Rynan ducked into Goldie’s tent, desperate to escape the constricting confines of his tent. With Elana so close, the heat of her, the smell of her…his self-control was at the breaking point.

“Everyone okay?”

Goldie looked up, wrapped in a sleeping bag. “Fine. Arus is sleeping.” The older woman nodded to the man asleep beside her. “He was a little…overwhelmed.”

Ry couldn’t blame the guy. “We’ll get you out of here.”

“I don’t doubt it, my boy.” She winked. “You don’t strike me as the type to get overwhelmed.” A smile brightened her face. “Besides, we might still find my treasure while we’re here, trudging through the snow.”

He shook his head. It appeared that Goldie’s optimism was unflagging.

“We need to stay put until this snowstorm lets up,” he told her. “That’ll likely be a few hours.”

Goldie nodded. “How’s your girl? You were worried when you couldn’t find her after the crash.”

“She’s not mine, and she’s fine. Elana is tough.” To the bone.

Goldie raised a brow. “I detected some…tension between the two of you.”

Ry blew out of breath. “Forgive me, but not your business.”

She waved a hand. “I’m an old lady, Phoenix. That makes everything my business.”

He hunched his shoulders. “She quit.” The words burst out of him.

“Why?” Goldie asked curiously.

“Because…I’m her boss and I won’t go beyond that.”

The older woman tilted her head. “She wanted to take things further, and you told her that you couldn’t because you were her boss?”

“Yes.”

“And so she quit.”

Frustrated anger churned inside him. “Yes. She put sex over her job.” Over their friendship. Over him.

Goldie shook her head. “You struck me as a smart man, Mr. Phoenix. It appears that I was wrong.”

He frowned.

“She gave up a job she’s clearly very good at and loves for you.”

He froze. “What?”

Goldie smiled. “Ah, I see my wise words have penetrated.”

Elana gave everything up for him? Fuck. His brain whirled. He’d only ever had his brothers. In all his life, there’d never been one person who’d put him first.

“I don’t know your girl well, but it only took one look for me to see that lovely, competent Elana is in love with you.”

Goldie’s words were like a sucker punch, and Rynan struggled to pull in a breath. “I…don’t believe in love.”

Goldie let out a cackling laugh. “Doesn’t mean it isn’t real, Rynan. From the look on your face, you feel something for her too. Something that you’ve no doubt been denying, in your own growly, alpha-male way.” Goldie looked almost gleeful.

He raised a brow. “Enjoying yourself?”

“Immensely,” Goldie said with a smile. “Now, I’m going to get some sleep, and you’d better go and sort out your mess, Rynan Phoenix.”

“Get some rest,” he growled at her.

She shot him another knowing grin. “I’ll probably get more rest than you will.” She shot him a saucy wink.

With a shake of his head, Ry slipped out of the tent and into a wall of white. It hardly seemed possible, but the wind had picked up even more, and flurries of snow swirled blindingly around him. He could barely see the second tent. He revised his estimate. It would probably be many hours, if not days, before the storm passed.

His chest felt like it was surrounded by a tight band. Elana and everything he felt for her whirled inside him.

He’d been a fucking, cowardly idiot for too long.

Elana was in love with him.

He reached the entrance to the other tent, urgency filling him. When he ducked inside, Elana looked up at him. She was leaning over the bits of the beacon, one piece clutched in her hand as she worked on it.

“I thought maybe you were considering sleeping outside in the storm,” she said dryly.

Ry shed his coat and dropped to his knees in front of her. “We need to talk.”

* * *

Elana did not want to tread this ground again. “I’m not going to change my mind, Ry. I’m not staying.”

“Why did you quit, Elana?”

He shifted closer to her and she felt all her muscles go tight. “You know why.”

“I need you to spell it out for me.”

God, how much more pain did she have to endure? “You said you wouldn’t touch me because you’re my boss. I quit, so that excuse was gone. So, you were free to choose me.” She shot him a sad smile, pain slashing at her chest like claws. “But you didn’t choose me, so it’s time for me to go.”

“Elana—” His voice changed—softened and lowered.

“Don’t, Rynan.” She held a hand up. “I’m in love with you—” wow, that was both cathartic and terrifying to say to him “—but how I feel is up to me. I know you don’t feel the same—”

He grabbed her so fast she squeaked. He yanked her against him and his lips crashed down on hers.

Oh. God. Sensations cascaded over Elana. Need, longing, love. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. The taste of him filled her and she tangled her tongue with his.

The next thing she knew, he was lowering her down to the sleeping bags she’d laid out earlier.

She sank her hands into his hair, moaning against his lips. “Who are you and what did you do with hard-headed, stubborn Rynan Phoenix?”

“I finally wised up after the crash and a few wise words from Goldie.” His gray eyes glittered.

“Is this real?” Elana murmured.

One of his big hands tugged at her jumpsuit. He found the fastening and parted it down the middle. “Let me prove it to you.”

She felt his mouth on her neck, his callused fingers brushing over her chest. “Ry.” She arched up.

His fingers brushed her nipple. “You are so damn pretty, Elana.”

Suddenly, he went still, and she felt a spike of fear shoot through her. No. He was going to pull away again.

But when she looked up into his intense face, his gray eyes were glittering down into hers.

“God, Elana. I’ve watched you for so long. Smelled your scent. Felt you brush against me. Heard you laugh.”

Her chest tightened and all she could do was stay trapped by his intense eyes.

“I’ve wanted you for years, but I’ve denied it, ignored it, and fought it.”

