EVERY MUSCLE IN BERLIN’S BODY ached and her eyes refused to focus. The room was way too bright, like staring-at-the-sun bright, and it made her head ache. Squeezing her eyes shut against the glare, she scanned her mind for the last thing she could remember. The Southern Mark event. She’d been in the ladies’ room. She remembered being terrified and needing Gabe. The last conscious thought she remembered was wanting him, needing to tell him what he meant to her. The feeling of loss was so strong, a whimper escaped her lips before she could stop it.

“Baby, does it hurt?”

She felt the bed shift and then a shadow blocked the relentless light. When she blinked her eyes open, she saw a blurry Gabe standing over her.

“Oh, thank God you’re awake.” The relief in his voice was a palpable thing and before she could ask him where she was or how she’d gotten there, he wrapped his arms around her, sheltering her body with his. She breathed in the familiar scent of his aftershave and nothing mattered but being in his arms.

“I couldn’t get to you fast enough. I’m so sorry.” He kept up a steady stream of words, stroking her back and pressing his lips to her head. “I didn’t know she’d go after you.”

Esbenshade. She’d been in the bathroom and Blake’s stalker had come in.

“Not your fault.” Her voice came out as a croak, like she’d overslept and still wasn’t quite awake yet.

“How do you feel? Are you okay?”

He pulled back to look at her and she missed the warmth of his body. She wore a thin blue-checked smock and if she wasn’t mistaken, nothing else. Hospital robe. She was in the hospital. She struggled to sit up, needing to know what happened to her.

“Easy,” he said, putting an arm behind her and helping her to sit up. “Esbenshade drugged you. Don’t worry. It should be out of your system by now.”

“She thought I was having an affair with Blake,” she said, memories of the woman’s ugly sneering face coming back to her.

Gabe nodded as if she’d confirmed something for him. “I thought it might have been something like that. It didn’t occur to me that she’d see you and Blake together at the party and assume it was anything other than professional. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“It was my job to keep you safe.”

“No, it was your job to keep Samantha and Blake safe and keep your guys out of my way.” She shouldn’t needle him. He looked miserable, but if she was teasing him, he might not let himself sink into the guilt. She didn’t blame him for anything. She had no intention of letting him blame himself.

“My guys saved your skinny ass,” he said, smiling down at her, his hand still resting on her shoulder as if he needed the contact as much as she did.

“My ass is fantastic and you know it.”

He tipped his head to the side and the heat in his gaze made her breath catch in her throat. She reached for his hand, needing a way to tether herself to him until she figured out a way to tell him how she felt. Hell, she needed to figure out how she felt. She was pretty sure she loved him, and if that was the case, there’d be ice skating in hell. Before she could blurt out anything, she tugged on his hand, pulling him to her.

“God, I was so scared. I’d thought I lost you.” He cradled her to him, tucking her head against his chest and her world narrowed to the circle of his arms.

“Come on, Southerland,” she said, pressing her lips to the bare triangle of warm skin at his collar. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

“Promise?” he asked, his lips in her hair.

Unable to say the words past the emotions squeezing her throat, she nodded.

“What happened to her?” She didn’t need to say the name for Gabe to know who she meant. It was impossible to be scared when she was in his arms, but he wouldn’t always be there to hold her and she wanted to be sure the crazy stalker was out of the picture.

“She’s still in the hospital. Not here,” he hurried to add. “Her side of the car took most of the impact. She was hurt pretty bad. When she recovers, the police have more than enough to charge her with your drugging and abduction. It will be a very long time before she sees anything but the inside of the jail.”

She nodded, grateful both for her and for Blake and Samantha. They could all move on with their lives without the horror of the other woman’s actions hanging over them. Moving on ought to feel like a good thing. But lying in a hospital bed with Gabe’s strong arms around her, it was hard to see it as anything other than loss.

“Good. That’s good,” she said.

He pulled back, searching her face. “It’s okay. She won’t hurt you anymore. I’ll make sure of it.”

