I collapsed against my seat and slammed the door closed. Rain thrummed against the roof of my car. Again, I was sitting behind the wheel with decisions whirling in my head.

I’d walked away from him a few nights ago.

Okay, ran. I wasn’t proud of it, but my self-preservation instincts had been in full effect. And I’d been able to ignore him for the last few days. Moving out of my house and into Sage’s apartment had taken up some time. Falling on my face in exhaustion had been the only way to survive after Sunday.

Now I was right here again. Choices had been made. Panties had been surrendered.

I bounced my head against my headrest. I hadn’t even blinked, just forked them over.

I wasn’t that girl, dammit.

Or maybe I was.

I squirmed in my seat as rain and my own slickness soaked my dress and coated my inner thighs. The rain had activated the dryer crystals I’d splurged on and my entire car smelled like wet springtime and a hint of sex.

Harbingers of the night to come?

He’d promised to make me beg. And sweet Jesus, I believed him.

The pocket of my denim jacket buzzed against the side of my breast. I hissed out a breath and fumbled it out.

Just a single number.

Seventeen.

Was it wrong that Winger immediately popped into my head? And right now, I felt like an illicit seventeen-year-old girl making crazy decisions. Of course, things would have been a lot easier if I had lost my virginity at seventeen like most of the girls I’d known in high school.

But no, had to tack on another decade for me. Late bloomer times one thousand.

A second later, another text came through.

Countdown begins.

Trumpets were blaring in my brain. Europe’s “The Final Countdown” was on repeat. God, I needed to get a grip.

I curled my fingers around my phone and stuffed it back into my pocket. I couldn’t even come up with a pithy reply. All we did was swap barbs. That was what we did. And all I could think of replying was…

Okay.

Yeah, not even close to worldly. Just dumb. So I didn’t reply at all. Part of me wanted to race inside and get it over with.

I hadn’t been lying when I’d said that to him.

As insane as it would be to do this with Seth, I was so damn overdue that my ovaries and hormones would officially go on strike if I said no to this opportunity. I had a feeling my sanity would be added to that list as well.

I shouldered the door open and winced at the grinding metal on metal action of the hinge. Time to oil that one up again. I needed to make this car last a little longer.

The winters were rough on cars in this area of New York. Snow and salt were as stubborn and bitchy as my boss, Mitch.

And I was officially stalling in the worst way possible.

My phone buzzed again.

You’re dangerously close to being carried in here, damn the consequences.

Yeah, no. That wouldn’t do. I could walk—well, drive. I could just turn over the engine and drive home. He wouldn’t follow.

Maybe.

The heat in his eyes had been as thrilling as it was terrifying. There was no turning back on tonight. Honestly, there’d been no turning back for me the moment he’d let me know he was interested in seeing me naked—babymaking or not.

I dashed out into the night and headed for the front door. I couldn’t get in the side entrance since I didn’t have a card key. Evidently, I hadn’t thought this out very well.

I kept my head down and skirted around the edges of the lobby. My hair hung in wet, ropy ringlets down my back. Not an inch of me was dry.

And I do mean not an inch.

At any second, it felt like everyone in the room would be able to tell I was sans underwear. The cute yellow dress had been a nice idea when I’d left the house, but now it was the consistency of damp tissue paper.

Good thing I’d made sure all the important parts were nice and tidy.

God, what a thought. Could people see my little landing strip through the skirt of my dress?

Would Seth when I went upstairs?

I dragged the edges of my jacket together to cover up my nipples, which were definitely on display. I’d worn a sheer bra so it wouldn’t show through the summery dress. Mistakes firing every-damn-where tonight.

I glanced up to get my bearings and the woman behind the counter made eye contact with me. I couldn’t remember her name, but she’d been in the diner. Everyone in the damn town had been in the diner at one time or three.

Fuck.

Quickly, I looked away and sprinted for the elevator, holding my skirt down with the other hand as I darted through the doors.