Something bloomed inside her. What? “Rynan…”

He lowered his head and kissed her again. She rolled him over, and got him on his back.

Straddling his hips, she leaned over him. “I’ve watched you for years. The way you work, train, and protect. The way you are your usual loyal, smart, and sullen self.”

“I’m not sullen.”

She pushed his shirt up and pressed her lips to the center of his chest. “You are. I like it.” Another kiss. “I like everything about you, Ry. I feel like I’ve wanted you forever.”

“So take me.” A gruff command.

She did, leaning down licking and kissing his chest. She loved the solid muscles and the skin that still held a bronze tint, even though he spent most of his time on board a starship. Her body trembled and she blinked, scared she was only dreaming. She was finally touching Rynan. He helped her yank his shirt over his head. She traced her fingers over the tattoos wrapped around his biceps, across his chest, then down over his hard abs. The feel of him beneath her hands made it crystal-clear that she was wide awake.

He groaned, shifting beneath her. “My turn.” He tumbled her onto her back.

She watched as he methodically stripped her clothes off. Seconds later, he had her naked.

“Cold?” he asked.

“No way.”

A faint smile. His callused hand cupped her breast, and he took his time plumping it in his fingers. Then his touch skated down her belly. Stars, it was so sexy watching him caress her. The way his gaze moved over her, like he was seeing the most beautiful thing in the galaxy.

Then his gaze dropped to his hand, watching as his fingers dipped between her legs.

“Yes.” She writhed against his fingers. His touch felt so good.

“You want that, Elana? You want my fingers?” He stroked her folds, before sliding one thick finger inside her.

She panted. “Yes.”

He slid a second one inside her and she cried out. The stretch felt so good.

“I think I’d like watching you come on my hand.” A groan vibrated through him. “Damn, you’re so wet.”

She was hurting from the need growing inside her.

“Changed my mind.” His voice was gritty.

What? No.

He pushed her legs wider, his hands cupping her ass. He lifted her up. “Decided I want to watch you come on my tongue, instead.”

Before Elana could process what he was saying and doing, Ry leaned down and pressed his mouth against her.

Oh. God. As his tongue plunged inside her, she cried out.

* * *

She was gorgeous. And she tasted so damn good.

Rynan kept licking and sucking at Elana. Her husky cries echoed around the tent and his cock throbbed painfully. Her dark hair was spread out around her head, and her face was flushed.

Elana. Naked. In his arms. Her sweet taste in his mouth.

He needed her. He needed to be inside her.

But first, he wanted her to come. “Get there, Elana.” He licked her again before stabbing his tongue inside her.

Her hands twisted in the sleeping bag. She was thrashing around beneath him so vigorously, he had to hold her still. He closed his mouth over her clit and sucked. With a scream, she came apart, her thighs locking around his head.

Now. Need and instinct driving him, he pushed her back on the sleeping bags. He shoved her legs wide, and their gazes locked. She was open to him and all his.

“I can’t wait to sink inside you,” he growled.

More heat filled her cheeks. “I’ve waited a long time to feel you inside me.”

Fuck. He fumbled with his trousers and opened them. His cock sprang out. “Guide me in, Elana.”

He felt her reach down, her fingers circling his cock. He swallowed a groan.

Then she moved, pressing the blunt head of him to her slick folds.

Now it was his turn to groan, his chin dropping to his chest. He watched as he finally started sliding inside Elana, inch by slow inch.

She moaned. “God, you’re big.”

He sank farther inside her, claiming her, marking her as his. “Stars, gorgeous, I can feel you stretching around me.”

Their gazes met.

“Take all of me,” he growled, moving deeper.

“Oh, my God,” she breathed.

“You’re so damn tight.” He threw his head back. Then he started to thrust.

Suddenly, a wave of awe washed over him. He was inside Elana. She was moaning under him, and it felt like heaven. Right this instant, it was the only thing that had felt one hundred percent right in his entire life.

He picked up speed, slamming into her.

“I feel so full.” Her head thrashed against the sleeping bags.

“Full of me.” He knew he sounded like a caveman, but he didn’t care.

“I love it.” Her hands reached up, scratching at his shoulders. Her hips bucked under his.

He’d always known Elana wouldn’t be a sweet, submissive lover. No, she was enthusiastic, giving as good as she got.

Ry felt the start of his orgasm, a sharp tightening in his gut and balls. He shook as he tried to control it, hold it back. He wanted her to come again before he did. He pressed forward, moving her flexible, toned legs up to his shoulders.

“So deep,” she moaned.

He slid one hand between them and found her swollen clit. He circled it as he kept sliding deep in her tight body.

“Come for me again, Elana.” He felt her body tensing and knew she was close. “Get there for me.”

A second later, her body clamped down on his.

“Rynan!” Her head fell back and her body tensed. So many emotions crossed over her lovely face that he couldn’t look away.

He kept moving inside her, his gaze never shifting off her features. Rynan had seen some amazing parts of uncharted space, but he’d never seen anything as gorgeous as this woman.

His woman.

He moved her legs to wrap around his hips. As he thrust deep, her eyes flew open, her gaze on him.

Then her hands were in his hair, tugging hard. “Come inside me, Ry.”

With one more, final thrust, his release hit—hard and relentless. His cock pulsed and he spilled in her tight warmth. Her name was ripped from his throat.

Spent, his lungs working like bellows, he collapsed against her, making sure he fell to the side, keeping the majority of his weight off her. He pulled her close, surrounded by the scent of Elana and sex, and he buried his face in her hair.