She loved his certainty and she didn’t doubt for a minute that he’d put his body between her and any danger that came her way for as long as they were together. She just wished this thing between them didn’t already have a past-due expiration date. But as good as she was at controlling the things around her, she had no idea what Gabe wanted or how to explain to him that she wanted more than she’d imagined possible.

For the first time since she was a child, she didn’t know how to get from where she was to where she wanted to be, and to add insult to injury, she’d broken her most important rule, Berlin’s prime directive. She’d put her happiness in the hands of a man. A sexy, trustworthy, exceptional man, but he was a man and she was overflowing with expectations.

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GABE WATCHED THE nurse run through the discharge instructions with Berlin. He hadn’t bothered to ask her if she wanted him to leave. After coming so close to losing her, he wasn’t going anywhere. He intended to keep her in his sight for as long as she’d let him.

Thankfully, beyond a couple of nasty bruises, her injuries had been remarkably minor. Doctors said it had to do with the drugs running through her system keeping her body relaxed, the same way drunk drivers sometimes managed to walk—or stumble—away from the accidents they caused. None of that mattered as long as she was okay and he got to take her home.

“You are a lucky woman,” said the nurse, handing Berlin a folder with her discharge papers.

Fifteen minutes later and he was helping her into his car parked in front of the hospital. Liam climbed out of the driver’s side and tossed him the key before heading across the parking lot to where Jacob waited for him. The other man hadn’t hesitated when Gabe called him and asked him to drive the Porsche half a mile from the parking lot to patient pick-up so Gabe wouldn’t have to leave Berlin’s side. Liam knew without being told what she meant to him.

She made a halfhearted attempt at swatting Gabe’s hand away as he buckled her in, but her smile made it clear she wanted him there, which was good because he wasn’t going anywhere. When they got to her apartment, he saw the panic on her face when she realized she didn’t have a key to get in. They’d never found her purse at the hotel or in the parking lot. He’d had Andrews report her credit cards, put a tag on her license and Social Security number to watch for identity theft, and convinced her landlord to let him have the locks changed on her apartment.

Reaching into his pocket, he dug out the key, opening the door before handing it to her. She looked at him, raising an eyebrow in question and then shaking her head without waiting for the answer.

“I took care of it,” he said without offering more details. Dealing with her missing purse was one of the few things he’d actually been able to do for her. It wasn’t enough but it kept him from going crazy while he was waiting for her to wake up.

When they walked through the door and into her space, he saw her relax at the familiar surroundings. The apartment was obviously a short-term rental. The faux leather furniture and matching coffee and end tables weren’t anything she’d have picked, but she still managed to make the place her own. She had a stack of books on one of the end tables and a bouquet of slightly spent flowers on the coffee table. The whole place carried the subtle rose scent she wore. He could have walked through the door blindfolded and known the space belonged to Berlin.

“Are you hungry?” He hadn’t thought to get groceries, but he could send Jacob out to pick some things up if he needed to.

“No,” she said, turning to face him. Her eyes looked huge in her pale face and the delicate purple smudges made him want to hurt someone. “I think I want a shower. I smell like the hospital.”

Not waiting for further instructions, he headed down the hallway to the most likely door for the bathroom, sure the only other door led to her bedroom. He flipped on the overhead lights, illuminating the builder’s special bright-white tile. None of the finishes were above generic grade or he imagined to her taste, but at least the shower was large enough for two. That was his only immediate requirement. Opening the glass door and reaching inside, he cranked the water the whole way to hot.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Taking care of you.” What he should have been doing all along. But he couldn’t turn back time so he’d make damn sure he did a good job of it moving forward.

“You don’t have to,” she said, but when he faced her and reached for the hem of her T-shirt, she didn’t protest.

He’d had Jacob pick the T-shirt and sweats up in the hospital gift shop. He’d replace her destroyed yellow silk dress later, maybe with something in a different color so it didn’t remind her of that night. They could work all of that out another time, when she didn’t look so tired.

