“You’re killing me,” she murmurs.

“Not yet,” I reply softly and kiss my way up to her breasts, pulling on them with my teeth. “Why did you cut your hair, Nic?”

She frowns down at me. “I told you…”

“No,” I tug her nipple in my teeth, bite just hard enough to make her gasp and then suck it into my mouth. “I want the truth. Why?”

She bites that luscious lower lip of hers and I back away, not touching her, making her growl. Finally, she turns those amazing green eyes to mine. “Because when you pulled my hair that first night, I liked it too much, but I also felt like I gave you too much control, so I cut it.”

I smile softly and glide my hands up her inner thighs. “Good girl.”

“I thought you liked my hair this way.”

“I do, but I don’t want you to keep any secrets from me, baby.”

She’s squirming under me. Her hands are in my hair then gripping my shoulders. I sink two fingers inside her again and begin to fuck her hard, and just when her legs begin to shake, I stop and back away.

“Matt!”

“You see, Nic, this is how frustrated I am when you don’t talk to me and tell me everything I need to know.” I circle her hard clit with my thumb, that being the only place I’m touching her. “Just when I think I know everything I need to, I discover something new that you should have told me before.”

“Getting to know each other is a process for any couple,” she reminds me breathlessly.

I kiss down her body and then raise my head to look her in the eye. “You’re right. I’ll eventually learn what your favorite song is, what you wore to your senior prom and how old you were when you got your driver’s license.” I sink my fingers into her again and lick her clit. “But this was a biggie, little one. And you scared the fuck out of me.”

Her eyes are glassy with lust as she bites her lip again, watching me fuck her with my mouth and my fingers. Her nipples are standing at attention and wet from my mouth.

God, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

And the most precious.

“You have to learn that there are no secrets between us.” I grip the cheeks of her ass in my hands and lift her off the chair and push my face right into the core of her, lapping and sucking and kissing until she’s screaming and begging for me to let her come, but I stop and set her back down.

“Please!” she cries. “I can’t stand it.”

Tears are running down her face, her arms thrown over her head and gripping the back of the chair. I would normally drag this out, make her beg for the chance to come, but her tears are my undoing. The point has been made, and I just need to give her what she wants and what I need more than breathing.

I push my shorts down my hips, tug my shirt over my head and fling it aside, then push inside her, hard, buried balls-deep. I cover her with my body, gripping the chair for leverage, and fuck her in long, slow strokes.

“I was so frustrated with you today,” I murmur and kiss her cheek. “You deserved this, to feel this frustration. If I ever find out that you’ve kept something like this from me again, it’ll be the same punishment.”

She wraps her arms around me and holds me close, buries her face in my neck.

“Please,” she whispers. “Oh God, Matt.”

I pull up off of her so I can watch us, my cock moving in and out of her wet heat, her lips swollen and pink around my dick and our bodies sweaty.

She’s gripping me like a vice, and I feel the tension begin low in my belly, and I know I’m about to come. I cover her clit with my thumb and watch as she comes apart, legs shaking, muscles pulled tight, and squeezing me with all she’s worth.

I cry out her name as I come with her, pushed to the hilt and grinding against her core, giving her everything I’ve got.

I collapse onto her torso for several minutes, concentrating on breathing in and out. Her fingers in my hair remind me that I need to untie her. I undo the knots and massage her knees and hips, then lift her in my arms and settle us both in her soft bed.

“I’m sorry for today, and that I didn’t tell you before,” she finally whispers against my chest.

I glide my fingertips down her back, deep in thought. I love her so much. If anything were to happen to her, it would destroy me.

“No more secrets,” I whisper.

“No more secrets.”

***

“You don’t have to come to work with me today,” Nic assures me for the third time while she pulls freshly baked cupcakes out of the oven.

“Watch out, I’ll think you’re trying to get rid of me.”

“You know that’s not true.” She shakes her head at me as she sets the hot cakes on a wire rack to cool. “But it’s your last day off, and you should enjoy it. I only have to work until one. It’s Sunday.”

“And you’re here alone.”

“Trust me, I worked many Sundays alone before you came along, Detective Montgomery.”

“Yes, but now you don’t have to,” I remind her softly and pull her into my arms to kiss her silly.

She melts against me and wraps her arms around my neck, clinging to me, her mouth pliant and more than willing.

“Do I have to put you on the payroll?” she asks breathlessly when I let her up.

“Hmm.” I shift my head from side to side as though I’m giving it a great deal of thought. “I guess you can pay me in sexual favors.”

“Oh really.” She laughs and begins frosting another batch of cakes.

“Or just go with me to Will and Meg’s party next weekend.”

“You don’t have to do me favors to get me to hang out with you and your family.”

“Okay, sexual favors then.”

She laughs, a full-out belly laugh, and my gut clenches. I love the sound of her laughter and the way her eyes shine with happiness.

“You’re gorgeous,” I whisper.

Her smile fades slowly, replaced by pure lust.

“I’m glad you think so.” Her voice is soft and a bit shaky. I love catching her unaware and tilting her off balance.

“What can I do to help?”

“Here, frost these.” She shows me how to apply the frosting in a swirly fashion on top of the cake and leaves me to my task.

“These smell great,” I murmur. “What kind are they?”

“White chocolate raspberry.”

“Can I order a dozen of these for tomorrow?” She glances at me in surprise. “I’ll take them in to work.”