I stare at Duke’s handsome face, so peaceful in sleep. His chiseled jawline is relaxed, his eyes softly closed. It takes all my willpower not to trace my finger along his cheek, to arouse him from his deep slumber.

I lift my head and glance at the alarm clock beside him. 5 a.m. A smile curls on my lips. At least another hour of sleep before I need to get up and go to—

Reality sets in and my breath hitches…I’m not going into work this morning. Instead, I’ll meet Forrest at the police station where we’ll hopefully learn more about Marissa’s murder, and what, if anything, Jake had to do with it. Anxiety pin pricks the back of my neck.

I shift backwards in an attempt to ease out from under Duke’s grip. The motion stirs him awake. He opens his eyes, blinks, blinks again, as though he’s forgotten who’s in his bed.

“Hey,” I say, gently.

He licks his lips. “Hey.”

I’ve never been good at “morning after” talk. I don’t do “one night stands” and my previous boyfriend and I never had sleep overs. Shit, we barely had sex. I’m suddenly shy about my innocence, wondering how much of my naivety seeped through last night.

I swallow the unease that comes with deep insecurity. This moment is totally out of my comfort zone and I need Duke to lead.

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “You have the most stunning morning face.”

My stomach flips over. “You’re being generous.” I’m sure mascara trails down my cheeks, and my hair, always unruly, will resemble a bird’s nest that even the most aggressive product won’t tame. It strikes me that I’m without any personal belongings, not even a toothbrush. I run my tongue over the top of my teeth to clear away some of the pastiness.

Duke leans forward and brushes his mouth against my forehead, my cheeks, then softly closes in on my lips. My body tingles in response. His hand slides behind my neck and cups me to him as his tongue darts into my mouth. A soft sigh breathes from my throat.

The low groan that comes from somewhere deep inside of him sets me aflame. The kiss becomes more passionate, intense, until I am consumed by his taste. Shivers run from the tips of my fingers and curl my toes. I’m desperate for him to touch me, to pull me against his warm body and feel the length of him inside me again.

Duke’s lips trail from my mouth to my throat, down across my collar bone. My nipples go instantly erect. Duke takes one into his mouth and gently sucks, rolling the nub around his tongue in slow, torturous swirls.

“Duke…”

His eyes lift to mine, and in his, I find sincerity. The ice around my heart cracks, threatening to shatter and leave me vulnerable and bare.

I close my eyes and pretend I’m not scared, convince myself to believe in this. In him. In us. I give in to the moment, because I have no choice—I am butter under his magical touch. His hands and mouth expertly travel my body, sending ripples of pleasure as his beard brushes up against my skin, tickling and teasing, drawing me closer to the edge. I arch my back, pushing myself into him, and his tongue sweeps across my abdomen.

“I want to taste that sweet pussy,” he says.

And just like that, my legs spread in invitation.

His response is a low, throaty grunt before his head dips between my thighs. He inhales, breath hot against me, and my clit throbs. The heat from his mouth sends erotic shivers up and down my spine. It’s surreal how even the tiniest touch produces some of the most intense pleasure I’ve ever known.

His tongue glides along my wet slit and I gasp in shock. He moves slowly against me, drawing small circles around my pulsing clit. His hands grip my thighs and he dives in, plunging his tongue deep into my pussy with a greediness that is all consuming..

Yes. God, yes.

My orgasm begins to build, fast. Too fast. I writhe under him and he pulls away. “You taste so God damn good,” he says.

“Not like this, Duke” I say. “I don’t want to come like this.”

I ache to feel the length of his body against mine, feel his hard cock deep inside me. I want our pleasure to happen at once, together. Slowly and with purpose.

The words don’t come out, but somehow Duke knows.

He positions himself over me and I can smell the muskiness of my wetness. His beard glistens with it. My heart pounds against my ribcage. I reach between us and take his hard cock in my hand, rubbing the end with my thumb in small circles. His head tilts back. A growl erupts in the back of his throat. “Jesus, Hailey, you’re driving me insane.”

I love that. Love that I can do that to him.

His hands move to my hips and dig in.

I reach around to grab his ass—his hard, firm ass—and pull him against me. His cock presses against my pussy, its girth slick against my clit. I am desperate for him to be inside me, prepared to beg.

“Slow down baby,” he says. “I need to put on a condom.”

He reaches for one, and tears open the package. I slide it out of his hand. “Let me,” I say.

I slide the condom over his dick. His response is fast, explosive. He lays me flat against the mattress, positions himself over me, lifts his hips and slides in. I gasp. He’s so big, so fucking big. “You like the feel of me inside you, baby?”

His eyes glisten with desire.

“God, yes,” I breathe.

He moves slowly, grinding his hips against mine.

Jesus fuck. I am completely at his mercy as he presses through all my layers with ease.

His hand slides down my body and pulls my leg up onto his hip. Our eyes lock as he fucks me, gently at first. I tilt my head back to avoid crying out, and his mouth finds my nipple. His teeth scrape against it before he takes it into his mouth. I hover on the brink of orgasm. He fucks harder and I cry out, biting my lip and bucking against him.

“You’re going to make me come,” I say, breathless.

“Look at me,” he commands.

As I do, the emotions trapped inside my chest begin to spill over. The intensity is too much, too fucking much. I am vulnerable and safe and scared and overwhelmed. My eyes start to blur.

“Hailey,” he breathes. “I want you to come now.”

My panting grows more frantic. “Now?”

He thrusts his cock deep inside me and grunts. “Now.”

Fuck, now. His mouth devours mine just as my pussy floods. I feel it grip his dick, sucking it deeper into me. His fingers dig into my shoulders with a grip that will surely leave a mark. His cock spasms inside of me as he pumps harder, thrusting against my swollen pussy, deeper and faster until a second orgasm rips through me.

“Holy fuck,” I gasp. My heart pulses a million beats per minute. I’m numb with pleasure, tingling from the aftershock.

Duke falls limp against me, nuzzling his head into the crook of my neck as my breathing returns to normal. I can feel his heart race against mine. See the goose bumps that ripple his flesh. I trail my fingers along his back and a smile curves in the corner of my mouth. This. I’m sure this is what I’ve waited for my whole life.