Kane’s eyes widened slightly, then his mouth was on mine. He cupped the back of my head, and there weren’t any nightmares as he pulled me up against him. I felt the hard, heavy weight of his chest, felt the muscled length of him and just…wanted.

Curling my arms around his neck, I strained to be closer, although there was no way I could be close enough.

His hands carefully peeled away every piece of clothing I wore and when he had me naked, I pushed him back and reached for the waist of his t-shirt, tugging at the tight material. He started to pull it off, but I smacked at his hands, surprising both of us. “I want to do it,” I said, meeting his gaze.

His hands fell limp to his sides, and he offered a crooked grin. “By all means.”

He stood there, utterly still as I began to strip him naked, starting with his shirt and working my way down to his booted feet before returning to tug at his belt and jeans.

Once I had him naked, I stood in front of him again and laid my hands on his chest.

Still nervous, I flicked a look up at him. “I’m really curious about all your tattoos…can I?”

“You can do whatever you want.”

The blunt answer, spoken in his rough voice, made my toes curl into the worn carpet. The phoenix rising from the ashes had been the first to catch my attention, but there were others. A dragon on the other shoulder, the two creatures facing like they were at war. Flames curled and twisted between them, a tiger peering through them to snarl at me.

Leaning in, I pressed my mouth to the tiger’s snarling face.

Kane cupped the back of my head, urging me on.

I kissed my way over to one flat male nipple and licked him.

His broad chest shuddered.

I made my way over to the other and did the same, then kissed a path up to his neck and bit him.

His body jerked.

Pulling back, I stared up at him. “No?”

He shook his head and tugged me close again. “Yes. Like I said, you can do whatever you want.”

We ended up on the couch, me sprawled on top of him, our naked bodies perfectly aligned, but he made no move to take control from me as I kissed and explored his scarred, beautiful body. When I reached his cock, I slid off the couch to kneel next to him, darting a look up at him. Nerves anew flared in me as he reached down, closing a hand around his length.

“You do only what you want, Raye,” he said, voice gruff.

“I want to do this,” I told him. Then I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to the head of his cock, startled at how hot and smooth he felt against me.

A harsh noise escaped his throat, and I shot a look up at him.

His eyes were closed, head arched back, the veins in his neck standing out in furious, stark relief. Turning back to the task at hand, I opened my mouth more and licked him.

A breath stuttered out of him.

I felt his hand feather down my spine, then back up, but he made no other attempt to touch me.

“Raye…”

I glanced at him, but his eyes were still closed. He held his cock so that it pointed straight up, and I closed my mouth around the top, sucking a little.

Kane’s body arched up off the couch in a long, lean line, the muscles in his thighs and belly flexing.

“Fuck, Raye.”

His voice was grittier, rougher.

“I don’t know how to do this,” I said, telling myself not to feel embarrassed by it.

His lids lifted, and he met my eyes. “You’re doing it just fine. There’s not a right or wrong way.”

“But I…” I hesitated, then asked, “Show me how you like it?”

His chest expanded with a hard breath, then he nodded, gesturing for me to come closer. As I did, he cupped the back of my head.

I tensed at first, the echo of a memory washing up, but I shoved it back.

“We good?”

I nodded and rubbed my cheek against his length.

“You really don’t need my help with this,” he muttered. Then he cleared his throat. “Just…take me in.”

I opened my mouth and took him inside, moved up, then down, following the guidance of his hand. After a few strokes, his hand fell away, and he went back to gripping his cock. I felt his hand shift and pulled back, watched as he cupped and squeezed his balls.

“You keep looking at me like that, and I’m going to come from that alone.”

“You like me watching you?”

“I don’t know if like is the word,” he said ruefully. “But my dick sure as hell likes the attention.” His gaze dropped to my mouth, and he added, “But it likes your mouth more.”

I leaned back in and kissed the head, opening to take him back in, moving slower as I learned the taste and feel of him. When he hit the back of my throat, I slid back up. Each time I went down, I discovered I could take him deeper, and soon, I had him rocking up to meet me, muttering and swearing under his breath.

