Mack kicked off his shoes and shucked his trousers. He stood naked in front of Deirdre, enjoying the image she provided. Beautiful with her auburn hair falling down around her pale shoulders, wearing nothing but a pair of bright red stilettos.

She scooted backward across the bed, her lips curling up in a smile. When she was far enough back, she let her legs fall open, exposing her slick, wet entrance to him.

Mack growled low in his throat, every primal instinct since the beginning of time seeming to rise up in him as he crawled up between her legs and leaned over her. “Woman, you make me crazy.”

“Still think I’m an ice queen?”

“I’ll let you know in the morning.” Then he dropped down over her, his chest rubbing against the soft swells of her breasts as he bent to claim her lips. After a long slow twisting of their tongues, he trailed kisses and nips along the smooth line of her jaw and down the slender length of her throat, pausing at the point where her pulse beat beneath the skin. So fast. Her chest rose and fell with every breath, making her nipples brush against him.

One delicious inch at a time, he tasted his way downward, stopping to feast on her breasts, sucking one velvety-soft tip into his mouth, rolling the tip on his tongue until it beaded into a tight little button. While his tongue laved one breast, his hand fondled the other, tweaking and flicking the tip, then moving over her ribs and down her flat belly to that wonderful fluff of hair over her sex.

Her hips rose to greet him as he threaded his fingers between the folds, finding and strumming the narrow strip of flesh between.

Deirdre moaned, her back arching up off the bed. “Jazus! There!”

Mack chuckled, abandoned her breasts and slid his mouth downward over her torso and belly to join his fingers as they played her delicate instrument until she sang out loud.

“Oh Mack, I can’t take more.” Then, she stiffened, her fingers curling into the comforter. “Yes!” Her body grew rigid and her eyes squeezed shut as she rode the wave of her orgasm to the very end.

He flicked and tongued until she grabbed for his hair and tugged. “I want you. Now. Inside me.”

Mack reached over the side of the bed and dug his wallet out of his trousers pocket and fished out one of the little foil packets, thanking his lucky stars he’d had them there from before he’d deployed to Afghanistan.

Deirdre took the packet from him, tore it open and rolled the condom over his engorged cock. Her warm and gentle fingers guided him to her entrance.

Bracing himself over her, he slid into her wet heat.

Her muscles clenched around him the deeper he went. He eased out, slowly and back in, equally slowly.

Slender fingers closed around his buttocks. “Faster,” she said and pulled him toward her.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I don’t care. Give me everything you’ve got. Hard. Fast. Now!” With her hands, she set the rhythm.

When he matched her pace, her fingers curled around his hips, her nails digging into his skin.

She felt so good. So hot and wet. After over a year without the comfort of a woman’s body, Mack was afraid he would shoot the moon too soon. He fought to control himself.

When her long gorgeous legs wrapped around his waist, all bets were off. He drove into her one last time, thrusting as deep as he could go before he stopped and held steady as he catapulted into the stratosphere, his body pulsing with his release.

Minutes later, her legs dropped down beside him and she flung her arms out. “Amazing.”

Mack chuckled and he rolled onto his side, taking her with him, still hard inside her. Pulling her close, he liked the way her cheek nestled against his chest. Inhaling deeply, he reveled in her scent.

“Definitely not an ice queen,” he pronounced, resting his cheek against her hair.

“I know.” Her hand smoothed across his chest, her fingers finding and tweaking his nipples. “It was you who had to be convinced.”

He held up a hand like he was swearing in a courtroom. “Color me a believer.”

Deirdre pressed her lips against his chest. “A satisfying end to the day.”

“More than satisfying.” He kissed the top of her hair, his hands gliding down her naked back. “And not the end.”

She drew a line down his chest to his navel. “You have more to show me?”

“You bet.” His cock stiffened and he surprised himself at how quickly he was ready to go again. He stripped off the condom, grabbed for another and eased it over his cock. Then he rolled onto his back and balanced her on top of him. “Only you get to be on top this time. I’m all for equal opportunity and girl power.”

She rose up on her arms and knelt with her knees on either side of him. Then with slow deliberation, she lowered herself over his shaft. “Now this is what I call empowerment,” she said, her breath hitching as she rode him. Her breasts bobbed with each rise and fall and her hair bounced around her shoulders.

