There wasn’t much warm water left, but Serenity barely felt it. Her mind was still reeling, churning, pushing her past her exhaustion to consider life as she knew it.

But it was no use. There was too much shit to get through, too many revelations to dissect. Ellison being in Gunner’s pocket this whole time really shouldn’t have shocked her, but Serenity had always lived in a world where the good guys were good and the bad guys weren’t and there was no crossover between them. Perhaps that was why she’d had such a difficult time reconciling Dash in the role of villain, even after discovering he was responsible for her current predicament.

God, that revelation paled when shoved beside the others. Dalton’s death, and Dash’s role in it. The fact that the authorities might be looking for her as a suspect rather than a victim. The mind-blowing sex. The look on Dash’s face when he’d exited the bathroom and realized she hadn’t seized the out he’d provided.

Serenity closed her eyes as the cooling water rushed through her hair, her fingers massaging cheap motel soap into her scalp. Truthfully, leaving had never been an option for her. She had nowhere to go, for one. At least, nowhere that immediately leaped out at her. Somewhere, her rational mind forewarned that stalling or disappearing would only make her look guilty, when in truth all the police could pin on her was circumstantial evidence that any good forensics expert could promptly invalidate. But that wasn’t the worst of her problems. Tanner and now her own attorney had proven to be corruptible—her fate in the eyes of the law was nothing compared to what Lucifer’s Legion could do to her at Gunner’s behest.

Paranoid thoughts interjected every few seconds. How far would she have to run? Would she ever not need to run? Would she ever feel safe?

These questions triggered her panic, the same that had fallen quiet since she’d learned Dash was with her. Serenity stemmed off the looming attack by reminding herself that she was running on fumes. Thinking clearly right now wasn’t possible. She needed sleep, and lots of it. Her situation wouldn’t seem as dire in the morning.

Though knowing this was true, it still felt impossible. As did the prospect of a good night’s sleep with Dash in the room.

With her body still warmed from their lovemaking, and his earlier bombshell bouncing around her head.

He’d been in love with her. Once.

And she…

Well, she’d loved him, too. Then. She’d been sent away because of it—or rather, because one of the girls at church had gotten her to confess her plans to let Dash take her virginity, then promptly squealed to her father. There had been many threats prior, but that had been the straw that broke the preacher’s back. The thing that put Orson’s words into action.

Serenity had tried so hard to convince herself she hadn’t come back to Joplin for Dash, that she had moved on, that she was a different person. That leaving home had ultimately been the best thing for her, because it had provided an escape from the Jones household. Her life post-Dash hadn’t been fantastic, but it had been good. And for the most part, she had moved on.

She’d just kept one foot in the past.

Serenity rinsed her hair free of soap, fighting a shiver. The water had officially turned icy, which was her cue for an exit. She couldn’t stay in here forever.

And out there…

She sighed and shut off the water, and was immediately consumed in a deafening quiet. For everything that had gone crazy in her life in the past twenty-four hours, Dash was the one variable that confused her the most. He was so different than she remembered, and so many things had gone wrong, but when he looked at her, she could convince herself it didn’t matter. His crimes, his actions, his bad decisions. Everything could be forgiven or forgotten. Everything could be ignored.

And what scared her most was she wasn’t sure if his past bothered her because of what he’d done, or because she felt like it should.

And if she really gave a damn.

Serenity stepped onto the shower mat and reached for a towel. She patted herself dry, wrung out her hair, and gave the clothes she’d shed a long, considering look before concluding she couldn’t put them on again. She didn’t want to smell like that garage, or like a member of Lucifer’s Legion. The shower might not have been fantastic, but she felt clean at least.

She exhaled a wobbly breath and raised her gaze to the door.

Whatever happened tomorrow was going to happen. Dash was not comprised of his mistakes. Despite everything, he was a good man. A flawed but good man. Of this she had no doubt. She didn’t want to hide. She didn’t want to worry. She didn’t want to ruminate on the whys or why nots. She didn’t want to say no. She just wanted him. Right now. On her terms.

Admitting this to herself fueled her with a surge of adrenaline. Her heart pounded and her palms sweated, but it also provided comfort. Relief. Little of what happened in the coming days would be in her control…but this was something she could keep. Something that would be hers.

And she was damn tired of fighting it.

Serenity exhaled again, then padded across the small bathroom and opened the door.

Dash was sitting on the bed, wearing a pair of boxers and a white tee. His shirt contrasted sharply with his inked skin, making him look more provocative, more dangerous…yet somehow more vulnerable at the same time.

His eyes went wide when he saw her, and then immediately began to wander, prowling over her naked body. Her nipples pebbled under his scrutiny. Nervous tension tightened in her belly and spread outward. When she saw his reaction, visible in the tenting of fabric at his crotch, she went from damp to soaked.

