The second Honor’s zip-up sweatshirt comes off and I see her large breasts encased in black, stringy spandex, my dick punches at the front of my loose pants. I have to bite the inside of my cheek—hard—in order to hold back the wood that’s dying to spring to attention.

Shit. Fuck. Damn.

Nothing but pearly white skin and a flawless form greet my vision. Everything around her disappears, fades out, until I see nothing but her beautiful body. Honor’s white-blond hair curls enticingly around her face, making me wish I was closer and could push it behind her ear and kiss her silly. Her lips are a glossy pink that I want so badly to taste, I can feel the ache deep in my chest.

This damn woman.

Everything about her sets my soul aflame, and I’ve barely scratched the surface of getting to know her. One thing I do know is tonight, it’s going to be hard as hell for me to finish up the evening with just a kiss and a request for a second date. I’m going to have to put myself in serious check or somehow take the edge off first.

Gritting my teeth, I watch her shimmy her delectable body into the hammock and lean back, matching the class. This position is no better on my little—quickly becoming big—problem. Her chest lifts up toward the ceiling, and she runs her arms up and down the silks. This move has the adverse effect of me envisioning her running those same small hands up and down the length of my cock. Preferably not now but when we were alone. The location be damned. If it were just the two of us in this room, I’d sit her ass in the silks and take her hard and long until she begged for me to stop or roared in pleasure. Whichever happened first.

I cross my arms low, holding my wrist with one hand, ensuring the rest of the class doesn’t see my desire for the blond goddess before me. What I need is to get a handle on my body’s reaction to her, but so far, that has not been easy. Just her breathing is enough to get me hard as a rock.

Needing to cool off, I walk the room, readjusting people where necessary until I’m distracted by the sound of giggling behind me. I turn around to find Grace, her head upside down as she arcs into position.

“What are you doing here, troublemaker?” I whisper and pretend to be affronted, but I can’t ever be mad at Gracie. Her happiness and good nature are infectious.

“Wanted a front-row seat for the show.” She chuckles and sits up, smiling, and then nods her chin in Honor’s direction.

“Class, sit up, close your eyes, and take five full breaths in, allowing the air to completely fill your lungs, and then exhale until there is no air left.” I glare at my sister while the class follows through on my command. She stares me down, not backing off. I roll my eyes and address the class in a huff. “Once completed, turn to your side and go into half-moon, allowing the silks to hold your ribcage while you ease into it. Gracie here will show you how it’s done. Won’t you, Grace?”

Grace sticks her tongue out and goes right into the pose, her body alignment perfect. I’ve taught her well. A bushel of pride fills my heart as I watch the class mimic her position.

“This pose is also known as Ardha Candrasana in Sanskrit. It’s an excellent hip and chest opener. If turning to the side is too much for you at this phase in your practice, shift the silks to your abdomen and stretch your arms out in front of you, going into Warrior Three. The impact is less, but you will still get a good lengthening throughout the sides of the body.”

I make sure everyone in class has the position before I head back to the front. Bad idea. Honor is facing my hammock, arms stretched out forward as if she’s reaching for me. It takes everything I have not to touch her fingertips, making even the smallest physical contact. I know myself too well. Once I touch her, it will be over. Instead, I hold back, wondering why I asked her to come to class in the first place. Probably because I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, but having her here, close enough to touch and not being able to, irks me to no end.

For the rest of the hour, I put the class through their paces and finish with Savasana or deep relaxation, this time with them lying on the floor instead of in the hammock. It’s not my usual modus operandi, but change is necessary. At least that’s what I’ve been taught over the past decade.

I left everything I knew when I entered the army. Change.

Exiting the army, I came home not knowing what was up or down. Change.

Wandering endlessly around a Berkeley neighborhood and coming across a gym for sale. Change.

A beautiful woman with sad eyes enters my life. Change.

Life is full of changes. It’s what we do with those changes that makes all the difference.

When I bring everyone back from their relaxation, my entire focus is on Honor. Her movements are sluggish, relaxed, more so than I’ve seen before. As if the stars and the moon and the universe itself have smiled down on me, everyone leaves before my dove is finished with settling her belongings. Easing the door shut, I pad across the wood floors and capture her from behind, bringing her back flush against my front.

Her lovely gasp sounds throaty and loud in the otherwise empty room. All that’s left is us and a Chopin piece playing over the studio speakers. I turn my goddess around, grab her waist, and lift her back into the silks hanging behind her. Her butt hits the hammock, and before she can protest, I’ve got the silk protecting her back. She opens those long legs of hers wide so I can fit my body between them. In a second flat, I’ve got my mouth on hers.

