Tobias had never imagined that a Christmas dinner and the most rambunctious croquet match ever known to mankind would be such a turn-on. But he loved watching Carolyn lose all her inhibitions as she whacked his croquet ball into the weeds. He loved hearing her laugh with the teenagers.

After the match, and after the feast, she sat with a few of the more artistically inclined teenagers as they showed off their drawing and other artwork. She talked with them earnestly about art, and what classes were available at the community college.

He wouldn't be surprised if JPCC saw a sudden spike in enrollment thanks to her. Who wouldn't want to take a class with a kind, beautiful, patient teacher like Carolyn?

He and his brothers decided to gift every one of the shelter teens a ride in one of their planes. Of course, that made them instantly the most popular people in the room, but it was the expression on Carolyn's face that meant the most to him. He realized he'd do almost anything to see that soft light in her eyes.

And then there was the hot look that came later.

He peeled off from his brothers and drove back to Caro's place with her. Somehow, their relationship had become fact—it surprised no one when he looped his arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head as his brothers waved goodbye.

Okay, maybe it surprised him. He'd never been the public type when it came to demonstrating affection. He'd never felt inspired to let the world know his feelings. But everything was different with Carolyn. He wanted all of Jupiter Point to know they were together.

"That was the best Christmas I've had in a very long time," she told him as they drove to her place. "That was great, what you guys did. Those kids are going to love it."

"You'll love it too. I want to take you up there. Show you the world. My world."

"Your world?" she teased. "All that sky up there, it's yours?"

"When I'm up there, I sure feel like it is. Maybe it's a Jupiter Point thing. Growing up here, it's all about the sky. Constellations, planets, alignments. My dad was really into stargazing. We had a big telescope set up in the attic. He took us to the observatory every year. The first time I went up in a Chinook, I swear I felt my dad's presence."

He stopped, embarrassed that he'd veered into that direction. But she reached over and took his hand in hers. "Is Christmas tough for you too?"

"Not usually. I've been overseas for most Christmases. Once I met Will and Aiden in Mexico for Christmas. Being back here…I guess it's a little tougher. Brings back some memories. It's okay. I intend to make some new ones in about fifteen minutes."

"Why fifteen minutes?"

"That's how long it's going to take to get home, get your clothes off, and feast myself on your naked body."

Her hands jerked on the steering wheel, causing her to veer over the yellow dotted line. "Do you have to say things like that when I'm driving?"

"Things like what? Statements of fact about how I intend to lick you until you scream for mercy?" he teased. He put his hand on her thigh, spreading his fingers wide, his little finger edging oh-so-close to her sweet pussy.

She shifted her hips in the seat. "Stop that," she said weakly. "I'm driving."

But he couldn't help noticing that she'd actually managed to get her mound even closer to his finger. "I'm helping." He squeezed her thigh lightly. Her muscles tightened under his touch.

"How is that helping?" she gasped.

"Inspiration. Motivation. The quicker we get home, the quicker I can blow your mind."

"You're impossible." But her lips curved in the dim light of her dashboard.

"And you're impossibly sexy and sensual and gorgeous. Is there any way you could drive faster? You can always let me have the wheel. Army trained. I can make this thing rocket back to your house."

"Nope," she said firmly. "I like to drive. I wasn't allowed to at the compound, and now I love it. But maybe going faster isn't the worst idea." She pressed on the accelerator and zoomed through the streets of Jupiter Point, its quaint storefronts adorned with twinkle lights for the holidays. He held on, hoping the local law enforcement had better things to worry about on Christmas night than two people so hungry for each other they practically broke the sound barrier getting home.

When they finally burst through her door, he noticed with one part of his brain that she'd unpacked some of her boxes and tidied up. But most of him focused on getting naked. He spun her into a kiss as soon as the door closed behind them. As their mouths melded together, hot and slick, he ran his hands down her body, peeling away her clothes. He had to pull away briefly to tug her silky top over her head. Her bra took only a touch to undo. He slid off the shoulder straps as he dove back into that deep, urgent kiss.

