For a second, she had thought he would refuse her, but then, there he was. Holding her. His kiss sending a blast of relief and anticipation rocketing through her.

She whimpered in the back of her throat as his tongue swept in to explore her mouth, teasing the tender flesh on the inside of her bottom lip. He drove his fingers into her hair, using the leverage to tip her head to the side so he could take the kiss deeper, devouring her.

Already she could feel the thick length of his erection throbbing against her belly and, god, how she wanted it.

In her hands.

In her mouth.

Deep inside her.

It was like a fever. A need so deep that it rocked her back on her heels. He released her hair and used one hand to steady her as the other circled her wrist. Had he read her mind? Knew how badly she needed to touch him? Because he dragged her hand between them until she cupped his swollen cock through the thin cotton of his pants.

He let out a low grunt of satisfaction and she tightened her grip, reveling in the sensation of him swelling beneath her hand.

Wetness flooded her center, and the ache there grew. Her clit swelled and pulsed with the need for his touch. He wedged his knee between her thighs, pressing closer, grinding his thigh against her, right where she needed the pressure most.

He dragged his mouth away from hers and let out a growl.

“I can’t wait to be inside you.”

She nodded, her pulse pounding so hard she could feel it in her temples.

“Let’s go into the bedroom,” she said, her voice trembling in a way that would’ve embarrassed her just a few moments before. So what if she sounded wanton and desperate for him? That’s how he made her feel and she wasn’t going to pretend. Not with Etienne. Not after the way he’d shared his deepest secrets with her and had been so honest.

He shook his head slowly and wrapped his hand back into her hair, using it to guide her, turning her in place until she faced away from him, her hips pressed against the wide walnut desk in front of her.

He laid his palm on the small of her back and pressed her forward, until her torso was pressed to the gleaming, cool surface.

“Not the bedroom,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “Here. Now.”

A thrill ran through her at the need in his voice. He wanted her so badly that he couldn’t wait. The power of it coursed through her, like a champagne high, and she didn’t resist the urge to grind backward against him.

She moved to unfasten her pants, but his vise-like grip stilled her as he leaned toward her until his mouth was pressed against the shell of her ear, warm puffs of his breath sending a shiver skittering over her skin.

“Stop. I want to undress you.”

She nodded helplessly, her hot cheek sliding against the cool, smooth surface of the desk as his hands replaced hers and made short work of her pants, tugging them over her hips and letting them fall to the floor with a rustle. She barely had a chance to catch her breath when his hand slid between her thighs.

“Oh, god,” she gasped, as he dipped two fingers into her wet warmth from behind. Any apprehension sizzled away under the heat of her want. She ground back against him, groaning as he caressed the slick folds, pausing to massage her clit before probing her entrance.

“So tight. So wet,” he groaned.

His skilled hands continued to work their magic as her nipples spiked against the thin cotton of her shirt. She plastered herself more tightly against the desk, which only increased the ache.

A moment later, he let his hand drift away, leaving a damp trail along her hip. Then, she felt a sharp tug and a loud tear rent the room. He’d torn her panties off. The cool breeze tickled her bottom and she resisted the urge to cover herself.

“Your ass is sublime,” he said, almost reverently as he ran his palms over her sensitized skin and then gave a firm squeeze. She shuddered and swallowed a moan.

Lord did she want this man. If he slid inside her right now, she would climax inside of a minute.

She opened her mouth to tell him that. To beg him. But before she could form the words, he was turning her around and dropping to his knees before her.

“I need to taste you.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a declaration, and he didn’t wait for her response. It took everything she had not to squirm under his molten gaze. What if he thought she was fat? Or not pretty enough?

But when his guttural groan reached her ears as he dove forward to close his lips unerringly over her clit, her doubts faded away. Sensations rocketed through her as his lips and tongue worked her. Sucking and licking and even biting. It was pure magic.

She slipped her hands into his hair, arching her hips against him helplessly, digging her fingernails into his scalp as he drove her to the edge of insanity.

The need to come was overwhelming, barreling down on her when he drew back and gave her hip one last squeeze before releasing her and rolling to his feet.

His gaze locked with hers and her heart careened out of control. His eyes were nearly black with want, only a thin, gold line gilding the perimeter. His jaw was tense and his nostrils flared. He looked as much animal as he did man in some ways, and she found the thought only excited her more.

“Turn,” he grunted.

She moved to do so, trembling with excitement, but then caught sight of his hands at his lean hips as he tugged down his gym pants to free his thick, erect cock.

The second she saw it, she froze.

He was huge.

Hard.

Throbbing.

How bad did she want her mouth on it? To feel that smooth, silky head against her lips. Her tongue lapping at him before drawing him deep and suckling.

