Instead, her greedy body stole her voice and heartily disagreed. One more night together couldn’t possibly hurt, right?

“Ah, to hear the thoughts in your head right now would be fascinating.”

She stilled, turning around to face him. He leaned against the door, arms crossed in front, that cocky smile on his face that curled her toes and made her breathless. The cut muscles revealed by his tank made her think of two words.

Arm. Porn.

She raised a brow. “Why?”

“Women get tangled up in their thoughts. What they should do or shouldn’t. What are the consequences of an action and how will it play out. Rarely do they just do what they want because it feels really good.”

“You’re a real female connoisseur, huh, Slick?” She knew he’d been with a long line of women, but tonight she didn’t want to think about it. A touch of temper blew through her. She was being stupid. This was nothing but sex, no matter how strong their connection, or that they’d slept together under the stars, or that he looked at her like she was the one who’d save him. God knows she’d been down this road multiple times. Why did she think this was different? “Maybe because if everyone did what felt good without thought, we’d live in a broken, chaotic society. We can’t all live by the call of the id.”

“You’re angry.” His gaze narrowed, assessing. “You think I’m here just to fuck you until you’re out of my system and I can walk away.”

She shrugged, pretending she didn’t care. “Sounds good to me. Maybe we should get on with it and stop the babbling.”

“That’s what I intended, you know.” He acted like he hadn’t heard her last words. “I thought a few naked sessions together would finally calm this crazed need I have for you. I don’t like feeling this way.”

Frustration welled up inside and ran over. “Neither do I. So why are we here? Let’s walk away before this gets more complicated. We want different things. We’re courting disaster.”

“Don’t care.” His eyes blazed with a fierce, glowing heat, like blue flames erupting from a gas stove. He pushed away from the door and stalked toward her, his features set with pure intention. “You’ve crawled under my skin. Torn away every damn barrier I’ve built over the years. Your name sings in my head, your touch is burned in my fingertips, your scent is imprinted in my memory. You are completely tearing me apart, Raven, and there’s nothing I can do about it. So I’m taking you to bed, where we can even the score.”

He reached her, pulled her in, and lowered his mouth to hers.

Oh, yes.

This. This was what she yearned for and craved, the drugging, blistering, aching need to be swallowed whole by this man. His taste swamped her, his tongue thrusting between her lips to drink and ravage, and she wrapped her arms tight around him and kissed him back with everything she had.

He nipped her bottom lip, picked her up, and headed to her bedroom.

Kicking the door open, never breaking the kiss, he laid her down on the sage-green quilt and slowly pulled back. “You like pillows.”

She laughed, noting the numerous throw pillows in soothing greens and earthy browns littering her mattress. “I like comfort.”

“Those are going to come in handy soon.” Intensity and male hunger beat from him in waves. Her nipples hardened and pushed for freedom. “I’m going to try very hard not to rip off your clothes like a savage tonight, but I’m already at the edge.”

She twisted under him, tugging at his tank. “I’ve been at the edge since you walked into the bar. Been dreaming of doing this.” She lifted herself halfway and bit into his upper arm. His muscles jumped under her teeth, and when she flicked out her tongue to lick the hurt, he muttered something dirty under his breath.

“Savage it is.”

He moved lightning quick. Her cropped T-shirt was over her head, and her black lace bra gone in seconds. With a low growl, he pushed her back on the bed, making quick work of her jeans and tiny black panties, until she lay naked, breathing hard, and totally turned on.

He smiled real slow. “Now I can take my time.”

Her eyes widened. “No way! We’ll slow down later. Get your ass out of those clothes and do me.”

“God, you’re hot. Gorgeous.” His gaze ate her up. “Perfect.”

He peeled off his shirt, and she relaxed, licking her lips, reaching up, and—

With expert skill, he flipped her over on her stomach, pressing his jean-clad legs to the backs of her thighs, holding her pinned to the mattress. “Now, be a good girl and shush up.”

She opened her mouth to yell his name, but her cry turned into a long moan at the feel of his hot, wet tongue licking down the length of her spine. His fingers tangled within hers, fisting tight as he worked his way down her back, nipping and tasting, his breath hotly caressing her goose-bump-peppered flesh. He stopped at the swell of her buttocks, tracing the vulnerable line between her cheeks, then slowly parted her legs.

“Oh, God.”

His wicked chuckle made her squirm against the bed, her wet pussy throbbing for contact. “You have the most beautiful ass I’ve ever seen.”

Her words were muffled as she tried not to scream into the covers. “No, you do.”

She sucked in her breath as he dipped his tongue in the center, nibbling over the full curves. “Stop arguing. You do. I can smell you. Musky and spicy, all for me.”

Removing his fingers from hers, he pushed the weight of her hair to the side, caressing her shoulders, her back, her hips. Long, smooth strokes that relaxed as much as they tightened the tension within her gut to a hard ball, ready to burst. He massaged her backside, then slipped between her legs to slowly tease her hard clit with light circles that drove her to insanity.

“You’re dripping.”

“You’re gonna pay,” she muttered, arching up for more contact.

“Oh, I love a bad girl. But if you’re still able to speak, I need to work harder.”

“Bastard.”

He plunged two fingers inside her.

She cried out as he stretched her, his thumb strumming her clit, and she gave up and begged right then, right there. Her entire body tightened in anticipation, but he was ruthless as he used his hand to pleasure her while he licked and kissed her buttocks, driving her to a place of physical madness . . .

“More. Come for me, Raven. Scream for me.”

He added another finger, curling toward the right, and dove deep. At the same time, his thumb flicked and rubbed her throbbing clit.

She came.

She screamed.

Shuddering as the tension shattered and broke her into a thousand pieces, she heard his curse and the sound of a belt buckle behind her. A wrapper tore. Then he was grabbing her legs, pushing her onto her knees and spreading her wide. Scooping up two pillows, he shoved them under her hips and then pushed inside her in one long, slow, full stroke.

“Dalton!”

His fingers twisted in her hair, guiding her head to the side so his mouth could take hers. Somehow, this time was different. Every inch of him covered her, pressing, demanding. There wasn’t a part of her body that wasn’t claimed by him: his tongue in her mouth; his cock buried deep in her pussy; thighs entwined with her legs. For a few seconds she struggled against the overwhelming male power of possession, trying to break free, but he gentled his kiss, murmuring her name over and over, completely still as her body adjusted to his.

The bond between them switched from the usual hum to a live, crackling explosion of heat. Her body shook as if in a fever, and something within uncurled and loosened, like a ray of light transforms from a speck of sparkle to a powerful beam.

She opened, blossomed, accepted. There was nothing left to do but make her own demands, so Raven pushed back, sending him as deep as he could go, and kissed him with a warrior fierceness.

He broke.

He claimed her, his hips jerking with each thrust, taking her back to the cliff, his fingers twisting her hard nipples, adding a touch of pain to push her closer to the edge. That magic spot deep within shimmered with each thrust, and then his hands traveled down her belly to rub her clit, and Raven was coming again.

With a roar, he joined her. Head thrown back, he let himself go, holding her close as he reached his release.