Charlie woke up, aware of a feeling she hadn’t known in fourteen months, since the day she’d sublet her condo and technically became homeless.

Safety.

The biggest part of that came from the man who was all but wrapped around her. Finn’s leg was thrown over both of hers, his arm crossed over her torso, the weight of his chest on her shoulder pinning her to the bed. She should feel trapped, restrained. But she felt secure.

She’d already known he was in bed with her. She had woken up at some point, starving, and he had been there. A few seconds later, he’d helped her sit up and drink one of those nutrition shake things and given her some antibiotics Annie had prescribed.

She had gone to the bathroom, again with his help. She’d been too weak to even be embarrassed about it. Back in bed she had waited for questions, for some sort of inquisition, but it hadn’t come. He’d just pulled her back against him. She hadn’t thought she’d be able to sleep. She hadn’t wanted to. If this was going to be the only time she got to lay in Finn’s arms, she wanted to stay awake and enjoy it.

Obviously, her body had disagreed, considering she was waking up to a bright sun outside.

So, she would enjoy it now. She shifted a little to see him more fully. It was so ridiculous that someone as strong and powerful as Finn could be so beautiful. Her fingers itched to stroke his jaw, to touch those cheekbones that looked like they were carved from granite. To feel the rough prickle of his stubble against her fingertips.

She wanted to rub her thumb against that tiny place above his nose where his brows met and ease the stress lines that had formed there over the years, visible even in sleep.

She wanted to kiss that face, every single inch of it, repeatedly. One kiss for every day she had lost. For every day she hadn’t been with him.

God, she wanted to do so much more than kiss him. Or kiss so much more of his body than just his face. Having him so close brought parts of her own alive that had lain dormant for too long, in her struggle to just survive.

She wanted to push his heavy weight off and climb on top of him, then lick and nip her way down his chest and see if he still made that seductive groan.

She wanted to drag the sweatpants down those sexy hips with her teeth. If the hardness pushed up against her hip right now was any indication, they’d both be groaning after that.

“You no longer sleep like you’re caught in some sort of wrestling match.” His voice startled her out of her seductive daydream. She should’ve known he wouldn’t stay asleep once she moved.

What could she tell him about her nocturnal changes? That sleeping in her car five or six days a week over the last year had taught her how to keep still? Or that she’d learned it long before then, during her marriage, when the thought of touching her husband while she slept was so abhorrent?

“I guess I finally grew up.”

Those green eyes of his still didn’t open, but at least he didn’t move away from her, although she knew the withdrawal was coming.

Tensing, she waited for it.

Damn it. When had she become this person? When had she become someone who lay passive and silent, waiting for something bad to happen to her when the good thing she so desperately wanted was literally lying on top of her?

She. Wanted. Finn.

He might still push her away, and honestly, she couldn’t blame him if he did. But she wasn’t going to be a coward. She’d been many things in her life, but never a coward.

“We should get up, so you can eat,” Finn said. “Annie said you need as many calories in you as possible.”

He hadn’t moved, but she could feel him inching away from her.

“There’s something I think I need more than food right at this particular moment.” She meant it to come out sexy, but to her ears it sounded a little desperate, which wasn’t entirely inaccurate.

Now those green eyes opened. “Sleep? Annie also said to let you as much as you could.”

Not a coward, she reminded herself. “You. I need you.”

Heat burned through his eyes for just a second before chivalry doused it. His leg slid off hers. “Let’s just go have breakfast. You were sick last night, running a fever—”

“I’m not now.”

“—and so exhausted that you didn’t even wake up when I carried you from the Jeep to the bed.”

She brought her hand up to touch that jaw. Feel that stubble. She rubbed her thighs together to ease some of the ache there. “I’m not exhausted now.”

He didn’t pull away, but he didn’t ease into her touch either. “Charlie . . .I’m just not sure this is what you really want.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Since when have I not known what I want?”

He rolled the rest of the way off her, onto his back, then threw an arm over his eyes. “Jesus, last night you damn near scared me to death. And I’m not talking about the attack by that drug addict. I’m talking about you. The state you were in. I’ve never seen you look so . . .little.”

Something clenched deep in her heart. Finn had always respected her strength. He’d never treated her as less than his equal. Even when they’d fought—which, given both their strong personalities, had been a lot—they’d always respected each other’s opinions and strength. And now he thought hers was gone.

It wasn’t.

She sat up and threw one of her legs over his hips, so she was straddling him and trailed her fingers along the arm covering his eyes. “I was little, Finn. You’re right. Last night, I was weak, scared, and little. And you were there for me, just like you’ve always been when I needed you. Strong, courageous, and big.”

His arm moved, and she could see in his eyes the demons he was fighting. There were a lot of years between them. A lot of pain. A lot of lies.

She reached down and grasped his bottom lip between her teeth, biting gently. He hissed, and his hips pressed up against hers.

She let go of his lip and whispered, “I’m not little now. Not weak. I know what I want—what I need—and that’s you. I owe you an explanation, I know that. But first give me this. Give me you, strong, courageous, and big with me. Around me. Inside me.”

His growl was her only warning.

Her shirt was ripped over her head and he had her flipped around and tucked under him almost before she could finish the last word. She’d forgotten how fast he could move.

“Damn you, woman, you have always known how to push my buttons.” He fisted her hair tight, pulling her head to the side, giving him access to her neck on the unmarked side.

Now she was the one hissing as his mouth nipped and sucked along her throat until he reached that tender place where her neck met her shoulder, biting gently. His hand slid to her distended nipple, fingers pinching just short of pain, sending a bolt of lust through her whole body.

She ran her hands along his shoulders and biceps. His body was still perfect. Not bulky, but powerful. She hadn’t been exaggerating before: strong and courageous and big.

