I just hated that I didn’t know when I would see or talk to him. We were supposed to be able to talk—if not see each other—every night he worked. He worked four days on, then had four days off, and in the beginning I’d lived for those four days on. But lately we’d been reduced to working around Olivia and her schedule since Brody had been worried that Olivia was getting suspicious of something. Which meant I hadn’t seen him in two and a half weeks and had talked to him only three times.

Why was he worried about Olivia getting suspicious when he was supposedly leaving her? I didn’t know. Because you’re stupid for thinking he’ll leave his wife for you. I gritted my teeth and pushed that thought aside. He will leave her. He will.

My phone rang, jolting me from my conflicted inner ramblings. Fumbling to get my phone out of my pocket, my heart skipped a beat before taking off when I saw Brody’s name on the screen. He hadn’t called in almost a week, and I hadn’t been expecting anything for some time to come since today was day one of his four off.

Sliding my finger across the screen to answer, I put the phone to my ear and held my breath after I asked, “Hello?” My biggest fear was Olivia getting ahold of his phone and calling me, and me answering in a way that would easily give away that I was in a relationship with her husband.

“Fuck, Kamryn, you have no idea what just hearing your voice does to me.”

My knees weakened, and I released a shaky breath as I used the sink to support my weight again. “Bro—” My voice gave out, and I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat.

“Ah, baby. I’m sorry. I’m so goddamn sorry I haven’t called.”

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. I still wasn’t able to speak yet.

“This has been killing me, I need you to know that.” No one could mistake the sincerity or pain in his voice. “Work has been crazy, and the minute I get off Liv has been calling me and won’t let me get off the phone until I get home. She hasn’t left the house at all, I didn’t know what to do, I’m sorry.”

“I know you are,” I choked out.

“I need to see you.”

“But y-you’re off. How?”

“Liv just left for her parents’,” he said, and his next statement sounded unsure. “I don’t think she’ll be back tonight, but I’m willing to risk it even if she does come back. I need you.”

“Okay, okay, I’m on my way home right now.” Screw the dishes. They could wait.

“No! Not after what happened with Kinlee showing up, it’s too risky now.”

I stopped halfway to my purse, and my shoulders sagged. “Then where, Brody? Obviously I can’t come to your place.”

“I’ve been looking up hotels outside the city. There’s one about forty-five minutes from here. Can you meet me there? I’m already on my way.”

I would drive for days if it meant seeing him. “I’ll be there, just tell me where to go.”

I shut everything off in the bakery and locked up as he told me the name of the hotel, and the exit to take to get off the freeway.

“I’ll text you the room number when I get in there, okay?”

“Okay. I’m in my car now. I’ll see you soon.”

“Kamryn.” His voice stopped me from ending the call, and I smiled as his deep voice came through the phone. “Drive safe please. I need you whole so I can show you how much I’ve missed you.”

“I’ll be with you soon,” I promised and pressed END as I headed toward the freeway.

Twenty-five minutes later I got a text from Brody that said “1431” and nothing more. My stomach heated and curled in a delicious way as my car ate up mile after mile. My body felt hyper-aware of every touch, and goose bumps covered my arms . . . and I wasn’t even with him yet. Just knowing I would be soon was enough to replace the crippling ache I’d been dealing with the last two and a half weeks with an ache much lower. An ache I knew would be relieved soon.

After parking, I didn’t even bother trying to look civilized as I ran through the hotel and found the elevators. I’m sure I had flour, icing, and batter all over me. I had no doubt my hair was a hot mess. And I wouldn’t even have put it past the staff to call the cops because some insane woman was running through their hotel. But I didn’t care. As I punched the button for the fourteenth floor, nothing else mattered other than seeing Brody.

Looking at the signs to direct me which way to go, I ran down the hall and knocked quickly on room 1431 as I tried to catch my breath. Within seconds, the door was opening and Brody was hauling my body inside the room.

“Babe,” he moaned into my mouth as he let the door slam shut and pressed my back against it. “I missed you.”

My breathing was even more ragged as he moved his full lips across my jaw and down my throat in soft kisses. “Brody, please, I need you,” I pleaded as I reached for the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head.

His hands found the tie at the small of my back and pulled, loosening it so he could pull my apron off my body and toss it to the side. I shivered when his fingers barely grazed my skin as he lifted the shirt off my body.

Whole. Finally after weeks without him, I felt whole again. My body burned for him, and everywhere his lips and hands touched me felt like he was branding me. God, how I loved it. My stomach was tightening and the ache for him was growing more intense, and he was still undressing me.

Grabbing for his jeans, I undid the button and pulled down the zipper at the same time he attacked my pants, shoving them and my underwear down my thighs until they fell to my ankles. Kicking off my shoes and pushing my pants aside, I moaned loudly as my head fell back to the door and his fingers slowly ran over my clit before he was pressing two inside me. I freed his erection and took it in my hands just as he removed his fingers only to roll them around my aching bud, and my back arched away from the door as I came apart.

Brody’s mouth slammed down onto mine to quiet my pleasured cries, and he continued working me through my orgasm until my body settled back against the door. He removed my hands from where they were moving up and down his length, then let go of my wrists and grabbed the back of one thigh to hitch my leg around his waist.

“Hold on to me,” he demanded.

The second my arms were wrapped around him, he pushed roughly inside me, and my fingers curled into the muscles in his back. My body moved against the door as he pumped in and out of me, and it was all I could do to keep myself standing. I couldn’t feel my legs, and the one still keeping me upright gave out when his hand, which had been keeping our faces pressed together, released me and he ran his thumb over my sensitive bud again.

“I need you to finish with me.”

My head shook back and forth. At the moment, I wasn’t sure I could again, but I couldn’t form actual words. I felt everything, and somehow at the same time wasn’t sure what I was feeling anymore. I’d never come down from my first climax and didn’t know how I could have another one when my body was still on such a high from his touch, from having him inside me.

“Kamryn,” Brody growled as he thrust harder and harder into me.

I tried to tell him I couldn’t when his thumb and index finger pinched down on my clit, and my mouth opened on a soundless moan as my world shattered. My body felt hot and cold all at once, my eyes rolled back, and I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing.

My fingers dug into Brody’s back, and his teeth biting down on my shoulder to mute his groan had me quickly sucking in air again to relieve my straining lungs. I dropped my head and rested my cheek against the side of his neck as I tried to pull myself back together.

The blissful light-headedness slowly faded as my breathing steadied, and my shaking legs regained their strength as Brody covered the spot where he’d bitten down with soft kisses.