Cadence watched Jameson, biting her lip. Lip biting was a habit she’d had since she was a kid, and she hadn’t been able to break it yet, although she tried. Lord, did she ever try. Winston sure did his best to beat it out of her. But she never was able to break the habit.

“I’m sorry for freaking out on you earlier.”

His expression softened as he gazed at her, his blue eyes warm. “It’s completely understandable. I may not know what you went through, but I’ve known you had something troubling in your past since I met you. I didn’t expect this to be easy, sweetheart. Nothing worth having is.”

She flushed, desire roaring back to life inside her. He hadn’t meant that last part in a sexual way. She knew that, though she wasn’t sure she wanted to examine just how he meant it. But it made her wonder if knowing she used to be a stripper changed things for him. She didn’t think so, since he’d known for a bit, but still—she wanted to know for sure. And the only way to know was to ask.

“Does knowing I stripped for a living make you view me differently?”

His eyebrows shot up, and he studied her intently as they furrowed. Moving oh so slowly, he took another couple of steps forward, coming close. “Hell no, Cady. Not at all. I want you just as much as I did when I first met you, before I ever knew you used to strip. No, that’s not completely true. I want you more. But it’s not because I know how you used to make your living. It’s because you’re you. I couldn’t care less what you did in your past. I want you more than I want to breathe, sweetheart, and it’s because you’re you.”

Holy hell, what his words did to her. Her heart stopped and then abruptly started again, pounding hard as it raced toward some finish line she wasn’t aware of. Or maybe she knew exactly what finish line it was headed toward, and maybe she wanted to go there, too.

“Can we forget about my freak out earlier?” She swallowed hard as she searched his eyes, but her voice still came out breathy when she spoke again. “Maybe pick up where we left off?”

His eyes widened, heat immediately flaring to life in the blue depth. “Are you sure?”

“More sure than I think I’ve ever been about anything.”

Deciding to show him, she walked to the stairs and started climbing them. Halfway up, she turned to look at him. He was still on the first floor, seemingly stunned to stillness.

“You coming?”

Her words seemed to shake him out of the daze he was in, and he smiled as he went to the stairs, taking them two at a time. “Hell yeah.”

Giggling—when was the last time she giggled, for crying out loud—she went the rest of the way up. He reached the landing right after her, and she turned to look at him, her breath catching painfully in her chest. There was a window at the end of the hall, and moonlight was filtering in from it. Even in the limited lighting, he looked beyond gorgeous, and she was still a little in awe that a man like him wanted her.

“Are you still sure about this?” he asked, his voice husky.

“Hell yeah, I’m sure. Your room or mine?”

He laughed, the skin around his eyes crinkling. “Mine. I’ve been imaging you in my bed for what feels like forever. But I just want you to know, any time you don’t feel comfortable, or want to call a halt to this, we can, okay? I promise I won’t get mad.”

Warmth suffused her at his words and the sincerity in his voice, and she knew then she was right about him. He was probably the best man she’d ever met.

She smiled slowly at him and grabbed his hand, threading their fingers together. “That’s very nice to know, but trust me, I won’t be trying to stop this. So, your room? Lead the way.”

Smiling, he leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose before leading her to a room at the end of the hallway. He led her inside the large space—it was clearly the master bedroom—but she didn’t get a chance to look around. The moment they were inside, he shut the door and took her face in his hands, kissing her with an intensity that left her breathless.

Her hands came up to grasp his wrists, but she wasn’t trying to stop him. She was trying to find an anchor, to center herself as her body leapt to life. But if she thought touching him further was going to calm her down, she was sorely mistaken. It only amped up her need, the delicious feelings that were swirling inside her.

They kissed for what felt like forever, and then his hands eased down her body slowly, caressing her, and she thought she was surely going to combust soon. And he wasn’t even touching her skin to skin. She’d probably fall into a dead faint when he finally did.

