"You look different. Happy almost."

Sera squirmed in her seat as she avoided Taj's direct stare. "I am happy I guess. Go Girl is going to be awesome. I mean, the fact that Dylan got his sister on board and his soon-to-be sister-in-law, I mean, that's huge."

Taj nodded and Sera grabbed her files, sticking them back on their shared shelf. Normally she would have screamed from the rooftops about what happened last night and this morning, but she didn’t really understand it herself.

"So you're sure it has nothing to do with the fact that you and Delicious D are fucking now?"

She whirled on her best friend. "Damn it, how did you know?"

Taj just laughed. "The real question is, how did you think I wouldn't know? We've only been obsessing about him for weeks, so I've been on the lookout for nookie clues."

Sera could only shake her head. "Taj. Sometimes, I want to—"

"Hug me?" Taj offered helpfully. "Now I know you've been getting some for at least a week, maybe more."

She narrowed her eyes. "How did you know? You know what? Never mind."

"Let me guess, this weekend something was different? More connected?"

"You could say that. I have no idea how you know this."

Taj shrugged. "It's my special nookie gift. The point is, now you're wondering where this leaves you and what it means."

Sera sighed. "Yeah. I mean, last night was..." Her voice trailed for a moment while she found the right words. "So connected. I mean it was like we were on opposite ends of a live wire and the only way to calm the current was through each other."

"So in other words hot as hell?"

"Yeah, you could say that. I've never experienced anything like that before."

Taj rolled her eyes. "No shit. You were with Aaron before. And let's face it. He was a dud in bed."

Sera's eyes rounded. "I never said that. Anyway, back to the guy that matters...this morning was so sweet, tender. Like he wanted to take care of me."

"And now you don't know what to do about it."

"Exactly. I mean, he's all wrong. He's FBI, he's firmly entrenched in my mother's world. Danger will follow him like a cloak. And he's rigid. Not uptight, but getting him to bend is difficult. He's used to everyone just following what he says. And clearly I'm not that girl. And of course he's leaving."

"Honey, you need to stop getting ahead of yourself. You do this all the time, jump head-first. Then when you've jumped, instead of enjoying the ride, you start to worry about the next ten steps. You'll only make yourself crazy."

The sting of the truth bothered her. "I'm not trying to worry and it's not like I didn't know the deal when I jumped. I wanted that itch scratched. I just have no idea what to do now."

Taj stood to her full five-foot-two-inch height and placed her hands on her shoulders. "You do the one thing you pretend to do most of the time. You have some fun. Enjoy the guy. He's going to leave, sure, but you said yourself, he's all wrong. You just have to think of him as a palate cleanser." Taj paused. "Unless you think you have feelings for this guy."

Yes. "No. Of course not. He's just...well, you've seen him. Aaron was good-looking, but Dylan, is...wow. And that body. I swear to God, Taj. It's like someone took a chisel to his abs."

Taj grinned. “I hope you did me proud and licked something off of them, because a good set of abs is a terrible thing to waste."

"No, not yet, but I will put that on my list." She always felt better after talking to Taj. Perspective was the name of the game. Previously she had tried to turn the wrong guy into the maybe-forever guy. She wasn't eager to make that mistake again. This could be fun. Except you're starting to have feelings for him.

"You'd better." Taj plopped back into her seat. "Now, enjoy yourself. Stop worrying about it. No one is judging you. This is your life. Have some real fun. Matter of fact. It's almost lunch time. Go and have some real fun right now. Before someone else discovers just how awesome his abs are."

Taj was right. Dylan was here for a few more weeks. She could enjoy herself as long as she watched her heart. He might touch her heart, but she wasn't going to hand it over to him. She could separate the body-rocking sex from the feelings. She had to. "You're right. It's only eleven, but I feel an early lunch coming on."

"That's my girl. Now go and have some fun for me. I live vicariously through you."

* * *

As Dylan typed the final lines of the report on the art theft case, his gaze flickered to the monitors on Sera's floor.

What the fuck? She was headed to the elevator. Had she texted and he hadn't heard it? Yanking out his phone, he checked the messages. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why couldn't that woman just do as she was told? She knew the truth about why he was there and she was still playing fucking games. Hell, after this morning, she was still playing with him?

He was going to make good fucking use of those handcuffs when he caught up to her. His cock, of course, was in full agreement. Grabbing his jacket he pulled up the GPS app on his phone. Where the fuck was she off to? He yanked the door to his office open only to find Sera standing on the other side. He hadn't known he was holding his breath until it blew out of him in a whoosh. "Jesus fucking Christ, Serafina! Do you have any idea how—"

But he didn't get to finish, she pushed him inside and closed the door behind her. "Shut up, Agent Donovan. I don't want to hear anything you might say to ruin this."

