Cal didn’t ask which room they should go to; he just swiped his key card and punched the button for the top floor, and Kat tried to appear nonchalant and breezily sexy, like she was used to accepting propositions from men like Cal Harper. She took a pull directly from the whiskey bottle as she watched Cal step toward her, and for the first time, she got the appeal of mirrors. Good Lord, he was sexy. Still buttoned up tight, he leaned over, plucked the bottle out of her hand, and took his own drink before leaning into her space and kiss-nipping her jaw.

The elevator chimed and the doors opened. Cal grinned crookedly and then surprised her by chastely kissing her hand. They walked arm in arm down the hall to Cal’s room, one of the two penthouse suites in the hotel. Cal opened the door and followed Kat inside. She stood in the center of the living room and gazed at the view through the French doors, her mind racing. Cal came up behind her, pulled her heavy hair away from her neck, and kissed that perfect spot that drove her crazy. How could he possibly know? Kat’s heart thumped hard in her chest.

“Darlin’, talk to me. What’s going through that head of yours?”

His question surprised her, and when he pulled her into his arms and tilted her face up with a gentle nudge, his gaze was soft and caring. “Kat, tell me what your concerns are.”

“I live in Boston. You live in Atlanta. You’re recently divorced. I’m just . . . a mess.”

“And?”

Kat blinked. “So this is probably a bad idea.”

Cal shook his head. “Darlin’, I beg to differ.” He smoothed her hair back again but didn’t make a move to kiss her. “You’ve lived your life coloring within the lines, doing what was practical and expected, right?”

Kat nodded. Cal pulled her close, one hand on her back, the other firmly planted on her ass. Kat could feel him, all of him. Then he murmured in her ear, “How’s that working out for you?” before placing another whisper of a kiss on her cheek.

He straightened up but didn’t let her go. In fact, he held her tighter, and Kat found herself snaking her arms around his neck and twirling her fingers through the hair that trailed over his collar.

“So I have a proposition for you, Miss Fahey: you and me, here and now. Not back home, not . . . whenever. How’s that sound to you? Because it seems just about perfect to me.”

“Yes.”

“Well then, come on, darlin’. Let’s have some fun.” With a big laugh, Cal picked her up and swung her around, ending in a dip worthy of the most romantic classic movies. He kissed her hot and sweet and then carried her into the bedroom.

“You sure about this?” he asked before he set her down.

“Absolutely,” Kat confirmed and made sure he knew with her own kiss.

Kat loosened his tie, her fingers fumbling over the perfectly tied knot.

“No hurries, darlin’. We have all the time in the world,” Cal reassured her, but now that she’d made her decision, she wanted him now.

“I have a proposition for you, Mr. Harper.” She’d gotten his tie off and was making quick work of the buttons on his shirt as Cal was stripping off his jacket. “You asked for ‘here and now,’ and I want to add ‘hard and fast.’ ”

His jacket off and dress shirt opened, Kat tugged up Cal’s singlet to run her hands over his bare chest. Cal wrapped his fist in her loose hair and pulled her in for a hard kiss. Kat wrested his shirt the rest of the way off, and Cal broke the kiss long enough to strip off the singlet.

She stood back to admire the half-naked man in front of her. Lean and fit, Cal had more ink than she’d imagined. Black and gray tattoos snaked around his torso and across his hairy chest, and Kat couldn’t wait to examine each one more closely. She ran her finger down his furred belly to his waistband, and in a moment of boldness, she cupped his erection through his trousers.

“Babe, if this is your version of fast, going slow just might kill me,” Cal ground out.

Kat grinned, and with a little eyebrow wiggle, she quickly undid his belt and trousers and pushed them down. Cal laughed as he toed off his shoes and stepped out of the trousers.

“Oh.” Kat didn’t know what to look at first.

“Hold that thought, Kat.” Cal stripped off his socks and then hooked his fingers into the waistband of his boxer briefs. “Here goes nothing,” he said with a laugh and then dropped and stepped out of his briefs.

Now Kat really didn’t know where to look, but Cal apparently had other ideas.

“Give me your eyes, Kat,” he ordered, and she did.

Cal took her hands and, after placing a sweet kiss on each of her palms, pressed her hands against his chest. While Kat explored the hard planes of his torso, Cal began to strip Kat’s clothes away, starting with her blouse. His thick fingers deftly unbuttoned the diamanté buttons and undid the zipper of her skirt, and Kat soon found herself wearing nothing but her bra and panties, her necklace, and her high heels.

“Fuckin’ gorgeous,” Cal murmured as he bent to kiss the mound of one breast. “Absolutely gorgeous.”

Kat gripped one of his shoulders for balance while taking her shoes off, but Cal stopped her. “The shoes stay on, darlin’. I like that you can look me in the eye.”

Cal looked her over, his hands following his gaze, caressing her curves, removing the rest of her lingerie and replacing it with kisses. Kat’s body thrummed with lust, and when she was just about to scream with frustration, Cal dug a condom from the nightstand drawer and presented it to her.

Kat grinned and quickly rolled the condom onto his hard length.

“Wait. Hold up.” Cal chuckled. “That was . . . almost more than I could handle.”

Kat kissed him, softly at first, but then she took his bottom lip in her teeth and gently bit down. Cal took her cue, and Kat found herself under him, her back on the mattress. Cal kissed her throat as he slid into her, moving with languid slowness until Kat was vibrating with need.

“Gorgeous,” he whispered against her neck.

Kat ran a finger over the furrow in his brow. “What are you thinking about so hard? Oh God, Cal.” Kat arched her back, offering up her breasts when he dipped his head to nibble on one taut nipple.

His chuckle vibrated against her breast, but he still had a look of intense concentration. “Darlin’, I’m trying to last, but those little sounds you’re making are making it hard.”

“No pun intended, I’m sure,” Kat said as she squeezed her core around him.

“Shit, woman,” Cal grunted out. When Kat laughed, he grinned wickedly and kissed her hard. “You ready, babe?”

“Please,” she panted. “Please, please, please.”

Then he made good on his promise, bringing her over quickly and so hard that she thought she might have blacked out for a few seconds, before grinding out, “I can’t wait any longer, darlin’.” Seeing Cal take his pleasure from her body and hearing him roar as he climaxed was enough to bring Kat over again. They rocked against each other slower and slower as the ripples of their mutual pleasure subsided. Cal kissed that magic spot on her neck and murmured his thanks in her ear. Kat stroked his head, playing with the unexpected curl at the base of his neck.

“Be right back—girl business.” Kat gave him a peck on the cheek, and he gave her ass a little squeeze before she popped up and out of the bed. When she emerged from the bathroom, Cal was under the covers and was sitting propped up on the pillows with his hands behind his head.

“Oh, man. Now, that is a sight. You wearing nothing but high heels, a pretty necklace, and that gorgeous smile? Yes, please.” Kat blushed, which made Cal laugh. That rumbly sound made her weak in the knees. No, it made her want to do what they’d just done all over again.

Kat did finally kick her heels off before she got into the bed. She nestled into Cal’s side, and they shared a few long moments of soft kisses before falling asleep in each other’s arms.