With a growl, he pushed her on her back. She bounced against the mattress once before he was on her, sliding against her wet folds, his lips at her ear. “I’m going to get so deep inside you, honey. You’ll give me all of you, and I’ll give you everything you need.”

His words made Kata fear he’d settle for nothing less than her soul.

She looked him in the eyes and shook her head. “You’ll fuck me. I’ll let you. End of story.”

“We’ll see,” he said cryptically.

Then her thoughts scattered as Hunter began to penetrate her, scraping along every one of her throbbing nerve endings with a molasses stroke in, designed to devastate. No way she could stop herself from lifting her hips greedily to him. She threw her arms around his neck, biting her lip to hold in her moan. She knew it would sound like surrender.

They’d barely started, and it already felt too much like surrender.

Hunter stopped his endless glide into her suddenly, and her entire body tensed in denial. Kata lifted her gaze to him, questioning, hoping like hell that he couldn’t see her silent begging.

“You’re holding back. Open that pretty mouth. Give me that moan, honey.”

“Just fuck me.”

He eased out of her weeping entrance. “Are we going to have this conversation again? You know what I’m going to say.”

Yes, she did. And she already knew he was patient and controlled enough to withhold his own pleasure to prove a point. Damn it.

“You promised you’d give me everything for an hour,” he reminded. “You’ve got forty-four minutes left.”

Hell, she had promised, and she wasn’t the kind of person to renege. She always let it all hang out with Ben, never had an issue if he wanted to take the lead. But Hunter? He was more potent. A frightening thrill. He got to her, and she wanted the pleasure he gave her so desperately. The decision to give in should be easy.

But in the back of her mind, she kept wondering . . . If she surrendered, could he take some part of her that she’d never get back? No way was she walking a mile in her mother’s shoes.

Hunter stared, waiting for her response. Either she had to shut up and put out or walk away now.

She’d split as soon as it was over. No after play, no cuddling or conversation or round two. She’d get up, get dressed, and get out—before he could do more damage.

With a sigh, she trailed kisses along his hard shoulder, nipping at its bulging cap, dragging her nails down his back.

“Good.” With a fist in her hair, he brought her face within inches of his and fused their gazes together. “I’m done talking now. I’m just going to show you what I want from you.”

Hadn’t he been doing that already with his lips, his fingers, his molten touch?

Kata drew in a shaky breath as Hunter lowered himself to her again and began sliding his cock inside her, one torturous, hard inch at a time, reigniting her need.

Her fingers tightened on him. A little gasp escaped her as he pushed his way in slowly, awakening more tingles. They shivered down her spine, boiled her blood.

When Hunter shoved the last few inches into her ruthlessly, reaching deeper into her than any man ever had, her gasp became a moan—in the sound of his name.

“That’s it, honey. Feel me.”

As if she could do anything else . . .

He swiveled, rotating and flexing his hips, catching a bevy of sensitive spots inside her, connected like a chain. Touching one ignited the others, and suddenly, she was on fire. Unable to stop herself, her fingers curled into his flesh, nails digging. He tossed his head back with a groan she felt all the way to her pussy.

“Perfect.” He bit the sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder joined, nipped her lobe, kissed his way to her mouth, and devoured her.

Even as her mind railed against it, her body unfurled to him. Her lips parted further to taste him again, her back arched up to invite him closer, her legs spread wider to welcome him deeper. He took her up on every unspoken invitation, cementing the connection of their mouths until she knew his intrinsic taste, until he flexed his hips and her nails dug urgently into his back, until he gripped her hips so he forged even deeper.

Hunter was everywhere, every sight she could see, every scent filling her nose, every flavor on her tongue. And as he tunneled down again to the hilt and he filled all her empty space, he became every sensation she felt. He was everything she’d ever thought of, ever fantasized about.

Like a force of nature, he overwhelmed.

With a hot palm, he caressed her face, his lips pressing with finessed demand. Mindlessly, she opened, and he captured her mouth. Hiding was no longer an option, so she threw herself completely into the kiss, into meeting each spine-melting stroke into her aching pussy.

“Hunter,” she panted.

Sweat broke out along his forehead, at his temples, across his back. His body tensed, his cock hardened. And still he consumed her at that controlled pace that drove her mad.

“You feel perfect, Kata. So slick and tight. I’m never going to want to leave.”

At that moment, she could never imagine being without him. That fact would scare the hell out of her at some point, she was sure. But now, she just drowned in pleasure . . . and wondered how she’d ever forget a man who’d so thoroughly jacked up her pleasure—and gotten inside her head. After her earlier killer orgasm, she’d expected to find reaching climax again somewhere between difficult and impossible. Losing control once was hard enough for her, but twice? With Hunter, that wasn’t a problem. Already need clawed through her until all she knew was that little spot he prodded over and over with the tip of his cock and her own impulse to hold him closer.

God, everything inside her was awake and attuned to him. The salty-musky taste of his skin coated her tongue as she laved his shoulder. His husky murmurs filled her head as he encouraged her every response. But the most potent? The way he looked at her as if she was the only woman in the world while he filled her to burning capacity stroke after slow stroke.

“Faster,” she demanded, almost not recognizing her own voice.

“Soon.”

His pace didn’t change. He continued to slide his way in, angled against the spot guaranteed to send her reeling. Her mind fought it even as she craved it, until she didn’t know what to want. Until her body took over.

She bucked under him, doing her best to take him deeper, faster, harder. “Now!”

“You’re not controlling this, honey.”

“But I need—”

“I’ll give it to you, as soon as you’re ready.”

Ready? How could she be more ready? She was breathing fire, her heart pumping lava. Right behind her clit an inferno of an ache burst, threatening to singe her alive.