She relished the moan that seemed torn from his throat as she reached between their bodies, down those hard abs. He held his breath as her fingers slid under the band of his sweatpants and stroked the length of him. His face collapsed against her neck, his breath uneven.

She smiled. “Hmmm, this button still seems to work too.”

He lifted his head, staring down at her with hooded eyes. “Keep it up and this is going to be the shortest lovemaking session you and I have ever had. You still make me crazy, princess. That hasn’t changed, for sure.”

Short and crazy was more than fine with her. He had no idea how long it had been. If she told him, he wouldn’t believe her. Over four years. Way over. She and Brandon had stopped having sex long before they’d divorced.

She let go of him and brought both hands up to cradle his head, so she could look right into his eyes. She wanted him to know how sure she was of this. “I want crazy. I want you inside me right now.”

She wanted him to chase away all the distance, fear, and lost time between them.

His lips fell hard on hers for a moment before he moved off the bed with a groan and went into the bathroom. He came back out a moment later, condom in hand and gloriously naked.

She couldn’t even think of words.

Now it was his turn to grin. “Hell, princess, if I had known seeing me naked was all it took to strike you dumb, I would’ve been walking around in my birthday suit for a while now.”

“Shut up and get in the bed, Bollinger.” She sat up on one elbow, barely refraining from licking her lips as she stared at him.

She squealed as she found herself dragged to the edge of the bed until her legs were hanging over the side. All the air whooshed from her lungs as he lowered himself onto a knee on the floor and grabbed her underwear, sliding it down her hips.

If he noticed the material wasn’t nearly as expensive or lacy as what she used to wear, he didn’t mention it. The way he was staring at her body, she didn’t think he noticed at all.

“I’ve decided fast and crazy isn’t the way I want to go,” he whispered, staring at her.

His lips started a path up her knees to her inner thigh, but just as they were getting close to where she desperately wanted them, he started back down the other side. When he repeated the pattern again, her hips began a restless slide against the edge of the bed. It had been so long.

“Finn . . .”

She started to sit up, to argue her case, but one of his strong arms stretched, his hand skimming a delicious path along her stomach until it rested between her breasts and pushed her back down.

“Stay,” he murmured against her upper thigh. His hand slid back down and spread her legs wider. And finally—finally—his mouth moved onto her core.

It was too much, her body was already too sensitive. After just a few gasping moments, she was torn between wanting to hold his head tighter to her and trying to move away from that vastly talented, too-gentle tongue. He took the choice from her, those strong hands holding her in place as he softly sucked, circled, and laved her right to the edge of sanity.

“Finn. Finn. Please, come up here.” She needed more. Less. Everything. That desperate orgasm was looming in front of her just out of reach and she couldn’t figure out how to—

“Please, Finn.” Her voice was a wail she hardly recognized, her head thrashing back and forth.

He knew what she needed. He stopped the gentle touch and flicked his tongue firmly against her clit, finally giving her the pressure she needed exactly where she needed it.

Her back arched off the bed as wave after wave of pleasure drenched her. Finn’s tongue continued to lave her as she came down from the explosion of sensations.

Coherent thought might not ever be possible again.

With the beautiful taste of Charlie still on his tongue, the sound of her orgasm ringing in his ears, he stood. He scooped her up in his arms and slid her back on the bed, loving the flushed, dazed, look on her face. All that blonde hair sprawled out everywhere. He’d never thought he’d see this again. Part of him wanted to just soak it in. He crawled in beside her.

She pushed on his chest until he was lying on his back. “My turn.”

He shook his head. He wasn’t going to last one minute if Charlie got her hot little mouth on him. “Next time.”

They stared at each other for just a second. Would there be a next time? Charlie just gave him a little nod.

He made quick work of the condom, then grasped her hips and pulled her until she was straddling him once again. Their eyes met, fire burning between them, as she slowly sank down onto his erection.

He kept his eyes locked on those bright blue ones, as if it wasn’t taking every bit of his restraint not to thrust home. Holy hell, she was tight. He gripped her hips, easing her forward and back, hissing as she slid down farther, still agonizingly slowly.

“Help me,” she panted.

“My pleasure.” There wasn’t anything on this earth he’d rather do more.

He slipped one hand into her hair, pulling her down for a kiss. He slid the other between their bodies and began to circle her clit, knowing it wouldn’t be enough, just like it hadn’t been when he’d used his mouth. A desperate whine fell from her lips and her hips began to jerk, seeking more as he toyed with her.

God, would he ever grow tired of that sound? Of the feel of her body wanting what he could give her? It didn’t matter how many years had passed, this heat was still the same.

Unable to hold out any longer, he gave her the firm touch she wanted, rocking her body forward until she’d sheathed him completely. His breath hissed out, his hands gripping her hips, as he reveled in the feel of being inside her once more.

Then he began to move.

Rolling Charlie so she was on her side, he hiked one leg over his hips, giving him a deeper angle. He thrust hard and caught her cry in his mouth. He stopped, afraid he’d gone too far—damn, she really was tiny—but then she rolled her hips forward in feminine welcome.

“Charlie,” he groaned. “You feel so damn good.”

He thrust into her repeatedly. Deep. Hard. Slow.

He watched as her eyes glazed over. Her body moved in a primal rhythm, past talking now, just holding on to him. The way he liked it.

He picked up the pace, his hand sliding under her thigh and lifting it, opening her to him further. Her cries echoed in his ears, a sound he’d never forgotten. Would never forget. He continued to thrust until she came apart around him, her cries turning to keens. Only then did he let himself go, his blood thundering in his own ears as he shouted her name.

Being with Charlie was like coming home.