She lightly traced it with her tongue, and he thought his brain would explode. He bit his lip to keep from swearing out loud and sunk his hands into her hair. Long silky strands threaded through his fingers. He held her head against his chest, wanting to never let her pull away. She moved to two more scars and his breathing got louder.

His fingers trailed down her back. Her mouth found his, and the skin of her stomach pressed against his bare skin. Heat flared where they connected.

“I need you in that bed in the other room, Gianna,” he muttered against her mouth. If he wasn’t inside her soon, he’d explode.

“That makes two of us.”

He spun her around and pressed his chest against her smooth back, pinning her against the wall. Her hair draped over his chest, tickling and driving him crazy. He pushed her hair out of his way and kissed the back of her neck, tracing a path to her ear. “Maybe not the bed.” His groin nestled against her, the two layers of denim between them making her seem miles away.

“I don’t care where,” she panted, her cheek pressed against the wall. “Just soon. Now.”

Chris froze. “I don’t . . .”

“Crap.”

He couldn’t move. His brain stuttered to a stop. He didn’t do casual sex. He wasn’t the type to keep condoms handy and accessible. “I’m so sorry, Gianna.” He stepped back, his stomach instantly cold where he no longer touched her.

“Wait. I think I have an answer.”

Breathing heavily, she pushed away from the wall and disappeared into the bedroom. Chris waited a moment and then followed.

Gianna’s face flamed as she dug in Violet’s school backpack.

Please, please still be here.

She’d stumbled across the condoms months ago while snooping. They’d shocked the hell out of her and created an uncomfortable but necessary conversation with her daughter during which she’d learned a female friend had given them to Violet as a gag birthday gift. Still, Gianna had checked back several times to see if the tiny box had ever been opened. It hadn’t.

Her fingertips touched the box, still tucked inside a rarely used pocket of the backpack. It was sealed shut.

How will I explain the disappearance to Violet?

She shoved the thought out of her head and turned around to hold the box up triumphantly to Chris. He frowned.

“Violet’s?”

“No. Well, yes. But a friend gave them to her as a joke. They’ve never been opened.”

He stood still, his gaze on the small box. “Is that what you want to do?”

Gianna’s grip tightened on the box. “You don’t?” The tendons on his neck stood out, but she didn’t think it was from the intensity of the hormones in the room. Chris was pure lean muscle. With his shirt off, he was carved and cut and could have posed in a men’s magazine. His scars were a testament to his perseverance. He was a true warrior who’d fought mental and physical battles and survived.

“Fuck yes, I want to.” He moved across the room and tore open the box in one swift movement. “Your jeans are in the way, Dr. Trask.” His gaze pinned her, and relief made her sit on the edge of the bed.

“Oh, thank God. I was afraid—”

“Stop talking.”

He went down on a knee, tossing the opened box on the nightstand, small packets spilling out, and kissed her as he unsnapped the top button of her jeans.

She melted. He was taking control, which was exactly what she needed. She didn’t seduce men; it wasn’t her nature. And she knew Chris wasn’t into sleeping around. Everything she’d learned about him over the last few days told her he never stepped over that line.

This was different.

He pushed her back against the pillows and slipped off her jeans. Wonder lit up his face as he ran a finger down her stomach and hooked it in the lace of her panties. “You’re perfect,” he muttered.

She touched a scar on his cheek and looked into his eyes. “So are you.”

He held her gaze and she stared right back. He might not believe her; she doubted he would after his years of hiding, but over time he’d learn she meant what she said. “I don’t speak lightly,” she said.

He moved over her, kissing her deeply as her head sank into the pillow. That finger tugged, and she felt her panties slide down her thighs. She lifted her hips and he moaned into her mouth. He removed her bra, and then they wrestled to get the blankets folded back. The cool sheets made her skin pebble, increasing her sensitivity. His jeans were rough against her legs. She removed them.

Hot skin burned against hers. He was male skin and exploring hands and heat. She ached for his touch on every piece of her. Opening her legs, she grabbed one of his hands and guided it to her center. He hissed as he found her wet silkiness, and she felt him instantly grow and harden against her thigh. He stroked her with a light touch, and she pressed against his hand. “Harder.”

He obliged, teasing for a long moment. She closed her eyes, giving him the chance to openly watch her without her scrutiny. Opening them, she met his hazel gaze. Desire flashed in their depths, and he broke away to grab a condom. There was a moment of cold while he pulled back to roll it on. As they lay beside each other on their backs, she ran a hand down his stomach, feeling the small hairs part under her fingers. He groaned as she touched him. With one abrupt movement, he was back on her and buried deep.

Her gasp filled the room. Pain. Good pain. A rush of pleasure and heat spiraled through her and she moved against him, needing him to give her more.