Chapter 1

• • • • •

"Fucking get there, Callie," Ethan growled into the crook of her neck.

She couldn't feel anything but the heavy weight of his body on top of hers and squeezed her eyes shut. "So close," she panted. It was an utter, complete lie, but she didn't want her boyfriend to think he couldn't make her come while he fucked her. It would have been embarrassing for them both.

How could she ever explain to him that the only time she actually orgasmed was when her brother's best friend fucked her? That was eight years ago, and since then, she could never feel anything more than the guilt of pretending.

Ethan grinned when she moaned into his skin and withdrew, stroking his cock over her until she was covered in his release. "I've missed this," he admitted, the corner of his lips curving into a smirk. "I've missed you coming over to cook dinner and then the sex afterward. What have you been doing since you left me?"

She winced and pulled the comforter over her body. "I didn't leave you. You left me, remember?"

"Let's just forget about that, babe. All that matters is that we're back together."

"Yeah," she breathed into the thick air. She turned in bed and touched a hand to her burning cheek. She was completely flushed, and her clit ached, but she couldn't even touch herself without letting him know he hadn't even made her come. "I'm going to bed, okay?"

"Sure thing," he said, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "I've really missed you, Callie. I'm sorry for hurting you."

She hummed in response and wrapped the comforter tighter around her. "Goodnight, Ethan."

Ethan frowned at the distance she was putting between them but thought nothing of it as he crawled out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. He walked out of the bedroom and left her alone to drown in her own thoughts.

Callie sighed in relief when her cellphone rang with Clyde's icon flashing across the screen. She immediately picked up and said, "Please come get me."

"I was just going to ask you that," he said with a chuckle. "I'm at the airport with Ryan, and the idiot forgot our train tickets."

"Which airport?"

"Crystal," he replied curtly.

"I'm coming now."

"Callie-"

"I need to," she said, shaking her head, as if he could see her. "I need air, and I need an excuse."

"For what, Cal?"

"I'll explain it when I get there. Give me half an hour."

She hung up, and only then did she realize that she'd have to face her brother after eight long years and the man she fucked before she left London. She had deceived her brother, and she prayed she could pretend she and Ryan shared absolutely no history.

She quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and her sweater from the University before grabbing her purse. She left the bedroom to find Ethan sipping from a cup of coffee over a bowl of dessert and offered him a small smile.

"My brother just landed, and he's stuck at the airport."

"You're leaving?" Ethan asked, his eyebrow raised in question.

"I'll be back."

"Promise me," he practically begged. "I made a mistake by letting you go once."

I said I'll be back," she said harsher than she'd intended to. "It won't take long."

Then she left, and the emptiness that settled in her chest only grew heavier.

• • • • •

Ryan paced back and forth in front of the door and patiently waited for Callie to show up. He couldn't wait to see her again, especially after so many years of seeing her body underneath him in his dreams. He wanted her in that position again.

He had women he made empty promises to back in London, but he had practically made Callie a promise the night she left. And by taking her body, he promised he'd find her again and make her his.

Clyde placed a hand over his friend's shoulder and shoved him into a chair. He had known Ryan for half of his lifetime and considered him his brother. Ever since Clyde had made the announcement that their business in the states skyrocketed, Ryan had been a nervous wreck about getting on a plane.

"When is she getting here?" Ryan found himself asking.

"Soon," Clyde replied, eyebrows furrowed. "What's with the nervous shaking?"

Ryan wiped his hands on his jeans and shrugged. "I haven't been in America since I was a young lad."

"Jesus, don't speak like that while we're here."

"I usually don't."

Clyde sighed in relief when he saw the woman he used to consider his baby sister walk through the doors of the terminal. "She's here."

Ryan followed his friend's gaze to the door and covered his mouth with his hands, searching for a proper way to breathe. Callie was making her way toward them, her jeans tight around her long, sexy legs and her sweater hanging loose off her body.

Her long brunette hair was a tangle of curls falling down her back, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. Even like that, she was absolutely breathtaking.

This was not the girl who came to him in the night and asked her brother's best friend to fuck her. This was a woman. A fucking beautiful woman.

"Callie," he breathed after a long moment of just staring. He wondered what her tits looked like underneath that sweater.

She pulled away from her embrace with Clyde and gave Ryan a small smile, forcing his eyes to meet her hazel ones before wrapping her arms around his middle. "How have you been?"

"Just the slightest bit insane," he replied back to her. He grinned when she laughed at that. "I'm glad I can still make you smile."

"When can't you make a poor girl smile?" She turned back to Clyde before either one of the men could completely catch her words and hooked her arm through his as they walked out of the airport. "I've missed you like crazy. You'll tell me all about London, yes?"

"Whatever you want to hear."

She smiled. "You picked up an accent."

"Eight years in London can do that to you," he murmured, pressing a kiss into her hair. "It's nearly midnight. Tell me why you're still up."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Clyde."

"Of course not," he said uneasily. "But you're still my little sister. What's going on?"

"Ethan," she explained in one word.

"Did that fucker do something to you?"

She shook her head. "I took him back."

"Why, Callie? He cheated on you with his secretary. It's a little cliché, which only makes it worse for him."

"I can't be alone anymore," she whispered for just them to hear.

But Ryan had heard her and took her hand behind her back, closing his around hers.

She squeezed his hand before pulling it back and pressed it to her mouth. That much only made Ryan grin like a virgin schoolboy. "I had no one but him when I came back here."

"Well, you can dump him now that Ryan and I are back," Clyde suggested with a rather harsh tone. "He doesn't deserve you. You have no idea how many times I considered flying back in the course of one year every time you called me for comfort."

"He's better to me now." She didn't even know who she was trying to convince anymore. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

"You're too fucking good for a man like that," Ryan said from behind them. They had just come to a stop in front of Callie's car, and she stared at him with wide eyes. "It's the truth, Callie. Men like Ethan Boyd take advantage of good women like Callie Montgomery."

"It's the truth," Clyde repeated with a casual shrug as he loaded the trunk with his suitcases.

Callie gave Ryan a small smile and leaned over to kiss his cheek, but he made a move to turn his head and captured her lips in a kiss.

He pulled away, her bottom lip between his teeth. "Fuck," he groaned before forcing himself to take a full step back. "Still as fucking sweet as I remembered."

"You can't do that," she said just as Clyde rounded the car to take the passenger seat.

"Do what?" her brother asked.

"Leave his luggage on my leather seats." She touched her lip that was still tingling, as if his mouth were still on hers. "Take it to the back, Worthington."

"Don't fuck with my sister," Clyde warned his friend, completely oblivious to the blush on Callie's face. "I bought her this brand new car, and if I see one scratch on it, you're both screwed."

Callie giggled and jumped into the driver seat. "I'll take care of it and Ryan if I'll be seeing him more often now."

"Don't pretend you don't want me around," he called as he threw his suitcases into the trunk.

Little did he know that she actually enjoyed his company.