God hates a coward, Ruby.

With a steadying breath, she reached for the hem of the borrowed shirt and drew it up over her head, tossing it on top of a nearby clothes hamper. She took a final look at herself in the mirror, naked except for her silky blue underwear, and opened the bathroom door.

Troy stood in the kitchen with his back to her, cleaning the pan he’d used to make her omelet. For a moment, she simply watched him perform the domestic chore, enjoying the sight of his forearm muscles flexing as he dried a plate. Marveling over how masculine he made it look.

Troy’s shoulders bunched, as if he’d sensed her standing there. As if he knew exactly what he would find once he turned around. She shivered in apprehension, resisting the urge to run back into the bathroom and lock the door. Troy tossed the pan onto the counter with a clatter and turned. When his hot gaze landed on her mostly naked body, he sucked in a breath. She forced herself to stand still, keep her hands from covering her breasts like they were tempted to do. Let him look his fill. Finally, when she thought she might catch fire under his heated gaze, he stalked toward her.

Troy kept coming until he’d forced her back up against the hallway wall. His arms shot out to rest on either side of her head, his gaze burning a path from her breasts down to her bare legs and back up again.

Her skin felt bathed in fire everywhere he looked.

Her nipples puckered for his attention. Goose bumps broke out along her arms. She couldn’t take it a second longer.

“Are you going to spend all night looking? Or are you actually going to do something about it?”

He took another step closer, bringing their bodies flush, growling deep in his throat at the contact. She watched as a transformation took place in him. Gone was the man concerned for her safety who’d cooked her an omelet. He’d been replaced by someone raw and assertive. The change should have intimidated her, but she couldn’t deny feeling a rush of excitement.

Anticipation. “You might get away with running that smart mouth to other people. But you won’t get away with it here. If you continue to challenge me with every word out of your mouth, I will fuck you repeatedly until you learn to play nice.”

Part of her screamed in offense, the other half wanted to beg him to do it. In this moment, with a thousand sensations pouring through her, the latter half won hands down. “You’d better get started, then.”

“You’re going to regret that.”

His mouth descended, hard and punishing, on hers.

Her desperate moan collided with his as he forced her lips open and licked into her mouth. Ruby immediately went light-headed, her balance deserting her. She clutched the front of his shirt to ground herself, give herself the leverage to return his kiss, but his mouth dominated hers, rebuking her for challenging him. She fought back, pulling him closer to suck his tongue, bite at his lips. He sunk his hands into her hair, tugging just enough to let her know how close to the edge she’d pushed him. Finally, he pulled away for breath, air racing in and out past his lips.

When he spoke, his voice sounded raw. “What changed your mind?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes.” He leaned in and nipped the underside of her jaw. “It damn well matters.”

Heat pooled between her legs, stealing even more of her breath. She couldn’t think of anything but the truth. “Maybe I just decided to live in the moment.”

Troy pulled back to study her, scrutinizing her expression. Base hunger clouding his features, he shook his head once. “No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?”

Using his teeth, he scraped a path up the side of her neck. “I mean, when I sink my cock between those insane thighs, I need to know you’re not going to regret it afterward.” He dropped his hand to the underside of her panties, where he palmed her roughly. “I need you right there with me, loving every second of me riding you. Knowing I’m going to do it all over again within the hour.”

She bit back a moan as he applied pressure right where she needed it. “You’re turning me down? It doesn’t feel like it.”

“I’m not capable of turning you down,” he said on a pained laugh, gaze devouring her breasts. “I’m going to take you to my bed and pleasure the fuck out of you. But the panties stay on. It’s nonnegotiable.”

Her entire system rebelled against his words. How could he touch her, kiss her like this, and refuse to take it all the way? It didn’t make sense. Men didn’t have that kind of willpower, did they? She certainly didn’t have that kind of willpower.

“W-what? Is it too late to give a different answer about why I changed my mind?”

“Yes. But don’t worry, baby.” Before she could register his intention, he’d swung her up into his arms.

“Even with your panties on, it’ll still be the best sex of your life.”

He laid her down on the bed of his darkened bedroom, illuminated only by the light filtering in from the kitchen. His body came down on hers, pressing her into the mattress as their mouths met in a heated exchange of seeking tongues and matching groans.

Desperate to feel his hard chest against her breasts, she reached down and curled her fingers in his T-shirt, then dragged it upward between them. Troy broke the kiss long enough for her to pull it over his head. Even in the dim light, she could see the tight muscles of his arms and stomach, flexing as he held himself off her.

She had the sudden urge to lick every one of those muscles.

Her thoughts must have shown on her face, because Troy made a hungry noise. “Like what you see? Good. You’re going to be seeing a lot of it.”

He edged down, sliding lower on her body until he found her breast with his mouth. As he took her nipple between his lips, he shuddered as if drugged by the taste of her. Ruby whimpered, gripping his hair with her fingers to encourage him. He suckled her until the rosy peak stiffened, then pulled back to flick it with his tongue, watching her expression.

“Every man watching you tonight wanted your tits in his mouth.” He moved across her chest to give a long lick of her other nipple. “But they’re in mine. My mouth. Aren’t they?”

“Yes.” Her answer ended on a moan when he sucked her between his lips. Ruby could feel every movement of his mouth deep in her belly and lower.

She grew increasingly damp with each tug of his mouth on her breasts and couldn’t stop herself from parting her legs, sliding them up to cradle his hips. The feel of denim scraping along the soft skin of her inner thighs felt incredibly erotic, and she wanted to feel it everywhere. She rolled her body beneath him, silently asking for more.

“Tell me what you want.”

“You know what I want.” She pulled his head toward her for one hot, openmouthed kiss. “Don’t make me beg for it.”

He laughed under his breath. “Oh, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” Breaking her hold, Troy crawled down her body until he knelt between her thighs.

Strong hands gripped her knees, squeezing as if in anticipation. “Show me how far you can spread them.”

She propped herself up on her elbows. “What?”

“I’m not going to ask twice.” His expression was one of challenge. In the short time he’d known her, he already had her pegged, didn’t he? She’d never walked away from a challenge in her life. Ruby let her legs fall open until they nearly reached the mattress on either side. She felt a surge of gratification when his gaze dropped to her still-hidden core and his breath roughened. With a knowing tilt of his lips, he ran his knuckles over the silky underwear, up and down, shifting the material over her achy, sensitive flesh. Her back arched on the pillows, and she whimpered.

“Soon, there won’t be any barrier between us,

Ruby. Just skin on skin. It’s going to be so fucking sweet. But tonight I’m going to make you regret saying no.”

“Who said no?” She shook her head once. “Not me.”

Laughter rumbled in his chest. “You said no matter how good the

omelet tastes, the answer is no.”

One knuckle pressed and held firm against her clitoris.

“Next time, maybe you’ll say yes.”

Then he bent down and ran his tongue up the center of her panties, leaving damp silk in its wake.

Ruby dug her fingers into the comforter, her teeth clamping down on her bottom lip. Troy eased back and huffed a single, hot breath over the wet fabric, making a pleased noise in his throat when she trembled in response. When his head dipped down once more, Ruby ceased to think, could only feel as he kissed her through the silk, using tongue, teeth, and lips. She writhed on the bed, her hips bucking and twisting in an attempt to get closer to his pleasure-giving mouth.