Yvette saw it the moment Darren’s will of steel crumbled into a heap at his feet. Her breath caught as the cold, clinical reserve he wore like armor slipped away, revealing the sexy beast she’d met that night at the party.

A thrill ran through her, followed quickly by a wave of heat that left her trembling beneath that intense gaze that seemed to devour her from across the room.

Yes, this plan was totally the way to go.

This was what she’d wanted all week—to see this again, to experience it. To have her way with this strange, enigmatic man, just one more time. He stalked toward her and her whole body reacted to his presence, the sheer maleness of him as he towered over her on the bed, drinking her in as though he was dying of thirst.

She licked her lips, needing him to touch her. Desperate for him in a way that made her forget her plans and the whole reason she was doing this.

All that could wait until morning. What mattered now was, she’d won.

He was going to fuck her.

Finally, when she couldn’t wait any longer and was about to reach out and pull him into the bed with her, he moved. Kneeling on the bed beside her, he captured her head in his hands and kissed her roughly, his mouth hot and insistent, urgent with unrestrained need.

She opened to him, her mouth parting, her head tipping back to give him more access. He groaned against her lips and she felt it in her core, her thighs clenching together as the sound reverberated through her, echoing the primal desire that had her falling back against the pillows so she could reach out to him.

Grasping his shoulders she tugged until he fell down on top of her, his weight crushing her as his chest pressed against her breasts. She parted her legs so he was nestled between her thighs, his hard length pressing against her through the thick fabric of his pants and the thin silk of her panties.

“Oh God, I need you,” he murmured against her neck as her arms slid around him, feeling the lean muscles of his back as he moved against her.

This. This was what she’d needed, what she’d craved.

Just one more time.

When his teeth grazed the sensitive skin of her neck, she lost it. Urgency gave way to frantic need. She needed him. She had to have him inside her, over her, around her. The needy feeling was frightening in its intensity, but heady too.

He was a drug. This attraction between them was intoxicating.

“Don’t wait,” she moaned as she arched against him, begging him for more with everything she had.

His panting breaths against her skin told her he felt it too, if his hard erection and his greedy, roaming hands hadn’t given it away. He found the lacy strap of her bodice and tore it, making her gasp in surprise and a whole new surge of desire at his reckless abandon. Fuck, watching him lose control was the hottest thing she’d ever experienced. His hand moved to cup the breast he’d freed and she cried out as his fingers found her sensitive nipple. Then he did the same with the other strap, pulling back so he could tug it down and free her breasts.

The dark lust in his eyes nearly made her come right then and there. Gone was the corporate suit, gone was the sweet, funny platonic friend…this man here, holy fuck he was a player.

Or at least, he had game. He was all confidence and skilled hands as he finished the job, ripping off her clothes as she fumbled with his in turn.

By the time they were both naked, she was panting, ready to beg, ready to plead. She needed this more than she’d ever needed anything.

He moved to get a condom but then he was back, over her, thrusting inside of her and filling her like she needed.

No begging necessary.

And then she was gone, her head thrown back and eyes shut tight as he rocked her fucking world, thrusting in and out as his lips continued their assault on her breasts, her neck, her lips. Taking and claiming, giving and pleasing.

When his finger found her clit and rubbed her in time with the next thrust, she was gone, over the edge, and he came tumbling right after.

When she came to a little while later, she felt his breath against the back of his neck.

It felt good. A warm rhythmic whisper that made her sleepy. But she wasn’t supposed to literally sleep with him, that was not part of the plan.

The plan is stupid.

She blinked her eyes open at that unbidden thought. Damn it, now was not the time to second guess. Now was the time to enjoy the insanely hot weekend of sex she’d gotten herself into. This was the time to revel, to enjoy. Soon enough reality would set in and they’d tire of one another.

The haze of desire would lift, the riddles would be solved. All of the mystery and intrigue that made the early stages of dating would be gone.

And they’d move on, the way they should. He’d meet a nice girl who wanted all the nice things he probably wanted—the white picket fence, the family, the dog.

And she would go back to the life she’d chosen for herself. Unconventional, sure, but exciting. It was a universe away from nice.

Darren’s arm shifted, the warm weight of it tugging her closer so she was firmly pressed against his chest, his arm tucking her in tight. Making her feel cozy, safe…at home.

Distant alarm bells sounded but she ignored them. She had a plan. Soon enough the bubble would burst and the illusion of romance and cozy snuggles would vanish. But in the meantime her plan called for her to revel in this little fling.

She sighed with contentment as her eyes fluttered shut.

This was an awesome plan.

* * *

Darren had to admit, this weekend was going better than he could ever have hoped. He wasn’t sure he’d ever had so much fun in his life. This much fun might, in fact, be illegal. He was grinning over that fact when he brought a tray filled with goodies back to his bedroom.