“I’m ready now!”

He shook his head, balancing his forehead on hers so that she had nowhere to look except into his eyes. “No, honey. Put yourself in my hands. I’m going to take care of you.”

With her flat on her back and Hunter covering her completely, her anchor to the bed, it wasn’t as if she had much choice. Kata bit her lip as both anger and arousal surged wildly.

The head of his cock scraped just the right spot again and again and again. The storm brewing in her body became a hurricane. Vicious need rushed through her. She clamped down on him. And the friction only grew more mind-boggling as he fought his way deep with every plunge.

As she gasped, her world spun out of control. Her stare clung to his. She knew he could read the panicked need in her eyes.

“Now you’re ready.”

Hunter turned on the jets, his thrusts into her a rapid rush of fire deep over her skin. Her body jolted, tightened, bucked. And the pleasure multiplied exponentially, zipping fire through her entire body. She clawed, screamed, begged.

And orgasm was still beyond her reach. Still in his hands.

Panting, Kata dug in her nails, desperately clutching what little she had left of her composure. She was giving Hunter too much, and he was eating it up—and with every stroke demanding still more. Yes, she’d promised him an hour of candor, never imagining he’d work this deeply into her body and her psyche and take over. Her mistake.

Now it was too late.

He hammered into her, shoulders flexed, concentration fierce. And still his gaze locked on hers, forcing her to connect with him, to show him exactly how he affected her stroke for stroke.

Inside her, pleasure pummeled her. A tingle built on a shiver, deepening the unrelenting ache between her legs. He capitalized on that ruthlessly, pounding, pounding her most sensitive spot.

The pleasure was like a chain reaction as it built, fed on itself, then took on a life of its own. Suddenly, the need for release swallowed her whole, and Kata feared how far under it would drag her. How far under Hunter’s spell it would put her.

“C’mon, honey. Let it happen. I’ll be here to catch you.”

Wildly, she shook her head. “It’s too—oh . . .” she whimpered, throbbing everywhere. “Too much!”

“Then it’s perfect. Come for me, Kata.”

As if her body had only needed that last stroke and his rough encouragement, the restraints around her pleasure sprang free. She screamed his name again as her entire body clenched with unrivaled pleasure.

“Yes! That’s it,” he chanted. “Watching you let go makes me so . . . Fuck!”

As the climax exploded, fracturing her, his entire body tensed, broad hands clutching her hips, keeping her suspended in the sort of ecstasy she’d never believed existed. Until Hunter. He shuttled deep and emptied into her, delving so far inside her, she’d never be able to look at him again and not think of how thoroughly he had controlled her body. The supernova he’d detonated inside flashed her even hotter—with no end in sight. The wrenching pleasure had her crying out until she lost her breath, her voice.

As soon as the climax slowed, leaving behind languid, liquid satisfaction and his addicting male scent, his gaze locked in on her, steady, open, letting her see forever into his psyche to glimpse his grit, his determination—and the fact that he only wanted her more.

A moment later, the aftermath of her orgasm split her wide apart, ripping her open from the inside out. Vulnerability crashed over her. A hot splash of moisture filled her eyes, burning like acid as her throat closed up. Tears were coming. There was no goddamn way she would expose her raw feelings to anyone, least of all the man who’d just stripped her down to her soul. Being with him when they’d talked and danced, fine. They’d simply been having fun. But now ... he’d affected her emotionally, controlled her in a way that made it impossible for her to control herself. Shades of Mamá and Gordon. Game over.

For her sanity, there was no way she could ever lay eyes on him again.

Chapter Four

BENEATH Hunter, Kata shoved, trying frantically to dislodge him. She pushed with an intensity that hinted at panic. Her whole body shook. Was she sick? Had he, God forbid, hurt her somehow?

Frowning, he rolled aside, zeroing in on her. “Kata?”

But she was already off the bed, grabbing her clothes, refusing to turn his way.

Kata slipped on her sexy hot pink panties. The visual of her in naughty lace and nothing else made him instantly hard again. He tore off the condom and trashed it, restraining the urge to drag her back to bed and tie her to it.

Instead, he watched as she threw her sweater over her head, every movement rapid and stuttering. She was upset. Hunter scowled. Her mood wasn’t about the lamp. She hadn’t been thrilled, but whatever bothered her now went deeper. She reached back to the foot of the bed for her leather mini. The silent treatment had gone on long enough.

He clamped a hand around her wrist. “Kata, talk to me. Look at me.”

In silence, she tossed her head back, and her dark tresses brushed that sexy back, making him want to get her flat on it again. But not until he knew what the hell was wrong.

“We’re done here.” Her voice cracked as she yanked her wrist from his grasp, then ran out of the bedroom, picking up her bra and shoes as she went.

The hell they were.

Getting deep inside her had been the most singularly amazing experience of his life. For him, sex had always been just that. Kata reached him on a chemical level he couldn’t explain and didn’t bother to try. Coming deep inside her while staring even deeper into her eyes, he’d known for the first time in his life what it was to feel something beyond desire. No way was he letting her walk out of his life without a fight. He wouldn’t be the same brokenhearted fool as the Colonel, who had no one to blame but himself for his misery. Hunter knew Kata didn’t feel the same devotion right now, but he damn sure hadn’t thought she would dart out of his bed like her ass was on fire.

Stark naked, Hunter vaulted out of bed and raced down the hall after her. “What’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer, just kept running until she disappeared into the kitchenette. He followed her around the corner to find her slipping her shoes on, her purse perched on her shoulder. She splashed water on her face—and her hands trembled. She still refused to look at him, but he knew she’d felt the connection between them. Then he understood: He’d reached her on a level that disturbed her.