“Fuck, are you trying to kill me?” he growled at last.

Serenity took a step forward. Then another, and another. She managed to swallow her nerves and shove back her insecurities long enough to straddle him. His hands immediately went to her ass, holding her against him. She palmed his cock, stroking her hand along the straining length.

“Rennie,” he whispered. “What are you doing to me?”

“Everything is fucked up right now,” she replied, whispering her lips across his, and feeling more powerful and womanly than she had in the whole of her existence. “Everything but us.”

He laughed, the sound strained and nervous. Still, he belied his own interest with his hands, fingers kneading her ass and holding her tight against him. “I don’t know how you can say that.”

“I don’t care.”

“You will tomorrow.”

She shook her head. “Not about this. You know why Orson sent me away? What made him follow through?” Serenity waited, then continued, “It was because he found out. I was planning on seducing you.”

Dash barked another laugh, this one incredulous. Then he narrowed his eyes. “Wait, what?”

“I wanted you to be my first. He found out.”

“What?”

Serenity smiled. “I loved you, too. I wanted you then. I still do.” She coaxed one of his hands off her ass and placed it at the apex of her thighs, then released a long moan when his fingers immediately began to delve and explore. “I want this with you. Right now.”

“You’re exhausted. And you’re hurt.” He kissed the shoulder he’d realigned.“And obviously not thinking clearly.”

“You’re kidding. We did this already, Dash. I wanna do it again. In a bed this time.”

He shook his head, but his fingers betrayed him. He had her clit under his thumb and was manipulating her with smooth, tender strokes. “That was…impulsive.”

“It was awesome.”

Dash grinned, but his eyes remained serious. “This isn’t gonna fix anything, Rennie. And I…I don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

“Neither do I,” she agreed. “Except the one thing I want to happen. I want you. Your hands. Your mouth. I want your cock. Inside me. Right now.”

She punctuated these words by squeezing his erection through his boxers, then freeing him through the front opening. Using her hand, she began a rhythmic pump, one that matched his tentative strokes against her clit. She was hot and desperate, and if he didn’t fuck her soon, she was going to explode.

Dash moaned. “You’re gonna kill me.”

Serenity kissed him, and unlike earlier, there was nothing feral behind this touch. It was sweet and tender, a caress of her lips against his, a playful swipe of her tongue into his mouth. Every nerve in her body went on overdrive. She needed him.

“Let me have this,” she whispered. “I don’t know what’s going to happen either. But this is mine. Please.” She paused, swallowed, then whispered, “Please, Dash, make love with me.”

That was it. She knew the second he snapped. A flicker of emotion, something deep and tangible, stole through his eyes, and then he was moving. His mouth found hers, hard and demanding, as he pushed two fingers into her pussy. Serenity whimpered into his kiss, her hips bucking and her hands flying to rip his T-shirt over his head. This time was on her terms, and she wanted skin. She needed to feel him, all of him, and refused to settle for anything less.

Dash helped her, much as he could. Once his chest was bare, he barely let her glance at him before seizing her mouth again. The pressure between her legs slipped away without warning, and the next thing she knew, she was on her back, Dash hovering over her, pinning her with a look so intense she felt it to her bones.

“I want you to come in my mouth,” he murmured. “I’ve dreamed about eating your cunt for ten years.”

Serenity shuddered and pressed her thighs together to alleviate the ache. “I want that, too.”

He quirked a brow. “I thought you might.”

“But first—” She put her hands on his chest and pushed. It was likely surprise rather than strength that had him rolling off her—the look on his face betrayed he hadn’t expected her to shove quite so hard. Before he could protest, she had straddled him again and was busy tearing his boxers down his legs.

“Condoms in your jeans?” she asked, turning her attention to the pile of clothes he’d discarded by the bed.

When she looked back, Dash was sitting up, his weight on his elbows, his erection jutting at full attention. And this—yes, this was what she’d missed the last time. The hard lines of his body bare to her eager eyes and hands. His chest was smooth, though doctored with more colorful tattoos and scars which told stories she likely wasn’t ready to hear yet. His legs were thick and muscular, and his cock…

“I thought I was supposed to be eating you,” he teased, languidly wrapping his hand around his dick and beginning to pump.

“Later.”

“Hungry now.”

“So am I.” Serenity forced herself to look away before she forgot the importance of protection, and vowed to have a conversation about past partners to eradicate the need for such precautions in the future. She received periodic injections in lieu of taking pills, and while she trusted Dash was clean, she didn’t want to ruin the mood by mentioning it. There was so much she didn’t know about him anymore—so much she would learn and rediscover.

Dash grunted. “Woman, I need your mouth or your pussy, now.”

“I’m hurrying.” Serenity dropped his jeans and held up her hand, displaying the foil package between her fingers. “Condoms.”

“Don’t need that to lick you.”