He nipped at her bottom lip once, twice, then slid his mouth to her ear. Giving her bitey little kisses, he trailed his mouth down her neck as his hands reached the hem of her shirt. Easing them inside, he touched the skin on her back, and she moaned.

She couldn’t help it. His skin against hers felt divine, and even though he was only touching her back, it was insanely pleasurable.

Pulling away, he met her eyes as he rubbed her back, the slightly rough texture of his hands feeling like heaven. It nearly made her swoon, which meant when he started touching more of her, like her breasts and her center, she probably would swoon. She’d just be a boneless heap on the floor at his feet.

“I’m about to take your shirt off, sweetheart. And I wanted to reassure you that I’m not a pregnant woman chaser, by any means. But I want to see your belly. I want to touch it, kiss it, maybe, if I’m lucky, feel the baby move. I know it makes little sense, because we haven’t known each other long, but I care for that little girl already. So, if you don’t want me to do any of that, tell me now.”

There was a tiny voice inside her whispering that his words were weird. That no man ever felt that way, especially for a child who wasn’t his. Hell, most men, in her experience, didn’t feel like that for babies who were theirs.

But the men in her life had basically been the worst of their kind. And she’d already established that Jameson was so different than how she thought any man could be. Before meeting him, if she dreamed up her perfect man, he would still fall far short of Jameson.

And she couldn’t deny that she loved how invested he seemed in her pregnancy, in her baby. It made her feel safe.

So if her smile was a little misty, who could blame her? She nodded at him, trying to find her voice. “It’s fine with me.”

Eyes warming, he leaned down and kissed her again, dueling his tongue with hers. She was instantly swept away, her middle clenching deliciously, as she kissed him back. She was so consumed by it that she didn’t even notice he was pulling her shirt off until he broke away to take it completely off her.

He dropped it on the floor beside them, his eyes zeroing in on her chest. She was wearing a pale pink lacy bra, and her breasts, already large, had begun to swell with her pregnancy, spilling over the top of her bra a bit. When he glanced back up into her eyes, his were glazed over, and she smiled at the dazed look in them.

“Fuck, you’re gorgeous, Cady.” His hands came up and cupped her breasts, and she moaned, surprised at how sensitive they were. “They’re so full.”

“They’re fake,” she blurted, instantly turning red. Now why the hell had she felt the need to tell him that? And now, of all times?

His eyebrows shot up as his hands froze, startled. “What?”

Shit, shit, shit. Why couldn’t she just keep her big mouth shut? Sighing as he pulled his hands away and arched an eyebrow at her, she decided there was nothing to do but tell him.

“My breasts were always on the fuller size, and I thought they were fine. Certainly more than enough for the Peach, the first club I worked at. But then I got the job at Silk. It was very exclusive, with rich patrons. Getting a job there was basically a miracle. The owner said I needed my breasts enhanced, that his clientele expected only the best. He said he’d pay for the surgery, as long as I agreed to work at Silk for a minimum of two years. It was basically agree or go back to working at the Peach.

“I really wanted the job at Silk. It was a much classier place, a thousand times better than the Peach, and I needed the pay increase. So I agreed, but I made sure the enhancement wasn’t much. I went from a D cup to a DD. I might be a little bigger now, though. Pregnancy has made them bigger, and it’ll be even more noticeable at the end.”

He didn’t say anything at first, just stared at her, his gaze darting from her chest back to her eyes. She couldn’t for the life of her figure out what he was thinking, and she waited anxiously for him to speak.

Clearing his throat, he finally put her out of her misery. “I think you’re gorgeous no matter what your breast size is. Big or small, I would have said the same thing.” Lifting his hand, his finger touched her shoulder, lightly sliding against her skin, under her clavicle, the tops of her breasts, to her other shoulder. “These freckles fucking get me hard, though. More than your breast size. I love that you have them here, too.”

Surprised, her eyebrows rose as she glanced down. “Really? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who likes them. The makeup I wore tonight? It’s stage makeup, and when I danced, I had to cover these freckles up too, along with the ones on my face.”

