“Hey, don’t look so upset,” he said roughly. “I’m not trying to force you into anything. All I’m sayin’ is, we’ve been together for almost six weeks. There’s really no harm in calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend, now is there?”

She seemed flustered. “I guess not. But…the future…”

“Let’s not worry about the future, sugar. All that matters is the present. As for the rest, we’ll see where it goes. No pressure, no demands.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“You’re not harboring any grand illusions about falling madly in love with me?”

He supposed now was probably not the best time to tell her he was already halfway there.

So he just shrugged. “Like I said, we’ll see where it goes.”

“Okay.” She paused. “Can we stop talking about all this serious stuff? Let’s do something fun.”

Jackson raised a brow. “What do you have in mind?”

“I don’t know. It’s Saturday night—should we go out?”

“And not take advantage of this empty apartment? I don’t think so, darlin’.”

Without delay, he scooted closer and covered her mouth with his.

She let out a delighted squeak before kissing him back eagerly. Her arms looped around his shoulders, warm fingers stroking the nape of his neck as her tongue met his.

Jackson never wanted the kiss to end. She tasted so sweet, and her hair, damp from the shower, smelled like pure heaven. Roses and lavender and something uniquely Mia.

He was breathing heavily as he pulled his lips back an inch and echoed her earlier words. “So you really, really love having sex with me, huh?”

“Like you didn’t already know that.”

“What do you love the most?” He planted his mouth on the side of her neck and sucked.

“Everything,” she murmured. “I love everything you do to me.”

“You like the way I boss you around?”

“Mmm-hmmm.”

“And the way I make you come?”

“Definitely that.”

Jackson pushed her back against the couch and reached for her waistband. “What about the way I eat your pu**y? Do you like that?”

She shivered in anticipation. “Duh.”

He eased her yoga pants off her legs.

And discovered that she was completely nude underneath.

“No panties,” he muttered in approval. “Aren’t you a dirty girl.”

She laughed ruefully. “I can’t afford to wear underwear anymore. You keep ripping every pair I own.”

“Can’t help it.” He smacked a kiss right on her belly button. “I love your pu**y so much I can’t bear to see it covered up all the time.”

He licked his way down her navel and nuzzled the top of her mound, then kissed her sensitive flesh and enjoyed the way she trembled against his mouth. He was slow and thorough, teasing her with featherlight licks to her clit and fleeting openmouthed kisses to her inner thighs. Her skin was so soft and silky that he couldn’t help but rub his stubble-covered cheek against it, leaving pink marks on her thighs before kissing his way back to his favorite place in the world.

When he captured her clit between his lips, she jerked on the couch and cupped his head with her hands to keep him in place. But he wasn’t going anywhere. He welcomed the tight grip in his hair and started licking with gusto, his tongue exploring every inch of her wet paradise. The second it speared her entrance, she cried out and rocked into the gentle thrusts with abandon.

“So good,” she burst out. “Keep doing that.”

He gave the lady what she wanted, f**king her with his tongue while his thumb feathered over her clit, but just as she reached the brink, he retreated, lifting his head so rapidly she groaned in disappointment.

Jackson stood up and held out his hand. “C’mon, we need a bed.”

“Why?” Her green eyes burned with impatience. “We seemed to be doing just fine on the couch!”

“You arguin’ with me, sugar?”

Her mouth snapped closed.

“That’s what I thought.”

Chuckling, he scooped her into his arms and marched toward the corridor. Mia started kissing his neck as he carried her to the bedroom, momentarily distracting him. He groaned when she sucked hard enough to leave a mark, then gave her bottom a sharp smack and deposited her on the bed.

“Enough teasin’,” he said sternly.

The mattress bounced as she landed on her back. And she wasted no time parting her legs.

“Make me come,” she ordered.

A laugh rumbled out of his chest. “Someone’s bossy tonight.”

“And someone is a tease. You knew I was close and you purposely stopped.”

“I did indeed.” He licked his lips. “But that’s ’cause you’re not allowed to come yet.”

He walked over to the nightstand and opened the bottom drawer, while Mia craned her neck to try to see what he was getting.

“When am I allowed to come then?” she demanded.

Jackson’s hand emerged with a condom and a tube of lubrication. “When I’m balls-deep in your ass,” he replied pleasantly.

Her swift intake of breath made him laugh.

“Got a problem with that, baby doll?”

Mia shook her head, wide-eyed.

“Good. Now roll over.”