The elevator down the hall dinged. Gina sucked in a deep breath and let it out in a rush when Stone turned the corner, sexy as hell in dark jeans and a red plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His hair was wet from his shower, hanging loose over his shoulders.

“Hi.” Shyness and nerves set in. Silly, since he’d already touched just about every inch of her there was to touch.

The banked fire in his eyes flared, and he rushed her, scooping her up in his arms and charging into the apartment. The door banged shut behind them but his mouth was already on hers and Gina didn’t give a damn what her neighbors thought.

His lips were warm, his beard scratchy yet softer than it looked. He devoured her, eating at her mouth with his lips and tongue like he couldn’t get enough. Gina grabbed a handful of his hair with one hand, the other petting the side of his cheek, marveling in the contrasting textures, all while she let him take the lead with the kiss.

She’d spent weeks teaching him to dance. She was tired of leading, and more than ready to relinquish control.

Or maybe not, if it meant taking things slow.

“I want you,” she said against his lips, squirming in his arms. “Get naked.”

They both knew why he was here. No point in playing coy.

“Hell yes.” He glanced at the sofa, where they’d last gotten hot and heavy. “Bedroom?”

“Through there.” She pointed, and he carried her.

It wasn’t strange, being carried by him. He’d picked her up on the day they’d met, had lifted her many times since to practice lifts and holds for their performances. In his arms, she felt safe, protected, cared for. He wouldn’t drop her.

Peligro.

Safe as she felt in his arms, there was still a thread of danger. She pushed it aside. She’d had enough of fighting her desire for him.

They entered her bedroom, and Stone once again kicked the door shut behind them. Laying her down on the bed, he climbed next to her and pulled her close. Her queen mattress had never felt so small.

Her bedroom was lit by a lamp on her side table, casting the space in a soft, warm yellow glow. It invited them to go slowly, to take their time.

Fuck. That.

Gina sat up. Without a word, Stone skimmed her tank top up her ribs and over her head, muttering a reverent curse when he saw the lacy black bra she wore. She smiled, then gasped when he pressed his mouth to her breast through the lace.

“I said, get naked.” She grabbed the back of his shirt.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Gina joined him in undoing the buttons on his shirt. “Why on earth would you wear something so difficult to take off?”

He chuckled. “I was thinking more about getting you undressed.” With a growl, he rolled her over and tugged on the waistband of the yoga pants she wore. She lifted her hips to help ease the way.

He groaned when he saw her matching lace panties. “Damn, Gina.”

“I put them on just for you.”

He laid a kiss on her hip. “I’m glad to hear you weren’t wearing these for your dance with Jackson.”

“Jealous?”

“Damn right.” He moved up to kiss her lips. “All I could think of this week was our salsa, all the way back in the beginning. It drove me crazy to think of you dancing like that with Jackson.”

“How do you think I felt knowing you were dancing with my roommate?”

Caging her in with his arms, he gazed into her eyes. “She’s not you.”

Warmth spread through her chest, spreading lower when his hand slid down to her hip.

“I missed you.”

Her heart fluttered. “You already told me that.”

“It’s worth repeating.” His fingers plucked at the elastic of her panties. “You make things . . . easier.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It’s easier to talk with you. Easier to think. Easier to . . . feel.”

His eyes were bottomless ice blue pools, threatening to suck her in. It was more than she could take. Her own emotions were too close to the surface, and it was not easier for her to feel them. Time to shift gears. “You’re still dressed.”

He yanked open his shirt, sending the last button flying.

“I’ll find that later.” Gina knelt on the bed to help him push the fabric over his shoulders. Dragging her hands down the mouth-watering expanse of his muscled torso, she grabbed his belt and undid the buckle. “No interruptions this time.”

“Thank god.” He groaned as she unzipped his jeans.

She reached inside his boxers and took hold of the hard, hot length of him. This was it. The moment of no return. Taking care not to hurt him, she pulled his dick out and stared.

She’d known he was packing. It was impossible to miss it in rehearsal. She’d even touched it a few times by accident during their tango practice—and not always in a good way. Seeing it up close was a whole different story. He was long and thick, hard as . . . no, she would not make that analogy. He was hard as rock, and his pubic hair had been trimmed.

She must have taken too long because he let out a groan and sank his fingers into her hair. “Babe, you’re going to give me a complex.”

“Sorry, I’m just . . . impressed.”

He laughed, then threw his head back when she squeezed the base of his cock. “Gina. Don’t tease me. Please.”

“I won’t.” She leaned down and closed her mouth around his girth. He let out a strangled sound, his fingers flexing in her hair.