Skirt, unzipped. Sleek flesh, unveiled. When she finally stood naked before him, he tore himself away from their kiss and gazed at her body, the creamy curves scalding his vision. He could look at her like this all day and all night.

"Know what I want for Christmas?" he said.

"What?"

"Stay like this for the rest of the night. Not a single stitch of clothing for you."

"Or you."

"I have no problem with that." To prove it, he shrugged out of his shirt and stepped out of his pants. He was already rock-hard from the sight of her naked body. He got rid of his briefs, freeing his raging erection. Her gaze dropped to it, and he saw her tongue do that delicious thing it did, that discreet little swipe across her lips.

That made him even harder.

He dropped to his knees and cradled her ass in his hands. The two globes settled into the palms of his hands so perfectly. He blew on her soft curls, spotting moisture hiding there in the lovely nest of blond hair. She drew in a long ragged breath and gripped his shoulders.

"You know, there's a bed in there," she murmured.

"I know." He blew another hot rush of air against her sex. "I intend to make good use of it. But I'm a little busy now. Can't you tell?"

He drew his tongue along the upper seam of her sex, where her clit pouted for attention. It swelled under the pressure, like a bud about to unfurl. Her taste drove him mad with need. He put one hand on his own cock, fisting himself as he worked his mouth deep into her folds. Her fingers dug into his shoulders; he'd probably have marks after this. He didn't care a bit. Bring it on.

He wanted her to come in his mouth. He wanted it so badly he couldn't see straight. Her hips quivered against his grip, her inner thighs trembled. He used the flat of his tongue to add more friction, lashed her with the tip, probing deep, finding the spot that made her cry out. Losing himself in her heat and wetness, in the flexing of her hips, her whimpers, her murmurs, he had no idea how much time passed.

All he knew was that suddenly she was arching against him and all he could do was hang on, mouth latched to her sex, while she rode out the fierce spasms of her climax.

When she finished, limp and sated and damp, her long body gleaming with sweat, he couldn't wait another moment to get inside her. He rose to his feet, his erection so hard, so swollen, he thought it might burst at the slightest touch.

"Bend over the couch," he told her, his voice about two octaves lower than usual. "Hold on to the back. Hold on tight."

Her eyes flared with sleepy heat. With her breath still coming quickly, she turned her back to him and bent over to place her hands where he'd asked.

Oh God. He was going to die, right here and now, at the sight of her pale curves spread out before him. The cleft between her legs gleamed from her orgasm. The soft opening called to him like a siren, the shadows promising hot release to his aching member. He didn't want to rush it, because the sight of her was just too tempting. He took a long moment to caress the curves of her ass, skim his fingers along the sides of her hips, to the tender flesh of her inner thighs.

Her skin twitched and jumped. She turned to look at him, her hair a wild tangle across her back, her eyes a deep, mysterious blue. And he couldn't wait another moment. He took his cock into his fist and rolled on a condom, then nudged her opening with the tip. The soft heat made his eyes close in pleasure. He groaned, a deep bomb of a sound that seemed to rip from his chest.

Her flesh gave way easily, so slick and lubricated from her climax. Her channel still fluttered from the aftereffects, or maybe a new orgasm was coming. She was panting again, pushing against him, urging him onwards.

"Nice and slow," he said in a tight voice, almost as much to himself as to her. "Nice and easy. God, you feel good. Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are, bent over like that? I want to fuck you so hard."

"Do it. Fuck me hard. Don't hold back."

Was that really his civilized art history teacher talking? She didn't know what she was saying. He had to hold back. If he unleashed all the emotion and heat inside him, this whole room would be obliterated.

"Nice and easy," he repeated, almost like a mantra, as he slid farther in, parting her sweet inner flesh like butter.

"Harder," she urged. "I want it harder."

"You don't really mean that."

"I do. I mean it, Tobias. Let off the brakes. Go wild. Wild and dirty and--" She broke off with a gasp as he flexed his hips and buried himself deep. The satisfaction of that one stroke sent shudders up his spine. "Oh Caro. Fuck, that feels good."

