Lennox blows softly on my face and I give him a lazy smile, but don’t open my eyes. “Okay Katarina. Time to get you cleaned up and put to bed.”

I mumble some sort of oppositional noise and he chuckles.

“I think we’re done for now, but I promise I’ll never stop wanting to do that, so anytime you want to, you just let me know.”

“Deal.”

Shuffling out from under me, he pulls his jeans on and dresses me in his shirt. Gathering any other discarded items, he pulls me to my feet, wraps me up in the blanket and swoops me into his arms with everything else and carries me back through the gardens.

Yawning, I lean against his bare chest. “I should go home.”

“You’re staying here.”

“I am?”

“Of course. We have a spare room.”

Frowning, I pry my eyes open long enough to glare at him.

“I’m kidding,” he says with a laugh. “You’re sleeping with me. No arguments.”

“But what about Kimber? And the morning?” Groaning into his skin, I feel my cheeks flaring up at the thought of how awkward that might be.

“I said, no arguments. But if you’re worried about it, you can get up when I do and I’ll walk you home before anyone else is even up.”

“Yes please.”

Kissing my forehead, Lennox tackles the stairs, negotiates the front door and takes me straight to his bathroom. His shower is hot, with great pressure, and I’m easily convinced to just stand under the spray leaning into him while he washes me. I barely have to lift a finger as he takes care of my every need, lowers me into his big brass bed and curls himself around me.

When his alarm goes off, I hate the sound. I don’t want this night to end. Silencing the beeping, Lennox returns to the position he’s left, only now he’s kissing my shoulder as his hands trail lightly over my skin. I snuggle closer, loving the way his naked body sets mine tingling as if his every touch has the sole purpose of pleasuring my skin.

His hand slips between my thighs and I jolt awake for real this time. Torn between my base urges and the awareness that I need to be out of his house before the others are up, I twist away even as I’m leaning into it.

“Lennox,” I whisper, not sure how loud I can be.

“Shh. There’s time,” he replies as his fingers toy dangerously with my resolve. He shifts, bringing his other arm around to my breast and I feel him hard at my back. Stifling a moan as the combination of everything corrupts my ability to think, I move backwards into him.

“You’re not too sore?” he asks, still teasing my sensitive flesh.

“It hurts so good,” I reply tilting my pelvis to let him slot into position. “Just please fuck me. Bend me over and take me.”

“You are so fucking delicious,” he says, looping his arm around my waist and twisting us to raise my ass in the air. “You’re going to need to bite the pillow when I make that filthy mouth of yours cry out, you understand?”

Moaning at the thought of it, I gather the pillow to me in a rush and bury my face in it as his fingers brush over my clit lightly before they begin applying firmer pressure.

“I love how wet you get for me Katarina,” he says, coating himself in my arousal.

Easing himself in, he exhales roughly as I muffle my noise with the pillow. It feels different this way, and so, so good. I press back into him, wanting more.

“I’ll give you everything you need Katarina,” he says, sinking deeper and harder. “I can feel what you like. Let me give it to you.”

I do. I let go and he gives it to me. Good and hard, so that when I come it rips through me like a freight train and I’ve practically shoved the pillow halfway down my throat to keep from screaming because it feels so fucking good.

I clean myself up and Lennox helps me dress. He can’t seem to stop smiling, and when I reach up to rub my aching cheeks, I realize, I’ve been smiling a whole lot too. Walking out of his apartment in my coat and jeans and one of his shirts, I embrace the chill of the dark morning and the thrill that runs through me as Lennox links his fingers between mine while we walk.

We trade numbers, laughing that we haven’t done so earlier than now.

“I wish I’d had the guts to talk to you earlier,” I admit as we approach my apartment.

“My fault,” he says, giving my hand a squeeze. “I worked out a while ago that you wouldn’t make a move yourself. It wasn’t until I saw you dancing that I realized I’d have to touch you before you’d open up to me. Then there was Kimber to think about, but after she overheard a conversation that was taken care of for me, and you can see how she adores you. Really it was just up to me to find an excuse that wouldn’t push you away. I couldn’t pass up the mistletoe opportunity, especially when you said that what you wanted didn’t matter. What you want matters, Kat,” he says, turning to me. “It matters to me, and it should to you too. I hope you’re beginning to realize that.”

“Mm,” I agree quickly, still thinking about that first kiss. “That mistletoe scam got your foot in the door.”

Chuckling, he shakes his head. “It wasn’t a scam; and you ran a mile!”

“And then I ran back, because you started something inside me. You were right about needing to touch me. The words wouldn’t have been enough, but as soon as you woke my body up from lock down, I couldn’t turn it back off. It needed satisfaction.”

“Did it get any?” he asks with a grin.

“You know it did.” Rolling my eyes, I fetch my keys from my coat pocket. “When will I see you again - in the non-store owner sense?”

“Whenever you can. I know you’ll need to work tonight to keep your family from the poorhouse, so just let me know when you can fit me in. Or I can pay Linc in cakes to watch Kimber if you want to help with that currency. Maybe I can get away to watch you dance, or something. But if I can’t satisfy you in person, I have your number,” he says with a crooked grin. “Maybe I could talk you through a few of my tricks to keep you happy.”

Considering that a moment, I try not to blush, but of course, fail. “I just don’t think I’ll be as good at it as you are. I might save it for the expert.”

“I’d hardly call myself a sexpert,” he says with a grin as he sweeps my hair behind my ears. “I’m only half of the team. It certainly helps that you respond very impressively to everything I do.”

“I am nothing if not a team player,” I agree, making us both smile.

“I’ll call you?” Lennox says with a sigh as I push open the door.

“You’d better.”

Grinning again, he seals my mouth with a kiss that will hopefully get me through a day at the salon, while I work out how to properly fit someone as large and all-consuming as Lennox Green into my busy life.