I slapped the button for the second floor, desperately happy there was no one else in the elevator. I should have taken the stairs, but the possibility that my ass could be on display if my skirt flared up had nixed that idea before I could even slot it in my brain.

The doors opened onto the ornate floor. The hotel was high-end with an ornate brocade runner over a finely stitched ruby carpet. The walls were a textured cream with paintings and sconces giving it a rich, old world feel.

Rich was the name of the game. New England money with a side of stately age.

Outside my comfort zone by miles. Hell, again this one could be measured by galaxies. All of this was Seth’s life, not mine.

Even his booty call couldn’t be normal.

Thankfully, the hallway was empty and quiet. I sure as hell hoped it was soundproofed to go with the fancy-ass decor. I glanced at my watch.

Evidently, I would have some begging to do.

Why did I find that so hot?

The feminist residing in my chest should have been appalled. Or maybe she’d request equal rights all around.

A little tit-for-tat on the begging. He could start.

Maybe.

Oh, who was I kidding? I would be the one standing there like a deer in headlights, praying he wouldn’t figure out just how much I sucked at this.

A fumbling accidental orgasm when I was nineteen was as close to experience as I had. And when I said accidental, it was the God’s honest truth.

Enough friction could eventually give anyone an orgasm, even if it was a depressing and awkward trip to the finish line. It wasn’t Craig Kimmel’s fault—well, not entirely. We’d just had no chemistry.

I couldn’t say the same about Seth. I’d felt the pull the very first day I’d laid eyes on him. Me making a mad dash for class and him amused at my graceless entry.

I wasn’t sure when I’d been slotted as the best friend. Maybe it had been that first day we’d met when I’d been wearing a shapeless sweatshirt over my pajama top and he’d instinctively saved me from a tardy slip on the second day of the school year.

Or maybe it had been when I’d laughed at him for checking out the chick in front of him as if her boobs were mana from heaven.

All I knew was I’d never had a chance before now.

And it was both hilarious and terrifying. I just wasn’t sure which one was going to win out.

I slowly crept down the hall as the numbers increased. Seventeen was at the end of the hall. A suite, I’d guess, with a huge bed with sumptuous sheets and class. And I was a drowned rat on her way to get laid.

A testament of my life to date.

Before I could lift my hand to knock on the door, it flew open and Seth reached out to drag me into the suite. Good guess there. Everything was as high-end as the hallway, but right now, I didn’t care.

Right now, there was only him and me and a flashing need in his eyes that mirrored my own. His gaze dropped to my dress and the naked excitement went dark as his brows lowered.

I looked down at myself. In the brightly lit living space, there was no denying the see-through nature of my dress was even worse than I’d feared. My nipples pushed at the thin material of my bra and right on through to the cotton dress.

“You walked through the hotel like this?”

I lifted my chin. “Someone kept me out in the rain.”

He stalked to me and dragged my denim jacket off. My skin instantly flooded with chill-bumps, making my nipples even tighter.

His hands fisted at his sides and the muscle in his jaw pulsed. Didn’t he like what he saw?

I crossed my arms over my breasts, but he pulled them back to my sides. “No, don’t cover yourself.”

“Then why do you look like you’re about to go all T-Rex at the end of Jurassic Park?” My question became more a squeak when he spun me around to look at the back.

“Jesus fuck.” He fell to his knees and I yelped as his fingers raked up the outside of my thighs. “This perfect ass was on complete display to everyone?”

I tried to turn around, but he held me still. “Well, someone demanded my panties.” The reply ended in a growl of exasperation. I didn’t understand him at all.

My skirt rose as his touch grew bolder. When the cool air of the room hit my over-sensitized flesh, I had to bite back a whole different kind of growl.

His fingers went from my thighs to the heavy curve of my ass. He lifted my dress higher and I tried to move away from him.

“I know I’m not perfect.”