“I’m running this,” she said, crawling back over him. “You’ll get your chance, Dash. I have a lot of fantasies, too. But right now, I want you the way I want you. You owe me that.”

Dash favored her with a look that was both vulnerable and rakish, his eyes soft but his grin wicked. He reclined without further protest and watched her as she took his cock in her hand and settled between his legs.

“Rennie…”

“Just for a moment,” she murmured, then licked along the underside of his erection. She shivered when he moaned. “Let me play.”

Without awaiting a response, Serenity sucked his cock into her mouth, moaning thickly around him. Dash echoed her moan with a throaty one of his own. And then, as though he couldn’t help himself, he thrust his hips, and drove deeper inside.

“Fuck, Rennie…so good…”

She pulled back and lapped at the crown of his cock, drawing beads of precum into her mouth. God, she loved the feel of him. Loving his heady, musky scent, and warm taste. Serenity was hardly a prude, but she hadn’t been terribly explorative when coming into her sexual awakening. The art of giving head was something she’d done when asked but never performed with relish. Now, with Dash in her mouth, she wanted to lick and suck until he came completely undone.

But Dash had other ideas. He sat up and threaded his fingers through her hair. “Stop.”

She released him with a wet plop. “Why? Don’t you like me here?”

“I love it. But I love being inside you more.”

Serenity grinned, grabbed the condom, and tore it free of its packaging. “Fair enough,” she said, sliding the latex over his length. “But we’ll revisit the subject.”

“Yes.” Dash grunted, seizing her wrists the second the condom was in place. He wasted no time tugging her up his body, and she couldn’t help but whimper as his cock slid against her slippery folds. “But for now…ride me, Rennie.”

She placed her hands on his chest and positioned herself over him. “Dash…”

And that was it. She impaled herself on his cock, her pussy clenching, squeezing him, holding him, dragging him as deep inside her as she could. The need for words, for anything else, abandoned her.

Dash coaxed her down to him, wrapping his arms around her as she rested her head against his chest, her breasts flattened against his skin. “Serenity,” he murmured, covering her throat with small kisses as he began thrusting up inside her. “My Serenity.”

The use of her name—her real name, rather than the nickname he favored—caught her off guard. But he wasn’t speaking to her. Rather, the syllables rolled off his tongue as though he were in prayer. As he began to pump, striking her, moving with her, loving her without words.

This was it. What she wanted. All she wanted. For the first time since awakening in the garage, she felt at peace.

“I’m here.” Serenity arched into him and threaded her fingers through his hair. “Dash.”

“Stay.”

“Yes.” Serenity jerked him back to her lips and swallowed him in a hungry kiss, her hips fighting to recapture his cock every time he pulled away. As though he had been born a part of her body, and every time he pushed out and in again, it sent her into a spiraling frenzy of forgotten need. “God, Dash.”

He smiled against her. “You feel so damn good,” he murmured. “So good.”

“You too. Fuck.”

“Stay with me.” He pressed his lips to her shoulder, then buried his face in her throat, setting a fast tempo with his body. Even under her, he held control. It would have irritated her if it didn’t turn her on so much. His obvious need for her made her blood boil.

“Stay,” he echoed. “Please.”

The words were spoken without inflection, but she heard their rawness just the same. Serenity clutched him to her, her heart pounding, her head spinning. She’d already made her decision. No matter what came next, she would face it with Dash at her side.

“Rennie.” He laved a wet path around a nipple, nimble fingers caressing her neglected breast. His thrusts deepened with every arch into her cunt. He felt so good. So thick. So consuming. She was split and she didn’t care.

She was with him.

“Rennie.”

Serenity sat up and arched back rolling her hips, dragging her pussy over his cock. She played with the rhythm, wanting to experience him in all ways. She indulged in short and shallow strokes, then long and languid. She wanted him every way—all ways. He made her feel brave in a world where she should be anything but, reunited her with sensations she had almost decided never existed in the first place.

He made her feel—period.

“Can I try something?” Serenity panted on a down stroke.

Dash’s eyes burned. “Anything.”

His interest faded when she allowed his cock to slip from her cunt completely. “Wait, no. You’re killing me.”

“Just…” Serenity didn’t know what was pushing her, and at the moment, she didn’t care. She wanted to feel him like this, even through the condom. She lifted herself as far as she could, then placed the tip of his cock against her clit, and her eyes went wide at the contact. “Oh fuck.”

“Oh fuck,” Dash echoed breathlessly, hands tangled in her sheets. “You’re so damn hot. Fuck, what you do to me.”

She rubbed him against her mercilessly. Every time his cockhead rubbed her clit, she shuddered closer to orgasm. All that mattered at that moment was the sensuous feel of him against her as she teased herself. “Uhhh…”

And when he spoke again, his voice was strangled. Throaty. Pleading. “Rennie…god, please.”