“You’re . . .” He cut off and exhaled harshly when she thrust her tongue against him.

She lifted her head and grinned sweetly. “I’m what?”

Grabbing her shoulders, he hauled her up and pressed a hard, desperate kiss to her mouth. “You’re amazing,” he whispered, inches from her face. “Absolutely fucking amazing.”

Her cheeks warmed at his praise, and she took one scary step forward to see how he responded. “I like you, too, Stone.”

His eyes searched hers for a moment, and then he kissed her again, tangling his tongue with hers. It was her turn to groan as he dragged her against him. She pushed at his jeans, and somehow he divested himself of them without breaking their kiss. When he was naked, she pulled back to take in the full view.

“Hot damn.” Her breath exploded out of her as she gazed upon his body in all its glory. “Dude, do you even lift?”

His abs—lord, was that a ten-pack?—trembled as he chuckled. “Your turn.”

He unhooked her bra with one hand while the other tugged her panties down her legs. Finally, they were both naked, with nothing between them. The appreciation in his gaze set her aflame. Gina pressed the full length of her body to his and kissed him, loving the feel of his cock, hot and insistent, against her belly. Why had she fought this for so long?

His mouth left hers to rain kisses and light nibbles down her neck. She leaned into the pillows and closed her eyes, smiling.

His body stilled, and she opened her eyes. He’d paused with his nose stuck to her neck.

“What do you smell like?” he asked.

“Smell like?”

“I’ve been trying to figure it out since we met.” He picked up a lock of her hair and gave it a sniff. “Like flowers, or . . .”

“Hibiscus. My shampoo is hibiscus.”

“Mmm.” He closed his eyes and held a handful of her hair to his face. “I like it.”

She sucked in a breath when he plumped her breasts together and pressed his face into her cleavage, inhaling deeply. “That’s not it, though.”

“Coconut oil.” She barely managed to get the words out as the rough pads of his thumbs scraped over her sensitive nipples. “Head to toe.”

His lips closed around one of her nipples, and his fingers tugged at the other one. “Is that why you’re so soft?”

The warm suction of his mouth, contrasted against the light scrape of his beard and the teasing tickle of his hair, made her moan and writhe on top of the blankets. “Yes.”

When she was arching into his mouth, he shifted up to whisper in her ear, “I’m going to taste you now, Gina.”

His words, and the deep, growly way he said them, gave her a shiver. Yes, please.

She parted her thighs to make room for him to settle between them. His eyes, so blue in the warm lighting, lifted to meet hers as he lowered his head over her. The rest of his body, tanned and toned, stretched out to the edge of the bed.

If she weren’t paranoid about having such things on her phone, she’d take a picture of him right now. As it was, she didn’t think she’d ever forget the way he was looking at her.

Like she was good enough to eat.

He dipped his head between her legs and gave her a light lick.

Gina dropped back onto the pillows and surrendered herself to the sensation.

As he got down to business, he pushed her legs further apart to make room for his massive shoulders.

“Damn, you’re flexible,” he muttered against her pussy.

She lifted the arm she’d thrown over her eyes and gazed down at him groggily. “You already knew that.”

“Just commenting.” He spread her with his thumbs and returned to his task.

With every pull of his lips on her clit, waves of pleasure scattered her thoughts. Every swipe of his tongue on her entrance reformed them to a single point of focus: this man, his mouth, her pussy. From her lips fell a single word, repeated over and over like a chant: yes, yes, yes.

The orgasm shimmered at the edge of her consciousness. Toes curling against his sides, she bowed her body up and gripped handfuls of his hair, crying out his name. “Stone!”

His gaze flicked up to hers, wicked humor in the blue depths. He made a sound of assent in the back of his throat, tongue busy swirling her clit, as if he knew she was close.

“Stone, I’m . . .”

“Uh-huh?”

Squeezing her eyes shut, her muscles tensed, and her hands tightened on his hair. His tongue stoked her higher, and higher, and finally, oh god, finally, she came. She let out a keening moan. Sensation poured through her body, making her tremble and shake, wringing her out and leaving nothing but tingling aftershocks that throbbed through her from end to end.

Sated, spent, she collapsed onto the pillows and fought to catch her breath.

Damn. The man had a mouth on him. But now they were 2 and 0.

He crawled up her body to whisper in her ear. “Condoms, Gina.”

“Bedside.” She flung a hand in the direction of the drawer, which held the condoms she’d snagged from Natasha’s stash. Her eyelids fluttered as Stone rummaged around. A rip of paper, and she opened her eyes in time to see him rolling the latex down his thick, massive length.

