“I see you,” I said. My hands picked hers up and pinned them above her head against the tree, careful to not hurt her.

“You caught me,” she whispered and arched toward me.

“Mmmm.” Inhaling, I ran my nose up her throat to her ear and whispered, “Whether I can see you or not, I always smell you. Every time I walk in a bakery shop and get a whiff of sugar—on a donut or a damn cookie—I get hard.”

“Is that why you bring me breakfast—”

I kissed her. The best kiss I’d ever had. Soft and languorous, my lips played with hers, giving her tiny kisses and then longer ones.

My kisses went down her neck to her collarbone and to her chest. My tongue outlined her tattoo, tracing the lines of my name as she squirmed, trying half-heartedly to get loose from being pinned. Using my teeth, I nibbled on the front of her dress, aiming for her nipples, my mouth soaking her dress until I could see rosy tips through the dress.

“Dax.” She rotated against me. “Let me touch you,” she moaned, her voice thick with heat.

“No.” I wanted to punish her until she begged me to let her do what she wanted.

Using one hand to secure her wrists, my other one reached behind her back, grabbed the zipper, and yanked it down. Her dress fell to the ground, leaving her nude, and I latched onto her breasts, my tongue, teeth, and lips devouring her.

“I’m burning that damn dress,” I said into her neck. I bit her shoulder.

She cried out in pleasure, and I went back to her mouth. Kissed her. “Do you want everyone to hear us?” I asked between kisses.

“I don’t care,” she said and sucked on my bottom lip, her teeth tugging, making me ache. I groaned, liking the way she knew me. I wanted her to do that to me for the rest of my life.

I licked her throat. “I’m going to let you go, and you’re going to stand there and not move.”

“Yes.”

With care, I let her hands rest, and she collapsed against the tree, arms dangling at her sides. Taking my sweet time, I kissed down each arm individually, to her elbows, to the palms of her hands. I went to my knees. Kissed her stomach. Sucked on her hipbone.

Emotion tore at me. Regret. Lust. Love. Real love.

“I’m so damn sorry,” I said against her skin. “I’m sorry I couldn’t commit to you in the kitchen when you told me you were done with Hartford. I’m sorry I’m terrified of losing you. But I want to try. I want to be yours and you be mine. I want to wake up next to you, put my nose at your throat and just . . . breathe. I want to hold you in my arms. I want to carry you up to bed when you fall asleep. I want to kiss you wearing a mask where we pretend like we don’t know each other. I want to live in my house with you.” I pressed my forehead against her. “Just . . . don’t . . . hurt . . . me.”

She pulled my head up, stared into my eyes, and sank to her knees. We faced each other. “I will never hurt you. It’s why I came here tonight. When I left your house, it dawned on me that maybe I needed to be the one to fight harder for you if you couldn’t.”

I kissed her. “I was just getting ready to leave here, hunt you down, and take you back to my house. Seeing you leave today—I can’t ever lose you again. I’ll die without you,” I said, cradling her face. “We are meant to be, Remi.”

Her blue eyes gleamed. “Fate always knew. She tried three years ago to get us together and failed. She tried again in London and failed. But here and now, we’re listening.”

She kissed me, her hands cupping my face and sliding into my hair.

I shivered against her, melting into her. “God, I love you, Remi.”

“I love you,” she whispered.

We kissed, our arms wrapped around each other, and nothing could tear us apart.

I didn’t intend to ever let her go.

Grabbing her hand, I pulled her back up. “I haven’t been able to forget London—or Cadillac’s. I want to own you, body and soul.”

She shuddered. “I’m ready for you.”

Reaching behind my head, I tugged off my shirt, stepped out of my jeans and kicked my shoes off. She watched. Bending down, I fished a condom out of my wallet and slipped it on my hard cock.

“Let me put my back to the tree,” I murmured, my gaze heavy and low.

“Not sure I can move. I—I think it’s the only thing holding me up.”

“Love, I’m gonna hold you up.”

I picked her up and she straddled me, her legs tight around my waist. I backed up against the tree and her feet clung to it. Using every muscle in my body, my hands cupped her bottom as I eased into her wet sheath, dipping in and then backing out, groaning.

She tossed her head back and shuddered, her muscles clinging to me.

I teased her mercilessly, going slow and getting used to the stance of holding her, sliding inside her heat, then coming out to rub across her nub.

Yes, baby, yes. I could go all night like this.

“Please,” she whispered, clinging to my shoulders and writhing, her mouth sucking on my neck. “All the way, Dax.”

Finally, I slammed my cock home.

“Fucccckkk,” I roared, leaving the gentleness behind and taking her with powerful strokes, oblivious to the tree marking up my back.

I cupped her arse and owned her. She moaned when I adjusted my angle, biceps quivering as I worked to press down on the most sensitive part of her skin.

She tugged on my hair until I kissed her.