“That’s a fucking shame,” he murmured, shaking his head. “I don’t understand people sometimes.”

He leaned down, and she sucked in a breath as his lips touched her skin. He trailed them over the same path his finger took, worshipping her. And her freckles. Was she in an alternate universe? It felt like it.

She was breathing heavily by the time he finished, her nerve endings lit up and the ache in her core turning painful. She started to reach for him, but paused when his eyes dropped to her belly. Smiling slowly, he reached out and gently, reverently, caressed the hard swell of her stomach. And this time her breath caught for a completely different reason, emotion clogging her throat and making her eyes sting.

“This is beautiful, as well,” he said softly, meeting her eyes again.

Giving him a trembling smile, she put her hands over his. “Thank you for that. I enjoy the evidence that she’s growing inside me, but I never imagined anyone else would. It’s nice to share it with someone.”

“I definitely enjoy it.”

“Now that we have all that out of the way, can we get to the main attraction?”

He chuckled, but the amusement in his eyes was overshadowed by the desire he felt. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

Reaching behind him, he took hold of his shirt and pulled it over his head, dropping it to the floor next to hers. She’d seen his chest before, and she knew it was worth another look. But she barely got a glimpse as he pulled her forward and covered her mouth with his.

Her desire instantly flamed white-hot and she moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck as he walked her backward toward the bed. When the backs of her legs touched the mattress, she felt him unsnap her bra. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth as he eased back, and released it with a pop as he pulled her bra off and let it fall to the floor.

He let out a strangled curse as he took her in and then he yanked her forward again, kissing her passionately. His warm chest pressed against hers, skin to skin, and it felt nothing short of heavenly. Nothing had ever felt as good, and she thought nothing could top it. And then he slid his hand between their bodies and cupped her breast, his fingers immediately zeroing in on her nipple.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as she moaned, pushing herself into his hand. He rubbed, flicked, took it between his fingers and twisted, and holy shit, she was sensitive as fuck. The sensations were so intense, they were borderline painful, but she didn’t want him to stop. She never wanted him to stop.

Releasing her mouth, he pulled back and started playing with her other nipple. Leaning down in front of the first, he replaced his fingers with his mouth, wrapping his free arm around her waist and supporting her when her knees weakened and she had trouble holding herself up.

Oh fuck, this was delicious. Better than she ever imagined it could be. He kept his mouth gentle, suckling and tonguing her nipple softly, like he sensed she was too sensitive for more. And every pull of his mouth sent a bolt of pleasure through her body, shooting straight for her core. She knew if he touched her there now, she’d be soaking wet. That was the effect he had on her.

Wanting him, deciding to act on it, was the absolute best decision she ever made in her life, hands down. She couldn’t imagine anything feeling as good as this did.

And then he moved his mouth to her other nipple and let his hand trail down over the swell of her belly. He traced the edge of the elastic band of her shorts, and then slid his hand inside those and her panties, cupping her center. She was so wet that his fingers slipped inside without him even trying, and when they brushed her clit, she swore stars danced in her vision.

Okay, she was wrong. There was absolutely something that could feel as good as him playing with her nipples. No, better. This was the most amazing thing she’d ever felt.

Letting her nipple slip from his mouth, he captured her lips again, kissing her fiercely as his fingers played. The sensations were so intense, so overwhelming, that she couldn’t even participate in the kiss. All she could do was clutch his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin.

He circled her clit, moving faster with every pass, and then rubbed directly over it. Holy shit, the rough pads of his fingertips were amazing, sparking sensations inside her she hadn’t known were possible.

He pulled his finger away, and she whimpered against his mouth as he eased back. Hooking his fingers in her waistband, he pulled her shorts and panties down, and she kicked them away as his fingers went straight back to her core.

