I startled awake.

Sitting up, I shoved my hair from my eyes and looked around the dark living room. I was wondering what woke me when I heard a howl in the distance. A wolf, or maybe a coyote? I had no idea, only that the sound was hair raising.

The house around me was silent. Beau wasn’t back yet. I didn’t need to move from my spot on the couch to know that. I looked at the clock in the kitchen. 5:00 a.m.

I stood and flicked on some lights. There was no way I was going back to sleep. Not now that I was awake and starting to worry. What if Beau had been hurt? There were wild animals out there. I didn’t know what to do. How long I should wait until I called for help?

It was midmorning, and I was a complete mess, by the time Beau finally got home. I could see him through the window, walking toward the house. He had his gun in one hand, the other swinging loose at his side. His big, solid, muscled body moved with purpose, in a way that was sure and confident. He was comfortable in his surroundings, in his own skin.

The sight was mesmerizing.

But as he got closer I could also see that he was covered in cuts and scrapes, his clothes muddy and torn in several places.

I yanked the door open and rushed out as he walked up the steps. “Oh my God, what happened to you?”

He trudged through the door. “I’m fine. I had to climb down a ravine to get to Ed’s father. It was harder getting him up than we thought. He’d fractured his arm. Luckily, we had Hank there as well to help haul him up.”

I rested my hands on his chest, my heart going a million miles an hour. “I hate that there’s no goddamn cell service out here. I was worried out of my mind. I was positive you’d been eaten by wild animals or something.”

He looked down at me and cupped the side of my face. “We know what we’re doing. We were safe the whole time. I promise you, I’d never take any unnecessary risks. We were raised out here; we know better.”

I nodded, but I knew it would take a little longer to get over the fear I was feeling. “Why don’t you go have a nice hot shower and I’ll make you something to eat?”

He leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. They felt cool. “Yeah, I think I will.”

Then he headed upstairs, and I watched him go, forcing myself to stay put and not rush after him. Playing it cool wasn’t as easy as I thought, especially after last night.

When he came back down a little later, he was wearing sweatpants and a thin, soft T-shirt that stretched across his chest. His feet were bare, and his hair was still damp. The man was perfection. I wanted to strip him naked and finish what we’d started in the barn.

I turned back to the stove and flipped a pancake. The one thing I knew how to cook, and it not end a total disaster.

“Smells good,” Beau said as he came up behind me, nuzzling the spot between my neck and shoulder. His beard tickled, lifting goosebumps across my skin. “Pancakes don’t smell too bad either.”

I grinned, trying to be all cool and collected when my heart was racing like crazy. “They’ll be ready soon. Go sit down and rest, and I’ll bring you a plate when they’re ready.”

He kissed the side of my throat and I shivered. “As soon as I’ve eaten my pancakes, I’m eating you,” he said against my skin.

His voice was rough, sexy, and I could feel him getting hard against my butt. I shivered when he kissed me one more time before walking away.

Somehow, I remained standing and didn’t dissolve into a puddle on the kitchen floor.

When I walked in with his food a short time later, he was stretched out on the couch, long, solid body on full display, one hand behind his head, one resting on his belly, bare feet crossed at the ankles.

And he was asleep.

I decided not to wake him. He’d been out all night and was obviously exhausted. I put the rest of the pancakes in the fridge as quietly as I could and went upstairs to have a shower. When I came back down, he was still out cold. His face was relaxed, his dark eyelashes resting on his cheeks. He looked so yummy lying there, so inviting.

The couch was wide and there was a little room down beside him.

Screw it.

I climbed on with him and wrapped my arm around his belly. I hadn’t slept great last night either, and with the heat of his body radiating through my clothes, I started to drift off a few short minutes later.

I didn’t fight it.

* * *

I was still half asleep when I realized the heat warming my butt was a hand. Strong fingers flexed, squeezing my ample flesh, followed by a groan. I heard it as well as felt it, the strong chest under my cheek vibrating from the low, sexy sound.

It took a little effort, but I lifted my head, expecting to find Beau staring down at me. He wasn’t; he was still asleep. He was also shockingly hard and, I realized, commando under those gray sweatpants. The fat swollen head of his cock had actually pushed past the waistband of his pants.

Oh my God.

He was long and thick, and beautiful.

His shirt had lifted up and his tight abs, which were dusted lightly with dark hair, were clenched. I followed the sexy trail that led the eye right down—to his gorgeous cock—and bit back a moan.

Beau Smith was definitely all man. I took a moment to admire his amazing body. His long legs and thick, solid thighs. His wide muscled chest and biceps, those corded forearms. I could see through his worn-thin shirt that his chest was also dusted with hair, more than his belly. I’d never been up close and personal with a guy who hadn’t manscaped, and I was surprised at how hot I found it.

I squeezed my thighs together as I took in his thick neck, his beard covering a square jaw. I wanted to touch it. I lifted my hand and gently cupped his cheek, a shiver sliding though me at how surprisingly soft it was. My gaze moved to his strong nose, higher…

His eyes were open, and he was watching me. He was also grinning.

My face heated.

“Hey,” he rumbled.

I dropped my head to his chest to hide my face. “Sorry, I just…” What? There was nothing I could say, no lie he would believe. It was obvious what I was doing. Being a giant perv while he slept.

“I could get used to waking up like this, your soft curves pressed up against my side, working yourself up looking at me.” I felt his fingers shift my hair. “Don’t apologize for that, Freya.”

I kept my head where it was and worked at finding my courage. It was surprisingly easy lying against Beau. It certainly helped knowing how much I affected him.

