“Not even a little bit.” Abruptly, he shoves to his feet, swinging me up in his arms in the same motion. “You’re coming to my bed tonight, sugar, and if you’re good, I may never let you leave.”

“What if I’m bad?”

“Then you’re assuredly not going anywhere.” He growls the reply into my ear.

In ten strides, we’re in his room. Jesse’s bed is made, a striped comforter tucked in around the pillows. He rips it back with impatient hands, then he turns to me. “I want those pajamas off. Now.”

I remember him saying he was gentle and slow, but a hungry wolf shines out of his dark eyes. He’s longed for someone like me, starved even. I don’t need pretty words, flowers, or expensive dinners. I just want to learn the taste and scent of his skin. I want to drown in him.

Deliberately, I strip. Beneath, I’m wearing only simple black panties, but his gaze sharpens. He takes in the body that I know is decent, if not spectacular. Somehow I manage not to cross my arms to shield my breasts. This is where I’ve wanted to be for so long; I won’t back down now.

“Your turn, cowboy.”

I’ve never seen a man shuck his clothes so fast. His shirt goes flying, then he shoves his shorts downward. God, is there anything sexier than a man showing that sweet spot on his pelvis? I love the way his hip curves, slightly concave, with layer of muscle and jut of bone. I could start licking there and work my way to the center. Mmm. His underwear shows…everything. Damn. I’ve never been this turned on in my life…and he hasn’t even kissed me. Desire washes over me—and Jesse’s head falls back. A groan escapes him. A small damp spot appears on the front of his boxer briefs.

“You could make me come without touching me,” he growls. “But don’t.”

“Then come here.”

In answer, he prowls toward me and shoves me back on the bed. I bounce once, then he’s on top of me. The sudden shock of his heat and weight on me spikes my urgency, and he feels it. I dig my hands into his back as his lips claim mine. It’s a sirocco of a kiss, all heat and irresistible power. He tastes of lime and I, of mint, so our kisses are like mojitos, savored again and again. When he comes up for air, he studies my swollen mouth…and smiles.

“Here’s how it’s gonna be, Shan. You’re gonna take every stroke, one for every time you teased me, each time I went home hungry.”

“Please,” I whisper.

“And I’m going to make you come until you beg me to stop.”

“Won’t happen.” I manage a hint of bravado. “But you’re welcome to try.”

He’s wild with me, just like I knew he could be. There’s no gentleness at the moment, no good manners. Jesse pulls my panties off and then his own briefs. From his night table, he grabs a condom, and though I’d like to put it on him, he tugs my hands away. Tonight, this is definitely his show. I shiver, hard. For good measure, he lifts my arms above my head.

“Lace your fingers together and don’t let go.”

“I’m not allowed to touch you?”

“I told you how it would be…this time.”

Which tells me he’s open to other things, later, but this must be a fantasy of his, one he’s been afraid to explore with anyone else. So I lock my hands and nod. I think he’ll just take me because we’re both so damn hot, but instead he whispers with his fingertips, gliding, stroking, until I arch up off the bed.

“You want me so bad.”

“Fuck, yes.”

“You’re so pretty and slick. Later, I’ll lick you, right here.” A graze of his fingertips drags a moan from me.

“I’ll enjoy that,” I gasp.

I’m panting, but I don’t beg. Need will surely overwhelm him soon. We’ve been fighting this for weeks.

“You know how many nights I yanked my cock, thinking of you?”

“Tell me.”

Instead, he nuzzles and bites a path down my throat, over my breasts, past my belly and onto my thighs. Yeah, he likes using his teeth. When we’ve been together longer, I can see him wanting to leave marks. God, he’s so close; I can feel the heat of his mouth swirling over my hip. My whole body’s trembling now.

“It can’t be more often than I did,” I whisper in an attempt to break him.

And…it works. His control snaps.

Jesse finally fills me in a long, hard thrust. It’s all I can do not to grab on to him, but the restriction on my movement heightens the heat and tension. I can only work my lower body beneath him, so I wrap my legs around his hips. That makes him growl and push faster. Since he was on the edge earlier, I don’t know how he can keep this up. Then he cheats like a bastard and opens himself to me. His lust hammers through me, along with chaotic impressions of how good this is: so much, more, faster, take, take, claim. My nails bite into my palms as I come.

And Jesse keeps his promise, somehow. The pleasure loops between us, and I swear he gets off too, but he doesn’t soften. He pushes, grinds, until I’m weak and shivering when he arches into me the last time, his teeth sinking into my shoulder. The pain sparks a soft, weak orgasm, just exhausted flutters. That’s the sign for me to unlace my hands and wrap my arms around him, stroke his back. I’d hold him like this forever, only he rolls away to dispose of the sticky condom.

But he comes back. I hope he always does.