This time, he rubbed her clit for a moment before moving his fingers down, easing first one, then another, inside her. He slowly pumped them in and out gaining speed as he pressed his palm over her clit, putting much needed pressure on it.

She started to kiss him, and then buried her face in the crook of his neck instead, muffling the loud, uncontrollable moan spilling from her throat. She normally rarely got off, and when she did, it took a lot of work. Work most men weren’t willing to put in.

But he’d only just started, and she was already right on the edge of an orgasm. She just needed something—

Jameson moved his hand, changing the angle of his fingers, at the same time his thumb pressed firmly against her clit. And that was it. She exploded, flying high, so high it scared her.

But this was Jameson. And no matter how high she soared, she knew he’d always be there to catch her when she came back down.

The fear left her at the thought, and she let go, flying high in the heavens—no, higher than even that, up into the galaxy. Her body was convulsing with pleasure, and she had the distant thought that surely she looked like she was having a seizure, but she couldn’t even begin to make herself care about that right now.

The pleasure was so insanely overwhelming that she didn’t have room for any thought at all.

When it finally started easing and she became aware of her surroundings again, she found, to her horror, that she had her teeth planted in Jameson’s shoulder. And she had no idea for how long, or how hard she’d bitten down as her orgasm consumed her.

She immediately released him, horrified by the mark on his skin, the perfect outline of her teeth. “Oh, God, Jamie, I’m so, so fucking sorry.”

He cocked his head, looking confused. “What in the world for?”

Gesturing at his shoulder, she looked at him helplessly. “For biting you. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t even realize I was doing it. I hope it didn’t hurt. What am I saying? Of course it did. It had to, to leave a mark like that.”

He glanced at his shoulder, but she didn’t think he could see it. The angle was all wrong. “There’s nothing to apologize for, sweetheart. I enjoyed it. It barely hurt, and only in the best possible way. I loved it.”

Brow twitching, she searched his swirly blue eyes, but they were open and honest. The concept of enjoying pain was a foreign one to her, but she had to admit—being marked by him, even in a small way like that, would most likely feel amazing.

Not that she ever wanted to find out for sure.

“In that case, let’s continue, shall we?” she asked with a smile.

Turning, she started to climb into bed and then froze when she heard his swiftly inhaled breath. She felt him gently touch his finger to a few spots on her back and hips, and she closed her eyes. Fuck. She forgot all about that shit. She couldn’t believe she had. It was always in the back of her mind, but she hadn’t once thought of it tonight. If she had, she would have insisted on keeping her shirt on, maybe having them both under the covers as soon as her clothes were off. Or even before. She could undress while under the covers.

When he spoke, his voice was full of barely leashed fury, and she flinched. Not at him—never at him. She wasn’t at all scared of him, but he was so very obviously furious, and she hated it. If only she’d been thinking clearly, she could have maybe kept him from seeing them at all.

“What the fuck is this, Cadence? The scars look like burn marks. Like cigarette burns, only bigger.”

“They’re from a cigar. And no, I don’t want to talk about it. Not now, and maybe never.”

“Cady—”

Turning, she shook her head adamantly. “No. If you can’t accept that, or if the scars disgust you or turn you off, then we should stop. And I won’t be mad, I promise. I know they’re ugly. It’s okay. I’ll understand.”

No, she wouldn’t be upset or mad. But she couldn’t deny, if he decided he didn’t want her because of them, that she’d be hurt as hell, maybe worse than she’d been when she was on the receiving end of the glowing, hot as fuck cigar cherries that made those marks.

He shook his head in disbelief. “I won’t ask you about them, but like with your name, the disguises, the way you’re running, I want to know. And I hope you’ll tell me the truth one day. And they sure as fuck don’t turn me off, or make me want you less. Does this feel like a man who doesn’t want you?”

Grabbing her hand, he pressed his palm onto his hard erection, and sweet Jesus. The bulge she felt earlier hadn’t deflated one bit, still straining to break out of his jeans. And it was so big. She couldn’t wait to see it fully, without anything barring her view of it.

