Ash was hard the entire ride home—which thankfully only took about thirty seconds, though that half a minute certainly felt like an eternity. He kept his hand entwined with hers, just in case she forgot how much he wanted her. How much he’d always wanted her.

There was something so intoxicating about Helena, he couldn’t even stop thinking about having sex with her for the whole seven seconds he could usually repress sex thoughts. It was nonstop, this desire to have her. If this was a Fated-mate thing, he’d take it.

He ran inside, tugging her along. They didn’t stop at the front door this time, even though part of him kind of wanted to for nostalgia’s sake. He locked it behind him, and they made a beeline for the bedroom. She’d asked for the bed—she was gonna get the bed.

Once they were inside his bedroom, Helena jumped on him. Literally. Her legs straddled his hips before he could even get the bedroom door closed. He laughed into her lips as she kissed him.

There was absolutely nothing hotter in the world than a woman who was this ready to have sex with him. And on Helena, it was just about mind blowing. Add on to that the heady feeling-her-feelings-and-his cyclone, and the desire pulsing through him made his mind spin.

“Just give me a second here, girl,” he said, pulling her to the floor with a deep breath. “You move like that on me, and I’m gonna be done before we get started.”

“Oh, now…we don’t want that…” She backed up, yanking off her black tank top to reveal she wasn’t wearing a bra, and he saw those tattoos spiraling up either the side of her body. Dammit. He wanted her even more, something he hadn’t thought possible.

He groaned, watching her hips undulate as she brought her pants down. She backed all the way to his bed, slinking onto her back and holding out her hand for him. Ash pulled off his shirt and shrugged out of his pants in record time. But there was such fire in her eyes, he couldn’t finish undressing either of them. He had to have his lips on her.

Ash placed a kiss on the edge of one tattoo and made his way up the side of her body, loving her shuddering sighs as he did.

“Oh, Ash,” she whispered, letting her legs slip apart to welcome him between them. His boxer-clad erection rubbed against her wet panties, and Helena gasped so loud, he wanted to keep doing it just to hear that sound again.

But he couldn’t. He needed to be inside her.

Ash climbed down her body, kissing as he went, and pulled her panties down, heading straight for her clitoris. He had Googled this shit yesterday. Spreading her lips apart, he found the plump little bud, just like the Men’s Health article had said he would. Her entire body tensed and she cried out.

Bingo.

He’d done a lot of oral sex in the past with a wink and a prayer, having learned enough from conversations with his friends to be passably good. But he knew that the more aroused she was, the more likely she would have an orgasm with him inside her, and that was happening. Dammit. Right now.

Ash lapped at her little bud with gentle strokes, sliding one finger inside her and stroking her. Helena’s hands were in his hair, and she was curling up on herself, trying to move him. He let her guide his tongue exactly where she wanted it, and when he reached that spot, she screamed. Not an orgasm yet, but a cry of pure pleasure.

He smiled up at her, watching her eyes roll back in her head. Oh, yeah. That’s it.

These dudes at Men’s Health. They knew their shit.

He varied the movements of his tongue, first on one side of the little, erect bundle of nerves, and then on the other. He tried harder pressure and she wheezed out his name, then he backed off, giving her room to build a little.

“Please, Ash,” she panted, pulling on the ends of his hair. “I need you to be inside me. I need it now.”

“Anything for the lady,” he said with a smile, kissing his way back up her body, but she pulled him up so fast, and took his lips in such a ferocious kiss, it made him impossibly harder. He shimmied out of his boxers and reached over into his nightstand drawer.

She stopped his hand, meeting his eyes. “I don’t want you to use a condom, Ash. I need to feel you. All of you.”

He smiled and kissed her forehead, continuing his reach. “That’s not what I’m reaching for, babe.”

Her shock was visible, like she expected him to get out a toy or something. But no. Just something every dude kept by his bed. He squirted some lube into his hand and knelt over her, wiping the lube all over the head of his now-rock-hard dick. Her eyes on his cock just about made him come right then and there, but he was so careful not to apply too much pressure. This was for her. Just on the end.

Ash held himself as he guided his erection toward her entrance. He paused to rub his dick on her clitoris, giving the little bud some of the safe lubricant.

“Aaahhhhh,” she gasped, grabbing his shoulders. “Babe, what are you doing?”

“Trust me,” he said, slowly. “I want you to come while I’m inside you. This is how.”

“Ash,” she groaned, as he slid to the hilt into her wet heat. “Oh, fuck.”

