even as my own body temperature rose. “I think basic biology says that you are.”
“And what do you say?” he challenged.
Turning back to the sofa, I began pulling out the bed hidden inside. “I say we should steer clear of the subject since nothing good can come of it.” I pulled out the sheets and covers I’d brought from home, grateful that Vaughn didn’t seem willing to argue.
“Can we talk about what you plan to do when the fall comes?” he asked after I finished making the sofa bed.
I paused from pulling my hair up into a bun. “What do you mean?”
“I mean when school starts up again, and you have to go back to Harvard. What happens to River?”
“I’m not going back to Harvard.” The indifference I heard in my tone might as well have been nails on a chalkboard. I cringed. “I lost my scholarship.”
Vaughn’s fury was immediate.
“How the hell did you do that?” he snapped. If he hadn’t been holding River, I would have clawed his eyes out. His blatant disappointment was a kick to my stomach when I was already down. Vaughn had been the wrench in my plans, and I blamed no one but myself. I’d stupidly allowed him in.
“How do you think, Rees?”
I didn’t allow him the chance to respond before I hurried inside the mini en suite and slammed the door shut. I wanted to run back out there and scream at him to leave. For River’s sake, I sank onto the bathroom floor and hugged my knees instead. Frustration and grief bubbled up inside of me, but it wasn’t for Harvard. I didn’t want to accept the inevitable truth. The reason I hated Vaughn Rees so deeply. It wasn’t because of the wreckage he left of my heart. It was because, despite it all, he still held it in his soulless grip.
All of these months, I’d kidded myself.
I would never be whole again.
Trembling, I wrapped my arms around Vaughn’s neck as he moved inside of me slowly.
“Pip,” he pleaded, staring into my eyes. Two tears slipped from his own. I never thought I’d see the day Vaughn Rees cried. “I think I’m drowning, pip.”
“I’ll save you,” I vowed. And I would. I’d do whatever it took.
He shook his head before he kissed me, a desperate meeting of our souls as he deepened his strokes. I could feel his piercing teasing a spot deep inside of me. A spot that nearly had my eyes rolling back as I tasted the alcohol on his lips, greedily allowing it to dull my senses more. “That’s the last thing I want,” he whispered when he came up for air. “Because it’s you. You’re what’s pulling me under.” I held him tighter, which seemed to be exactly what he needed. “Promise you won’t let go?”
“I promise.”
“I love you, pip,” he whispered.
“I love you, too.”
Admitting it felt as natural as breathing. As natural as the feel of his cum when he released inside of me.
“Pip, wake up.”
I groaned, batting at the hand that shook me as I desperately tried to return to the beautiful dream. Only…it hadn’t been a dream. It was a wonderful memory.
“Wake the fuck up!”
Gasping, I shot up, clutching the sheets that were soaked in my sweat. Vaughn, who was frowning at me, his gorgeous hair mussed from sleep, stood over me. I must have woken him.
Details of the dream came flooding back to me all at once as my body heated.
“We didn’t use a condom.” My voice was a whisper of horror. Vaughn’s face was contorted from aggravation over having his sleep interrupted.
“What are you talking about?” he demanded impatiently.
“That night at the beach house. We got really drunk, we…” My gaze traveled to the crib. “We didn’t use a condom.”
Vaughn’s only response was to yawn as he stared down at me blankly.
“Well, aren’t you going to say something?” I shouted. The lights about the crib flashed, and River gave a short whine. Shit.
“Why would I? It’s not like we can change the past, right?”
I blinked in shock. What—
He’d thrown my words from earlier back at me.
I never thought for a second that they would anger him, but it was clear they had, and I wondered why. “Vaughn…I didn’t say that to hurt you.”
“Right. Because I’m so heartless, telling me I don’t have a shot in hell with you no matter what I do would have zero effect on me.”
My lips parted. What?
“That’s not—”
“Save it and go back to fucking sleep.”
Even at a whisper,