Unable to help curling her fingers around it as much as she could, she squeezed, delighting in his resulting groan. The sound went straight to her core, and she squirmed as her desire came roaring back to life, the flames of it licking at her skin.

“Then why don’t you take off these jeans and climb into bed with me? Let’s do something about this, hmmm?”

Smiling as he cursed, she turned back around and climbed in the huge bed, scooting up the middle to the pillows. She looked over at him to find him still staring after her, pushing the heel of his hand against his erection. She arched an eyebrow, and he sprung into motion, quickly popping the button of his jeans open.

Moving to his zipper, he went slower, easing it down as he hissed a breath. Looking on in interest, she squinted. Those were blue boxers he was wearing, she thought. But she didn’t care about what color his boxers were. She wanted to see what was hiding underneath them. He hooked his thumbs in both waistbands and shoved them down, stumbling in his haste to step out of them.

Her initial thought was to laugh, but the desire to do so quickly fled as she got a look at him. His dick was long and impossibly thick, straining upward, veiny with a dark purple head. She’d never in her life thought a cock could be gorgeous, but his absolutely was. She clenched her thighs together, feeling the moisture staring at it had conjured seeping out of her.

Oh, tonight was going to be so much fun.

He climbed onto the bed, crawling up her body until he was hovering over her. He kissed her again, and it quickly turned passionate, like it always did. His lips were on the thinner side, but just as soft as she thought they were when she first saw him. And skilled. Lord Almighty, were his lips ever skilled.

As were his hands. And she had a feeling the rest of him was just as skilled. She couldn’t wait to find out for herself.

He lowered himself a little, his chest pressing against her but his strong arms holding him up just enough that his stomach barely brushed hers. Pulling back, he slid his mouth to her ear again before trailing it down her neck, and she fought a shiver as he licked her skin. One of his hands began roaming, and she started writhing underneath him, her blood boiling.

Rearing back, he took his dick in his hand and brushed it against her folds. She sucked in a breath at the sensation but fought to hold onto her wits for a moment longer.

“Wait, Jamie. I haven’t touched you yet. Haven’t gotten you ready.”

He let out a strained laugh. “Does it look like I need to be gotten ready? Besides, if you touch me right now, this will be over before it begins.”

It was obvious he was telling the truth, and a thrill shot through her at his words. She loved that she had the power to affect him so much, just like he did her. She gave him a nod, her smile just a tiny bit smug.

“Okay, then. But one day, I want to touch you.”

“As long as there’s the possibility of this happening again, I’m happy. You’re more than welcome to touch me whenever you want. Just maybe not now.” He glanced down at her belly and frowned. “I’m not sure how to do this. Your belly’s not big, but the logistics… and I don’t want to hurt you. It would kill me if I hurt you.”

Her heart melted in her chest. Just straight dissolved. She wasn’t sure there was anything left of it. She’d never known a man who didn’t enjoy hurting women to prove how big and bad he was. It became obvious fairly early that Jameson wasn’t at all like that. But hearing him say it directly to her, the sincerity in his voice washing over her, body and soul—that was something else entirely, and so incredibly special.

“You won’t hurt me. I’m not fragile, Jamie. And you’re a smart man. You’ll figure out the logistics. I can always get on my hands and knees.”

Pursing his lips, he considered her, gaze moving from her belly to her eyes and back. He finally shook his head. “No, I got this. I just won’t put any pressure on your belly. If you feel me try to, stop me, please.”

God, he was the sweetest. He had the most painful looking erection she’d ever seen, and his expression was strained. She knew he needed relief, but all he was concerned about was her comfort and safety.

He reached over and grabbed a pillow. “Lift your hips. We’ll prop you up. I think it’ll help.”

Fighting a smile, she did as he asked. And then all thoughts flew out of her head when he rubbed himself along her seam. She sucked in a breath, and he looked at her with a question in his eyes. Quickly nodding because she couldn’t handle waiting any longer—needing him inside her now—she held herself still as he coated himself in her wetness, sucking in a breath when the head bumped her clit.

