Author: Nicolette Day

Her cheeks flushed and anger lit her up from the inside. “I meant after that. Do you not recall going all caveman and throwing me over your shoulder?”

Nate pulled out an extra blanket, turned, and shook it open, refusing to look at her. “You weren’t being cooperative. I did what needed to be done to control the situation, to get you to a safe place.”

She jerked the blanket out of his hands to get his attention. “And what about the handprint on my ass?” She stuck a hand on her hip. “Was that necessary to control the situation?”

Nate grabbed the blanket back and finally met her gaze. “No. That was just because you pissed me off.”

“You have serious issues. You know that, right?” she ground out. “Don’t you ever get tired of trying to control everything?”

“Don’t you ever get tired of talking?”

Frustration boiled under her skin, and Paige’s words whispered through her mind. Show him what he’s been missing.

Fine. If the man insisted on manhandling her and ordering her around, then she had her own brand of torture in mind. One that would leave him with a lethal set of blue balls that would hopefully keep him up all night.

“Speaking of tired…” Sending him a return smirk, she nonchalantly slid one strap of her dress down her shoulder, then the other.

Nate froze beside the bed.

The dress slid down her body to pool at her feet, leaving her in her bra and panties. Wet, nearly transparent bra and panties.

Make that completely transparent.

He hissed in a breath on a curse. “What are you doing?”

She shrugged. “Just following your orders and getting out of these wet clothes.”

She reached for the front clasp of her bra, pausing when a growl rumbled deep in his chest like a warning. “Lilly…”

The gravel in his voice and the fire igniting behind his eyes made her feel as if she’d just raked a stick across the bars of that lion’s cage. This time the lion looked hungry.

Really hungry.

She swallowed, and projected a calm mask of confidence. “I’m going to take a shower.” She hiked a brow. “Or do I need your permission to do that? Maybe you’d feel more comfortable if you gave me explicit instructions?”

She knew she was playing with fire. And she’d been burned by this particular flame before. But she didn’t stop herself. Couldn’t. She needed a reaction out of him. She desperately wanted him to regret turning her away. Because she refused to believe that she meant absolutely nothing to him, while he consumed her every thought.

His heated gaze traveled over her nipples straining against the wet, lacy bra, then dipped to the silk between her legs. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

She turned around, giving him her back, and unsnapped the clasp of her bra between her breasts. No way did he deserve that view. The scrap of lace slipped off her arms and fell to the floor. Cool air washed over her sensitive breasts and stomach, making her shiver.

She couldn’t see his reaction, but she felt the sound that came out of his chest all the way down to her core. Damn it! Her plan was backfiring. This wasn’t supposed to affect her.

But even as she fought against it, desire licked at her insides like a flame and spread a warm flush over her skin. An undeniable ache throbbed between her legs, and she realized she was subtly rubbing her thighs together to ease it.

“Fuck.” Nate was suddenly behind her.

Her heart tripped over itself, giving her the wake-up call she needed. “Good night, Nate.”

She quickly strode into the bathroom, feeling herself crack apart inside, and slammed the door behind her.

Bracing her hands on the counter, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair hung in damp curls around her face and her cheeks were scarlet. Her green eyes held a quiet desperation that looked too familiar for comfort.

For the first time in her life she could admit it. She looked like the one person she swore she’d never become. She looked exactly like her mother.

Wasn’t this just the kind of crap she would have pulled? Hadn’t Lilly learned anything through her mother’s mistakes? Or her own? It didn’t matter if Nate wanted her. He’d still walk away once he’d gotten what he wanted.

Damn it.

Shame washed over her, extinguishing the heat completely.

“What the hell are you doing, Lilly?” she whispered in anguish. When her reflection offered no good excuse for her behavior, she twisted the knobs in the shower until the tiny room began to fill with steam, blurring the tears she refused to let fall. Tomorrow she had to get away from Nate. Even if it meant taking a damn bus the whole rest of the way to Vermont.

She jumped at a sudden knock on the bathroom door, and grabbed for a towel off the rack, hastily clutching it to her chest. He might have seen a good portion of her just moments before, but she’d be damned if he got the whole picture for free.

She pulled the door open.

He had one hand braced on the doorframe, head hanging low. Electric-blue eyes peered up at her and she swallowed.

“What do you want?”

His eyes flickered down to the towel, then he dropped his hand and pushed his way into the bathroom, forcing her backward until her bottom hit the edge of the counter. He braced his hands on either side of her hips, caging her in. Her breaths kicked up a notch—matching the frantic beating of her heart.

“You,” he growled.

That one word was the only warning he gave before his mouth crashed into hers.

He took advantage of her gasp of surprise and his tongue swept between her lips. Her moans mingled with his. Their tongues dueled for dominance. Nate grabbed the towel she had clutched to her chest and ripped it away, instantly replacing the cool air that rushed over her skin with the warmth of his bare chest. Wet heat spread between her legs, giving away just how much she wanted him.