“I need to,” he said and she nodded.

He peeled the T-shirt over her head, baring her perfect breasts and pausing just long enough to drink her in. He wanted to get her under the hot water before she caught a chill. Skimming his hands down her sides, he pushed the sweatpants over her hips and to the floor, holding her hands so she could step free of the bunched-up fabric. Keeping one hand twined with hers, he reached into the shower and adjusted the temperature back from scalding. The room had already begun to fill with steam and clouds of it billowed out the open door.

He nudged her gently toward the spray, but she stopped, fumbling with the buttons on his rumpled tuxedo shirt. Once he’d gotten to her, he couldn’t bear to leave her for something as mundane as a change of clothes. He’d ditched his jacket somewhere along the way and he didn’t think his shirt would ever be the same again. When her small fingers grazed his bare chest, he decided he didn’t care.

Tugging the shirt free of his pants, she pushed it off his shoulders and let it fall in a heap with her discarded clothes.

“God, I love looking at you. You’re so beautiful.” He wasn’t going to rush into telling her he loved her, but he intended to get her used to hearing the word.

With surprisingly steady fingers, she reached for his belt. Having her fingers that close to his cock wasn’t going to work with his taking his time plan, so he took over for her, toeing off his shoes and socks before shedding his pants. He couldn’t hide his erection straining toward her, and when she glanced down and licked her lips, his cock set up a steady throbbing in time with the beat of his heart.

“Under the water now,” he said, determined to get her into the shower before he lost his mind and made love to her on the cold tile floor.

“Whatever you say, Aquaman.” Dancing out of his grip, she climbed in the shower and sighed when the hot water hit her.

Admonishing himself and his dick to go slow, he followed her into the shower. She had an assortment of bottles lined up on the shelf, but he didn’t have any trouble picking out the body wash. Squirting some of the pale-pink liquid into his palm, he rubbed his hands together, making lather before running his soapy palms over her back. The scent of roses filled the shower, pulling him in and overwhelming him.

He stroked his hands over her back, pausing to knead the knots of muscle in her shoulders. When her head tipped back and her lips parted in pleasure, it took everything he had to keep his touch undemanding and focused on helping her relax. He slid his hands down her back and she reached for him, tangling her fingers with his and pulling his arms around her. He stopped fighting and fitted himself against her, sliding his aching cock along the soap-slicked seam of her ass.

Kissing the back of her neck, he licked the water droplets from her skin and felt her dissolve against him. God, he loved her. He could stay like this forever, holding Berlin in his arms, turning into prunes as they waited for the water to run out.

“I need you,” she said.

He heard the catch in her voice and tightened his grip on her, surrounding her with his body.

“Whatever you need, baby. I’ll do whatever you need me to.” As long as she didn’t ask him to leave. He’d never be able to bring himself to do that.

“Make love to me.”

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BERLIN TASTED THE word, rolling it around in her mouth. She wasn’t ready for the big three words but she didn’t know how long she’d be able to hold them inside. Trying the words out in small doses felt like a pressure release valve. And if the way his body responded to her was any indication, it worked for Gabe too.

He kissed his way along her neck, making her skin pebble even under the warm spray of the shower. She spun in his arms, twining her fingers around his neck and trapping his hard cock between them. She’d never wanted anything more than she wanted him inside her. Stretching up on her toes, she kissed him, trying to transfer her feelings to him through her lips because she didn’t know how to say the words.

“I wanted to take this slow. To take care of you,” he said, kissing the water droplets from her mouth.

She heard the strain in his voice and knew he was working as hard as she was to hold things together. She didn’t want to work anymore. She wanted to let go and trust that he was strong enough to hold them both.

“I don’t want to wait. I want you inside me. Please.” She wrapped a leg around his hips, pulling him closer to her, feeling the throb of his cock against the soft mound of her belly. He groaned and she caught the sound with her mouth. “Please,” she repeated, desperation making her bolder.

