“She’s not the one for you, figlio.”

Falon’s spine straightened. His grandfather was the last person he wanted to deal with today. “It’s none of your concern, Armand.” He turned to face the older man. “What are you doing here?”

He knew part of his defensiveness was because Armand was right. Ginny wasn’t for him at all. And that suited him just fine. He didn’t want a woman to feel right. To fit into his life so well that he wasn’t sleeping nights without her. He was afraid the only woman he would ever truly want was now out of his reach.

“I told you I would be in town this week.” The kind, knowing smile on his grandfather’s face made him bristle further. “Ralph and I have a tee time scheduled after lunch. I thought I would stop in early and see how you were.”

“Now you’ve seen me.” He held his hand out to his sides. “As you can see I’m doing just fine.”

“Planning a little vacation I hear?”

“Again, not of your business.”

Armand studied him for a moment before giving a slight nod. “Don’t make my mistakes. Your mother would not want you pushing away the ones you love.”

“Don’t you think you’re the last person who would know what my mother would have wanted?” He felt his hands curl into fists. Taking a deep breath, he willed himself to calm down. Just in time for the elevator’s ding and the arrival of Ralph and Frank. “Looks like your golf partner has arrived.”

The old man didn’t say anything more, just looked at him for a second, searching for something he wasn’t sure he would find before he went to greet his old friend. Breathing deeply, he had never been so glad it was a Friday in his life. At the end of the day, his job in this godforsaken city would be done and he could get on with his life. Shooting another glance through the glass at Sarah, he refused to acknowledge the emptiness of that life.

***

Falon sat on the edge of the bed watching the city lights through the curtains he forgot to close when he got in earlier that night. The sweat on his skin was now dry, but the erection that was making itself painfully known hadn’t gone anywhere. The dream that pulled him from his sleep was different this time and he was trying to make sense of it all.

It was still fully of erotic images and sensations he could still feel at the base of his spine. But this dream started differently. He had been lying in bed. He recognized the room he spent his senior year in, despites its best efforts to tilt off its axis. He remembered that night. It was the end of midterms and he had gotten amazingly drunk avoiding the decision to join his grandfather’s company or go out on his own.

Lost in those thoughts, his dream self didn’t register someone was in the room until the door clicked quietly shut.

“Jim?” Even his drunk, twenty-one-year-old self knew that voice. It was the girl Jim had pointed out to him when everyone had returned from break.

“Sarah?”

For a second nothing in the room moved. The suddenly she was at his side and he was reaching for her. Claiming her.

From there the dream took its usual route to pure bliss. Falon scrubbed a hand down his face. It didn’t make sense. Yes, she had been taking the lead role of his nightly fantasy but this was the first time it went beyond a roll in the sheets. Tonight’s dream made his scalp prickle as if he were missing a major piece of the puzzle.

A sharp knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts. Climbing naked from the bed he wondered who the hell would be stopping by at nearly two in the morning. The thought that it was Ginny stopped him in his tracks. Wouldn’t do to open the door in his current state. Doubling back he pulled on the gym shorts he kept by the bed for when room service delivered his breakfast.

“Look Ginny—” The words died in his throat. The woman on the other side of the door definitely wasn’t Ginny. And with the dream still fresh in his mind he did the only thing he could.

Moving too quickly for her to protest, he pulled Sarah to him by a hand at the base of her neck. He crushed his mouth to hers. Forced all of his frustration and anger into that kiss. At first she didn’t respond. She held herself rigidly, resisting his claim to her. Then finally, with a sigh, she slid her arms to his sides and returned the kiss nearly as brutal as his. He knew he was bruising her lips, but he didn’t care. She had to know how much he hated feeling this way. Hated feeling his world implode at her betrayal. Hated loving her so much that it mattered.

Pulling her the rest of the way into the room, he forced her against the wall. Not caring about her clothes, he ripped and tore at the garments until her naked flesh was the only thing beneath his questing hands. Removing his lips from hers, he trailed a series of bites and licks down her neck. Reveling in her crooning. Feeding off of her lusty sighs as his hands and teeth brought her close to the edge.

He took the breasts he dreamed about firmly in his hands. Weighing the flesh. When he drew one needy nipple between thumb and forefinger, she nearly bucked off the wall. Unable to resist, he took the other in his mouth. Suckling her in a rhythm that was driving them both higher. He knew the exact moment she began to fall over the edge. When she fell apart, he didn’t allow her to come back down. He was determined to show her everything.

Lifting her, he was surprised she had the state of mind to wrap her legs around him. She put her face in the hollow space where his shoulder met his neck. Her uneven breathing against his heated skin tempted him to take her there against the wall. But he had plans for her.

Palming her tempting ass, he walked them into the bathroom, straight to the shower he didn’t get to utilize the way he wanted the last time. She would pay for that. Turning on the spray with one hand, he never let her feet hit the floor. Once he was satisfied with the temperature, he shucked his shorts and walked them both into the spray.

The feel of her slick body rubbing against his skin threatened to put an end to his control. Unhooking her ankles, he lowered her to her feet in front of him. Looking into her traitorous face, her eyes closed against the feelings he was pulling from her, he almost forgot what she had done.

Releasing a low growl, he went to his knees and took her with his mouth without warning. Her startled scream and near instant climax only fueled him. He would make it so she could never be with another man without thinking of him. Holding him against Falon and finding him wanting. He wanted to ruin her for other men, just as she had ruined him for women.

Energized by his thoughts, he held nothing back. Taking her tiny bundle of nerves, now swollen and begging for attention, into his mouth and gave a little nip. The spicy, sweet scent of her arousal drove him on. She bucked against him, pulling at his hair, wordlessly begging him for more. Happily, he obliged. Sinking a finger deep into her channel, he was lost in her sweet heat. Her inner muscles milked his finger begging him for more. Adding another finger, he pumped them in time to the rhythm of his tongue pulling every reaction from her possible. This time when she called out, her climax nearly brought her tumbling to the ground. He was sure if he hadn’t been holding her upright she would be a puddle on the shower floor.

Bringing her back down slowly, he lapped up every drop of her release. Letting it explode on his tongue. She was the sweetest thing he ever tasted.

When he was sure she was able to support herself, he stood and turned her to face the wall. Grabbing a washcloth and soap, he created a rich lather. Running the suds down her slim back, he paid close attention to the globes of her ass, pulling yet another needy moan from her throat. Reaching around to her front he ran the soapy cloth up her flat stomach causing her to drop her head between the arms she braced on the shower wall.