Mack gripped her hips and slammed her down harder as he impaled her with his thick shaft.

Her channel was so tight around him, her inner muscles clenching, suctioning each time she rose. She was wild and wicked, everything a man could want in bed and more.

Sensations centering in his groin rippled outward, spreading throughout his body like a sunburst, strengthening until they exploded in a fiery torrent. He brought her down hard on him and held her there, his gaze on her face as she flung her hair over her shoulders and arched her back. She clutched her breasts, pinching the nipples as her body shook with the intensity of her orgasm.

For a long moment he held her like that until her shoulders relaxed and his own body unwound.

Deirdre lay across his chest, her cheek resting on his neck. “I could fall asleep like this,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Then why don’t you?”

She shook her head. “I need to go.”

Mack stiffened, his cock twitching inside her in protest. “Go? Why?”

“If I stay and the paparazzi get wind of it, you’ll never have a moment’s rest. They’ll want to know all the dirty little details of our relationship.” She rolled off him and stood beside the bed, still wearing her stilettos and nothing else, her hands on her hips. “And since we agreed we aren’t in a relationship and don’t have the time or the physical proximity to conduct one, I don’t want to bother answering questions about you, any more than have already been asked.”

Mack sat up, frowning. “So that’s it?”

She smiled. “Other than the wedding tomorrow, I probably won’t be seeing you again. You’ll be on your way to wherever you go with the military, and I’ll be on to my next modeling engagement.”

He didn’t like how matter-of-fact she was and couldn’t fathom how she could jump right up and rush out of the room after such a soul-shattering orgasm. “I’ll be here a couple days.”

“Really? You should take a tour of Dublin while you’re here.” She gathered her clothes.

Mack swung his legs over the side of the bed, peeled the condom off and slung it into the trash. Then he stood, capturing her hips in his hands as she bent to collect her panties. He pulled her bottom against his still stiff member. “Stay.”

“I can’t.” She straightened, her back rigid against his chest.

“You can.” Sliding his hands upward, he cupped her breasts in his palms and massaged them until the nipples budded. “Show me Dublin from a native’s perspective.”

“I haven’t lived in Dublin for years. You’re better off catching one of the tour buses,” she insisted.

“I don’t want a tour. I want you.” Mack pushed aside her hair and nibbled at the back of her neck.

A moan rose from her throat and she melted against him.

While one hand continued to fondle her breast, he slid the other down her front to the juncture of her thighs, cupping her sex, his pulse hammering. “Stay the night.” He couldn’t let her go. Not now. The image of her walking toward him in the airport, wearing the cold white jacket, flashed in his mind. He’d thought her icy, possibly frigid. She’d proved to be a deliciously warm contrast. And now that he knew what fire lay beneath the disguise, beneath her skin and in her heart, he couldn’t let it end so soon. He’d just gotten a taste for Deirdre and it left him craving more.

She dropped her clothes at her feet and slid her arms behind her to cup his buttocks, pressing him to her, his cock nudging her behind.

He backed a step and another until his legs bumped against the bed as he parted her folds and stroked that nubbin of flesh that made her purr like a kitten.

Deirdre moaned again, her legs easing apart, her bottom rubbing against him.

Mack flicked and coaxed her clit while he pinched her nipple between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand.

She writhed, her body undulating like the ebb and flow of waves. “Too much,” she whispered.

He spun with her in his arms and turned her to face him as he lifted her to sit on the edge of the bed. Then he nudged her knees apart and dropped down between them and started laying kisses along the insides of her thighs, first the right one, then the left. Starting at the curve of her knee, he worked his way closer to her damp entrance, glistening with the dew of her excitement.

With his fingers, he parted her folds, pressing a thumb into her channel. “Stay,” he whispered, blowing a warm stream of air over her pussy. His gaze locked with hers as he flicked his tongue out, tapping her clit.

Her chest rose on a swiftly indrawn breath, her eyes widening as he flicked her again. “You’re making it hard to say no.”

“Then say yes.” He flicked her again then swiped his tongue in a long, steady caress along the narrow strip of densely packed nerve endings, praying he hit the right spot.