His grip intensified as his tongue flicked over the crease where my butt met thigh. I wobbled on my feet, but he held me still. “This ass is perfection.” He filled his hands and I wanted to die.

I could only imagine how much flesh overflowed even his big hands. No matter how much running around I did, I had a butt for days. Probably because of my deep and abiding love for ice cream.

Living over an ice cream parlor definitely wasn’t helping my affliction.

“Open your legs, Al.”

“Seth, I don’t need all this. I’m totally a sure thing.”

“Then open your fucking legs.”

My boots thudded on the carpet as I widened my stance. I felt ridiculous. On display in a way I’d never imagined.

He bunched up my skirt and maneuvered me until I was actually sticking out my ass. Before I could slap his hands away and smack him for being so ridiculous, his warm, wet tongue slid between my thighs and along my dripping pussy.

The little squeak became a moan as I dragged in all available oxygen in the room. I had no choice but to bend my knees or I’d topple onto my face.

He didn’t let up. Didn’t give an inch.

Or rather he gave me a lot more that I thought was possible with just his tongue and lips. He curled inside of me and carved out every space, every drop of wetness and I lost my balance as the room fuzzed.

I grabbed for something and found his wrist. He held my ass apart to get deeper. Leaving no part of me untouched. I didn’t have time to be embarrassed.

There was nothing but his tongue and his hands, holding me open.

I gripped his wrist and his hand turned to lock onto my arm, then he did the same with the other until I was tethered to him. I should have had control at that point, but there was no controlling this man. There was only surviving.

And I wasn’t entirely sure that was possible. His devil of a tongue slid between my folds and up to my clit then back until I was a mess.

God, I didn’t have any resistance to this insidious level of seduction. He played my body like he played his piano late at night when he’d had too many glasses of whiskey.

He let one of my hands go and slowly slipped a finger inside of me.

I purred out his name and my body went tighter and tighter in reaction to his invasion. I was helpless against his mouth and the pressure of the pads of his fingers at my clit.

The first orgasm sucker-punched me. Somehow I didn’t even realize I’d coasted up and through the teasing and into the victory circle. My thighs shook and my scream ended in his name.

“Fuck, you’re so damn tight.” He pushed a second finger inside me and I arched to get away from him. My body was too sensitive as I soared and crashed in the space of thirty seconds.

“That’s it, baby. Give me everything.”

I tried to curl into myself, but he wouldn’t let me go. My knees trembled and the heel of my boot tapped out the little aftershocks as my body tried to process this level of stimuli.

He stood up and buried his face in my neck as he turned his hand and fucked me with his fingers. I cried out as the pleasure twisted into pain. “Seth, wait.”

He paused. “I’m sorry. Was I too rough? You soaked my face, so I thought you were with me.” He made sweet hushing sounds against my ear. “I’m sorry. I got too into it.”

I breathed through the invasion of just two of his thick fingers. How the hell was I going to take his cock?

God, I was so over my head.

“Don’t tense up.” He wrapped his other arm around my waist and fit his cock against my ass. “You’re perfect. We’re so good together, can’t you feel it?”

I nodded, but I couldn’t think around the invasion of his fingers.

He pulled out of me and went to my clit. “Sweet little circles until you’re ready for me. I want inside you so bad I can’t think straight, but I can wait. I’ve waited this long, right?” He laughed against my neck and I wanted to weep in reaction.

My stupid virginity was going to ruin everything.

“Where did you go?”

“Never mind.”

His eyebrows snapped down and he pulled his fingers from between my thighs before turning me toward him. “No, not never mind. No matter how much I want you, if it’s too soon, I’ll survive. I promise.”

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around his neck. “No. I want this more than you could ever know.”

His fingers dug into my hips. “Thank God.”

I stared at his chin and traced the bristles of his scruffy face. My fingertips went farther down to his neck, where his Adam’s apple jumped under my touch.