“No condom,” he said, murmuring the words against her lips. The hot water beat down, pooling between them, trapped by the seamless way their bodies fit together. “Let me make you come.” He started to drop to his knees, but she wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him in place.

“I’m on the Pill, and I never have sex without a condom,” she said, praying he understood what her words meant. She’d never trusted another man to be completely naked with her before. She trusted him.

“Me either,” he said, swallowing so hard she could see his Adam’s apple bob in his throat. “I never have before either. Without a condom.”

She grinned up at him, loving the way he tripped over the words and then his gaze met hers, heat blurring the space between them and nothing mattered but getting as close as she could to him. His lips crushed hers, stealing her breath and driving her higher. He reached down to cup her ass, careful of the bruise on her hip, but it didn’t matter. She couldn’t feel anything but him. Lifting her up in his arms, he held her so they were face-to-face while he plundered her mouth, tasting and teasing, taking everything she offered and giving her so much more in return.

Pressing her into the wall, she felt the cool tile against her back as she wrapped her legs around his hips. Keeping her pinned to the wall, he pulled back just far enough to wedge the head of his cock against her slick opening. Overwhelmed by the pleasure flooding her body, her eyes started to drift closed before his command stopped them.

“Look at me, baby. I want you to look in my eyes as I take you.”

Unable to squeeze the words past her too-tight throat, she nodded, her gaze meeting his. She could lose herself in his dark eyes. If she wasn’t careful, she would. Slowly, so slowly she thought she’d die with the pleasure of it, he slid inside her, filling her, his gaze never leaving her.

“Fuck, baby. You feel so fucking good.” For a moment, he held them in place, pinning her against the shower wall with his body, and then he started to move and everything changed.

He thrust inside her and her world realigned. He dragged the head of his cock over her swollen sex and her focus shifted and tightened. She fell into his gaze as he moved inside her and the pleasure grew into something too big for her body to hold. Words she didn’t think she was ready to say tumbled freely from her lips as if they’d simply been waiting for this moment, alone and naked with Gabe.

“Oh God, I love, I love,” she chanted in time with the punishing rhythm of his hips, each thrust driving her closer to a fall she wasn’t sure she’d survive. “I love you.” Her tears joined the beads of water rolling down her face as emotions she’d thought she’d buried filled her to overflowing. “I love you,” she repeated, the words taking on a new significance as she made her peace with what it meant to say them to Gabe.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, his eyes wide with wonder. “I’ve been waiting for you to be sure. I love you, too.” He kissed her tear-streaked cheeks, his lips trailing along her jawline to capture her mouth, and then nothing mattered but the pleasure driving them higher.

Desire coiled tight in her stomach and her body tightened around him, holding onto him even as she let go and started to fall.

“I love you.” He breathed the words against her lips as he slipped over the edge with her.

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“I THOUGHT YOU didn’t believe in the love thing,” he said later when they were curled together in her bed, exhausted but not sated from another round of lovemaking.

“I thought you didn’t either.” She pressed her lips to his chest, loving the way his body responded to her.

“Don’t change the subject. I always believed in love. I know a lot of people who’ve found love. I just didn’t think I’d ever be one of them.” He ran his hand down the length of her back, stroking her as he spoke.

“So what changed?” she asked, content to keep him talking about himself. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then smiled down at her in a way that made it clear he knew what she was doing. She’d happily spend the rest of her life trying to sneak things past him and failing. It didn’t matter as long as they were together.

“You,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I never counted on you. You changed everything and I love you for it.”

“I love you too,” she said, the emotion catching her again, filling her heart and her eyes. “I didn’t think real love existed—not like this, not the kind you can count on. Now that I do, I intend to spend every day for the rest of our lives showing you just how wrong I was.”

“I’m going to need you to say that again when I can record it,” he said, rolling them together until she was under him, his strong hips pinning her in place. “I might swap it for the ringtone on my phone.”

“I might let you,” she said, happier than she thought possible. Then he slid inside her and started to move and there wasn’t room for anything but the two of them and the love they built together.