chest tightened … that she did love him.
Oh, God, he might be her husband, but he would never love her.
A deep loneliness filled her soul. She’d always been a misfit and now … She choked back a sob. Now she was a misfit in her own marriage.
Tears spilled from her eyes, but she swiped them away. She would not cry. She would not succumb to the deep melancholy that haunted her. She would make this work. She had walked into this marriage with her eyes open and she couldn’t blame this on Kane or anyone else.
She’d made her bed and now she was sleeping in it.
With Kane.
His arm flexed in his sleep, drawing her a little tighter to him.
Things could be worse.
Kane would take care of her, and help her with her business. As independent as she had always been, there was something seductive about the idea of someone taking care of her for a change. Someone she could depend on. It was more than she’d ever had from her father or mother.
She’d just have to remember what this arrangement really was and try to keep her heart safe.
* * *
In the morning, River turned to find Kane’s face on the pillow only inches from her own. His eyes were open and he smiled.
“Good morning, Mrs. Winters.”
“Hi,” she said in a sleepy voice.
Sunlight streamed in the window. It was a beautiful day out.
“I ordered breakfast to be sent up to the room.” He stroked her shoulder lightly, sending tingles through her. He gave her that heart-stopping smile. “But we have a little time.”
She wanted to. Oh, God, she wanted to. But she just didn’t want to be the good wife this morning. She needed a breather.
“I don’t think so, I”—she shrugged—“need to use the ladies’ room.”
He rolled onto his back. “Believe me, I can wait.”
At the sight of the tent pole under the covers, her eyes widened. Was this what it was going to be like every day? Waking up beside him? Him so clearly wanting her?
It made her feel … needed.
And how pathetic was that? Any woman would meet his needs. It wasn’t her he wanted.
Except for the chemistry between them. That, at least, did make her special.
She sat up, holding the sheets against her chest, wanting to pull them from the bed, but he tugged, loosening her grasp.
“You’re being exceptionally shy this morning,” he teased.
He was right, she was being silly. She released the sheets and stood up.
Oh, God, that was a mistake. The heat in his eyes as his gaze seared down her body took her breath away. She turned and hurried to the bathroom before even her full bladder wouldn’t stop her from climbing right back into bed with him.
A few minutes later, as she was opening the shower stall door, she heard a knock on the door.
“Sweetheart, breakfast is here.”
“I’m just about to take a shower,” she called to him.
She heard the door open and she turned around.
“That sounds like an invitation to me.”
“I…” But the sight of him dropping his robe to the floor, his cock swelling and rising, caught her breath.
He guided her into the shower stall, which was the size of the whole bathroom in her apartment. He turned on the water, then pressed her to the wall and kissed her.
“It’ll take a minute for it to heat up,” he said.
With the way he was looking at her, and the feel of his cock pressing against her belly, it took no time at all for her to heat up.
His hand stroked down her side and rested on her hip. She couldn’t help it. Her hand glided down his chest then over his sculpted abs until her fingertips trailed over his cock. She wrapped her hand around it.
There was a bench on one end of the stall, so she pressed him toward it. The water washed over them—warm and soothing—as she guided him to sit down. She stood in front of him and he stroked her breasts, then his lips found her nipple and he took it in his mouth. Pleasure seeped through her and she could feel the moisture pooling between her thighs.
She knelt on the bench facing him, her legs on either side of him, then pressed his cock to her opening. Once it was in position, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, driving her tongue into his mouth as she slowly lowered herself onto his hard-as-rock cock. She moaned into his mouth as it filled her. Stretching