My bedroom was what little girls dreamt of, with soft purple walls and plush unicorns all over the massive king-sized bed that I had just crawled out of, and I heard Cole stifle a snort of laughter at seeing it all. Jonathan had hired a top New York interior designer to decorate it for me when I first moved in with him at age thirteen, and I simply didn't have the heart to tell him how awful it all was. He had looked so proud of his efforts to be a Dad, so I’d just gone with it.

“Um, it's… very you, Vixen,” Cole commented with a strangled laugh, and I whacked him playfully on the belly with the back of my hand. It probably hurt me more than it hurt him though, given how hard his midsection is. He caught my wrist and tugged me back closer to him, his face once again serious.

“Are you…” he began, his brow furrowed and his mouth twisting as he seemed to be searching for the right words. “Did anyone… I mean…” He puffed out a sharp breath, breaking eye contact with me as he looked down to my narrow wrist ensnared in his grip. “Did they hurt you?” he finally ground out, his eyes darting back up to mine for a split second and then away again as though he was scared to see the answer in mine. I grabbed his chin, tilting his face back up so he could hopefully see the sincerity on my face as I answered him.

“No one touched me. I promise. And I only got drugged twice, or technically, three times, but for one of those I was awake the whole time.”

He didn't appear particularly reassured and huffed at me, frowning, “If you were unconscious the other two times, how do you know for sure nothing happened?”

“I just do.” I shrugged. “But even if I didn't, there would be no use driving myself nuts with what ifs, right?”

He still looked concerned, so I changed the subject by rising up on my tiptoes and planting my lips solidly against his. When at first he didn't reciprocate, I took matters into my own hands and used his broad shoulders to hoist myself up, wrapping my legs around his thick waist and pressing my kiss harder, as though to convince him that I was fine. I was here, unharmed, and most of all, alive.

The tension noticeably slipped from his body as he curved his hands under my thighs to hold my weight. His broad hands cupped my butt as his lips parted and invited me in. I couldn't help the low, satisfied chuckle from escaping my throat as his long strides carried us over to my bed in only three steps and gently lowered me to the rumpled covers.

“Damn, you're hard to say no to, Vixen.” He glowered at me, then dove back in to claim my mouth with his. This time he was totally in control, and I gladly gave in to his lead, letting him set the pace while my eager hands slid underneath his dark gray shirt once more. Still worked up from the steamy scenes in my book, I deftly flicked the buttons of his shirt undone, one by one, then pushed the fabric off his broad shoulders. He repaid the favor and broke our kiss to yank my flannel pajama top over my head.

“You're killing me.” He groaned, seeing I wasn't wearing anything under my pajamas, and gently palmed one of my breasts while supporting his weight on the other arm. I sighed with satisfaction, then used his occupied hands to my advantage, raking my fingernails firmly down his muscled back and feeling the muscles bunch and contract before reaching the waistband of his dark blue jeans. My mouth worked its way in little kisses up his neck until he dipped low and captured my taut nipple between his teeth. I sucked in a sharp breath at the warning nip he gave me, moaning aloud as he sucked and flicked with his tongue. Yes!

My hips bucked up to meet his, and I felt his enormous, rigid length straining against the zipper of his jeans. It can’t have been comfortable, so I helped him out by flicking the tight button of his fly open and tugging down the zipper. His arousal practically leapt into my hand through the soft cotton of his boxer briefs, and I grinned.

“Vixen…” he warned, his low voice making my stomach flip and my already aching nipples tighten even further.

“Yes, Cole?” I responded in my very best innocent voice. “Is something wrong?” My questing fingers had now relieved him of his pesky underwear and had a firm grip on his stiff manhood.

“Yes. Something is very wrong here,” he replied, then groaned as my hand began to move slowly and firmly.

“And what is that?” I smiled, enjoying the sight of him on the edge of distraction. For a man so dark and brooding, it was an incredibly addictive sight.

His stony eyes snapped open and captured mine, sending a shiver through me. “You are wearing far too many clothes. That's what's wrong.”

He straightened up slightly, giving me a jaw dropping view of his impressive equipment standing proudly at attention, before lifting my ankles to his shoulders and sliding my pajama bottoms off me along with my panties, leaving me totally bare below him. The cool night air on my exposed flesh made me tremble.

Pausing a moment, he took a long look at my naked body, then swore under his breath. I watched with anticipation as he lifted one of my ankles from his shoulder and began kissing his way from my inner ankle and up my leg ever so slowly until he reached my throbbing, wet center. He continued kissing me there, with slow, deliberate strokes of his tongue until I was a panting mess.

