“I’m sorry for snapping. There’s not much to say—my mother needs a man in her life like she needs air. When men recognized she was the type of woman who’d suffocate them and bleed them dry, they left her. She never understood why. Besides, I haven’t seen her in years, and if I never cross paths with her again . . .” She shrugged. “No great loss. I still have Harper and Bailey. I don’t need her.” She pulled the sheet up, covering her nakedness. “Now, are you done playing doctor with my scars?”

Devin was surprised she hadn’t retreated into defensive mode sooner. So he kept it light. “I’m done. But I’m pretty sure at some point in the next two months I’m gonna play connect the dots on your body.” He ran his hand down the side of her face. “I’m debating on whether whipped cream or chocolate syrup would be better to draw the lines between your freckles.”

“How about . . . both?”

He chuckled. “Definitely gonna be fun goin’ to the store with you.”

Chapter Fifteen

Liberty wasn’t used to waking up naked.

Not that she was cold. Devin was practically lying on top of her as she was sprawled on her belly in his big bed.

She shifted slightly and he rolled to his back, freeing her.

Should she sneak out? Wake him up? Hop in the shower and hope he joined her? The bus was still moving, which meant they’d stopped for gas while she and Devin had been conked out. Or they hadn’t noticed the bus stopping as they’d banged each other’s brains out.

Three times.

Three incredible times.

The man had certainly made her body sing last night. Holy shit, the things he could do with that golden mouth . . .

“What time is it?” he asked, his voice sandpaper rough.

“I was just about to go check.”

Then he rolled her to face him. He gave her a soft smile and reached out to run his knuckles down her cheek. “Stay in bed with me a little longer.”

“Once I wake up, I’m up. I can’t go back to sleep.”

“Who said anything about sleepin’?”

“Well, I thought . . .”

“That this was just a one-night thing with me? Wrong. And, sugar, you knew that goin’ into it last night.”

She blinked at him, unsure what she should say or do.

Turned out she didn’t need to do anything, because Devin just took over.

He knocked the pillows aside and traced the length of her arm from her shoulder to her wrist with such erotic intent, she shivered. “I want you. My way. Arms above your head, palms facing the ceiling.”

Here was the test between them.

Part of her had attributed his aggressiveness last night to the fact they were finally acting on the sexual tension between them. But the heated look in Devin’s eye wasn’t playful or teasing.

Liberty had spent her life taking orders from men. But she’d always drawn the line in the bedroom. In her experience, most men needed direction when it came to sex, and she was more than happy to provide it.

But Devin had hit all her hot spots last night without any input from her besides moans and gasps of pleasure.

That’s because he’s been with so many women he’s got a big playbook and he knows all the right moves.

While she waffled and argued with herself, he kept up that sweeping caress, just on her arm. His eyes were a deep midnight blue, his breathing was slow and steady, but his c**k was completely hard.

“I don’t know how to do this,” she admitted.

“That’s the thing; you don’t need to know anything. You just follow my instructions and I’ll take care of the rest. I’ll take care of you.”

Sounded simple. So why was she making it so damn complicated?

“Liberty, do you trust me?”

She nodded.

“Yes or no. Say the words.”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He wrapped his fingers around her forearm. “And did we do anything last night that you didn’t like?”

Liberty started to shake her head, but remembered he wanted a verbal response. “No.”

He smiled. “Then, darlin’, what’s the holdup?”

“What do you mean?”

“Put your arms above your head, palms facing up, like I told you to.”

Keeping her eyes on his, she did as he asked.

Devin’s gaze moved across her face and down, stopping above her br**sts. “Now turn your head to the right and give me that sexy neck.”

She closed her eyes as her forehead connected with her biceps.

Then his body crowded hers. His warm lips brushed her ear and he placed his hand on her belly. “You have no idea what it does to me to have this trust from you.” His hot breath teased the hollow below her earlobe and she trembled. “So I’ll show you. Relax, baby, and let me have you.”

That deep, lazy, sex-soaked voice rumbling against her skin set every nerve receptor in her body on high alert.

Devin’s mouth followed the cords straining in her neck, treating her skin to nibbles, kisses, licks. The scrape of his teeth caused her to arch and moan.

“Like that, do you?”

“Yes.” Liberty suppressed a whimper when he hit the sweet spot below her ear.

Of course Devin noticed. His lips skated over the swell of her upper breast. He latched onto her nipple and sucked, causing her to arch up.

After backing off on the suction, he kept his lips soft around her areola as his teeth sank into the distended tip. At first she loved that nip of pain, but then it was too much. “Ouch. Stop.”