I dropped my hand to his exposed belly and felt as well as heard him suck in a breath. “What were you dreaming about?” I asked. “You were moaning in your sleep.”

“You have to ask?” he said, voice rougher.

I pushed his shirt higher and shimmied down a little. Lifting my eyes to his, I pressed my mouth to that exposed strip of tan skin.

Another rough sound. “Freya…”

I kissed him again, lower this time, my lips only a few inches from the head of his hard cock. It glistened, was dark and, God, made my mouth water just looking at it. “Are you in pain?”

“Yes,” he gritted out, knowing exactly what I was referring to.

I slid down more, and one of his solid thighs shifted, his foot dropping to the floor, making room for me. “Let me make it better for you.”

He groaned as I kissed and sucked the skin below his belly button, so close now.

His hips jerked up and his hand slid into my hair. “You don’t have to do that,” he said. “I mean…I don’t expect…”

His voice trailed off when my chin bumped that swollen, glistening head. “I don’t make a habit of doing things I don’t want to,” I said.

Every one of his exhales was rough, uneven. “No?”

“No,” I whispered, looking up at him and holding his half-lidded gaze.

I felt his fingers tighten in my hair and his nostrils flared with his sharp indrawn breath. “Then suck me. Christ, Freya, I need you to suck my cock.”

A shiver slid through me at the need I heard in his vice, the way his hips came up again, seeking me out. I gripped the waistband of his pants and slid them down, moaning softly and licking my lips when his beautiful cock sprang free.

Beau growled and yanked his shirt off over his head, flinging it to the floor. I thought he was gorgeous before, but with his body bare in front of me, I found it hard to breathe. Every muscle was hard and tight, like he was carved from mountain rock. My eyes lifted back to his, and Beau looked as close to the edge as any man I’d ever seen.

“I’m going to fucking die if I don’t feel your mouth on me, Freya,” he said in a voice so low and gritty I felt it like a velvety caress between my thighs.

His cock was angled up, resting on his stomach, so I wrapped my fingers around the base, standing it upright while I bent over him and took him into my mouth.

“Fuck,” Beau bit out.

I didn’t bother with teasing or taking it slow. The man was in pain and my goal was to get him off, to ease the ache he was feeling. I sucked him back nice and deep, running my tongue along the thick vein on the underside, sucking harder when I dragged my mouth back up and only the head was between my lips.

Both his hands were in my hair and I felt him gathering it up, wrapping it around his fist, getting it out of the way so he could watch. I cupped his balls and his legs spread wider for me, giving me more room. He liked what I was doing, and God, that made me feel good. Since I got here I’d gotten everything wrong. But I knew it would be like this. I knew this connection between us wasn’t something I’d imagined.

If only we’d started with this, if only he’d taken me to bed that first night, he wouldn’t be feeling the doubts about me that I suspected he was.

I used my hand in time with my mouth, stroking him as I increased my speed.

“Jesus. Christ. Freya…” My eyes lifted to his as I worked him. His jaw was tight, blue eyes glazed and hot, and when they locked on mine, his hips jerked up again, pushing his cock deeper into my mouth. “Gonna come…so hard…pull away if you don’t want it,” he said, then groaned.

No way was I pulling away.

When he saw that for himself he cursed, a low raw sound bursting from his mouth, and then he started coming, his cock pulsing against my tongue, shooting down my throat. I swallowed, not breaking eye contact with him the whole time.

He’d lifted to his elbows and he kept his eyes on me, too, breath hard and fast as I continued to suck him until he softened in my mouth, watching as I licked him clean.

Finally, I lifted my head, letting his soft dick rest against his stomach.

His tongue darted out, swiping across his lower lip. “Pants off, Freya, now.”

I knew my eyes widened comically when his lips curled up at the side, and he gave me that sexy grin of his.

I didn’t care how ridiculous I looked, I wanted him to touch me, badly. I quickly did as he said. I was hot and achy, and I wanted whatever was about to happen. I assumed we were going to kiss, that he’d use his fingers on me until I came like when we were in the barn. But then he grabbed my hips, holding me up as he slid down the couch, so he was flat on his back.

“Sit on my face,” he growled. “Now, honey. I need to taste you. Right. Fucking. Now.”

Dear God. Heat curled in my lower belly as I shimmied higher, his strong grip on my hips moving me where he wanted me. Then his lips, his mouth, his tongue, were there.

We both groaned.

One of his hands went to my bottom and his fingers dug into my flesh as he slid his tongue through my pussy. I couldn’t stop from grinding myself against him. I was worked up from what I’d done to him, already close to coming. His tongue dipped inside me and swirled, and I cried out. Perfect torture.

I needed more, so much more, and every swipe of his tongue drove me higher. Beau’s eyes were closed as he ate at me, an expression on his face that made me feel like his favorite meal. My hands went to my breasts, unable to stop myself, and I pinched my nipples through my shirt while I rolled my hips.

His eyes opened at the sound of my throaty moan, and when he saw what I was doing to myself he growled again then wrapped his lips around my needy clit and alternated between flicking it with his tongue and sucking.

My head dropped back, and I screamed, coming so hard my head spun. Beau’s strong hands held me up as I lost control completely, and when the last wave washed over me, he repositioned me. I let him, not an ounce of energy left in my body.

I felt his hands back in my hair. This time they were gentle, soothing.

I didn’t even fight it—I went back to sleep wrapped in Beau’s arms.

The only place I wanted to be.