One of my hands grasped at his head, frustrated that his hair was cropped too short for me to grab, while the other hand teased at my own breast. He glanced up and saw me fondling my nipple, and it seemed to spur him on as he slid two thick fingers deep inside me, stretching me as he licked and nibbled at my clit.

“Shit.” I hissed out. Too soon. I’m not done with him yet…

I grabbed him by the shoulder and hauled him back up my body until I could seal my lips to his once more. I could taste myself on his mouth as his tongue caressed mine and his fingers continued their exploration of my core, which made me buck urgently into his palm.

“Please…” I begged, my voice a breathy moan in his ear, and he chuckled darkly.

“Please what, Vixen?” he prompted, infuriatingly. Damn man knew exactly what I was asking for.

“Please, Cole. Fuck me. I'm dying here,” I panted, then cried out in a seriously undignified manner when his fingers curled and rubbed the sweet spot inside me.

“I think I like it when you beg.” He grinned with the most self-satisfied look on his face I had ever seen from him. Thankfully, he didn't make me beg any more as he withdrew his hand and replaced it with his rigid cock, pushing just the tip in and pausing politely for my walls to expand before surging the rest of the way to the hilt in one swift motion. I screamed in pleasure at the sharp sting of pain and instant feeling of fullness before wriggling my pelvis, encouraging him to move. I needed more, and I needed it now.

Totally in tune with what I wanted, he moved slowly at first, pulling almost completely out before sinking all the way back in, then gradually increased the pace until I was whimpering and clawing bloody lines through the colorfully inked skin of his back.

He leaned back a bit, pulling away from my body and lifted one of my legs back up to rest on his shoulder before plunging back in at a much, much deeper angle and drawing another loud exclamation from me when it felt almost like he had bottomed out. He thrust hard, my whole body moving with each stroke, and I slipped a hand down between us to rub small circles on my clit that made my muscles clench tight around him, making him curse.

“Fuck me, that's hot.” He gasped, maintaining his pace but with his eyes glued to my fingers as I tweaked and teased myself into a screaming orgasm. As I rode the waves of pleasure, Cole leaned in close, flattening my leg up straight and tightening the space even more. His lips grabbed mine with fierce possession, and our mouths fought one another for dominance. He found his own release while my muscles spasmed around his cock, squeezing him hard.

His hips slowed gently then came to rest as we broke our kiss and he rested his sweaty forehead against my throat. We were both panting hard and for a moment just stayed as we were, entangled in one another.

“That… was not what I meant when I said I was sleeping in here,” he muttered into my skin, but I could feel the smile pulling at his stubbled cheek where it rested against the slope of my breast.

“Mmm hmm, sure it wasn't,” I teased, then pushed his shoulder to roll him off me. I needed to clean up. There were very few things in this world worse than sleeping in the wet spot.

After a quick cleanup in my bathroom, I sauntered back into my bedroom totally nude. No sense in being shy now. Cole lay across my ridiculous princess bed, looking deliciously out of place with his all of his tattoos and muscles and nakedness splayed out amongst my lavender sheets and unicorn plushies. I heard an animalistic purr as his sharp eyes followed my movements, and when I came within reach, he whipped out a hand to yank me off balance, and I landed flat against his body.

“Again so soon?” I teased, raising my brows at him, and he shushed me, kissing me soundly on the mouth.

“You've lost weight,” he remarked with a frown, his huge hands roving over my naked flesh to illustrate his point.

“I was kept drugged and unconscious on a fluid drip for close to ten days,” I told him frankly. “Or at least that's what I'm told. It does make sense I would have lost weight.”

The big man rumbled an angry sound deep in his chest, and I caressed a hand down his jaw to soothe him, bringing his lips back to mine for a quick peck.

“I'm fine, Cole. It's nothing a few double-cheese cheeseburgers can't fix,” I reassured him, and my stomach rumbled at the thought of cheesy goodness.

“Double-cheese cheeseburgers?” he repeated with a hint of a smile. “Is that double the cheese on the cheeseburger?”

“Obviously.” I rolled my eyes at him, then snuggled into his burning hot chest, my face cheek to cheek with the green and black dragon snarling across his skin. “Let's get those tomorrow, though. I'm exhausted.” My words were punctuated with a huge yawn, and Cole's body shook with silent laughter.

“Mmm, sounds like a plan,” he mumbled, tightening his arms around me and tucking his chin over my head. “I'm glad you're home, Vixen.” The last part was whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear the thick emotion in his voice, but I did, and it made my heart flutter.

“I am too, big guy,” I whispered back.