Eleven

Sunday morning with Jesse is a new kind of wonderful. We fix breakfast together and then turn on the sports channel. You wouldn’t guess it, but I enjoy watching men celebrate their penises by knocking each other down and tossing things at each other. So I snuggle up with Jesse happily, wearing a white dress shirt that belongs to him instead of the pajamas he made me take off the night before.

Later, I’m in the bathroom brushing my teeth when he comes in. He steps up behind me, wraps his arms about my waist and nuzzles my neck. I spit, drop my toothbrush in the sink, and turn into his embrace. Jesse lifts me up and carries me back to bed. We stay there for most of the day, and I only get up because it’s getting late, and I need to shower so he can take me home.

“No regrets?” I ask him, as I’m climbing into his SUV.

“Only that you’re leaving.”

“Good answer.”

“I warned you how this would go, though, Shan. You’re mine now, and I’m very opposed to sharing.”

“You think I’ll run into men who tempt me at Pretzel Pirate?”

He laughs. “When you put it that way…”

“Then I’m not sure what I’m supposed to take from this. I’ve been trying to hook up with you for weeks. Now that I have, you figure I’m done, mission accomplished?” I shake my head. “No thanks. I’d much rather be your girlfriend.”

“Yeah?” Jesse starts the SUV, looking pleased.

And frankly, after the last twenty hours, he should be. I know I am. “Definitely. Or were you trying to talk me out of a relationship?”

He leans over and kisses me. “No. You’re in this now. I tried to be smart and sensible and let you move on to somebody else. Hell if that’s happening now.”

“I don’t want anybody else.” A surge of love rolls through me.

“Keep talking like that, looking at me with those eyes, and I’m carrying you right back up those stairs, Shan.”

“I have to get back. My work uniforms are at home.”

Jesse bitches under his breath, giving me the first glimpse of how possessive he can be. But it’s not like it comes as a surprise. He puts the vehicle in gear and takes me back to my apartment. I think he’d like to come up, but that will just make it harder to say good-bye later, and I haven’t talked to Maria about having overnight guests. If her boyfriend has ever stayed, I didn’t see or hear him. So I feel like it’s polite to check with her first. Plus, my futon isn’t as big or comfortable as his bed.

He parks on the street and shifts to study me. “Work’s likely to keep me tied up this week. There are some things going on in the department. But if you have any problems, text me.”

“I can’t text you anyway?”

“You know what I mean.”

Yeah, I do. I’m teasing him. “If anything weird or scary happens, you’ll be the first to know.”

This is a little awkward because I don’t know where to go from here. I can’t seem to make myself get out of the SUV. Jesse kisses me again; this one is deep and lingering, his hands in my hair.

“I’ll pick you up Friday night at eight, sugar, unless there’s an emergency.”

“How should I dress?”

“Wear something sexy, suitable for dancing.”

“I have the perfect outfit.”

After that, I hop out and head upstairs. There’s no reason to feel so sad, like the minute we separate, he’ll have second thoughts and I’ll never see him again. He’s not changeable like that. In fact, I’ve barely gotten inside my front door when I get a text message from him.

I miss you already. Think about me this week, k? I’ll know if you are.

Okay, that’s kinda hot. I’m smiling when Maria wanders out of her bedroom. She takes one look at me and grins. “Good weekend, huh?”

I don’t know what she means until I peek at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. There are faint bruises on my throat, whisker burns on my cheeks and jaw. I’m not wearing my usual makeup to cover it either. Damn. I can’t believe I left the house without putting my war paint on. I can remember a time when I’d have died before doing that. Like, the house could be on fire, and I’d still apply cosmetics.

“You could say that,” I answer belatedly.

After checking to make sure I have a clean uniform for tomorrow, I crash with Maria and we have our Chris Evans marathon. During intermission, I ask, “So I’m wondering about your policy on overnight guests?”

“Not a rhetorical question, I take it. You finally bagged the hot cop?”

“You make him sound like a deer I shot.” I grin at her. “But yeah.”

“Then as long as he sleeps in your room and you’re not too loud, I’m fine with it. I’d appreciate it if you don’t send him out naked to rummage for food.”

“I suspect we’ll be at his place more often, but I thought I’d ask.”

She nods. “I appreciate the consideration. I’ve had so many roommates who did what the hell ever. And the last one left without any notice.”

“That had to suck.”

“Tell me about it. But I’m glad Chuch introduced us. I like you.”

It’s nice to have female friends. “Back at you.”

That night, I go to bed early and wake up in time to do some mundane chores. Our apartment doesn’t sparkle like Jesse’s, but it’s not a sty either. I already have a message from him on my phone. He warned me he would crowd me, but it’s not a needy, where are you, type text. Instead he’s written, my bed was fucking empty without you.