He grabbed her by the hips and roughly sat her on the counter. The spark created by the simple act of him putting his hands on her forced the breath from her lungs. His touch burned her. Branded her. He wedged between her legs and his lips trailed down her throat as he shoved his palms up her thighs. His thumbs swept so close to her center that she almost came.

“Oh God…what are we doing?” she gasped.

“If you want me to stop, say the word, Princess.” His breath, all lemon and mint, danced over her lips, teasing, tempting.

“What do you want from me, Nate?”

“I want you, Lilly,” he said again. “I want your taste in my mouth. I want you riding my cock. Screaming my name. Begging me for release.”

“Nate—”

“Tell me, then.” His voice dissolved into a rumble of heat when he reached her breasts, stopping to stare while his thumbs teased the edge of her panties. “Tell me you don’t want me. Tell me you hate me.”

She trembled under his touch, knowing those were the exact things she needed to say to keep this train from going off the rails. But they would be lies. The way her body was vibrating with need for him was proof of that.

“I can’t,” she whispered.

His mouth descended on her aching nipple and he sucked. She arched up off the counter, moaning, and slid her fingers through his short hair. The way his hands dominated her body stole her breath. Every caress, every kiss, every touch of his tongue demanded she relinquish control and give him everything. And oh, God, did she want to give it to him. With the taste of him on her lips and his fingers bruising her hips, she couldn’t think of anything she’d ever wanted more. Her nails bit into his scalp and he growled against her breast, his teeth grazing her nipple.

“Sorry,” she said on a groan, and loosened her grip on his hair.

“Do it again.” He swirled his tongue around her other nipple. “Do it again or I’ll fucking stop.”

Without a second thought she dug her nails into his scalp again, scraping over the white scar that carved a path through his dark hair.

“Fuck, yes.” He raised his gaze to hers.

Hungry…and possessive.

He pulled her against the hardness that only scraps of silk and cotton separated. They both moaned at the contact, and he kissed her hard enough to steal away every remaining ounce of common sense. The common sense previously screaming at her to keep her panties on. Now all she could think about was Nate ripping them from her body and burying himself in her so deep she’d feel him there for a week.

His tongue traced the seam of her lips, then his mouth trailed down to nip at the underside of her chin. Gripping her thighs, he spread her wide open for him, and her head fell back against the mirror as she moaned.

“This is your last chance to tell me to stop.” His voice rumbled against her throat while his fingers teased the edge of her panties. “Once these come off, I’m going to be in you so deep you won’t remember your own name. You’ve teased me for too long, Princess. I’m not going to be satisfied until I hear you beg.”

“I told you,” she managed breathlessly, “I’m not begging.”

His lips curled into a cocky grin. “Want me to prove you wrong?”

“Are you going to threaten me all night, or are you going to do something?”

His fingers curled past the elastic of her panties. She knew from his heated expression he must feel how wet she was. She refused to be embarrassed. He needed to see what he did to her. Needed to see what he’d been doing to her for a year.

“Up.”

She didn’t hesitate to obey, lifting her hips to allow him to slide the silk down her legs.

“Good girl.” He tossed them aside as he dropped to his knees and grabbed her legs, draping them over his shoulders. A gasp of surprise slipped past her lips, then dissolved into a moan.

He gave one hard, flat lick up her center, and then latched on to devour her. He flicked her clit with his tongue, teasing her, then sucked it between his lips, growling against her flesh. The vibration the sound created only added to the overwhelming sensations pulling her under.

God, how long had it been since someone had touched her like this? If her body’s out-of-control response was any indication, way too freaking long.

“Do you like that, baby?” He blew against her wet center and she bucked up off the counter, desperate for the friction his mouth offered.

“You know I do,” she moaned.

“So do I.”

His teeth grazed over her most sensitive part as he slipped two fingers inside her, adding to the maddening pressure. He was keeping her right on the edge. Drawing out the torture when all she wanted was for him to finish her. “Oh, God, Nate…”

“You taste so good. So fucking sweet. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.”

“I’m so close. I need— I need—”

He paused, his breath heaving against her sex. “You know what I want to hear, Princess. Say it and I’ll give you everything you need and more.”

His fingers continued to pump in and out of her, but it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. He had her so crazed she couldn’t identify the emotions running wild inside her. Love, hate, pleasure, pain. They all felt like one big, living, throbbing knot of desire taking over her body. In that moment, nothing was more important than finding the orgasm that hovered just outside of her grasp. He reached up and cupped one of her breasts, rubbing a rough thumb over the peak of her nipple. “Say it,” he whispered.

The words exploded out of her. “Please,” she begged. “Please make me come, Nate. Please—”

He stood and his mouth slammed into hers. He shoved down his briefs and fisted his cock, placing the tip at her entrance. Dragging his length through her wetness, he groaned, and pulled her bottom lip between his teeth.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He stayed poised at her entrance but didn’t go any further.

She pulled away to take in his pained expression. “If you tell me you can’t do this now, I swear to God, I’ll drown you in this sink.”