She moans into our first kiss, sending jolts of pleasure down my spine to lie heavily at the base. She tastes better than I imagined. Like vanilla and mint mixed together. Her tongue is tentative as I explore her, but her arms and legs are not, wrapping around my form like a lust-drunk teen. I love every second of her eager need to be closer. I wrap my hands around her body, lean her back into the silks, and drink from her mouth like I’ve been dying of thirst. Her lower half rubs against my iron-like erection, and I growl my pleasure into her mouth. I suck her bottom lip and then her top. She mimics each move with one of her own. A nibble here, more suction there, until I’m completely lost in her. I could spend the rest of my days with only these lips to kiss, and I’d be a happy man. I pull away far enough so we both can catch our breath.

In that moment, her eyes blaze a silvery gray I’ll never forget for as long as I live. My heart pounds, and my skin sizzles with heat as I stare at the stunning woman before me. Energy flickers and pops off my form like sparks from a welding iron as my fate becomes sealed.

One kiss was all it took.

One kiss and I’ll give her everything.

One kiss and I’ll lay down my life.

One kiss and I know she is meant to be mine.

One kiss and I have seen my forever in her eyes.

My voice is scratchy and rough when I speak. I need to know. Need to hear that I’m not the only one.

“Tell me you feel this? It’s crazy. Wild. Untamed. I can’t begin to understand it or explain it. All I know is, I don’t ever want to let it go. Let you go.”

“Then don’t,” she whispers, her eyes glued to mine, timid and afraid yet hungry and dark with arousal.

“Oh, Dove, nothing could keep me away from you now that I’ve had a taste.”

---

I can’t stop grinning. I’ve got Honor’s slim, small hand in mine as I lead her down the hallway. Thirty minutes ago, I was kissing this beautiful woman—my woman, if I have anything to say about it. I surprised myself when I shared what I was feeling, but it felt right. At the time, I was scared she’d run, being so skittish. Instead, she leaned in and kissed me again…harder. I know she’s worried about what’s burning between us, but I don’t know why. All I care about is that she’s giving me a shot. Giving this amazing thing between us a real go.

When we exit Lotus House, I let go of her hand and walk over to my Chevy, and she heads toward a flashy-as-hell black Mercedes coupe.

She stops when I don’t follow her and then turns on her heels. “Oh, did you want to drive me?”

I grin and walk over to her. “Yeah, Dove. That’s kind of what happens on a date. The man drives the woman. Or at least, I drive my woman.”

Her eyes widen at my rather blatant statement, but the sooner she gets used to my possessive ways, the better, because I will make her mine. That kiss sealed it for me. There’s no going back after that. I will do whatever it takes, work my ass off if I have to, in order to make her see she’s for me and I’m for her. Period.

“Um, okay. Will you bring me back to my car?”

I grin, looping my arms around her waist. “Tonight or tomorrow morning?” The sexual innuendo rolls off my tongue so fast, I grit my teeth, wishing with my whole heart I could take it back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

She frowns. “You don’t want to be with me…um tonight?” Honor bites her lip, swallows, and then glances to the side.

Damn it, I’m screwing this up. I cup her face with both hands and brush my thumbs along her cheeks. They’re warm, and I can sense the pulse underneath her skin, pounding out a nervous rhythm. “I do. More than anything. But you’re worth more than one night’s roll in the hay.”

She blinks sweetly before lifting her gaze to mine. “I am?”

“Yeah, babe. You are, and I’m going to make you see that. Now, come on. Ride with me so we can talk. I’ll bring you back to your car later.”

“Okay,” she says as I loop my fingers with hers.

I get her settled into my Camaro and run around the front before getting into the driver’s side.

“This is a very cool car. Like in those fast car movies.” She runs a pale hand along the dash stitching.

I chuckle. “The Fast and the Furious? I don’t know about that. Though your car… How does a girl just out of college afford something like that?” I glance to the side and catch her frown in the passing streetlights. “Not that it’s any of my business,” I add rather lamely, already having overstepped my boundaries.

She’s quiet for several minutes before she looks out the window. “That inheritance I told you about… It’s um, rather large. The uh, well, the Carmichaels own…”

She’s about to lay it all out, and it dawns on me that it’s really making her uncomfortable, so I shut it down. “Honor. It’s cool. But instead of buying a flashy car—” I waggle my eyebrows to get her laughing again. It works; she loses the tension in her face and turns toward me. “You should consider your options. Maybe invest in something that’s going to secure your future. Cars come and go. When I had a good-sized chunk of change…well, I told you what I did with it.”

“You bought a business,” she reiterates directly, showing she’s been paying attention.

“Yeah. I set myself up with my dream job, babe. I love to box, work out, coach others. I’ll never be a millionaire doing what I do, but I’m happy. And as it grows and I make it bigger, it will provide for me and my future family.”