She let go of the breath she’d been holding and said, “Okay, you win. But only a little while longer.” Deirdre dug her fingers into his scalp and held him close, while he sucked, nibbled, tongued and nipped her clit.

He wanted more, but any time she was willing to give him was better than none. He vowed to make her want to stay with every flick of his finger, stroke of his tongue and caress.

Hours later, Deirdre lay spooned against Mack’s body, his arm draped over her hip. She’d had more orgasms in one night than with any of her other lovers. Perhaps she’d been too busy to experiment with her other partners. Who was she kidding? Her lovers had only been concerned about their own satisfaction.

Not Mack. He’d taken his time ensuring she had the orgasms to beat all orgasms. He’d tweaked, teased and coaxed not one but multiple incredible releases. At one point, she thought she heard herself scream.

Mack had been gentle at first, then increasingly demanding until she had abandoned all resistance and gone along with the big marine. Now, she lay in the dark, feeling like she’d come home, like there was no other place she’d rather be. And it scared the hell out of her.

She had her career and Mack had his. The stress of traveling to new locations every week or every other week had taken their toll on her. Just last week, she’d been thumbing through pictures of cottages in quiet towns, mountain retreats, desert islands, thinking about taking a vacation, something she hadn’t done in a very long time. Perhaps that was all she needed. Slow down. Take some time off. Sleep in.

But not with a man she could get used to having around much too easily. No. Mack Magnus was far too tempting. Deirdre could see her wanting more and more time with him. The few men she’d slept with left her feeling empty. One night in the sack and she was done, never wanted to see them again.

That’s what had her scared about Mack. Sex with Mack left her wanting more. Even as she lay there, curled into him, her body heated. If she turned over and kissed him, it could only lead to one thing.

More of Mack.

Like an addiction, she fought her cravings and slid out from beneath his arm and off the bed. Deirdre gathered her clothing and dressed as quickly as possible, careful not to make a sound to disturb the sleeping giant. If he woke, he’d talk her into staying again and she’d find it impossible to resist.

No use getting her knickers in a twist over a man who wouldn’t be around for longer than the wedding weekend. And she was due to fly out on Monday to the Caribbean island of Tortuga to shoot a swimsuit ad for a magazine. Mack would go one way, she’d go another and they’d likely never see each other again.

Grabbing her purse, she clutched her shoes by the straps and draped her coat and scarf over her arm. Then she eased open the door to the room, glanced at Mack lying peacefully asleep and almost changed her mind. Before she could, she backed out of the room and closed the door softly behind her.

She swung around and slammed into a large, burly man in a black suit with a mobile phone pressed to his ear, his knuckles black with crisscrossing tattoos, like those she’d seen on some of the Travelers in the lobby earlier that evening. The man dropped his phone and staggered backward with the force of the impact.

Deirdre dropped everything in her hands to keep from falling flat on her face. The contents of her purse spilled out on the ground, her cell phone sliding across the floor.

“Shite!” she muttered, bending to collect her things, shoving lipstick, mints, a comb and her phone into her purse. “Pardon me, sir.”

The big man glared at her, bent to snatch his mobile phone from the ground and pushed past her, nearly knocking her off her feet again. Another man exited the room beside Mack’s and closed the door, his eyes widening when he saw Deirdre standing there.

Smaller than the first man, but equally as intimating, this one had a scar on his cheek from the corner of his eye to the corner of his lip. Even without the jagged scar, he made Deirdre shake. He slipped his hand into his jacket pocket, his dark brows forming a V over the bridge of his nose.

Embarrassed at her clumsiness and frightened by his attitude, she slipped her purse over her shoulder, grabbed her jacket and shoes and straightened, moving out of the way so the man could ease by. She hadn’t blocked the hallway so what the feck was the matter with him and the first jerk? When you practically bowl a lady over you apologize, whether it was your fault or not.

For a moment, the man hesitated, his eyes black and narrowed. Something tented in the jacket pocket he’d slid his hand in, reminding Deirdre of the old movies with cops and robbers when the bad guy held a hidden gun. The ferocity of the man’s stare sent a cold shiver across Deirdre’s arms and she took an involuntary step backward, bumping into the wall. For a moment she was frozen, caught in the intensity of the man’s stare.