The vibration of his growl made my skin prickle. Somehow I’d thought I could just walk in and make this work. It wasn’t as if I was a complete novice about sex. I hadn’t actually had it, but I was a woman with needs. Some nights the only way I’d gotten to sleep with the stress and frustration of my life was to take care of myself.

But I’d been deluding myself that it compared to reality in any way.

He lowered his face until our gazes collided. “What?”

“I…”

“You…what?” He laughed. “You can tell me anything. You know that.” His dark brows pinched together. “Has someone hurt you?”

“No! Oh, God, no.” I blew out a breath. I was doing this all wrong. I slid out of his arms and paced the wide living space. “It’s not that. In fact, quite the opposite.”

He tunneled his fingers through his hair and gripped the back of his neck. His anger and heat had ignited a dangerous prickle of excitement in my bloodstream. That he’d been so upset on my behalf was only one of the reasons I was so head over heels about this idiot. “What does that mean?”

As a hint of something I couldn’t read filled his eyes, suddenly it was Seth who was pacing the length of the room.

He tugged the tails of his shirt out of his jeans. “You aren’t telling me what I think you’re telling me.”

I pushed a wild curl out of my face. My hair was finally drying and my curls were a little intense, thanks to the rain. “I mean, I know it’s crazy, but look at it from my point of view. I’m always working, or I was always taking care of my mom. I didn’t really have much time to date.”

I couldn’t spit out the word. I knew he needed it, but I just couldn’t get it off my tongue. I blocked him from making another path across the Aubusson carpet.

“Seth.”

“No. Don’t you ‘Seth’ me.” He grabbed me by the upper arms and lifted me onto my toes. “You spit it out right now.”

“I’ve sort of never done this with a person before.”

He dropped me back onto my feet and staggered back as he jammed his fingers into his hair. He pulled until his thick near-black hair was as wild as mine. “No one has ever been inside you?”

I winced. It was kind of crazy when he put it like that. And I felt even more stupid. I folded my arms over my chest. “It’s not a big deal.”

He crossed to me and lifted me up, then crushed his mouth to mine.

Well, okay then. Guess that talk was over.

He curled my legs around his hips and walked me through the suite and kicked open the door to the bedroom. He set me on my feet at the end of the bed and lifted my dress over my head before I could say another word.

I crossed my arms over my chest again instinctively. My boobs were too big and my ass too shapely. I’d gotten my hourglass figure from someone in my family. My mother had been slight for as long as I could remember, but there were pictures.

Ones with her smiling on the shore of Crescent Cove in a bikini. We could have been twins once upon a time.

He pulled my arms away. “No one has ever touched you here?” He skimmed the back of his hand along the swells of my breasts. The bra was too flimsy to really hold me in, but it went with the dress. And like the dress, the sheer factor was very in his face at the moment. He circled his fingertip around my nipple. “No one has sucked on these?”

I swallowed as I swayed on my feet. “I’m not a complete nun.”

He peeled back the nude colored nylon and hissed. “Did he know to touch you like this?” He tugged my nipple with his first two fingers until the skin stretched a twinge past pleasure into pain before he let it go.

My nipple tightened even more and the quick rush of blood under the dark rose flesh made me gasp. “No.”

He reached around me and unsnapped the bra and eased it over my shoulders, then set it with my dress on the chair in the corner. He lifted each of my breasts until they filled his hands, and my nipples were trapped by his thumb and forefinger.

“No one has ever taken the time to find out just what you need?”

I tipped my head back and fought against the quick rush of tears that had come out of nowhere. “No,” I said brokenly.

“I will. I’ll make sure I know every inch of your precious body.”

He released one of my breasts and his hand slid lower. He coasted over my waist to the soft skin just above my slit. “And no one has been here?”

I shook my head. “Just me.”

His nostrils flared. “At night? In the dark?”

I swallowed. “Not often, but sometimes when the loneliness was too much.”

“Show me.”

I shook my head.

“Show me,” he said more forcefully. “I want to make sure I’m doing it right.”