“Is that what you want?” Her voice is timid and unsure.

“Is what what I want?”

“A family,” she asks in a tone I can’t define.

“Yeah, someday in the not-too-distant future. I’m going to be thirty in a month. One of my sisters is married with a baby on the way, another about to get engaged, and heck, all of my friends are settling down. Just seems like it’s nearing the time to go that route. How about you?”

Honor shrugs noncommittally. “I don’t know what I want.”

“What did you want to do with your degree?”

Another shrug.

I’m beginning to loathe the shrug. It prevents her from speaking to me, and I prefer her talking. “Words, Dove.”

Honor lifts her arm and places an elbow on the side of the door, her fingers resting against her scalp. “Honestly, I didn’t have a plan. My father chose it because that’s what his degree is in, my brother’s, and all the rest of the Carmichaels before him.”

The dry, almost sad tone with which she responds has me scratching my head. “Did you like your coursework?”

“Not particularly.”

Alarm bells start clanging in my head. Why would she spend six years going to school to obtain a degree she didn’t want? “And now that you have this degree, you don’t know what to do with it?”

“You could say that.”

“I did say that. I’m just wondering, babe, what your plan is?” I grab for her hand, lift it, and kiss the back, letting her know I’m here for her and interested.

She sighs so heavily, I can sense the weight of it like a physical anchor landing in my own lap. “I’m working on that now, Nick.”

Her words are soft and laced with a brokenness I can’t quite understand, but I plan to get to the bottom of it very soon. Every question I ask her seems to bring on more questions about my shy girl. I wonder if I’ll ever get to the heart of her; I sure as hell hope so.

“I like the idea you had of investing my inheritance, though.” She offers a small smile.

I grin and kiss the back of her hand, feeling good that I may have helped her with something I can see she’s been struggling with.

“Now you just need to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. Or, at the very least, the next five to ten years.”

She nods and focuses her gaze front and center. Even though I think I may have helped her work out an issue she’s been having, our line of discussion also seems to have an adverse effect, making her overly quiet. Thankfully, we reach the restaurant, which I anticipate will break up some of the unusual anxiety surrounding her.

Like the gentleman my mama taught me to be, I open her door and help her out of the car. She smiles shyly and looks up at me. I was taken aback when she came out of the locker room after our kiss fest wearing a pair of skinny jeans, low, brown suede ankle boots, and a matching leather blazer with a colorful scarf around her neck. Simple but elegant at the same time. Perfect in every way. So much so, I can’t keep my hands and eyes off her. Since our kiss, I’ve had an overwhelming urge to hold her hand, touch her hair, keep her close.

Women don’t normally affect me this way. At least, none before her. Then again, I’ve come to realize, since the first minute I laid eyes Honor Carmichael, there is something unique about her. I can’t put her in the same round hole as other women because she’s more of a square peg. Hell, she’s a freakin’ trapezoid.

The hostess leads us to a small curved booth in the corner of the restaurant. The lighting is low but not so dark you can’t see well. Just enough to give the place a warm ambiance. There’s a white linen cloth on the table and a single candle. Next to it, a magnificent red rose has bloomed to full capacity, standing tall in a translucent vase.

Honor slides into one side of the booth and I into the other until we come around and our thighs touch. Honor immediately lifts her delectable ass, leans over, and sniffs the rose on the table, humming low in the back of her throat. That sound calls out like a siren to my dick, giving me a semi. I grit my teeth and breathe slowly through my nose, calming the urge to take, rut, and claim this woman beside me.

Once she settles back down, I place my hand high on her thigh and give it a squeeze. She doesn’t say anything or attempt to move it, thank God. I have to touch her. The urge is overwhelming.

Efficiently, she removes her scarf and slides off her blazer, setting it over the hook next to the booth. The top she’s wearing underneath catches my eye. It has cutouts running from the shoulder down to her wrist. It’s whimsical, pretty, and looks great on her. Especially the deep, plunging scoop neck that gives me a healthy eyeful of her sinful tits. Hot damn, they look good enough to eat. My mouth waters at the sight of the pillowed globes, and I know I’d give my eyeteeth if I could take a single bite…or ten. Instead, I lift up my hand and bite down on my knuckle.

Fuck, this woman is going to kill me with blue balls, and we haven’t even made it through our first date. More reason to never date and just get to the filthy parts. The part where I slam her up against my bedroom wall and put my hands all over her while my mouth is busy with her sizeable rack.

I grip my hand into a fist and clear my throat, once more trying my damnedest to calm the lustful beast inside, the one dying to get out and play.

