A/N I want to give a shoutout to loyal readers who always leave a review. It's nice to know some of you are enjoying the story and I want to thank everyone who takes the time to leave a review.

Fair warning: This chapter contains a lot of mature content. Read at your own risk.

Feedback is always appreciated. The more reviews I get the faster I will update.

Chapter 11

Teresa stared at her sleeping lover, a satisfied smile curving her lips as she savored the

memories of the previous evening. Fox's lovemaking had been everything she had ever dreamed of and she felt as if she were walking on air.

"Good morning sleepy head," she murmured when he stirred beside her a little while later.

"Good morning gorgeous," Fox replied softly pulling her atop him and pressing a hard kiss on her eager mouth. "Have I told you that you've made me the happiest man in the world?" he whispered against her ear and Teresa laughed.

"Not in the last eight hours," she joked.

"Well they say that actions speak louder than words so let me show you how happy you make me babe," Fox proposed capturing her lips in a slow, drugging kiss that depleted Teresa of breath.

"God you taste so sweet," Fox murmured as he pressed feathery kisses all over her face, her neck, her shoulders until he reached her bare breasts.

He wanted to devour her, to imprint the feel and taste of him on her skin so that when she lay alone at night she would dream only of him.

When he took one tight nipple in his mouth, Teresa let out a soft moan but Fox ignored her cries and continued to lick and lave the soft mounds until Teresa was almost sobbing.

"Fox, please," she begged mindlessly and Fox grinned at her wickedly before giving her what her body craved.

Spreading her slender thighs apart, he bent his head and pressed his mouth to her softness, eliciting another cry from Teresa's lips. Slowly, leisurely, savoring the feel and taste of her, Fox brought Teresa to the edge and only when her body began to spasm did he give her the release she sought.

Turnabout's fair play," Teresa murmured when she had regained her equilibrium and Fox grinned in anticipation.

Wanting to torture him as he had tortured her, Teresa pressed soft kisses all over his bronzed body until she reached the part of him that most ached for her touch. When she took him in her mouth Fox let out a guttural groan but Teresa was as merciless as he had been earlier. She licked and fondled him until Fox grabbed her midnight tresses and roughly pushed her on her back.

"Fox, I want you so much...please," she entreated and Fox was more than ready to comply.

In one smooth stroke he sheathed himself inside her silken warmth, sliding in and out until Teresa was ready to scream from sheer frustration.

"Please..." she begged and Fox captured her lips once more as with one last thrust he spilled his seed inside her, bringing them both to completion.

"What a way to start the day," Teresa teased when she could talk again and Fox grinned.

"I wish we could stay in bed all day sweetheart but..." he began and Teresa sighed.

"I know," she replied. "I have a class in an hour," she added rising gracefully to her feet and grabbing her robe before she made her way to the bathroom.

She had just stepped in the shower when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around her.

"You're insatiable," Teresa accused when Fox began lathering her breasts with the floral body wash she loved.

"I'm just doing my civic duty Ms. Lopez Fitzgerald, it's everyone's job to conserve water you know," Fox replied innocently.

"Fox..you're...going...to...make...me...late..." she whispered shakily as he pressed her against the cold marble and fitted their bodies together.

But the protests died on her lips when he lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist for what he was doing felt too good.

"I can't help wanting you Resa. You drive me crazy," Fox whispered and as the hot water sluiced over their naked bodies, Fox captured her lips in a fiery kiss as he brought them to heaven once more.

It wasn't until they were both dressed and Fox was kissing her goodbye that Teresa noticed something was wrong. But no matter how hard she pressed Fox insisted that nothing was the matter. Giving up she slid into her car and waited for Fox to leave before making her decision. If he wouldn't tell her what was going on she would find out herself.

Ethan Winthrop sat at his desk, a half-empty decanter of whiskey and a half-filled tumbler in front of him. The last few days had been hellish, to say the least.

Gwen refused to let him sleep in their bed and he'd been forced to sleep on the floor like a dog because the couch in their room was too short for his long body. He'd begged and pleaded for absolution but Gwen had snidely replied that she needed time and if he wasn't willing to give her that then he could walk out at any time. And to make matters worse Jayme had ended their relationship because she'd gotten back together with her ex-boyfriend.

"Women are the bane of my existence," he muttered gulping down his drink and quickly pouring himself another.

His reverie was interrupted by a loud crash and before he could go see what was going on, his door was slammed open and his rival Fox Crane walked in.

"What the hell's the matter with you Crane? You don't have the right to barge into my office like a loon just because Daddy is the CEO of Crane Industries," Ethan grumbled indignantly but his bluster turned to fear when Fox grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall.

"You fking weasel, you are going to pay for messing with my sister," Fox promised his brown eyes filled with loathing and hatred for the man who broken Teresa's heart and shattered Gwen's dreams.

"I don't know what you're talking about Crane," Ethan choked out and Fox rolled his eyes before slamming his fist in Ethan's face and breaking his nose.

Ethan's shout of pain was music to his ears.

"You're a piece of work, you lying no good son of a bitch but the jigs up Winthrop," Fox retorted grabbing a fistful of Ethan's blond hair and slamming his head against the wall once more. "Nobody messes with a Crane and gets away with it," he added softly making Ethan's face pale even more.

"How long did you think you could get away with lying to everyone you deluded shthead?" Fox asked but not expecting an answer he rammed his fists into Ethan's stomach and proceeded to beat the crap out of his brother-in-law.

When Ethan was lying in a bloody heap on the floor, begging for mercy, Fox smiled grimly and spit in his rival's face, kicking him in the groin for good measure.

Teresa's gasp of distress surprised both men and they turned to her with identical expressions of horror.

"Ethan?" Teresa murmured brokenly, her face pale and her eyes brimming with tears. "I thought you were dead," she sobbed.

A flustered Ethan got shakily to his feet and walked over to Teresa.

"Teresa...I..." he stammered but before he could say anymore Fox interrupted.

"Go ahead Winthrop. Tell Teresa that you faked your death so you could marry my step-sister and sink your hooks into the Crane fortune," he mocked

Teresa's face paled even more at Fox's words but one look at Ethan's face told the whole story.

"You sick, selfish son of a bitch," she shouted, her body visibly shaking with rage. "I was devastated when Miguel arrived at the church to tell me you'd been in a fatal accident. How could you do something so despicable after everything we'd been together?" she asked and Ethan lowered his eyes in shame.

"Teresa...I..." he pleaded trying to enfold her in his arms but Teresa shook her head wildly and pushed him away.

"Don't touch me Ethan. As far as I'm concerned you are dead," she murmured coldly, swinging her left arm back and slapping him soundly before running out of the room.

Fox hurried after his fiancé but when he'd reached the parking garage and his heart contracted when he reached the parking garage and found Teresa sobbing harshly on the ground beside her car.

"How could he do something so vile Fox? I loved him and he abandoned me to marry Gwen," Teresa cried.

"I'm sorry baby, so damn sorry," Fox replied enfolding her in his arms.

Teresa let herself be held for a few minutes, savoring the strength and warmth of his arms but then she gently pushed him away.

"I'm sorry Fox but I can't be with you right now. I need some time alone," she told him before hurrying into her car and driving away.

Fox stared after her pensively wishing with all heart that Teresa had let him be by her side. Then the meaning of her words sank in and he felt his chest tighten.

She hadn't just broken things off...had she?