The sound of that crude word on her lips threatened to drive him to the edge—and over it—and he hadn’t even managed a full stroke yet. He dragged his pelvis forward, grinding against her clitoris, and he felt her insides coil up, like she was on the precipice of something incredible.

So he pulled back, stroking into her tightness with short thrusts, trying to keep her on the edge.

“I take it you like that,” he whispered against her neck, and she shuddered his name on a broken breath. She was feeling such intense pleasure, it made her wordless—and he could feel her pleasure and his. Fuck. So hot. His balls tightened.

“Oh, Ash,” she breathed out again. “I’m going to come.”

“Yes, you are.” He thrust deep into her, hard and fast, dragging himself up on his elbows so he could make more pelvic contact with her enflamed little clit. She panted—actually fuckin’ panted—his name, and that sent him over the edge.

He kissed her throat, stroking deep, and whispered, “Now, come for me, my girl.”

Her breath hitched, and she screamed, the most breathy, sensual scream he could have imagined. He released himself into her, pouring his hot seed as deep as he could thrust. Wanting to give her everything. She tightened around him and he lost his ability to think or move. This woman. She was his everything.

Ash collapsed on top of her, continuing to drag himself against her clitoris. He wanted her to keep coming. Wanted her never to forget this moment. Because he wouldn’t.

Her hips gyrated against his, and he felt aftershocks continue to pull at her. Her orgasm was so different from his, but so powerful. Feeling them both together just about made him pass out.

“God, woman,” he whispered against her neck, frozen. “I love you.”

“I love you, Ash.” She tightened her legs around his hips and his heart felt like it would burn straight through him, into her, and into the earth. She loved him. She wanted him more than anything else. He could feel the truth of it.

She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. He breathed against the skin of her neck, and she planted an open-mouthed kiss on him. He couldn’t quite catch his breath.

“That was some good Googling,” he groaned. “Right?”

“Oh, is that what they call it?”

He chuckled, still not able to breathe normal. “The research, woman. Google.”

“Ask me how much I love it that you Googled how to give me an orgasm like that,” she said in a low voice, the edge of tears in her tone.

Ash gathered all his energy and pulled back to look in her eyes. There were tears there. He rolled to one side so he could meet her gaze without having to use any of his muscles—he still wasn’t there yet.

“How much do you love it?”

She bit her lip, a tear coming down the side of her cheek. “There are no words, Ash. I’ve never felt anything like that before. Having you inside me, feeling what you were feeling, and coming with you, it was…”

“Okay, you know I’m not going to be able to have sex again for at least half an hour, right? Because if you keep talking like that...”

“Oh…” Her eyes went wide. “You like sexy talk?”

“Talk dirty to me, any minute of any day,” he said with a laugh. “Honestly, I just like your voice. You could read me your shopping list, and I’m pretty sure I’d want to have sex with you.”

“Even if my shopping list is boring? Like oranges—”

“Boob-shaped…”

“And zucchini—”

“Dick-shaped…”

“And bananas—”

“Guuuuuuuurl,” he begged, latching his lips onto her neck. “You are driving me cray-zay. And now I’m imagining all the sexual things I can do to you with vegetables. There’s a list for ya.”

She giggled and settled against his chest, rolling him onto his back. “I’d much rather have you than any food.”

“Helena,” he scolded, but she just laughed harder, sliding her hands down his sides and resting them on his hips while she straddled him. Her weight on top of him was heaven.

“Seriously,” she said, pulling back to look into his eyes. “That was the most incredible experience of my life. And the fact that you did research for me is so damn hot.” There was so much emotion behind her gaze. So much devotion. Desire. And he could feel all of it. Incredible.

“Well, let me tell you, there were a lot of articles on the subject, so we’re going to have to try some of those, too…”

Helena’s amber eyes lit up and she leaned on one elbow. “Like what? What are you gonna do to me?”

A sudden knock on the door split their romantic moment in half. Who the hell is in the house?

Ash whipped Helena over onto her other side so he was between her and the door. His protective hackles went up. “Who is it?” he called out.

“It’s your damn sister,” came Lisa’s voice. “Are you having sex in that room? And I swear to you, if you’re not in there with the woman you spent all day moping about, I’m going to krav maga your ass into the ground.”

Ash pulled on his boxers, laughing, and made sure Helena was covered up before he opened the door.

“Oh, thank God!” Lisa’s smile was big and genuine, and she stayed out in the hall like an actual sane person. “I was seriously gonna beat on you if you’d let her go.”

He stared back at his mate, all curled up in her post-coital bliss. He smiled. “I’m never gonna let her go.”