It was a good thing he’d prepared her so thoroughly.

She flopped like a rag doll as he knelt between her legs. He took himself in hand and notched the head of his cock in her folds.

His blue gaze captured hers. “Ready, Gina?”

“I’ve been ready for two months. Do it.”

He flashed her a grin, and in one smooth move, slid inside her.

She sucked in a breath as he filled her. Oh god.

He didn’t give her time to adjust. Gathering her in his arms, he lifted her into an upright position.

“What are you—?”

He knelt on the bed and pressed one hand to the wall for support. His other arm held her to him, pinned on his cock.

“Ready?” he asked again.

She couldn’t form words this time, and only nodded. His body tightened, all those delicious muscles gilded in the light from her bedside lamp, and thrust.

Tremors of glorious sensation shot through her body, emanating from where they joined. She clung to his sweat-slickened shoulders, her legs locked around his hips. A shiver went through him.

“Damn, Gina,” he ground out, thrusting again. “You’re so fucking tight.”

No words to be had. She moaned in reply.

“So fucking amazing.” He uttered the words with reverence, his cock pumping inside her with each word, as if to punctuate.

“Faster,” she whispered.

His gaze—glued to where they joined—shot up to hers. “You’re sure?”

She bit her lip and nodded.

“You gotta let me know if I’m hurting you,” he said, a note of warning.

“You won’t. Fuck me, Stone.”

Her words unleashed something in him. Curling his body around hers, his powerful hips worked like a piston, back and forth, driving his strong cock deeper with every thrust.

All she could do was hold on for the ride. In this, she let him take the lead, gave him complete control. She was coming apart at the seams and loving every minute of it.

He shifted her—still with the one arm around her waist—and held her closer. The angle rubbed his cock against her clit with each thrust. Her spine bowed. She cried out. Cried out again. And again. Her body shimmered on the edge of ultimate pleasure, the boundary between her skin and his blurring. She was boneless, weightless, utterly supported by his strength and his desire.

She surrendered completely.

The orgasm took her by surprise. Pleasure so intense could surely not be topped. And yet . . .

He slammed into her hard, locking his pelvis to hers. And in the process, she unlocked, and went flying over the edge into an abyss of pure, perfect sensation, one she never wanted to leave.

He shuddered over her, holding both of them up as he let out a deep groan. His cock jerked inside her and she gasped.

It had been a given that sex with Stone would be amazing. She hadn’t expected it to be a religious experience.

Breathing hard, he lowered her to the bed—still gentle, still controlled. He didn’t drop her, even though his body began to tremble. When she was settled, he crashed onto the mattress beside her and buried his face in her hair. One arm snaked around her waist and pulled her to his side.

Aww. The mountain man liked to cuddle. Pleased, she scooted closer.

His lips touched her shoulder in a light kiss. Her heart melted a little.

Don’t do that, she wanted to say, but it seemed ridiculous to be scared of a simple kiss after what they’d just done.

After a few minutes, Stone propped himself up on one elbow. His hair was a mess, so she smoothed it away from his face. With a small smile, he leaned in to kiss her mouth.

The look in his eyes was so sweet, so tender, she wanted to look away. Except she couldn’t. He drew her in with his patient awareness, as if he knew she needed a few minutes to collect herself and figure out a way to make things easy and light between them again.

They still had to work together. Still had to partner together until . . . well, for however long he remained on the show. Hopefully until the finals.

And then what? He’d head back to Alaska. Gone, as if he’d never been here. And she would . . . well, it all depended on whether she still had a job at the end of this or not. And she’d just slept with her partner.

Again.

“Stop thinking,” he said in a light voice, trailing a hand down her ribs.

“Can’t help it.”

“Why?” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “You’re going to make me think I didn’t do a good enough job of distracting you.”

She laughed and placed a hand on his chest, tracing the defined contours of his muscles. “You’re very distracting and you did a very good job.”

“So why are you frowning?”

“Am I?” Now she was. “Huh.”

“You can tell me, Gina. Whatever’s on your mind. I’m a good listener.”

She played with the ends of his hair. It was so pretty. Maybe he’d let her brush it. “I know you are.” She exhaled slowly. “This isn’t really a great after-sex topic, though.”

He shifted them so they lay on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. His bicep acted as her pillow. It was like they’d finally finished what they’d started in Central Park, in the sleepy meadow. He was warm, and smelled masculine and comforting.

False comfort. There was no point in getting attached.

She sighed. Might as well tell him why. Nothing like talking about an ex to send a guy running for the hills.