Source One

mystery. You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”
    On Valentine’s Day, several days later, Brian and Amber took Brian’s yacht into San Francisco. They docked at the pier and had dinner at a restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf.
    Brian stood at the wheel on the way home, an arm around Amber. Strong gusts of wind invaded the crisp night. Brian had wrapped a blanket around Amber. Now he squeezed her to him and grinned down at her.
    Brian hadn’t been on the yacht since Diana had passed away. Hadn’t wanted to be. Until now.
    He was happy again. Truly happy. He hadn’t known it was possible.
    But t he misery of last year no longer hung like a heavy weight around his neck.
    ***
    Two nights later, Amber and Brian were in Brian’s bedroom.
    Katie was asleep. Mrs. Quinn had the night off. She was out with a friend.
    Amber and Brian lay on his bed, kissing.
    Brian pulled away. “Are you on anything?”
    Amber shook her head. “No.”
    His body stiffened. “Have you done this before or is this your first time?”
    “It’s not my first time,” Amber whispered.
    She’d been with one other person - a boyfriend she’d had in college.
    Amber’s heart was pounding. It wasn’t so much what was about to happen that made her nervous. It was her background that plagued her.
    Amber looked down at the bedspread and pressed her lips together. She should have told him by now.
    She didn’t want any secrets between them when they did this.
    Brian had pulled a condom out of a drawer. He walked back to her and lifted her chin. Searched her eyes.
    “Are you okay?”
    “Yes. I just……..I have to tell you something,” Amber said.
    Brian stood watching her.
    “I was arrested a couple of years ago.”
    Brian’s eye brows drew together. “You were?”
    Amber looked down at her hands and cleared her throat. “My mom was sick for four years before she died. She couldn’t work. There were medical bills. My tuition bills. Not to mention tax bills. The mortgage. She was drowning in debt. I wanted to take time off from college. Get a job as a CNA. But she wouldn’t let me.
    Amber wet her lips. “The bank accidentally sent checks of my father’s to our house a year ago. My mother pretended the account was hers and wrote a bunch of checks. At first, no one noticed……”
    Amber closed her eyes. “After she was arrested, I told the police it was me. I took the blame, hoping my father wouldn’t press charges if he thought it was me. And that’s what happened. I wasn’t prosecuted, but the arrest went on my record. I told my boss - I wanted to be honest…….The hospital had a policy and they let me go.
    “I wasn’t sure I could even get another job. Then I met Michelle. She was a volunteer at Second Street Mission. She told me she wanted to help me. That there was an opening in your company.”
    Amber looked into Brian’s eyes for the first time since she’d begun speaking. “I’ve wanted to tell you since we started dating, but I was afraid of getting Michelle into trouble.
    “Please don’t fire her,” Amber whispered. “She was just trying to help me.”
    Amber closed her eyes again. Listened to her heart pound. When she opened her eyes, Brian was still staring at her.
    He reached out a moment later and pulled her into his arms. “I’m not going to fire anyone,” he whispered.
    ***
    Brian blinked hard. It made perfect sense that Amber’s secret was a selfless one.
    He stepped backward so that he could see her face. “Are you all right?”
    Amber nodded. “Yes.”
    Brian gathered her in his arms again. “Do you still want to do this?”
    “Yes,” Amber whispered.
    Brian leaned down to kiss her.
    He turned her around and unzipped her dress.
    Watched as Amber pulled it off of her shoulders. It pooled onto the floor.
    Brian looked down at the sexy curve of her back.
    His heart hammered his chest as he unhooked her bra. He pulled the straps down and planted kisses along her shoulder blades.
    He wrapped his arms around her and drew her backward, tightly against his chest.
    His erection pressed into her back.
    Brian palmed her breasts. Fondled them and rolled her nipples between his fingers.
    Amber moaned softly.
    Brian closed his eyes and groaned. He could touch her breasts all night. The thought brought a smile to his face. He’d have to try that sometime.
    He moved his hands to Amber’s shoulders and turned her around.
    Amber blinked up at him. Her eyes looked heavy, the expression on her face heady.
    She