Jesse would curse the powers that had kept them apart for so long, but not tonight. Tonight she wanted to get lost in the man who’d never given up on her.

The moment their lips met, nothing else mattered. Dragging him down to the bed, she moaned as his thigh pressed between her own, and she couldn’t resist exploring every bare inch of skin that she could reach.

“Hmmm . . .” she mumbled when his warm mouth trailed kisses along her jaw and down to the spot below her ear that drove her crazy. “Oh, yes.”

Strong hands eased beneath her shirt, and Jesse arched as the pressure low in her core intensified. At the rate this was going, she would be begging in no time.

Desperate to feel his skin on hers, Jesse pushed on his shoulder until he backed away enough for her to sit up. In a rush, she yanked the shirt over her head and tossed it away, leaving nothing but black satin between them.

Before she could reach behind to unclasp the hooks, Ash leaned forward to lavish wet kisses along the swell of her breasts, dipping his tongue behind the thin material to tease her nipple. Her hands shot into his hair as a purr escaped her lips.

A subtle shift of his weight and Jesse found her back on the mattress with Ash working his way down her torso. With every brush of his lips, her heart rate doubled. She filled her hands with the colorful comforter as he tasted the skin just above her waistband.

“Time for these to come off.” He freed the button and lowered the zipper slowly enough to drive her mad.

Impatient, she shoved them over her hips and let him drag them off the rest of the way. But instead of returning to her, Ash stood at the edge of the bed. Eyes dark. Hair damp and disheveled. Staring as if viewing a great wonder of the world.

“You’re more beautiful than I remember.”

A voice in Jesse’s mind said she was rounder and less-toned, but that reality couldn’t compete with the reverence in his eyes.

Jesse sat up and slowly reached for the swath of terry cloth hanging off his hips. Ash didn’t flinch as the material fell away, and his arousal stood proud and ready to perform. Without a word, she kissed the tip, enjoying the power of nearly bringing this big, beautiful man to his knees.

“Baby,” he moaned, jamming his hands into her hair.

Sliding him halfway in, she sucked and felt him jerk with pleasure. His grip tightened on the back of her head, and she took him to the hilt, the taste sweet and salty at the same time. Finding her rhythm, she cupped his back side, the muscles tight and firm beneath her touch, and with every suck and slide, Ash cried out a little louder.

His body was shaking, on the verge of release, when she pulled away and dragged him down to join her, cradling him between her legs.

“Condom,” he growled through clenched teeth. “We need a condom.”

Though she’d made a special trip to buy a box the night before, Jesse was annoyed with herself for not thinking to put them beside the bed while he showered.

Pointing toward the closet, she said, “They’re in my bag. The red one.”

Ash kissed her hard on the lips before leaving her with a whoosh of cold air across her bare skin. Jesse wiggled out of her underwear and was dragging her bra down her arms by the time he returned.

“I wanted to do that,” he said before ripping the small square package open with his teeth.

“Next time,” she promised, snagging the open foil from his fingers. With quick movements, she sheathed the condom into place and returned to her previous position.

Brow arched, he said, “We aren’t kids anymore, you know. There’s no need to rush before someone catches us.”

Jesse leaned up on her elbows. “I’ve waited a decade for this.”

“Good point.” Ash crawled back into position, pausing long enough to kiss the inside of each thigh. Heat shot through her core, and she dug her heels into the bed. “The second time we’ll go slow,” he promised, hovering above her and taking her mouth with his at the same moment he drove one finger inside.

Something bordering on gibberish rolled off her tongue as her hips shot up to increase the contact. Another finger slid in with the first and curled just enough to send her teetering to the edge. He withdrew, leaving her slick and wet, and before she had time to recover, he rose with an arm on each side of her and caught her gaze.

Eyes locked, he thrust all the way in, and Jesse dug her nails into his biceps. Ash rocked his hips, and her breathing devolved into tiny pants and a series of mindless whimpers. Meeting every thrust with one of her own, she spiraled higher and higher, the pressure doubling when he nipped her taut nipple with his teeth.