The dark-eyed menace edged forward and said something in a language she didn’t understand.

The big man’s glance shifted from the little guy to her, and he took a step toward her, his arms rising, reaching for her.

Backing away, Deirdre’s breath caught and held. Shite! Shite! Shite! She had nowhere to run. The door to Mack’s room had locked behind her and she was trapped between the two men.

“Deirdre?” Mack’s voice called out from the other side of the hotel room door.

The big man glanced toward the sound and back to her. Then he ducked his head and hurried past her, the shorter man following close behind as the door to Mack’s room jerked open.

Mack stood in his jeans, the zipper half done up, the top button hanging open. “Deirdre?” He stepped out into the hallway and pulled her into his arms. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, now that you’re here,” she said, melting into his embrace. A shiver shook her body and she snuggled closer. “Let’s go back inside.” As he led her into his room, Deirdre glanced over her shoulder.

The scar-faced man who’d stared at her with such menace had disappeared.

Once inside the room with the door firmly shut, Deirdre sagged against Mack, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He hugged her close. “Why did you leave?”

Funny how silly her fear of falling for Mack compared to the fear she’d experienced in the hallway with the two dark-haired men who’d come out of the room beside Mack’s. She laughed, shakily. “I was scared.”

“Of me?” He rubbed her back, the soothing circles of his hand calming her.

“No, of myself. I was afraid that the more I was with you, the more I’d get used to having your around.”

“I know what you mean.” He leaned his cheek against her temple. “We’re worlds apart in our careers and countries.” Mack leaned away from her, tipping her chin up with his finger. “But that doesn’t explain the fear in your eyes when I opened the door. You’re still shaking.”

“I ran into two men in the hallway.”

Mack stiffened. “Did they hurt you?”

“No. I bumped into one. Other than dropping everything, it didn’t hurt.”

“Did they say anything to you that frightened you?”

“No.” Deirdre shook her head. “It was more a feeling.”

“Well, next time you feel scared, you can tell me. And for whatever reason you want to leave, I’ll walk you to your room.” He kissed her forehead. “If you’d like me to walk you to your room right now, I will.”

Deirdre leaned up on her toes and kissed his lips. “No. I want to stay here.”

“You’re not scared of me or what’s happening between us?”

“Not as scared as I was with the men the hallway.”

Mack laughed. “Thanks, I think.”

She took his hand. “Could we go back to bed?”

He grinned. “You have to ask?” He lifted her fingers to his lips and pressed a kiss to the backs of her knuckles. “Come on. I don’t know about you, but I need sleep.” He led her to the bed, took her jacket from her and draped it over the back of a nearby chair.

She lifted her arms and he dragged her dress up over her head, laying it neatly over the jacket.

Deirdre shimmied out of her panties and slid onto the bed.

Mack’s eyes flared as she lay across the sheets.

Slowly, he shed his jeans and stood beside the bed, naked. “Sleep. That’s all we’re going to do, right? I’ve been up for thirty-six hours. I don’t think I have anything left in me.”

Deirdre jerked her head to the side. “Get in the feckin’ bed. I promise not to attack you.”

“Good.” He grinned as he lay on the mattress beside her. “I’m really tired.” His hand smoothed across her naked skin, his cock rising despite his protestations to the opposite.

“Nothing left in ya, is it?” She stroked the length of him and he grew even thicker and longer. “Got any more of those condoms secreted away in your wallet?”

“If not, I bet I have one in my shaving kit.”

“Are you one of those American boy scouts and always prepared?”

He held up two fingers. “Yes, ma’am.”

Deirdre didn’t let Mack go back to sleep until the first light of dawn crept in through the window. He had a lot more in him than he let on, and she was determined to banish all the bad feelings she’d gotten from her unexpected encounter in the hallway.

She finally fell asleep, wrapped in Mack’s arms, exhausted and more content than she cared to admit.

As soon as her eyes closed, the dream began with a woman’s scream. Whether it was her own scream or another woman’s wasn’t important. Two men raced out of a hotel room, running straight for her. She tried to get out of the way, but they were coming too fast. When she moved her feet, it was as if they were glued to the floor. She fought to lift them, but she couldn’t.

“Help!” she cried.