She gave a strangled moan of agreement. He checked to see if she was still okay. Judging by the rapturous expression on her face, she absolutely was. So he let his primitive need for her take over. He stroked deep, his pace dominated by the frantic desire chasing through his being. He was barely aware of the speed and friction generated by his thrusts. It all fused into a blur of sensation. He kept an eye on Caro, watching closely for any sign that he was going too hard, too intense.

But the only sounds he heard from her were whimpers and moans and the occasional, Oh my God, Tobias. So good, Tobias. So he let his last bit of restraint disappear. He roared as he claimed her body with a fierce, incinerating passion. And once again, time disappeared. Only the glorious now existed, the smell of sex, the slap of flesh, the breathtaking arch of her spine, the fall of her hair, the sensation of velvet heat sliding against his cock, the tight grip of her inner muscles. He used his hands on her hips to bring her tighter, harder against him. So good, so good.

He felt the exact moment when she went rigid and clenched around his erection. Adrenaline shot up his spine, sheer blinding excitement turning the world fuzzy around the edges. His balls tightened. He took one more deep stroke into her fluttering channel and exploded into an orgasm that nearly stopped his heart. He rode it like the downward plunge of a rollercoaster, with an inward howl of elation.

He closed his eyes and saw stars expanding all around him, bright points of light in every direction. He became free-floating, weightless the way he sometimes felt in a chopper or the Cessna. A feeling of peace saturated him, body and soul. Nothing could harm him. Everything was as it should be.

He drifted, mindless and complete.

And in the timeless space that followed, he heard a whisper he hadn't heard in years.

Tobias, the voice said. You're going to be all right, son. Just a fall. Anyone can fall. The true test is when you get back up.

The memory came back to him in pieces. He'd fallen out of a tree; he was always falling. Because he loved to climb things, that was why. He climbed and he fell, that was the story of his childhood. He tested limits no one else wanted to touch. And for good reason, because he always ended up on his ass.

That time, he'd dropped like a stone from the old oak tree behind their house, near the creek. Ben had fled to tell Dad, who'd dropped his woodcarving project and come running.

Reminds me of my last mission, he'd told Tobias as he gently checked his leg. The time I fell out of my hidey-hole and broke my leg. The guys had to haul me out on some tree branches tied together. They trekked two miles like that, under enemy fire. Hurt like the devil, but I couldn't cry about it, could I? Okay, son, want to try standing up?

Of course he couldn't let on how much it hurt after that story. So he'd gritted his teeth and stood up. He'd allowed his father to help him back to the house, declining Ben's enthusiastic offer to make him a gurney out of his drumsticks. He'd limped home and insisted everything was fine. He'd ignored the nagging pain for weeks, until he'd fallen off a dirt bike and really broken his leg. Turned out he'd been suffering from a fracture the entire time.

You're going to be all right, son. The true test is when you get back up.

"Hey. Tobias. Are you okay?"

He blinked his eyes open and looked at his surroundings with utter confusion. He must have fallen asleep and dreamed about that long-ago incident. It had felt so real, as if he were there. But now he was lying on Caro's couch, her soft body nestled against his.

"Hi." He struggled to wake up, but she put a gentle hand on his chest to prevent him.

"You conked out. You must be exhausted. All that croquet, you know. It's such good exercise."

Croquet. Christmas. Carolyn. Right. He settled his hand on her hip, the feel of her skin grounding him.

"And by croquet, I actually mean hot sex on my couch."

Hot sex. Yeah, it was. No argument there. But somehow he didn't like the way she put it. As if it didn't mean anything beyond that. He'd just experienced something out of this world—almost like traveling back in time—and she was talking about "hot sex" in that lighthearted tone.

He rubbed the heel of his hand across his eyes, trying to clear his thoughts. "I remembered something, some random moment with my father after I'd fallen out of a tree."

She lifted her head, eyebrows raised. "That's what you were dreaming about? You really are a romantic."