Her eyes flashed open at that, and she nodded before navigating him inside her once more. Matching groans sounding through the air already heavy with their combined scents. Serenity threw her head back and began moving again slowly, her hands finding purchase at his hips, steadying as she rode him to a slow gallop. She felt his eyes on her, felt his need as though it were her own. And maybe it was—they’d been so connected once. Perhaps they had always been.

Dash found her clit again with his fingers and began a slow, tortuous massage.

“Oh yes,” she whimpered. “Dash. Fuck.”

A familiar burn started to spread through her body. She stretched forward, needing the intimacy of his kiss. Their mouths met again zealously, bursting into a fury of frenzied kisses. The still air around them filled with the slap of their wet flesh, the hard slip and slide of his cock from her body triggering her into a sensory explosion.

He angled his fingers above her clit so each thrust sent her spiraling closer to take off. A gasp clawed at Serenity’s throat for freedom, and suddenly she was coming. Crashing her hips over him as she screamed his name in a twist of jubilation. Dash dropped his hands to her thighs with a grunt, propelling himself deep into her as he sputtered his release. Growling something fierce as her muscles milked him for everything he had to give her. Her name a whispered prayer on his lips.

Years later, Serenity collapsed wearily onto his chest, harsh pants clawing for freedom. She felt his heart thundering against his chest, his gasps ringing alongside hers. A hand coming up to brush her sweat-laced hair off her back. Dash held her to him in the midst of their recovery, his brow pressed against hers. Their mouths close. Breaths intermingled.

“Stay with me,” Dash murmured. “I need you, Rennie. I’ve always needed you.”

Serenity smiled and kissed him. The world was changing around her, and there was no telling what tomorrow would bring. But for now, she had this. She had a second chance to make things right with Dash.

What came next would challenge her, possibly break her.

But she trusted in Dash. Perhaps she was the only one who ever had.

“I’m with you,” she whispered.

He tightened his arms around her and kissed her shoulder. “Always.”

It was such a simple word, a promise he couldn’t keep, but somehow she found herself believing it. Crazy as it was, the sentiment made her feel whole.

Like whatever came next would be easy, so long as Dash was with her. She might have nowhere to go and a road of uncertainty ahead, but in his arms, she was home. The only home worth coming back to.

If she could keep him, keep this, she knew she could survive the storm. And she wasn’t alone.

They would face whatever came side-by-side, the way they hadn’t before.

This time, they might just have a fighting chance.

They’d talked, of course.

It had been the longest goddamn day of his life, at times the worst and others the best. Still, Dash couldn’t find the strength to close his eyes and risk sleep. For everything that was fucked up, everything that was wrong, Rennie was beside him. Naked. The air was thick with the scent of sex, and his cock stirred every time his mind took him back to what they’d shared, and the promise of what was ahead.

But what was ahead wasn’t clear. There were hard decisions to make—decisions they hadn’t been able to reach in the post-coital lull. Yet he couldn’t help but feel optimistic, even if cautiously. For him, the largest decision had been made. It had been made the second he realized what Gunner wanted, really wanted.

In the course of a day, Lucifer’s Legion had gone from being his life to being his past. The oath he’d taken tasted stale now in comparison to what he had. What was his to protect. And even if they had no idea where the fuck to go from here, Dash was certain they would find their way.

Perhaps that was the love talking—the love that had never stopped burning for her. He didn’t know. But he would find out.

He hoped.

It was that, he supposed, that kept him from finding sleep. Beyond the uncertainty ahead and the mess that covered the road behind him, there was the fear that she would awaken in the morning and realize what a fuckup he was and what a fuckup she was for getting involved with the likes of him. Especially in the heat of what was to come. Sex complicated things, love fucking destroyed, and Dash knew if they continued on the path they’d started tonight, the love he’d felt ten years ago and the stirrings he’d rediscovered today would come to a head. He couldn’t survive her walking away again. Even if he deserved it.

He would know when she awoke. If there was any doubt or regret, he’d see it. She’d try to mask it, but he’d see it.

So he waited. And watched. And couldn’t find sleep. He needed to know.

Only he must have drifted off at some point, for the next thing he knew, warm, perfect lips were pressed against his. Dash opened his eyes to a sun-filled room, one with Rennie smiling at him as she pressed her blissfully naked body against his in a manner that left no room for doubt.

Her eyes twinkled, and what he saw in them made him feel like he could conquer mountains.

There was still so much ahead, but he could handle it so long as she was with him.

Then she parted her lips and uttered the most perfect words in the history of language itself.

“We should’ve done this a long time ago.”

Dash grinned and pulled her tighter against him. “We’ll make up for it.” For this, and so much more.

“Starting now?”

He turned and fumbled over the nightstand until he found a condom. “Starting now.”