Page 91 of The Temporary Bride

His cum floods my pussy, filling me up in a rush, and my body reacts on its own, clenching hard around him as another orgasm tears through me in response to his. It seems to go on much longer than should be possible, both of us shaking through it together, his cock still pulsing inside me, until I’m completely wrung out, collapsing against him with nothing left.

He wraps his arms around me, pulling me in tight against his chest, and I hold on just as hard, my fingers curled into his shoulders.

Neither of us says anything for a long while. I can feel his cock still throbbing lightly inside me, his cum sliding warm between us. We’re both breathing hard in the morning air, the sound of the ocean rising up from below the railing.

He smiles and cradles the back of my head, pulling me in for a kiss. When we finally pull apart, he brushes my messy hair back from my face, tucking it behind my ear. He lowers his head to rest against the crook of my neck, holding on to me like he thinks I might disappear if he loosens his grip.

I lean into him, still coming down from the high of it, trying to convince him with the press of my body that I’m not going anywhere.

Because I’m not.

I still can’t help thinking about what he said to me last night when he was drunk and wrecked, how he wants this marriage to last more than just the three years in the agreement. How he’s obsessed with me.

I believed every word that came out of his mouth then. How could I not?

There was no pretense in his words, and it was probably the most honest and vulnerable I’ve ever seen him.

But as incredible as what we just shared was, and as much as it should have convinced me, there’s still some part of me that isn’t sure if I can believe him completely—or if what he said was just the drunken ramblings of a man devastated by what he’d learned about his father.

But I want them to be true.

Chapter 32

Tristan

My brothers and I have been getting together more often lately, outside of work and board meetings, just existing in the same space without an agenda, and it’s been good. Really good, actually. We’re finding our way back to something that got lost somewhere in the years of slowly drifting apart, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until we started hanging out together again.

Tonight though, I can’t seem to just fucking relax and enjoy it.

I stare into my whiskey glass while the others’ conversation goes in one ear and out the other.

Reid’s nudge brings me back to the present, his concerned gaze fixed on me. “Hey. What’s up with you? You’ve been quiet all evening.”

I offer a strained smile, ready to brush off his observation. Every instinct I have pulls toward the short answer, the one that closes the question off before it gets anywhere. I’ve been giving that answer my whole life and I’m good at it. But I think about my father, who gave that answer every single time until the day he died, and my jaw goes tight.

That stops here.

These are my brothers, my confidants, and it’s time they knew the truth. I won’t be like my father, keeping this shit to myself. I take a deep breath, getting ready for what I’m about to reveal.

“I need to tell you all something,” I say, loud enough to pull the others in. They stop talking and turn to listen as I continue, my voice level despite the mess inside me. “I found something in Dad’s files. Something that changes everything.”

As I lay out the details of what I’ve learned, I can see the shock on their faces. Gabriel’s face goes tight with concern, while Reid’s eyes widen. But I press on, determined to share this with them.

“I didn’t want to believe it at first, but it’s true. Dad was sick again. And I think he knew… I think he knew he was going to die.”

The words stick a bit in my throat, but it’s a relief to say them out loud, in a way. I may not have all the answers, but at least now I’m not facing this alone.

It’s Gabriel who breaks the silence. “It does make sense.” His tone is thoughtful, his brows pinched. “I remember when Dad was going through treatment the first time. There were moments when things just felt… off. I didn’t fully understand it then, but looking back, a lot of it starts to fit together.”

Beckett’s voice cuts through the salty breeze drifting over Gabriel’s rooftop deck. “Honestly, I always felt a bit abandoned by Dad.” He grunts under his breath. “That man distanced himself from us constantly.”

Dominic nods in agreement, his expression hard. His reaction is understandable, considering he always had the most strained relationship with our father. “Yeah, he did. Kept us all at arm’s length.”

“It’s too damn bad he never let anyone in,” Reid mutters, leaning against the bar. He tips his head all the way back, as if to look at the sky. “He missed out on a good thing.”

I smile despite myself. There’s some truth there.

“You’re right,” I say. “He did miss out. But we don’t have to make the same mistakes. We look out for each other from here on out. All five of us. No more keeping shit to ourselves because it feels easier. Whatever comes, we handle it together. We’re a team. A family.”