he couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe with the want so tight in his gut. He crawled down her body until finally he could taste her.

Her cries filled the room, filled his head, and she tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging him closer, needing, wanting as urgently as

he did.

Her explosion rocked them both, and she was still high when he plunged deep inside her, her body still contracting as he hit home.

But he needed so much more, and she urged him on with her hands, her lips, her tongue. Begging wordlessly.

He took her hard, driving their bodies across the carpet, and yet she clung to him, crying out his name, pleading for more, higher,

harder, deeper. He lost his mind, he was simply sensation and desire, his need so powerful that it roared in his ears. They were one

body, one mind, one heartbeat, one being, and together they flew to the highest peak and flung themselves off, falling into endless

pleasure and bottomless bliss.

He held her tight. She was such perfection in his arms. But then thought returned. Realization.

“Did I hurt you?” He remembered the carpet against her soft skin.

She stroked his cheek. “You could never hurt me.”

But he could. So badly. “I didn’t mean to do that.” His words were hoarse, raw from pleasure. And the guilt germinating inside him.

He never wanted to hurt her, not physically, not emotionally. “I didn’t intend to drag you inside and devour you in your entryway.”

“I loved being devoured. And we both did the dragging inside.” She kissed the tip of his nose. “But I think we also both need some

time and space to process.”

His chest tightened. Terror, that’s what it was. Terror that she’d think and process…and end up choosing a life without him. She’d

promised him otherwise at the hotel, said she’d always be there. But his mother had promised always to be there for him—and she’d

vanished like a ghost.

When Kelsey looked into his eyes, he swore she could read his thoughts—even as mangled and twisted as they were. “Don’t

overthink it, okay? You. Me. Together. We’re beautiful. Remember that.”

“I can’t forget it.”

She touched her lips to his, then started to pull away, but he wrapped his hand around her nape, taking her lips in a long, decadent

sip. She opened to him again, so beautiful, so trusting despite everything. And he wanted them to stay here, just like this, forever.

But in the end, though it felt like the hardest thing he’d ever done, he let her go. Rolling to his feet, he put his clothes on. She was

dressed too by the time he opened the door, and she went up on her toes, kissing him once more. His heart ached with the gentleness

of it, but he didn’t beg her to let him stay.

Because he had to let her go. They needed time, just like she said. He’d hurt her all those years ago, and he could so easily hurt her

again.

Because Kelsey loved him.

He hadn’t been worthy of her love nine years ago.

Was there any chance that he could be worthy of her now?

* * *

Kelsey closed her door and leaned against it. Nothing was certain with Ares, but she still felt dreamy and sexy and giddy—all the things that people in love felt. She could have gotten him to stay the night. She certainly could have lured him into making love to her again.

But where the lovemaking they’d just shared had been instinctive—utterly impossible to resist on both their parts—if she’d angled

for the whole night, that would have been manipulation. And though her heart was on the line, she refused to be like her sister,

manipulating Ares to her advantage, wheedling to get what she wanted.

He needed time to build his trust—anyone in his situation would. It might take months, maybe even until after the divorce was final.

And after he’d worked out his feelings for his mother.

He hadn’t said he loved her. And she hadn’t expected it.

But she had hoped for it. For Ares to look at her and see everything he’d ever wanted. To tell her she was the woman who had been

in his heart all along.

She was lost in her turbulent thoughts when her doorbell rang. She jumped away from the door, joy infusing every cell of her body at

the thought that Ares had already done his thinking. That he was back to say he wanted to be with her. That he might even be here to

say that he loved her.

She jerked the door open, breathless, excited, hopeful.

And found Keira standing there instead.