She swirled her tongue in his mouth, drunk on his proximity. Relishing the strength of his arms pulling her close. His sheer masculinity.

“Not tonight. Not for our first time.” She pumped her hips forward. The velvety skin of his shaft slipped between her folds, running along her skin but not going in. Excitement fizzed through her body at what she was about to do.

A side deal with a prostitute. How crazy was that? How fucking hot?

She giggled, unable to contain her ardent desire. After all, if she was paying for sex, it didn’t count, right? This wasn’t a fling or her losing another piece of her heart to the handsome, protective, and extremely caring man. This was just a business transaction.

Waves of passion rolled through her. Her control slipped even more.

She pushed him to a sitting position before dragging his boxers down. His huge erection sprang up. The tip glistened with pre-cum. She threw her leg over his lap and sat against it before claiming his lips again.

“Mmm.” He kneaded her bare butt cheeks, sliding her wetness against his cock. Without warning, he grabbed her by the back of her neck with one hand and pulled, making her arch back. His other hand slid up her chest, pushing up her bra to expose her breasts. He suspended her at the angle with his strength, taking control. A hot tongue slid over her budded nipple.

“Oh.” She closed her eyes and gripped his strong shoulders, feeling his strength as he held her like that effortlessly. His hot mouth took in the other nipple, sucking hard, just on the pleasure side of pain.

“You said you didn’t like the nipple clamps, right?” He brought her back toward him, leaning against the couch and pulling her against his chest.

“I don’t like pain. I don’t like spanking or pinching or anything.”

“Then I’ll do nothing but give you pleasure.” He peeled off the bra before flinging her arms over his shoulders again. He didn’t kiss her, but rested his head on the edge of the couch, staring up at her. His eyes roamed her face. “I need to take a moment and worship you, Janie. You are so beautiful.”

She laid a finger over his lips. “Do me a favor. Don’t say anything that you use on other women, even if you know I’ll like it. I’d rather you call me an ugly wretch while emotionally present than call me beautiful on autopilot.”

He opened his mouth and sucked in her finger before grabbing her wrists in a firm grip and bending them around her back. “I’m not in work mode right now. I’m with you one hundred percent, Janie, which is never the case on a job. Or even on a date, when I actually went on those. I do think you’re beautiful, and I need to take a moment and soak that in. You’re sitting on me, naked. You are allowing me to taste your delicious breasts and roll your nipples in my mouth. Soon I’ll run my tongue up your pussy and taste you in a different way. You shouldn’t be paying for this. I’ve been wanting to do it since the first time I caught sight of your sleepy frown on your way to the empty coffee pot.”

She smiled and gazed into his velvety brown eyes, seeing the truth of what he said. Seeing the glimmer of emotion.

Something softened inside of her, seeping out from around her walls.

She kissed him languidly. Sucked in his bottom lip before moving her lips over his. “Okay.”

He slid his hands up her back and gripped her shoulders. She felt the pull and let him angle her, suspending her weight again. “I want to be inside you. I’ll lick your pussy after I give you the first orgasm.”

She couldn’t help but grin as she dropped her head back and lifted her butt. Trailing her hands down her front, she reached down to capture his shaft. “Do you always give an itinerary before sex?” She rubbed his tip against her opening, wishing she could sit down on him with nothing between them. She’d never had sex without condoms. She wanted to know if it was any better.

“I just didn’t want you to think I was skipping the foreplay.” He pulled down on her shoulders.

She knew a moment of panic before his large shaft plunged into her. It filled her gloriously, making her stretch to fit around him.

So much better than condoms. So, so much better. Indescribable.

“Oh, that’s not a good idea.” She pumped her hips up, letting him support her weight. His cock hit all the right places. She intended to get off and get a condom, but every time she rose, her body sat back down of its own accord. The sensations tightened her core and sent shooting sparks through her body.

“Do you want protection? I’m clean.” He thrust, hard but not fast, plunging deep.

“Birth…control. Oh.” She swirled her hips as he thrust. “On…it. Mmm.” She reached between them and manipulated her clit to get the best out of his efforts. “Used…condoms. Should be…good. Oh my God, Dave. Holy—” She gripped his shoulders and crashed her lips against his.

Her body tightened more, wound up. Each thrust pushed her higher. Ratcheted up the sensations until she was panting in pleasure.

He threw her to the couch, the movement fast and wild, and managing, somehow managing to keep him inside of her the whole time. The sudden shift chased away her thoughts. His plunge returned her focus, stripping away any mind clutter. All she knew was him, his touch, and the feel of his body.

She slid her thighs up his sides and rose up her hips to meet each thrust. A moment later, he changed again, pulling one of her legs to hook over his shoulder. He rolled now, his thrusts hitting different areas. His finger rubbing her clit. His glistening body a godsend.

She moaned and arched, the feelings overwhelming. Dragging her under. Threatening to consume her.

And yet she held a little back, like she always did. Balanced just on the edge, making sure she shielded a piece of herself for safekeeping. A heart could never be completely broken if it wasn’t all in the same place.

He pulled out of her and yanked her arms before grabbing her and throwing her over his wide shoulder. He bounced and jostled her on his way to one of the bedrooms.

