“I have a much better idea.” He grasped her around the waist and deposited her on the bench. The same bench they’d used the night before. She watched, dumbfounded, as he knelt down in front of her, gaze fastened on the juncture of her thighs. “Show me right now. Cross and uncross your legs for me, duchess. I want to see how it looks when there’s no skirt to hide behind.”

Hayden’s chest felt tight, her skin enflamed. Every nerve ending in her body hummed with dizzying arousal. She obeyed his order simply to witness his reaction. Could do nothing else. The first time she crossed her legs, then slowly parted them, she felt his loud growl of approval deep in her belly, vibrating and heating. The second time she let her stocking-clad thighs cross and uncross, he unzipped his pants and reached inside to stroke himself as he watched her, eyes dark with lust.

“Very good. Lose the bra and do it again.”

Trying to keep her breathing steady and failing, Hayden unhooked the clasp between her breasts and let the material fall down her arms. Once again, that low, almost-angry sound emanated from his throat. This time, she moaned in response, letting her head fall back on her shoulders. Of their own volition, her hands rose to palm her breasts, thumbs caressing her peaked nipples. Her body felt hot, shaky. His riveted gaze felt like a touch in itself, moving across her skin, memorizing, devouring.

Brent’s arm banded around her waist, startling her, so lost she’d been in her own pleasure. He picked her up off the bench and rose. She wrapped her legs around his waist, mouth immediately seeking his for a hot, desperate kiss. One of his hands sank into her hair, angling her head. The other kneaded the flesh of her bottom.

“Bedroom. Where is it?” he grated against her mouth. “I need to fuck you.”

She nodded toward the back of the town house, and Brent’s long strides ate up the distance between the semi-dark living room and her bedroom. Halfway there, she forgot to direct him and began nipping and licking his neck until Brent was forced to push her up against the hallway wall outside her bedroom and punish her mouth for distracting him. Finally, he stumbled them into her room, letting her slide down his body at the foot of the bed.

He maintained intense eye contact with her as he quickly stripped out of his suit. When Hayden started to roll the tights down her leg, he stopped her with a harsh sound. “Don’t you dare take them off.” His pants and belt hit the floor. “You never want to discuss what happens here tonight? Fine. But I’m going to remember what it’s like to be between all that silk. There’s nothing you can do to make me forget.” He came toward her slowly, stalking her. “I’m going to think about it. Often. While you’re lying here at night in your big, comfortable bed, I’ll be remembering. Over and over.”

Hayden refused to back up even a step as he reached her, his expression fierce. “I can’t control what you choose to think about,” she responded with more bravery than she felt.

Perusing her body, he shook his head. “No. You sure as hell can’t.” His big hands settled on her hips, flexed. “You’ve got control right now, though. Take it. Before I take it from you.”

Inside her, apprehension mixed with excitement, so heady her hands shook. This is what you wanted, Hayden reminded herself. She’d been struggling to find the missing piece for so long. This could be it. He’d put her in charge. Why was she hesitating? Part of her nerves sprang from the unknown. How deep did the need run? Why had it taken an enemy’s touch to make her realize it?

“Hayden…” he rasped, fingers digging into her flesh.

Now or never. Hayden brought her hands to his shoulders and pushed him with all her might onto the bed. He landed on his back, head coming up immediately to watch her next move. She moved over him on hands and knees, reveling in the way his chest rose and fell rapidly, his erection lying thick and ready on his ridged belly. She took a moment to appreciate the sheer maleness of him. His size, the texture of his skin, his muscular build. Once more, her eyes were drawn to the hard length demanding her attention. After the briefest hesitation, she skimmed her fingers down his belly and wrapped him in her fist. His hands dug into the comforter as his hips bucked.

“Put it in your mouth. Now, baby.” He spoke through clenched teeth. “I’ve been waiting for it since last night. Nothing I do makes it better. It needs to be your mouth.”

Very slowly, she licked the tip, power curling in her belly when he hissed through his teeth. She did it again, this time letting her tongue linger until his hips lifted impatiently. Then she took all of him in her mouth, as deep as she could, sucking hard all the way back to the tip as Brent shouted obscenities at the ceiling. “Is that what you wanted?” she purred against the smooth skin.

“Fuck yes.” He twisted the comforter in his fists. “More.”

“More of this?” Watching him innocently, she ran her tongue around the head in circles. “Or this?” She closed her mouth around him and took him to the back of her throat, sucking once again until she reached the head. Then she flicked her tongue against him with tiny, teasing licks.

He threaded his fingers roughly into her hair, bringing her head up to meet his tortured gaze. “I’ve tongued and fingered you, now it’s my turn. Give me what I need, baby. I’m dying.”

“When I’m ready. Baby.” Without thinking about her actions, simply obeying what felt right, she pinned his wrists against the bed and scraped her teeth over his belly, biting and licking the fevered skin as it shuddered under her mouth. When she took him back between her lips and finally gave him what he needed, she refused to stop stroking him with her mouth until his voice grew strangled from begging her to end the torture.

Hayden reached into her bedside drawer and handed him a condom. As he rolled it down his length, she played with her nipples, tempting him to hurry. She straddled him, her knees pressing into the mattress on either side of his hips. He gripped himself in his big hand and sought her entrance, rubbing the plump head back and forth through her damp center.

“No more games.” Brent thrust into her halfway. “Ride me hard or not at all.”

Hayden wiggled her hips, stretching as she took more of him inside her. He gave an upward thrust, pushing deeper and deeper until she whimpered.

“Jesus, baby.” He groaned loudly, shifted. “Been a while?”

Yes. “No. It’s just you…you’re…”

Brent sat up, putting his face right in front of hers. He bit her bottom lip and tugged. “I’m what?” When she tried to kiss him, he dodged her mouth. “Say it. What am I?”

“Huge,” she whispered.

“That’s right.” His hands slipped up her back and gripped her shoulders. “And you’re going to take it.”

He pulled down on her shoulders, while at the same time driving his hips upward, imbedding himself deep inside her. Hayden’s head fell back and she screamed.

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“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Brent chanted gruffly against her ear. “Oh God, Hayden, you’ve got such a snug little pussy.”

She felt impaled. Full. As though if she moved, her entire body would shatter into a thousand pieces. Already her thighs and stomach had begun to tremble. Brent gave her one hard kiss, then lay back down as if handing her the reins. His hands shook as they stroked up and down her thighs, telling her how much it cost him to give her control.

Wanting to please him as much as she needed to assuage the ache building within her, Hayden moved her hips once, testing, and nearly sobbed at the tingling heat that shot through her system, concentrated between her thighs. Brent’s eyes were squeezed shut, fingers digging into her skin as he muttered a curse. She braced her hands on his shoulders and increased her pace, angling her hips so she could rub against Brent where she needed him most. Sensations slammed through her with each roll of her hips, so intense, so foreign that she had to slow her movements to let her mind catch up with her body.

“Hayden. Look at me,” Brent growled beneath her. “Move those hips faster, or I’ll put you on your back. Do you understand?” Then his hand reared back and slapped her ass. Hard.

“Ah!” A struggle took place inside of her. She couldn’t deny the exhilaration that rushed through her as his hand connected with her skin. Possibly even wanted him to do it again. Yet at the same time, she wanted to berate him for touching her that way. For confusing her already-haywire emotions. “I’m going to kill you,” she whispered.

He sat up once more, wrapped her hair around his fist and growled. “Fuck me, instead.”