“Stop.” His sharp command had her jerking her head up to meet his gaze.

“Stop what?” she whispered, the words feeling like sandpaper in her throat.

He let out a short, pained laugh. “Stop looking at my cock like you want to swallow it whole. There will be time for that later.”

The words barely penetrated and she had no time to argue because he wheeled her around and shoved her against the desk again, hard. Hard enough to make her wince. Hard enough to send the chair behind the massive piece of furniture flying back into the wall. Hard enough to send another wet, dizzying blast of need coursing through her.

Who knew she would want this? The wildness…the force of it.

“Protection?” she managed to gasp, calling on her last functioning brain cell.

“No need with my kind, chérie. We can be together with nothing between us with no repercussions.”

Relief coursed through her and this time, there was no hesitation. Before she could reach back and urge him on, she felt him probe her entrance with the broad head of his cock, stretching her to accommodate him to the point of pain and something else. Pleasure. Hot, and deep and dark as he buried himself deeper.

Already on the brink, she moaned as her tight channel fluttered around him and every inch of her body tingled.

“Jesus,” he grunted, tensing behind her. “Do more of that, and you’re going to make me come.”

She didn’t know exactly what she was doing or how to stop it, but if it made him sound that crazed for her, she wasn’t about to try and figure it out. Instead, she gripped the edge of the desk, and then rolled her hips to urge him on, drawing him deeper and her closer to the edge.

“Fuck,” he groaned, pulling back and plunging forward. A shower of shockwaves skittered through her as the ache between her thighs grew.

“This isn’t going to last long if you keep it up,” he warned. But his words only fueled her need. His fingers closed over her hips in a punishing grip as he began to move in deep, sure strokes.

With every thrust, the head of his cock rubbed something deep inside her that had her inner muscles tensing around his massive length. The sensation was so intense, it almost scared her, but there was no turning back. His hips moved like pistons now, a machine made for pleasure, pumping in and out of her.

Her muscles tensed as she arched back against him, imploring him to move faster. He obliged with a muffled groan, using her hips to work her over his heavy cock that seemed to grow thicker with every thrust.

Just when she thought she couldn’t take another second, he slipped two fingers around the front of her thighs to settle on her slick, swollen clit and rubbed in light circles.

“There it is, chérie,” he groaned against her ear. “Come for me now,” he commanded, pulling back and impaling her with what felt like ten inches of stiff cock.

He didn’t have to ask twice. She could no more have stopped her orgasm than the setting of the sun. It crashed over her like a wave, stars exploding behind her eyelids. Her channel clenched and pulsed over him, squeezing tightly and releasing in a dizzying dance. She felt like she was flying, her body made of shimmering light as the pleasure consumed her. The need to scream was so strong, she bit her lip hard enough to taste blood to quiet it.

She was still twitching, in the throes herself, when he thrust inside her again and then stilled behind her. A moment later, he let out a bellow as his hot liquid spurted deep inside her, the jerking and bucking of his member drawing out the last of her own climax. It seemed to go on forever and be over in a blink all at the same time. They stayed like that for a long moment before he slumped forward pressing his hard, muscled chest against her back. The sound of his harsh breath in her ear would’ve made her smile if she had the strength.

“Beautiful,” he muttered. “Perfect.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed, before sliding away from her. She lifted her head and made to stand but before she could, he bent low and scooped her into his arms. She wanted to argue, to tell him she could walk, but she felt so languid, almost boneless, and she couldn’t find the strength.

He carried her effortlessly to the bedroom, the rock sway of his body lulling her into a drowsy stupor, before laying her down on a giant, soft mattress.

“Thanks for the ride,” she murmured sleepily.

“To the house, to the bedroom or on the desk?” he asked with a low chuckle.

“Yes,” she replied, burrowing deeper into the covers. Things were still in flux. She was still in the crosshairs of a would-be murderer. None of their problems had been solved. In fact, there were more questions to be answered than ever, but at the moment, she had never felt more content.

Heart humming with happiness, her eyes began to drift closed as Etienne climbed in beside her. He slipped an arm around her waist and tunneled beneath her thin shirt to cup one breast.

“Taya?”

She opened her eyes and rolled onto her back to find him staring down at her, his hot, golden gaze probing hers.

“Yes?”

“How tired are you?”

Until that second, she would’ve said exhausted, but he’d taken off his shirt and when she caught sight of his now entirely naked body and his erect cock, a blast of energy surged through her. She didn’t even try to fight it. This was Etienne. She could be open and free and set aside her inhibitions, because she was safe with him.

“Not tired at all,” she said softly, pressing him back against the mattress and climbing on top of him to straddle his hips. “In fact, maybe now would be a good time to pay you back for one of those rides...”