"Sorry," he said with a grimace. "I guess my unconscious is a callous unromantic bastard. I'll have a talk with it."

She tangled one finger in the dark swirl of hair on his chest. "I'm just teasing. That memory must be important to you. Maybe you remembered it for a reason."

The pieces fell into place, like the tumblers of a lock. "Shit. You're right. My dad was talking about one of his missions. He was a sniper, that was his expertise. He fell out of a blind and broke his leg, he had to get carried two miles to safety. And you know what? I think one of those guys might have gotten killed during the trek. I vaguely remember something about that. Damn. I have to call Will."

Again he tried to get up, and again she stopped him. "It's four in the morning. I think it can wait."

Reluctantly, he lay back down. Impatience burned through him. Now that Caro had pointed it out, he had no doubt that he'd remembered that moment for a reason. It was a clue, especially when considered along with the way his dad's head had possibly been pointing toward his medals.

"You know," he said softly. "It's damn handy having a professor around. Good thinking there."

"Hey, any time. Even though my specialty is art history, I'm more than happy to lend a hand with murder investigations." With a light touch, she smoothed her palm across his chest.

"I really want to find the bastard who did it." Strangely, that thought came almost as a surprise.

"Of course you do."

"No, it's…what I mean is that sometimes I forget that someone actually physically killed him. I get so caught up in my own guilt about the fight we had, and how I always pushed him, always challenged him. I was such a nightmare of a son. I think about that, and how I could have made life so much easier for him, that I forget someone actually killed him."

His chest tightened as if an iron vise had come around it. He couldn't breathe for a minute. Emotion hammered at his throat, as if clawing to get out.

But he wouldn't let it. That wasn't what Tobias Knight was about. Not Robert Knight's son. Hurt like the devil, but I couldn't cry about it, could I?

His blood pounded in his ears. He fixed his gaze on the ceiling, noting a discoloration in the plaster. He should repair that for Carolyn. It could mean a leak. He'd go up on her roof and make sure the tiles were solid, maybe a replace a few if they needed it.

Eventually he became aware of Carolyn's soft hand stroking his chest, soothing him back to the present. "Sorry," he muttered. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Must be all the tryptophans in that turkey. That stuff ought to be regulated."

"Maybe, or maybe it's the healing power of sex with the golden goddess." She tickled his ribs, somehow homing in on one of his most sensitive spots. He produced a sound somewhere between a giggle and a shriek.

"Oh my God." She sat bolt upright. "What was that?"

"That's what happens when people tickle me."

"That was the most unmanly sound I've ever heard."

He grinned at her. "Is that supposed to be an insult? I'm pretty confident in my manliness, no matter what sounds I make."

"So you knew about this?"

"You've met my brothers. Do you think I could have grown to adulthood without getting tickled? Actually, my sister Cassie was the champion tickler. She could make me cry real tears. It was pathetic."

"Can I do it again?"

"Have at it." He lifted his arm to give her access to his ribs. She tickled him again, and once again he let out that unearthly sound. But this time, he also clamped her hand against his side and rolled over so he was braced on top of her.

"By the way, I also learned a few anti-tickling tricks, just to survive." He dropped a kiss on her lips. "I never knew they'd come in so handy."

She nipped at his bottom lip in revenge for being pinned. "You know I could figure out a way to kill you if I had to. Or at least maim you."

"I know, you're a badass peace warrior. But why would you want to maim the man who's going to give you your next thousand orgasms?"

"A thousand?" she said faintly. "Tonight?"

"I'm thinking we should spread them out. Maybe five tonight, then we'll go from there."

"Five? That's a little overconfident, don't you think? Quite honestly, I'm thrilled if a man gives me one orgasm. I knew I got involved with you for a reason."

He paused for a microsecond, that discordant note striking again. But then her laughing eyes and sheer naked loveliness blotted out everything else. Just enjoy this, Tobias. Why not? "I've mentioned how I like to test limits, right? Brace yourself, professor."