It was Sunday, Christmas Eve, and the cook Bryce had hired for the long weekend had left out a number of croissants and other goodies for those who hadn’t made it to breakfast.

Like him and Sarah.

He wasn’t sure what Bryce and Kat were up to but if they were having as much fun as him and his Sarah, they probably hadn’t made it to breakfast either.

Truth be told, he and Sarah hadn’t done much outside of the bedroom for the past thirty-something hours. Not that he was complaining.

He most assuredly was not.

But, he paused at the door, steeling himself for the conversation to come. He intended to change that today.

When he entered, he nearly lost his will.

He definitely lost his ability to speak for a few moments there. Sarah had come out of the bathroom after taking a shower and she looked good enough to eat. He completely forgot about the tray of food in his hands as he thought of all the ways he’d like to devour this woman.

His woman.

She took one look at his dumbstruck expression and grinned, tilting her head down to give him a saucy look from beneath her eyelashes as she slowly—oh so slowly—let the towel slip down so her body was exposed one achingly precious inch at a time. “Like what you see?” she murmured in a low, breathless voice that made his cock stand at attention.

Oh holy shit, yes. He liked. He liked so damn much.

His mouth went dry at the thought of the sacrifice he was about to make for the greater good. “I want nothing more than to take you back to bed for the rest of the day,” he started.

She dropped the towel and sashayed toward him, victory in every move.

“But,” he added quickly, making her pause as she reached him, her hands skimming over his chest and making it hard to breathe, let alone think.

Her wet hair looked dark against her pale skin and her blue eyes and pink lips looked even more startlingly clear in contrast.

Holy hell, she was gorgeous. Too good to be true, out of his league gorgeous.

He shook off that thought. He wasn’t going to back down and he wouldn’t let himself be sidetracked. “But,” he said again, louder this time. “I’m afraid I have to go see my family.”

Her pout was instant and adorable. She gave a small sigh as she pressed her naked body against his side, since he still held the tray awkwardly against his chest. “I suppose you did come all this way, and it is the holidays,” she conceded.

He loved how sad she sounded. Like, adored it in a weird way. Because if she was sad that meant she’d miss him, which meant maybe he stood a chance of having his way.

“I think you should come with me.”

She started, backing away from him like a spooked cat. “What? Why?” She spun around so he couldn’t see her face as she leaned down to pick up the towel and cover herself once more.

Damn it.

She shot him a small, wary smile over her shoulder. “I don’t think so. But thanks.”

Frustration had him clenching the tray a little too hard before setting it on the nightstand. “Why not?”

He saw her stiffen as she reached for a pile of clothes on a chair, but she didn’t answer. Which might be for the best, actually, because every time he’d managed to get some sort of response out of her regarding a potential future, she always answered with an irritatingly vague “we’ll see.” That “we’ll see” was typically paired with an even more frustrating little smile. One that was jaded and knowing and so freakin’ sad it made him want to punch something.

But, he realized, she couldn’t say “we’ll see” to this because it was immediate and real, not like a hypothetical date in the future.

Which was why she didn’t want to go. It meant actually being with him, not just screwing him. He ran a hand over his face as he watched her get dressed, the tense silence in the room growing with each passing second.

When he broke the silence, the tension shattered into splinters of anger and frustration that pierced the air between them. “Why won’t you come with me?”

She whirled around, her blue eyes sparking with fire. “Do you really expect me to meet your parents?”

Disgust laced her voice and he flinched. “Is that such a crazy thought?”

She was already shaking her head as she pulled a T-shirt over her head. “Yes. It’s nuts. Totally nuts.”

“Why?”

Her eyes widened and she stilled for the first time. “Because I’m not your girlfriend, Darren.”

The way she said his name sounded like a curse or a taunt. He found himself losing his cool, frustration rising to the surface. “Well, what if I want you to be, Sarah?”

He’d said her name in the same taunting tone but the moment it slipped out, he realized his mistake. She winced, jerking back as if he’d slapped her. He’d been thinking of her as Sarah from the moment he’d learned her real name. Not just Sarah, his Sarah. But he hadn’t called her by that name, as if deep down he’d known that it was too intimate, too personal.

But damn it, they were sleeping together. How much more personal did it get?

“Don’t call me that,” she muttered.

“Why not?” He honestly wanted to know. Something told him there was a connection between her aversion to admitting her real name and her fear of her feelings for him.

She didn’t answer. Slipping into her jeans, she turned her back on him. Ignoring him as if he was disposable. Which, he supposed, in her mind he was. He had no delusions about what had been going on here. He knew she’d been sleeping with him with the sole intention of ditching him…again. She hadn’t outright said so but with her vague responses regarding the future and her cryptic “we’ll see” remarks, it was clear she didn’t expect this to last.