“You are.” My lower lip trembled. “Everything has been right.”

“I was too rough.”

“No. I just wasn’t ready.”

He led my hand to my pussy and made small circles. My cheeks burned at just how wet I was. No, definitely not like when I touched myself. I was fuller and more swollen. My body had reacted to the differences and made room for my fingers and his as I gasped.

“Like that?” His voice was like gravel and his eyes were a touch wild, along with being kind.

I didn’t really want kind. I wanted the Seth who couldn’t wait to get his hands on me. I wanted the man who was so hot for me he couldn’t wait to touch me.

Hesitance was the last thing I wanted.

I slid my fingers out from under his and held him to my entrance. “You know what I need. I need you to trust that. I trust you with this.” I lifted trembling fingers to the buttons of his shirt. “I trust you with me.”

Swallowing hard, I pushed his shirt open and over his shoulders. We struggled with his cuffs and finally he was as bare as me from the waist up. I took a tentative step closer to him and had to take a slow breath when my breasts touched his chest. The soft hairs along his abs felt different than the more wiry ones between his pecs. Both of them were rather glorious.

I chased the wonder and hoped it would lead me away from the nerves multiplying in my belly and brain. I wanted this with everything inside of me. Even knowing things would change between on us on a fundamental level, I couldn’t turn away from him any longer.

He kicked off his shoes and I did the same with my boots. His pants hit the floor next and we stood in front of each other nearly naked.

Me, completely, but I was sort of glad he’d left on his black boxer briefs. I wasn’t sure I was ready to see just what my choices had led me to.

Especially with the bulge tenting under the snug cotton.

I lifted a shaking hand to his shoulder and he swept me up into his arms and deposited me on the mattress. “We’re going to take this as slow as you need to, all right?”

“What if I want fast?” I scuttled toward the head of the bed.

He grabbed my ankle and widened my legs before fitting his shoulders between my thighs. “Oh, there’s no way we’re going fast.” He grinned up at me and I was relieved to see the thrill in his eyes again.

Challenge accepted.

I could see the change building inside of him. I was pretty sure I was in a lot of damn trouble.

When he lowered his head and slipped two fingers along my slit, I fell back against the pillows with a groan.

He looked up from between my thighs. “Let’s just make sure you’re ready for me. Now that I know I need to be a little more careful.”

“Not too careful.”

“It’s not supposed to hurt.”

“How many virgins have you deflowered, buddy?”

He twirled his tongue around my clit. “Just one.”

When I tensed, he grinned. “This one.”

“Oh.”

“So it’s technically a first time for both of us.” He rolled his hips into the mattress and I was suddenly very jealous of the high thread count sheets and his cotton underwear.

I wanted him to roll those hips against me, dammit.

“I’m a big guy. I’m used to having to get a woman ready for me.”

“Oh, that’s very kind of you.”

He grinned then dragged the flat of his tongue over my center. “Jealous?”

“How would you like it if I was talking about another cock inside me right now?”

His nostrils flared again. “I’ll be the only one inside this pussy from now on.”

“You don’t own me or my pussy.”

He dragged in a breath and slipped those two fingers in farther. I arched under him and groaned when he stretched me further. He went at my clit like a man possessed. I slapped the mattress and bowed up and pushed pillows out of the way as he drove me up and through another orgasm.

Not sweetly.

No, I’d asked for the sweet Seth to step aside and it seemed like that was exactly what I was getting.

Part of me wanted to tweak the demon out again, but I couldn’t quite breathe yet. The lights of the bedroom were sparking and my thighs wouldn’t stop quivering.

“Mine,” he muttered and went in for another round

I was weak and my elbow collapsed beneath me as I giggled my way through the band of hysteria around my chest. How many orgasms were too many?

He blew over my clit and I shuddered and tried to roll away from him. “Seth, please.”