Ruin this? What exactly was this? His cock stirred as if to say, Shut the fuck up and I might get some. "Sera, what's going on?"

She slid her hands up his torso and the muscles under his shirt bunched with her touch. It was as if she controlled an electrical current in his body. With her hands on his shoulders, she slid them into his jacket and shoved it off his body. Yeah, okay, she wanted his jacket off? Sure no problem. He could help with that.

Silently she paid close attention to the buttons on his shirt, undoing them carefully. With each one, he could feel her breath on his chest and his breathing grew ragged. All the blood rushed from his brain to his cock, because he could really only power one at a time.

"I was thinking about this morning, and that thing you did with your tongue. I was wondering if I could do the same thing. What do you say we give it a try?"

Oh shit. Yeah. How about it?

"So while I was watching you on that monitor, you were thinking about me?" He sucked in a sharp breath as she reached inside his pants and wrapped a delicate hand around his cock. "Ahhh, Sera."

"Yep. About last night. And this morning. It gave me—ideas."

His legs shook as he leaned back against his desk. He couldn't think straight. All he could focus on was the way her hands wrapped around his cock, stroking up and down in tandem. Dragging his gaze from her hands and how she so completely fucking owned him right now, and focused on her lips. The way her tongue peeked out to moisten the bottom lip.

Control was the name of the game and he had none. He could come right now except he didn't want to go without her. That first night they’d kissed, he'd been convinced the intensity was a fluke. And then that night she'd vanished on him. The Saturday night on the porch. This was no fluke. Never had he been that emotionally connected to anyone he'd been with. It scared the shit out of him. And now, now, he was pretty much ready to hand her the keys to the kingdom.

When she sucked in her bottom lip, he groaned deep and slid his hands into her hair. She'd straightened it this morning and the strands felt like satin over his fingers. Tugging her close, he angled his head and kissed her deep. He might not be able to articulate the need and desperation coursing through him right now, but he could convey it in other ways. As he licked into her mouth, she made that sexy mewling sound in the back of her throat and his head spun.

With his free hand he made quick work of the buttons on her silk blouse and she gasped when he slid his hands past the soft fabric to cup her breast. His thumb traced over her nipple and she threw her head back, his name on her lips. Good, he wanted her just as desperate.

But she stepped just out of reach and he groaned. "Sera, come here. Or should I bring out the handcuffs?"

Her lips twisted into a wry grin. "Later. Right now, I want to try something." When she stepped back into his grasp, she sank to her knees and Dylan's eyes crossed. Even before her tongue slid over him, her sweet, warm breath was enough to have him holding on to the edge of his desk with a white-knuckled grip.

"Se—ra—fina. Oh....shit."

She slid both hands down his rigid length and followed their path with her mouth. She didn't stop until the crown hit the back of her throat. But instead of stopping, she relaxed her throat and sucked him in deeper. Holy fuck.

Dylan's squeezed his eyes shut as he desperately tried to hold on. As she sucked and licked him, he dug his hands into her hair, guiding her. Pulling her back when he was too close. Sera made good use of her tongue then, teasing him. Goading a response from him.

The tingle started in his spine and he wanted to let go, he was so desperate to come. But while coming with her lips around him was a fantasy he would love to indulge, right now, he wanted to be deep inside her. They could play later, when he had more control. When he didn't feel like he might be able to come just from kissing her.

With a light tug on her hair, he pulled her back. "Sera, stop, you keep going, I'm going to come."

She grinned. And with a teasing glint in her eyes, she whispered, "I think that's the point."

He stepped out of his pants and grabbed a condom from his wallet. "You, Sera Justice, are trouble. Looks like I'm going to need to start carrying more of these things around." Or you could just make sure she's on the pill. Just the thought of sinking into Sera bare was enough to start the tingle in the base of his spine again.

"I'm not trouble, I'm fun." She reached for him again and he caught her hands.

"Oh no, you've had your fun. Now it's my turn."

Dylan pulled her to him, then yanked up the material of her fitted skirt. He didn't have the patience to fuck with zippers right now and as impatient as he was, she'd be leaving here with a shredded skirt if he tried to remove it. He lifted her off her feet with ease. "Wrap your legs around me, Sera."

For once, she complied without a fight, and he hissed in a breath as his dick slid against the lacy material of her thong.

Sera rotated her hips. "Dylan. I..."

Her words trailed as he nuzzled the column of her throat and backed her up against the wall. He would never get enough of her scent. It was like someone had dribbled honey all over her. Hey, now that was an idea. Later, he'd try that later. Right now, he had to get inside. If he could just get the edge off, everything would be all right.