She was going to walk away from him. Brett’s comment came back to him and right now it made so much sense. She dated men who she expected nothing from so she wouldn’t get hurt. And with him, an unknown variable?

She walked away first.

Irritation and frustration made him want to slam his fists into a wall. But he held on to patience with everything he had. She needed him now more than ever, whether she wanted to admit it or not. The more she pushed him away, the more he was being tested.

Would he run?

Never.

Now if only he could get her to see that. That meant putting aside his pride, and his own fears, and laying it all on the line. “Sarah, please look at me.”

He saw her shoulders stiffen at the use of the name but she turned around, looking for all the world like a wild animal that had been cornered. Her eyes were wide and panicked, her hands fiddling with a brush like she might wield it as a sword. She nibbled on her lower lip as she back away from him.

He held back a sigh. This would not be easy. He shoved his hands in his pocket and forced himself to relax. He didn’t want to scare her. He didn’t want to make this harder for her than it already was. But all he could do was be honest and hope it got through to her.

“Do you know the first time I fell in love with you?”

Her eyes widened and she gasped in disbelief. So she didn’t want to hear the love word? Too bad. This was happening whether she wanted to admit it or not.

“I first fell in love with your artwork.” He cleared his throat. He’d never been much of a talker, least of all about emotions. “I saw the painting that Bryce bought and I fell in love.”

Her brows came down in confusion. But she was listening, and that was a start.

“Then I went to the gallery and,” he let out a rush of air, “Jesus, Sarah, you are so freakin’ talented.”

He thought he saw her lips twitch up slightly at that. She still looked spooked but art she could talk about.

“I entered the gallery and fell in love with the woman who could create that world. The woman who could see that in her mind’s eye.” He met her gaze. “I knew I had to meet that woman.”

She sucked her lips in and mashed them together. God, she looked so vulnerable and so scared.

“Your artwork was so beautiful, filled with such passion. It had this amazing dichotomy of vulnerability and strength.” He took one step forward and stopped when she stiffened again. “The second time I fell in love with you was when I met you at Bryce and Kat’s party and it was lust at first sight.”

He grinned at the memory and was relieved to see a brief smile of recognition before she clearly remembered that she wasn’t supposed to be encouraging him.

He shook his head, focusing on the memory of that night rather than the heartbreaking sight before him of the woman he loved cowering in fear because she was too afraid to love him back. “You were so beautiful. Everything about you was stunning to me.”

Her skin grew flushed and he battled another grin. It was a rare sight to see his Sarah blushing.

“You have this glow about you,” he continued. “This passion for life and a way of seeing the world…” He shook his head, at a loss for words. How could he describe what it felt like when he spotted the one who made his life come alive? “Meeting you face to face was like…was like…” He looked up at the ceiling for inspiration. “It’s like when Dorothy arrives in Oz.”

She let out a choked laugh. “It’s like crushing a witch?” she joked. Her voice didn’t have her usual levity but he was heartened by the fact that she was teasing at all. “Like meeting a bunch of midgets?”

He laughed. “Yes, that’s exactly what I meant.” Rolling his eyes, he stated the obvious. “When I met you, my life went from black-and-white to Technicolor. The world came alive.” He met her gaze, trying to convey everything in his heart. “I came alive.”

The silence between them felt heavy. She didn’t speak. He hadn’t really expected she would but still, it hurt. He carried on. This was about her hurt, not his. “The next time I fell in love with you was slower, it was deeper. It was more meaningful, in a way.”

She blinked at him and he took another step toward her until he was close enough that he could reach out to her. Or, more importantly, she could reach out to him.

“I fell in love with you as a friend,” he explained. “I got to talk to you and laugh with you and get to know what it felt like to be friends with this phenomenal, talented, spirited, amazing woman, who also happened to rock my world in bed.”

He’d hoped to make her smile again with that last part but her face was set in a look that was part confusion, part anger, part…who the hell knows? She was giving him nothing here. No clue as to what she was thinking.

He let out the sigh he’d been holding in as he realized that there was nothing he could do, not right now, at least. He could only push her so hard. There’d be other opportunities to try and get through to her, but only if he managed to avoid scaring her away for good.

He turned away from her, slowly heading toward the door.

Her voice stopped him. It sounded smaller and more hesitant than he’d ever heard it before. “You’re going?”

He closed his eyes for a moment before turning back. “I’m going. But I’ll be back.”

She gave a short nod and he realized what she needed to hear. “I’ll always come back.”

Her eyes widened slightly but she didn’t respond.

He hadn’t expected that she would.