Still up on his knees, he lined himself up with her entrance and slowly began pushing inside. Holy fuck, that was flippin’ amazing. He entered her shallowly before pulling himself back out, then pushed in again, over and over, going deeper each time, until he was seated fully inside her.

He leaned over her just a bit then, planting his hand on the mattress by her shoulder. His arm was trembling and she knew just how he felt. The way he felt inside her, the way she stretched to accommodate him, the way the pleasure lit up all her nerve endings, was overwhelming. Nothing had ever felt this good in her life, but as much as she enjoyed this, she needed him to move.

“Jamie, please. Move. Make love to me.”

His strained expression softened, and he carefully leaned down to kiss her gently. He began moving before he pulled back, and by the time he was propped up again, he was moving harder inside her, more forcefully with every pass.

“Fuck, Cady, you feel amazing,” he gritted out.

Was he growling? It sounded like he was, but she quickly forgot about it as he pushed in hard. Before long, the bed was rocking with the force of his thrusts. She longed to feel him stretched out on top of her, but he was still trying to be careful with her. It wasn’t needed, but she couldn’t seem to find her voice long enough to tell him so.

Maybe it was more accurate to say she couldn’t find her words. Her voice was definitely still working as she moaned long and loud when he shifted and hit a spot that made her think she was going to die of pleasure.

And then he rubbed his fingers over her clit, and she was gone, soaring even higher than she had earlier. She literally shook with pleasure, and she could feel herself contracting around Jameson. It proved too much for him, and he thrust in one more time before holding himself still. She could feel his warmth coating her insides as he pulsed his release into her, and, unbelievably, it set her off again.

She wasn’t sure how long she soared, lost in release, but when she became aware of her surroundings again, Jameson had both hands planted on the mattress. He looked exhausted, and like he’d been as overwhelmed with pleasure as she had, but his eyes were soft and full of something she wasn’t sure she could identify if she wanted to. And she wasn’t at all sure she wanted to.

Leaning down on arms that still had the slightest tremor to them, he kissed her softly, pulling back as it threatened to become intense and turn into more. She couldn’t believe, after what they’d just finished doing, that it could have the potential to turn into more, but she couldn’t deny it did.

He eased out of her and then collapsed beside her. They were both a little sweaty, and she shouldn’t want this kind of closeness and intimacy with him. She should be ready to jump up and go straight to her room and lock herself in for the night. And every night going forward until she left.

Instead, she snuggled into his arms, reveling in the feel of being held so close to him. Why not enjoy it a little? She’d be gone in a few days, and who knows when she’d get this again? Probably never, and even if a miracle happened and she did let herself get this close to a man again, she knew instinctively it would never be like this.

Sadness washed over her, but she pushed it away. She was determined to enjoy this moment, and she wouldn’t let anything ruin it.

“That was amazing,” he said, pressing a kiss to her hair. “You’re amazing.”

“It was pretty damn awesome. Although you really didn’t need to be so careful with me.”

“You’re carrying precious cargo. Yeah, I did need to.”

She shook her head, but she couldn’t help her smile. He was something else. They were quiet for a moment before a thought struck her and she stiffened.

“We didn’t use anything. I mean, pregnancy isn’t a problem, obviously, but we didn’t protect ourselves against anything else. I’ve been tested and I’m clean, but—”

“I’m clean too,” he said, interrupting what was almost certain to become a rambling diatribe. “I’d never put you at risk, sweetheart. Ever.”

She relaxed against him, believing him wholeheartedly. She really should get up and go to her room, but her body was basically boneless, and she couldn’t make herself move. Besides, she was really enjoying being snuggled up next to him.

I’ll move soon, she thought drowsily, fighting to keep her eyes open.

But it was a losing battle, and moments later, she was fast asleep.