I held on as he punished me, giving me what I’d begged for, driving in deep. He reached down and hiked up my other leg so they were both caught over his hard, roped forearms. The relentless thrusts of his cock kept my back flattened to the wet wall, sliding me up and down in time with his movements. All I could do was hold on and ride him out. With every thrust he swelled and hardened even more. I was crying out, thrashing and lost in my own climax just before I felt him explode deep inside me. His hot seed spilled, making every thrust hotter and wetter. I gripped him, pulsing, squeezing,… hungry for every last drop he could offer. A single hard shudder shot through us both as I held on, wanting to hold him, just hold him inside… for as long as I could…

When I opened my eyes again, it was to Jason’s solid, reassuring presence beside me in bed. His head was cocked, resting easily on one hand as he lay on his side, watching me.

“I don’t know how you do it,” he said softly, “but every morning you’re even more beautiful than the last.” He leaned down to kiss me, taking his time. Then he reached over and picked up my ring off the bedside table and slipped it back onto my finger. “This is where it belongs, Em. It’s where it always belonged.”

“I took it off when I went out to do chores.” I smiled and kissed the edge of his roughened jaw. “I can’t believe you still had it… I never thought I’d ever see it again,” I said, angling my hand so that the ruby caught the light. He took my hand and kissed the stone. Then he turned my hand over and pressed his mouth into my palm. Even after all the pleasure we’d shared, that simple gesture triggered something deep inside me. “There were times I was afraid I’d never see you again…”

He took a slow breath in and out, trailing his eyes over my cheek, down to my lips… to my chin. His hand tightened on mine, pressing the ruby into my flesh.

“I’ve got two days,” he said, stroking the damp hair back from my face. Moonlight was coming in through the windowpanes and he pulled the covers higher up around my shoulders. I let my fingers play over his chest as I listened to his heartbeat. He curved his arm around me possessively.… and he smiled that easy smile I loved so much.

“Do you think we’ll starve if we just never leave the bed?” I asked, tilting my head and resting my chin on his shoulder.

“Left to make our own choices? Probably so,” he said, kissing my forehead. “But I doubt Reilly would let us.” We’d left him downstairs, sleeping by the fireplace. “It’s only a matter of time before the fire dies down completely and he wanders up to find us…”

“Then I’ll just have to enjoy you while I still have you all to myself,” I said, letting my lips trail over his collarbone and along the muscled ridge of his chest. “If it’s two hours or two days… you belong to me… and only me…” I kissed down one hard pec and felt his nipple harden as my lips brushed over it. He took a sharp breath in and held it, as my mouth moved farther down…

His work-hardened chest tapered to solid, ridged abs. He was massively built, the most powerful man I’d ever known… yet when I moved down even lower and ran my hot tongue over his most sensitive flesh, I was in control. And I had no intention of letting him go before I had to.

“Ember…” he breathed out as I licked him. “Holy… fucking…”

“Shhh…” I whispered, letting my breath work its full effect on him. His cock was throbbing, erect and butting against my lips. “I didn’t get to finish this in the shower,” I said softly, insistently. I leaned down and ran my hands up his thighs, cupping his heavy balls. “You’re not going to argue with me… are you…?”

His thighs tightened in response, driving his already enormous erection higher and harder. I held him tighter and ran my tongue up his veined length. “I fucking know better by now…” he gasped out, drawing one big hand along the side of my face.

“God help you if you don’t,” I said, holding him, stroking him, licking him mercilessly. “Consider yourself on notice,” I said. “If I have to spend the rest of my life watching you leave me to follow your dreams, I’m going to make it every bit as hard for you as it is for me…”

I drove my point home by engulfing his cock with my mouth. I worked him with passion and desire and love, heightened by an overwhelming need to make him understand… maybe even to punish him somehow. I wanted him to feel what I felt; the sweet, pure joy of being together again mixed with the gut-wrenching pain of knowing the fire would drag him away from me again… And so I put every ounce of emotion into my hands, my mouth, my body. I rubbed my naked breasts into his belly as I bent down to swallow him.

Before I even knew it, he’d lifted me by the hips and spread my thighs so I straddled his chest. I felt his hot breath just before his lips found my bared clit, and he held me, rocking me on his mouth as I worked his length deeper in my throat. I moved by pure instinct, driven to please him… to give him a climax as intense as the emotions that heated my body and drove me on. I pleased and I punished, long and hard until his body clenched and exploded… and he took me over the edge along with him…