With her braced against the wall, he made quick work of the condom. He pinned his gaze on hers as he sank into her oh so slowly. He watched as her dark eyes went wide and her lips parted on a soft, "Oh."

Retreating slowly, he ground his teeth together before sinking into her again...and again. Dipping his head to hers, he kissed her softly, even as his hands removed her bra. Her breasts were gorgeous, full and high, with dark chocolate-covered nipples. As he held the weight of both of them in his hands, he rolled them under his thumbs.

Sera scored her nails over his shoulders with each slow thrust. And with each retreat, she moaned his name. And as he fucked her slow, against the wall in his office, he knew the truth. Now that he'd stepped over the line with her, there was no going back. Worse, he didn't want to go back. He didn't want to leave. It felt too good to be inside her. There would be no just taking the edge off. There would be no mental separation from this. Sera Justice would force the emotion into him; force him to feel everything. There would be no hiding his emotions from this woman. Ever. Especially not like this.

But that didn't stop him from trying. He broke the kiss and buried his nose in her neck again. Keeping his pace nice and steady. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to focus on the physical feeling, but it was impossible with her whispering in his ear. She was close, so close, and the swell of pride and possessiveness was too much to ignore. She felt like his.

"Dylan, oh my God." Her groans grew louder and louder and he kissed her again, trying to drown out the sound. Kissing her was like coming home. And there was no going back. She was under his skin. And she was already changing him.

He broke the kiss and whispered against her soft lips, "Come for me, Sera, come around my cock, I need to feel you. I need this. I need you." The truth of the words struck him deep and he couldn't control the spread of warmth and the bolt of electricity that charged through his dick. As he started to come, Sera threw her head back, her release hitting her simultaneously.

She milked him and locked him deep inside her, refusing to let go of her captive. In that moment, he knew she'd own a part of him forever.

* * *

Dylan was in fucking trouble. After what had just happened, Sera was this close to fucking owning him. Who the hell are you kidding? She already does.

Sera unwound her legs from around his waist and he set her down gently. On wobbly legs, he made quick work of cleanup. Damn this woman. What was it about her?

Sera adjusted her clothes, then leaned in for a quick kiss. What was probably meant to be chaste quickly morphed into a slide of the tongue, then he was pulling her in close again. He was hard in seconds and could easily have gone another round. Sera moaned as she tried to step back.

"I have to get back upstairs. I have a meeting at one."

He nipped at her bottom lip and groaned, but released her. He'd crossed a line and he was going to pay for it eventually. Because right now, he couldn't fucking get enough of her. One touch, one look, and he would spiral out in a tornado of need and lust and…something else far more frightening that he couldn't explain. In a matter of weeks, he had to leave. They both knew it.

Then stop fucking her or one of you is going to get hurt. Like that was going to happen. Especially with her standing in his doorway with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she blew him a kiss goodbye. Warmth spread through his chest as he watched her walk out. The feeling was foreign as hell to him and he wasn't entirely sure he was a fan.

This was out of control. Last night, they'd barely made it into the house before he was hiking up her pencil skirt. They'd had sex in the front doorway of the house. Then again in the shower. And then, when they'd gone to bed, he'd loved her slowly, until both of them had shattered into fractured, broken pieces. And then of course what had just happened. He was a goner.

This is dangerous, Donovan. Get your head in the fucking game. Easier said than done. He'd protect her with his life, but there was that other part of him that wanted to do a lot more than protect her.

There was no way in hell this was going to work. For all intents and purposes, he worked for her mother, he was meant to be making sure no one harmed her. Sera was so far from everything he'd ever said he wanted.

But she's fun. And effervescent and he couldn't help but smile in her presence. Even when she pissed him off, a part of him wanted to laugh. And that smile of hers was like fucking Christmas morning.

Shit. What he should do was emotionally separate. Distance himself. Stop touching her every damn moment he got. But he wasn’t going to do that. He had to find a way to balance the two. There was no other option.

Dylan only had a few weeks with her and he wasn't willing to give her up. They'd enjoy each other, and then he'd leave. He could do this. He just couldn't get too attached to her. Yeah, good luck with that.

His phone buzzed and he dragged his thoughts away from Sera. The simple words in the text from Sawyer had enough power and weight to make his heart stop.

I've found her. She's at the Las Vegas

Intensive Therapy Center. Added bonus,

she has a friend from Vegas in San Diego

right now. I can arrange a meet.

Holy shit. His mother. He ran a hand down his face. He'd found her. Sera's case came first, but maybe he could take her for a weekend trip to Vegas. Now that he knew where to find her, he couldn't let it sit.