“I can’t… Oh, God… Oh, Ash…”

“Come for me, baby. I’ve got you.”

Ash suckled her breast while his hips worked her hard and as the tremors lit through her, Jesse wrapped her arms around his neck, desperate to hold on lest she break apart. She was still quivering when he buried himself deeper still and with a growl, the orgasm ripped through him, turning every muscle to steel before he dropped down beside her.

Both panting and satisfied, they lingered there, catching their breath and holding on to each other as if they never wanted to let go. Ash placed a kiss on her breast before straightening and tucking her head beneath his chin.

“I love you, Jesse.”

More content than she’d ever been, she rolled onto her side, clutching his arms around her and pressing her back to his chest. “I love you, too.”

Ash never wanted to leave this bed. Or this woman. A decade was a long time to go without the one he knew was meant to be his. He believed that now more than ever. They’d parted long enough to find the pillows, and then came back together beneath the childish comforter.

“I’ll never look at penguins the same way again,” he muttered against her temple.

Jesse laughed. “Penguins in raincoats. Don’t forget the raincoats.”

He squeezed her tight. “Who could forget them? They’re so practical.”

She looked up and touched a finger to the tip of his nose. “I’m glad I remembered to buy the other kind of raincoat.”

“When did you get those?”

“Last night.”

Ironically, he’d also restocked and made sure to slide a couple into his wallet this morning, but that had been more a matter of wishful thinking on his part. Ash had begun this day with no expectations, happy to wait as long as she needed to reach this point again.

“So you already knew you were going to ravish me?” he asked, eager to hear her laugh again.

Sliding her leg between his, she rubbed his length. “You didn’t seem to mind.”

Ash lifted her onto his chest. “I didn’t mind one bit. But I remember discussion of a second time.”

Her knees dropped so she straddled his hips. “I was just waiting until you were up for it.” When he flexed, her eyes went wide. “Impressive recovery.”

He grinned. “At your service.”

Jesse twitched her hips as her lips took his, her tongue sliding in invitation. Ash filled his hands with her bottom and kissed her back as his arousal grew more insistent.

“Where did you put the condoms?” she asked, as impatient as before.

Reaching up and around the pillow, he found the box where he’d tucked it for safe—and closer—keeping. “Right here.”

“You’re a smart man,” Jesse said before sitting up and taking the box with her.

As if putting on a show, she slowly removed one package and tucked the box back under the pillow. Holding his gaze, she tore the foil and removed the condom, and then slowly eased down his legs. Before sliding it into place, she explored his length with curious fingers, sending bolts of electricity coursing through him.

Hands tight on her thighs, he said, “You’re killing me.”

“We said the second time would be slow, remember?”

Damn it, he did say that. “Slow is overrated.”

With a sexy purr, she said, “I agree.”

The condom was rolled into place, and Jesse lifted to position herself in just the right spot. Ash lifted his hands, and she placed hers in them seconds before her head dropped back and she took him full in.

He tried to say her name but only managed a guttural moan. Hands still in his, she began to move, making small circles first, then lifting and falling. He pulled her down for a kiss, his hips instinctually following her every move, and their tongues mimicked the action of their bodies. When Ash felt her getting close, he found her clit with his thumb and drove her over the edge.

Her gasp was muffled against his lips, and her whole body clenched. Holding her hips in place, he continued to drive up, and she arched back to brace her hands on his thighs.

Ash thumbed her clit once more, sending her into a second orgasm and the moment she screamed his name, his own release came, slamming into him like lightning through an ancient oak.

Chest heaving, she curled back against him to splay on his chest, her breath hot across his nipple.

“That one was even better,” she mumbled as they remained connected and spent.

“Yeah, it was.”

Once they caught their breath, Jesse lifted to rest her chin on his sternum. “The third time could be the winner.”

A wicked smile curved her lips, and though Ash wasn’t one to make promises he couldn’t keep, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for this woman.

Nodding, he twisted a dark-red curl around his finger. “Okay, then.”

Blue eyes softened before she kissed the spot where her chin had rested. “Okay, then.”