In any case, if there was damage to do here, it was already done.

And I was quickly beyond the ability to think as she started to move.

Her pert br**sts were bouncing hypnotically, the rest of her toned flesh flexing gloriously as she rode me. I palmed her perfect tits, rolling the sensitive tips against my palms.

I jackknifed until I was sitting up under her, leaned forward, and sucked them hard while she bounced up and down on my shaft.

I let her for as long as I could stand before I gripped her h*ps and took over, slamming hard into her again and again until I went over the edge, managing at least to take her with me.

We never stopped, didn’t take a moment of rest before it was time for her to leave.

I f**ked her mindless.

I took her until we were both sore from it.

Raw.

Flesh over-used, muscles strained.

She didn’t walk out so much as wave a white flag and limp away the next morning.

At least I was awake to see her go. I hated when she left as I was sleeping.

I made her look me in the eye and say goodbye.

“When will I see you again?” I asked, cupping her jaw.

I hadn’t been a tender lover to her that night. I’d been rough, and arduous, and demanding as hell, more demanding than even I knew I was capable of.

But regardless of my actions, she held a little tender place in my chest, one that only she’d ever been able to unbury and expose.

The lack of her had done nothing to bury it again.

I wasn’t sure what would.

What could.

She bit her lip, and I had to stop myself from kissing her.

I needed this answer.

I’d gone past needing all of the answers to just the ones that I couldn’t live without.

“Sometime in the next four days, hopefully not in the middle of the night again, I’ll come back to see you.”

I stroked her hair back from her face, studying her.

She looked worn out, tired, and well-fucked. I loved it and hated it.

With a frustrated sigh, I kissed her forehead, and let her go.

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was four days later, and I was just pulling my car out of the garage when I saw a silver Jaguar pulling up to the curb in front of my house.

The silver Jaguar.

I put my car in park and got out, fists clenching, and started striding towards it.

Iris opened the passenger door, nearest to me.

That blond f**ker was in there, behind the wheel and saying something to her, his handsome face serious, his eyes intent on her.

She nodded once, leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, said something in his ear, then got out.

That was when his eyes swung to me, and his whole demeanor changed, his hard jaw clenching, his eyes going glacial.

The guy hated me, despised me almost as much as I did him. I knew it in one look.

I broke into a run, determined to catch him before he left.

Iris shut her door, one look at her telling me that she really hadn’t wanted me to see who was dropping her off.

The Jaguar peeled away with a screech.

I almost chased him on foot, barely stopped myself from that act of lunacy.

Instead, I rounded on Iris.

She was looking back and forth, between my car and me.

It was still running, driver’s door open.

I half-toyed with the idea of going after him in the car, but what was the point?

She was here now, for the moment, at least. It was clearly the most I’d ever be getting from her.

I went to her, grabbing her shoulders, wanting to shake her. “Who the f**k is he? Tell me.”

“I can’t. I would if I could. Trust me.”

I shook my head. I didn’t trust her. How could I? She’d given me cause to do nothing but distrust her. She gave me no answers, so I was forced to draw conclusions, and those conclusions were based on logic, not hope, so they never worked in her favor, because there was no good, logical reason for the things she lied about.

She seemed to know it. “I’m sorry. I wanted to see you, to be with you, but this is how it has to be. I can’t talk about him, and I wish you hadn’t seen him. Where are you headed in your swim trunks?”

I let out a frustrated breath, dragging my hand through my hair. “It’s not important. Let’s go inside. If I only get a few more hours with you, I want to spend them in bed.”

She was stubborn, digging in her heels when I tried to tug her towards her house. “Tell me where you were going. And I can stay for more than a few hours this time.”

That reassurance did wonders for my mood, and had me answering her question. “My friend is having a pool party, but it’s nothing important.”

She beamed. “I love parties. Let’s go. I need to stop and buy a suit, though.”

I didn’t want to take her, didn’t want to share her company with anyone, let alone a large crowd.

Something vulnerable entered her eyes. “I almost forgot. You don’t want to be seen with me.”

My gut clenched. That wasn’t even accurate, but now I had to prove otherwise.

Goddammit.

And there was another, more persistent devil of a doubt that had me caving fast. I didn’t want to be boring to her, to be too tame for the wild part of her, and attending a party at Turner’s house was bound to be anything but that.

I bent down and kissed her briefly, rubbing her shoulders. “That’s not true at all. I don’t want to go because I want to be alone with you, but if it’s that important, we’ll swing by. I’m not staying more than two hours, though, I’m warning you right now.”