“ ‘Even if the skies get rough, I’m giving you all my love.’ ” He sang so quietly into my ear that no one else could hear. In the middle of this crowded place, we were sharing a moment that was just for us.

My heart completely melted. There was no turning back. There would be no forgetting him when he was gone. I would be hopelessly lost, chasing a fantasy for the rest of my existence. I slid my fingers into his messy hair and guided his lips to mine.

“Cass . . .”

“I trust you.” I mumbled against his lips. I kissed him softly at first, letting my lips brush lightly across his, but the need to be closer to him, to cherish this moment, took over. Without a care in the world, I parted my lips and ran my tongue over his mouth. He groaned quietly and deepened our kiss.

Without warning the crowd erupted into cheers; the song had ended and everyone’s attention had turned to us. Tucker laughed and I buried my face into his chest to avoid their stares.

“Come on.” Tucker looped his arm over my shoulders and pulled me in the direction of his bike. As we reached it, I grabbed for the helmet, but he stopped me.

“Let me see your phone.”

I shot him a confused look but slid the phone from my pocket and placed it in his hand.

He grinned and slid the things from his pockets and secured them, along with the phone, under the seat of his bike. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back the way we came. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” The giant fountain came into view and I tried to unweave my fingers from his. He let go and wrapped his hands around my waist. “Oh, no, no, no!”

My pleas fell on deaf ears as he dragged me into the spraying shoots of water. I screamed and squealed as we made our way to the center. He wrapped his arms around my drenched waist and pulled my body against his, instantly warming me in the chilly water.

Time slowed as his hand pushed my sopping-wet hair from my cheek and he leaned closer, brushing his lips against mine. My eyes fell closed as I let my body relax into his, sliding my hands up his slick arms and over his shoulders. My lips fell open as I breathed in his warm breath and the scent of coconut that would make me think of him forever.

The sound of the music nearby filled my ears as I held on to Tucker as if he were the source of life.

“I take back everything I said before. You are my greatest memory.” His whisper could have been shouted from the mountaintops. It rang through my body and settled in my heart, where Tucker was now permanently lodged. He tightened his grip around me in a hug like none I had ever before experienced. I felt safe, complete, and genuinely happy for the first time I could remember in longer than I cared to admit.

“I don’t care about where you came from or who is waiting for you at home. Tonight is just you and me, Cass. No one else matters.”

“No one else.” I pushed my wet lips back against his, feeling more safe in his arms than anywhere else.

“Come on.” He pulled me from the slightly chilly water back to his motorcycle, holding out a helmet for me. I smiled and slid it on over my soaked hair.

He climbed onto the machine and started it. The bike roared to life like an angry monster. I slipped onto the back without hesitation, squeezing my body tight against his to keep myself warm as we weaved through the streets.

Luckily, we didn’t have far to go. We were only a few blocks from the Bohemian. The hotel spanned two levels, making it accessible from the riverfront but also from Bay Street. The hotel boasted a fine-dining restaurant where people could eat while taking in the river.

We pulled up to the upper level, and he parked the bike just off the main road. Tucker gathered our things from the seat compartment and we hurried inside, both still dripping wet.

Chapter Seventeen

WE SLIPPED INSIDE and made our way to Tucker’s room without any complaints about our condition, although the two receptionists gave us a stern look. We laughed as we stepped inside the room. It was magnificent. We were on the top floor, just below the rooftop bar. The entire hotel was reminiscent of a pirate ship, with reclaimed wood for the headboards, crimson velvet linings, and beach glass adorning the light fixtures. One wall was a massive window overlooking the sparkling river below, where ships were docked for tourists to climb aboard. The side tables even looked like old treasure chests. I ran my fingers over the fauxfur blanket that was draped over the bed as I made my way to the window.

“This is amazing.” I was shivering as I stared out at the boats below.

Tucker came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “You are freezing.” He placed tiny kisses over my shoulder, sending bolts of heat everywhere he touched. “Come on.” He tugged at my arm to lead me to the master bathroom. Floor-to-ceiling tile made the space feel cavernous. Tucker grabbed a white, fluffy robe from the wall and held it out for me. “I can send our stuff out to be dried.” He grabbed a second robe from the wall for himself.

I took the robe and nodded as he left me alone. I closed the door and quickly began to peel the damp clothes from my body, leaving them in a heap on the floor as I slid on the oversize cotton robe. The floor was surprisingly warm under my feet, and I wondered if they did something special to make it that way.

I ran my fingers through my hair and gave myself a quick glance in the mirror before gathering my wet clothes to give to Tucker.

“Thanks,” I said as I entered the main bedroom area. Tucker was also donning a matching white robe. I could feel the heat already burning its way down my body all the way to my toes. His hair was even wilder than usual, but it suited him.

He made his way to me and took my clothes from my hand. He deposited them in a tiny dry-cleaning bag and called the front desk to have them picked up. Within a few minutes a man was at our door for them.

As Tucker made his way back to me, he stopped to turn on a radio on the dresser. “I’ll Take Care of You” began to play around the room from hidden speakers in the walls. He stopped a few feet short of me and held out his hand, inviting me to dance with him. I smiled and placed my fingers in his as he pulled my body flush against his. Our hips swayed to the music, and a touch of sadness was in the way he held me, as he was gripping me tighter than usual with his fingers desperately holding me in his grasp. I could feel another good-bye approaching, and it shattered my heart into a million pieces. I clung to him with just as much need. I didn’t want any of this to end. The skin of his neck was still damp and I buried my face into the crook of it, drowning myself in him.

