Dominic’s voice is a balm on the shattered mess of my heart, and his words break me wide open, the silent tears turning to sobs of relief as he kisses me, again and again, his lips claiming me for his own, his need for me palpable in every single touch.

“I wanted to tell you,” I say in broken phrases through the kisses. “I wanted—”

“I was a prick. I was reckless with you, and I shouldn’t have been.” He pulls back, hands on my face, and stares into my eyes, his gaze piercing. “Vivienne, it all started coming apart from the moment I walked away from you. And I realized—I realized it was a bigger disaster to leave you behind than it ever was to stay with you.” His voice is urgent, and I put my hands up on his wrists, holding on tight. “We can figure this out. Whatever it means for your job, for my company—we can figure it out. But I can’t be without you. I can’t.”

“I don’t ever want to be without you,” I say, with one final sob, and it turns into laughter at the tail end. “It was all so stupid, such a stupid fight—”

Then his mouth is on mine again, possessive and hot, and I melt under his hands. With one movement, he lifts me up and turns, backing me up until my ass makes contact with the hard mahogany of his desk, and with one sweep of his arm he clears it, an elegant pen holder and a desk calendar clattering to the ground.

His tongue explores my mouth like it’s the first time we’ve ever kissed, and I can tell from his harsh breathing that he’s barely able to keep himself in check. I feel the same wild energy and urgency pulsing through me, rocketing through me, and my clothes have never seemed like such an inconvenience in my life.

I wrap my hands around Dominic’s neck as his hands move roughly downward, touching me like I want to be touched right now, touching me like I belong to him and I always will, and nothing will ever break us apart again. He shoves the skirt of my dress up around my hips and nudges his legs between mine so I’m spread out on the edge of his desk. With his lips on the side of my neck, trailing hot wet kisses down to my shoulder, he puts both hands on my panties and wrenches them down and off, tossing the fabric to the floor.

I hold on tight. I hold on like I’m drowning, like he’s the last lifeline, and the sensation of his muscles moving under my hands as he undoes his buckle, unzips his pants, frees his hard and ready cock, is burned into my memory.

This isn’t lovemaking, this is a hot, desperate fuck, and I’m soaking wet, spread wide, and Dominic doesn’t waste a moment before he’s thrusting into me, his hands on my ass, somehow keeping me steady on the edge of the desk.

“Yes…yes…”

He’s buried to the hilt in one stroke, and all my muscles clench around him, my toes curling, all the pent-up energy focusing down to my molten core. “Never leave me again,” he growls into my ear, and one, two, three thrusts and I’m over the top in my first orgasm, coming hard onto his steeled length, biting down on his shoulder to muffle my cries.

“I didn’t leave,” I gasp. “I didn’t leave—”

His hands tighten on my ass, and he slows the pace for a few minutes, kissing the side of my temple, biting at my earlobe, his voice a low whisper. “You’re right. I’ll never turn my back on you again, sweet thing. Never again. You’re mine.”

“I’m yours.”

The words ignite him again, and the languid pace evaporates in an instant.

“Tell me again.”

“I’m yours—” I can hardly get a breath in, my legs spread to capacity on the desk, and my clit is throbbing with every stroke as our bodies make contact again and again, and I’ve been dying for this, I’ve been dying to be taken, to be possessed, and Dominic is giving it to me all in this moment, all in this hot, concentrated moment. The door to his office is wide open and he doesn’t care, and I don’t care, it’s all I can do to even see past his shoulders.

My hair comes loose from its twist, spilling down over my shoulders, and with one hand still firmly on my ass, he reaches back and threads his fingers through it, pulling my head back, tipping my chin up so that my neck is exposed for him to lick in one long motion with his tongue.

“God, you taste so good—”

I tighten around him, completely unable to stop the moans escaping from my lips as I wind up again for another orgasm. When it hits, it’s so powerful that I almost lose my grip on Dominic’s shoulders, rocking dangerously into him, and he’s holding me tighter than ever before when he goes over the edge into his own release, coming hard inside me with a sharp hiss.

We’re locked in place, bodies trembling, for a long time after that.

Until Dominic lifts his head from my shoulder, sweeps my hair away from my face with his hands, and kisses me, tenderly, gently. “I love you, Vivienne Davis.”

I make a face, and he pulls back another few inches. “What?”

“My name is Vivienne.”

He gives me a wry grin. “Is this the last of the secrets, then?”

“I swear. My name is Vivienne Peterson.”

“I can live with that.” Dominic purses his lips. “Unless you want to take my name when—”

I burst into laughter. “You are not proposing to me right now.”

He looks hurt. “Why not?” Then he grins. “When I actually propose, it won’t be in my office.”

“Why not?” I echo, pretending to take in the space for the first time. “It’s so romantic.”

He helps me off the desk, helps to straighten my dress, tugging it back into place before he zips his pants, threading his belt back into an appropriate state. “We did meet in front of this very building.”

I roll my eyes. “That was—not one of my more shining moments. So maybe we agree to forget it?”

He laughs out loud, and I shift my weight to the side, getting ready to head to the door. We don’t need to be here anymore. I need to make a call, and Dominic—

My heart drops straight into my toes, ice cascading through my veins.

Because Mark Sadler is standing in the doorway, face pale, both hands wrapped around a Beretta 92, the black gun trembling slightly in his grasp.