“Did I tell you how gorgeous you look this evening? That color looks amazing on you.” I dip my gaze down to her chest again. It’s like I can’t stop. They’re calling out my name, begging for attention. Inherently, I know it’s a douche move, but it’s like she’s put them on display for my eyes only. Bravely, I force my gaze to hers.

Her entire face lights up at my compliment. “Thank you. I got this while shopping with Grace.”

I chuckle and place my elbow on the table to lean more fully into her space. I want her feeling, smelling, and seeing as much of me as she’ll allow. “Gracie is good at many things; shopping is high on the list. I usually employ her help with buying birthday and Christmas presents for the family.”

Her eyes sparkle when I speak. “You mentioned you have another sister who’s having a baby?”

I grin and rub the pad of my thumb along my bottom lip. Her gaze goes there, watching every movement. Mission accomplished. I close my eyes and sigh, reminding myself to be good.

“Yeah, Dawn. She just announced it last weekend at family dinner night.”

“Are you excited?” She fiddles with the menu.

“We all are. It’s the first in our family, so it’s a big deal.”

“How many are in your family?”

Oh boy, now there’s a loaded question. “My mother, Josephine, and my father, Sal, had six of us. I’m the only boy.”

Her doe eyes widen so large, they remind me of one of those squeeze dolls where you squash the body and the eyes poke out of the head.

“You have five sisters!”

“Yes, ma’am. All younger.”

“Wow. That must be something.”

“Something else!” I quip, and she giggles. Her laughter is music to my ears.

The waiter comes over and asks what we’d like to order.

“Do you mind if I order for us?” I ask, knowing what are absolutely the best, most authentic Italian dishes on the menu.

“Sure.”

“Anything you don’t like or have an allergy to?”

She shakes her head.

“We’ll take a bottle of my family’s Cabernet, the manicotti with Bolognese, the bleu cheese chicken gnocchi, and the house salads. Family style, please.”

“What does family style mean?” she asks when he leaves.

“They bring enough food for the entire table to share. Italians are fond of food, and we like having options. Except, of course, when it comes to our women.” I curl my hand around her nape and bring her close, tipping her chin up with my thumb. “No sharing there.”

She swallows, and I watch as her delicate neck moves. “That’s, uh, good. I think.”

“Oh, it is. Means once you’re mine, you’re mine. Do you want to be mine, Dove?”

She licks her lips, and my dick throbs. I lean into her, our lips a scant inch from one another.

“Yes,” she says breathily, her eyes a dark, gunmetal gray.

“Good answer,” I whisper against her lips before kissing her.

With this kiss, I explore her lush taste, licking inside and enjoying the sweetness her mouth has to offer. The little nymph sucks my tongue and swirls her own in tantalizing figure eights across my bottom lip. Just when I’m about to plunge my tongue into heaven more fully, the waiter clears his throat.

I reluctantly pull back from that tasty appetizer to find her eyes are still closed. A rosy hue covers her otherwise pale cheeks. She opens her eyes slowly, looking a bit dazed and thoroughly kissed. Smugness creeps into my chest while I chuckle and hold out my glass for the steward to fill it.

“As requested, your family’s wine. Is it to your liking?”

I take a sip. “Always, my man. Always. You can’t go wrong with Salerno Hills, can you?”

He nods. “Not in my time here serving it.”

Honor glances at the wine and then at me. “Your family owns a winery?”

I smile with pride. “Yep. Best damn red in the Bay.”

“That’s fantastic!” She picks up her glass, takes a healthy swig, and rolls it around her mouth before swallowing. Looks like she knows a thing or two about wine as well. “And it’s really good!”

“You act surprised. Of course it’s good. We’re Italian. My family has been making wine for decades. Centuries, really, if you go back to our family tree in Italy.”

“My family owns things too. This is so wonderful.” Her voice is a higher volume than normal, showing her excitement.

For the life of me I can’t figure out why she’s so happy my family owns Salerno Hills winery, but I don’t question it, wanting her to offer information instead of me having to drag it out of her.

Her smile is so bright, I fall in love with it instantly, wanting to see it on her face all the time. My new goal will be to put that smile on her face as much as possible.

“Really glad you think so. What does your family own?” I swirl the red in my glass, allowing it a little time to breathe.

She raises her glass and waves her other hand in the air nonchalantly. “Oh, a third of the real estate in San Francisco, another quarter in Los Angeles, and an entire five-square city block in New York. Bunch of other stuff too, businesses overseas, some sports teams, I think. Not really sure anymore.”

I set down my glass of wine and stare at her for so long, all the light leaves her eyes. Holy fuck. She doesn’t just have an inheritance. Honor Carmichael is wealthy. Insanely wealthy.

Shit. Fuck. Damn.