I didn’t need any more encouragement after that. I knew he was loving everything I did, and more, I was enjoying it, too.

I was wet, growing wetter, and found myself clutching at his thighs, my nails biting in as I squirmed and clenched my knees together to still the ache inside me.

“Stop!” he demanded abruptly, his voice ragged.

I pulled back, staring at him in confusion. “What?”

“I’m going to come in about five seconds if you keep it up.”

“Oh.” I blinked, understanding dawning. “Um…”

He sat up, then rose, holding out a hand to me. I let him pull me to my feet, leaning against him and just enjoying the feel of him.

He swept me up into his arms, and I gasped, startled.

“Bed,” he said, dipping his head to kiss me.

He carried me through the small apartment, and we ended up in the bed, but when he went to roll over and pull me on top of him, I shook my head. I wanted to bury the demons once and for all. “Come here,” I said, pulling him on top of me.

I gasped at the feel of his weight pushing me into the mattress, at the feel of his cock burning my belly like a brand.

“Raye…” He caught my face in his hands, dipping his head to kiss me, and at the touch of his mouth on mine, I forgot everything but his kiss.

Lost in that, I didn’t even notice him reaching for a condom until he pulled back to roll it on. I sat up and tugged it away from him. “Let me.”

It was awkward, yet another new thing for me, but he was patient. Or at least he pretended to be. I could see the fine tremors of his muscles as I smoothed it down into place. Once I was done, I shot him a look. “That right?”

He made a few adjustments as I laid back down.

I felt naked, overly exposed but not for long. He covered me, his weight a warm, heavy blanket covering every inch of me in his security. He cupped the back of my head and said, “Open for me, Raye.”

I did, and he slid his tongue into my mouth. The taste of him filled me, and I closed my mouth around him the way he did when I kissed him. He growled against my mouth, the sound rumbling all the way down to vibrate against my breasts. I shivered and arched against him, drawing him closer to me.

He rocked his hips against me, and I felt the press of his cock.

I widened my thighs.

“You ready?”

I nodded, surprised he even had to ask.

I gasped as he entered me, feeling him stretch me. Grasping his biceps, I arched up against him, desperate for more. I looked in his eyes, struggling for the words to tell him. That was when I saw the shuttered expression in his gaze and realized that he was holding back.

He’d always been holding back with me. Always been so careful.

I rose up and pressed my lips to his chin. “Make love to me, Kane,” I whispered, using my knees to squeeze his hips.

He shuddered inside me, and I felt his cock jerk.

Instinctively, my muscles clenched around him, and a groan stuttered out of his throat.

His cock jerked again, and it tore a moan out of me. I clamped around him again, tighter this time and another low noise escaped him. “Stop doing that,” he said, voice ragged.

“I can’t help it. You feel so good.”

He tensed inside me, then abruptly surged back and drove into me harder. A startled shriek escaped me, and he froze. “Raye?”

“Do it again…”

He did, each thrust strong and full and deep.

By the third one, I was shaking.

By the fifth, chills wracked my entire body.

And he had me coming by the seventh, wiggling and pumping against him as he drove into me. I clung to him and still, he moved.

The pleasure built inside me again, and I reached up, burying my hands in his hair. He came to me when I pulled him down, his mouth meeting mine.

The kiss was wet, wild, and deep, a little bit crazed, and I thought maybe I could die right there and go happy.

Kane rolled onto his back and pulled my hand until I straddled him. “Ride me,” he said, gripping my hips and guiding me into the right rhythm. I found it easier this time, bracing my hands on his chest and staring down at him.

His head fell back, and he watched me with hooded eyes, his lips parted, harsh flags of color dotting his cheeks. I raked my nails down his chest, and he hissed out a breath, arching under me in pleasure.

His cock swelled inside me, the head passing over that spot deep inside.

Pleasure exploded, and I cried out, sinking my nails into his skin as the orgasm sank into me.

Dimly, I was aware of Kane rocking up and grabbing me, plastering me against him, his mouth covering mine in a deep, rough kiss.

When it was over, I collapsed against him, mindless, breathless…feeling more complete than I had in my entire life.