“I love dancing with you.” His hands slid up and down my back as we slowly turned.

“You know what they say about a man who dances well, don’t you?” I joked.

“Would you like me to show you?” He pulled his face back, smirking.

“I think I’d like another dance.” I pulled his cheek against mine and closed my eyes.

The song ended and faded into the next. Frank Sinatra lightened the mood as he bellowed “The Way You Look Tonight.” I smiled as Tucker began to sing the words in my ear, tickling me with his breath. His mood changed considerably as he pulled back and spun me around before pulling me tight against him once more. I giggled and stared into the fathomless depths of his eyes as he continued to serenade me.

We spun around the room as if it were a ballroom and my robe a fancy gown. As Tucker sang the last line, his forehead rested against mine, and I could taste the sweet mint of his breath blowing against my lips. “ ‘Just the way you look tonight.’ ”

Our eyes fell closed, and for what felt like an eternity, we held completely still, not wanting this moment to end. My hands loosened from his neck and slid down to his chest. His breathing became more ragged as his hands slid to my neck and his fingers traced my collarbone, sliding over my shoulder, brushing aside the robe to the fading green and yellow bruises on my arm.

I dug my teeth into my lower lip as I searched his eyes for answers to unasked questions.

“I won’t hurt you,” he said quietly, and waited for my response.

“I trust you, Tucker.”

He nodded in understanding as his lips crushed into mine. His fingers frantically searched my skin as my robe fell down my arms, catching at the elbows. I slipped my fingers inside his robe and ran the pads of my fingers over his bare, tattooed chest and down the ridges of his abdomen. His muscles flexed under my fingers as his tongue expertly coaxed mine into a deeper kiss. I slid my hands back up his body and pushed his robe loose from his shoulders. He groaned and his lips left mine, trailing hot kisses down my neck as his hand rose to cup the weight of my breast. His thumb slid gently over my nipple, causing it to grow hard under his touch. His tongue slid against the hollow of my neck as his other hand moved to my lower back, pulling me tighter into his arms. My back arched to meet his need, and I could feel just how much he wanted me through the fabric of our robes.

He walked me backward until the back of my knees pressed against the edge of the mattress. The music of “I Really Want You” filled the room to drown out our heavy panting and frantic heartbeats.

Tucker pulled back so he could look me in the eye as his fingers quickly undid the belt around my waist. My robe fell open and slipped down my body to pool at my feet. It looked as though I were standing on a cloud. That is exactly how I felt. Tucker ran his fingers over my cheek and traced the line of my jaw.

“You can say no at any time. I won’t ever make you do something you don’t want to.” He swallowed hard as if waiting for me to tell him to stop, but I couldn’t. Every fiber of my being wanted him. I needed to feel him against me, inside me.

“Please don’t stop.” I reached between us and slowly pulled with shaky fingers at the belt that wrapped around his waist. His robe fell open and joined mine on the floor at our feet. His eyes finally broke from mine for a split second as he took in my naked body. I did the same, taking in the artwork that covered his torso in bright, vibrant colors.

“You are perfect.” His words were reverent and delivered with a sudden, hungry kiss. We both tumbled back onto the bed behind me. His fingers wrapped with mine as he pressed them into the mattress on either side of my head. He settled in between my thighs. His hips slowly rocked against me as his mouth found mine again. I squeezed his hands as I matched his movements. My lips parted slightly and his tongue found mine.

“Are you sure?” He was breathless.

“You are the only thing in my life I’ve ever been sure about.”

He slowly pushed against me. I moaned into his mouth as he filled me, stilling my hips as my body adjusted to his size.

“I’m hurting you.” He pulled his mouth from mine and searched my eyes.

“No . . .” I pushed down onto him until he filled me completely, my body and my heart. My back arched toward him as we became more frantic and consumed by this driving desire. He rolled his hips against me as he released my hands, and we clung to each other, desperate to get closer.

All that mattered was here and now.

Our bodies moved perfectly together as if made for each other. I’d never felt so cared for and completely consumed by someone. It was overwhelming. My body pulsed in time with our heartbeats as we slowed our pace. My fingers fisted in his hair as Tucker pushed his lips softly against each of my bruises. I let my eyes fall closed as I burned into memory what it felt like to have him against my skin.

“Look at me, Cass. I want to see you.”

I slowly opened my eyes and locked onto his intense gaze. Ripples of pleasure pulsated through my body as my nails dug into his flesh. His mouth covered mine, drinking in my moans as we came together, writhing in passion.

When it was over, we were both panting and covered in a thin veil of sweat. Tucker’s body collapsed on top of mine as he held me tightly in his arms.

But then all of my sadness and regret washed over me as I struggled to simply let go and just live in the moment. The pain of my real life was crushing, and I knew deep down I had made a mistake by stepping out of it and letting myself believe I could have more. My heart hurt in my chest as it pounded against Tucker’s body. I could feel tears forming and I squeezed my eyes closed, begging them to stay at bay until I was on my own. I’d let it go too far. I felt too much for him and I wouldn’t be able to just forget about him now. I didn’t just have sex with Tucker, I had made love to him.