Instead, he steps closer, putting his nose close to mine. His words come out in a bitter spitting accusation. “The only person that connected us is gone. We are not family. You are not my brother. As soon as business is settled here, you can go back to your miserable fucking life, and I’ll never have to see you again.”

“Can’t fucking wait,” I respond just as he steps back and I pass him. On my way to the bedroom, I grab the drink he poured and down it in one swig. I can feel his eyes on my back as I disappear down the hallway.

His words sting, but I have no fucking clue why. I don't want anything to do with Ryder anymore than he wants anything to do with me. We never were brothers, not really. But his perception of me as a miserable loner puts a sour sting in my gut. If he had a life half as bad as mine, he’d think twice about judging me. He has no clue what I’ve been through.

Savannah stirs when I walk in the room. The light glow on the window signals the coming sunrise, and I didn’t want her to get out of bed. I can’t stand the thought of her leaving.

So when she tries to get up, I settle my weight between her legs and kiss her deep and hard. She lets out a sweet whimper as I cup her breast in my hand and squeeze it, hoping the feel of her pleasure will erase all of my anger. I need to wipe away this sting from that conversation.

Without pulling my mouth off of Savannah’s, I shift my sweatpants down and slide into her. She gasps and wraps her legs around my hips, pulling me closer.

Savannah’s body welcomes me, soothes my pain, offers me the comfort I crave. When I pick up the speed of my thrusts, I feel her shudder again, the notification I need that she’s closer to her climax and I thrust harder, losing myself in her pleasure.

When her nails dig into my back, I know she’s in the throes of her orgasm, and I lose myself too. Our bodies seize as one, keeping our voices down, panting in each other’s ear.

I don’t want to leave this spot. Savannah’s body is my home. But when I lift up to look at her face, I notice the hesitation there. Her eyes are closed and her lips are pressed together in a way that tells me she’s avoiding my stare.

“Are you okay?” I ask in a gruff voice.

She nods her head. “I’m good,” she answers, but I can tell she’s hiding something. Settling my weight against her body, a sudden realization hits. I came here in such a rush, desperate to fuck my cares away that I was careless and didn’t wrap it up when I should have.

I’m such a fucking hypocrite.