“I like when you say that word.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

He inched up my body finally and settled his hips between my thighs. He pressed his cock against my pussy and I cried out. Christ, I might just come from that little touch.

Every nerve ending was firing and my synapses had crossed and recrossed until I was so wrung out, I was ready to flip him over and take care of things myself.

Too bad he was so goddamn tall. And the endless flexing muscles of his shoulders and thighs were deceptively heavy.

A perfect kind of heavy.

One I could become addicted to.

No. Don’t go there, girl.

I sifted my fingers through his sweaty hair and gave him a long lazy kiss. He groaned against my lips and his hips shifted. God, yes. Finally.

“I need you inside me.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“It’s not like you have a damn python in your pants.” I stroked my fingers down the intricate tattoo along his left arm. I rarely got to see it since he was almost always dressed for business, but the white snow leopard was stunning. Using his skin tone and a deft hand, the artist had created a stunning animal that climbed up his arm and over part of his shoulder. I leaned over and licked the muscles that twitched and flowed under the art.

The cat’s blue eyes were sharp and assessing, and the claws and jaw were in mid-attack. Just like him. Sleek and panther-like, with a bite that could surprise you when you weren’t paying attention.

He finally lowered his boxer briefs and butted the head of his cock along my pussy. He leaned down and tugged at my lower lip. “Someday I want to watch these full lips widen around me. Take me deep.”

I swallowed a shuddering breath. I wanted that too. I wanted everything.

He reached for the bedside table and a black wrapper sitting on the corner.

My eyebrows shot up. Everyone, even a virgin, knew what a black labeled condom meant. He slid the length of his cock along the outside of my lips until the flared head rested right above my slit.

Good grief, he wasn’t being boastful with the Magnum condom.

I was a dead woman.

He leaned back until he was kneeling between my legs and I was suddenly worried that maybe I really wasn’t ready for this. As he rolled the condom over his length, the almost angry hue of his cock made me wonder just how on edge he really was.

I looked a little closer at his face. Because, seriously, I needed to not look at that monster between his damn legs. Sweet merciful heaven. There was a tension around his eyes and his lips were pinched. He’d been giving me the royal treatment to make sure this night was amazing for me.

Now I’d have to figure out how to give some of that back.

I reached up to cover his hand at the base of his cock and pulled him back down over me. The tension I’d been trying to avoid suddenly didn’t seem to so overwhelming. I guided him between my legs and he slowly slid inside. My body was never going to be ready for him, not to this level.

Not until he stretched me and made me his.

He paused and blew out a slow breath. I reached around him and gripped his ass to pull him deeper.

“Ally—” But he groaned and his head tipped back. His neck rippled with each swallow and the tendons raised in reaction.

I let out my own slow breath as I took him deeper, stretching, opening. But then he was just mine.

Just everything.

I wrapped myself around him and my hips lifted to meet him as he slowly withdrew and pushed forward. “God,” he muttered against my neck.

I tightened my grip around his shoulders and my legs around his hips until we were moving as one. I wanted more. I wanted it harder. Some part of me was craving the stretch, but he kept each stroke measured.

He reached between us and suddenly, with a few flicks of his talented fingers, he tripped me back into the whirling pleasure. He’d truly primed me for this moment. He pumped inside of me a few more times, his rough movements just what I needed, and I cried out.

I wasn’t ready to be done. But the orgasm slammed into me just the same, and the chain reaction seemed to pull him under too.

My name was a prayer on his tongue as he kissed me through the end of his release. I encircled his shoulders and held on as he shook over me, and there was an overwhelming sense of peace that flowed through his muscles.

He rolled off of me and disposed of the condom with tissues from the bedside table. His eyes were so heavy, I wasn’t sure he was actually still awake.

When he rolled me under him and threw a thigh over me, I knew he was half asleep. The actual confirmation came a moment later when he softly snored in my ear.

“Seriously?”

I tried to move him, but I was utterly pinned.

Afterglow, my ass. He had literally tapped out.