“Wha—” Before she knew it, she was flying through the air. She fell face-first onto the bed, a tangle of arms and legs. His hard body was against hers a moment later, taking her from behind, hot and huge and so fucking good.

“Fuck me, Dave,” she yelled, registering that they were in his room and the windows were open. People would hear them. It was like performing for a voyeur.

That thrilled her. Made her lose her sense and dive into the feeling of him headfirst.

“Fuck me harder,” she yelled.

He pounded into her. The slap of their bodies echoed. Her moans drowned out his grunts. He yanked on her hair, forcing her control to slip. Feeling the bliss of their lovemaking sucking her under even more. Breath harried, she fought to regain equilibrium. Yelled with how good it felt.

An orgasm exploded through her. Pleasure filled every inch of her body. Teeth clenched, she vibrated with it, relishing in how unreal good it felt. Better than she’d ever experienced.

“Yes, Janie.” Dave shook with his release, running his other hand up her bare back.

She closed her eyes, exhausted, as the aftershocks rolled through her. Dave held her tightly in the aftermath.

“Truth or dare?” He slipped out of her and pulled back the sheets.

“What is your sudden fascination with truth or dare? It’s a kids’ game.”

He took her hand and coaxed her to lie next to him before pulling the sheets over them. The fresh smell of fabric softener greeted her. He was a man who washed things. That was a nice change from the previous yahoo.

“You tense up every time I say it. Treat it like one of Ethan’s horrible surprises.”

“I hate those surprises.”

“Everyone does.”

She snuggled up next to his body as her eyelids drooped. She hadn’t been sleeping well the last few nights, and all that exercise had taken the last bits of energy out of her. “Then why does he do them?”

“He is challenging people to experience new things. He tries to expand people’s horizons by forcing them into experiences they would normally deem scary.”

“How would holding a snake expand my horizons if I hated snakes?”

“You would realize that snakes aren’t the horrible things you previously thought.” He held up his hands. “This is his logic, not mine. I’m just terrorizing you by using it.”

Janie sighed as every muscle in her body relaxed, one by one. That had been an incredible stress reliever. Hell, just incredible all the way around. “Fine. Truth. I don’t want to move for a dare.”

“How did I do?”

She couldn’t help but smile. Not many men cared enough to ask, and those who did had to fear the answer. He was courageous. “If your goal was the best sex of my life, you nailed it. If it was to make me feel good about paying you with that painting, you nailed it. If it was to keep your promise and get around to oral sex, you didn’t do so hot.”

He huffed out a laugh. “I’ll get to the oral sex. You made me work for that O. I was trying to keep you guessing while also trying to keep control so you could fully let go.”

She kissed his cheek. “Thank you for trying. But if I’m ever able to let go, I think it’ll be an emotional thing, not only physical.”

He squeezed her tighter. She rested her head in the hollow of his neck and shoulder.

“So you’ve always used birth control and also condoms? Like, two separate things?” He traced a line along her back with his fingertips.

“Yeah. Just in case the condom broke. I’ve heard horror stories. I don’t ever want to be left as a single mother while the asshole who should be half responsible takes off.”

“Ah.” He kissed her temple. “I would never do that to you. Just so you know. I’d never do that to any woman.”

“I know. Which puts you in a very dangerous profession for a few reasons.”

His hand slowed. He leaned his cheek against her forehead. “That’s true. I’ve thought about all the things that could go wrong. But it is such good money that I’ve ignored it. Modeling pays pretty well, but I need a nest egg. I’m not smart enough to get a high-powered job like Madison has. Or Noah could have.”

“I—” She paused. “Like Noah could?”

“He took the bar exam. Passed in the top five percent. That’s pretty big.”

“And he’s whoring?”

“Yeah. Same money per year as the top job he backed out of, but a quarter of the hours. More freedom. Add in the fitness modeling stuff, and he’s excelling.”

“What do his parents think?”

“That he’s a fitness model. His dad isn’t pleased.”

“Wow. He’s in a league of his own, then. With the school and smarts and whatnot.”

Dave shrugged. “He’s where we all are. Wanting something of our own…but not knowing exactly what, or how to get there.”

“What do you want?” she asked softly.

He shrugged again. “A peaceful life.”

“You’ll get it,” she said with assurance. If she had to jab the devil in the eye, she’d make sure Dave got a peaceful life. A man like him deserved it. A smile graced her lips. “Truth or dare.”

He chuckled. “Truth.”

“I was hoping you’d pick dare.”

“Why?”

“I was going to dare you to walk next door in the buff and ask for something totally outlandish. I think the stoners would get brain bubbles.”

His chest shook with silent laughter. “I realize this is hard to believe, but I’m not really the type of guy that likes being naked in public. At home, sure. Why not? It’s comfortable. But with strangers? No thanks.”

“That is hard to believe, you’re right.” She trailed her fingers down the middle of his six-pack.

“Would you ever paint in the nude in front of someone if there was no money involved?” he asked.

A thrill arrested her. She ran her lips along his strong jaw. “No. I would expect you to pay me.”

His breath hitched. A bump rose in the sheets.

She reached down and grabbed his hardening cock. “And then I would expect you to fuck me.”