Carolyn knew perfectly well that she'd been born with a willful streak. The Light Keepers had tried their best to conquer it, but the rebellious side of her, that part that insisted on making her own decisions, refused to give in. Even when she was a kid, she was notoriously curious. There was the incident with Pete Broussard, when they'd snuck into the barn and shown each other their secret parts. The Broussards had left the compound shortly after that, and she'd always felt guilty since it had been her idea, not his.

Until the age of about twenty, she'd assumed that her curiosity was a grave mark against her character. It led her to do naughty things like look at Pete's male parts, and even touch her own self late at night. Only once she'd left the compound did she learn that her desire for sexual exploration made her normal, not a freak. One stolen moment in a barn and a few exploratory touches didn't exactly add up to depravity.

On the other hand, this thing with Tobias…hoo-boy. If the compound had any clue what she and Tobias were up to, they'd say she was going straight to hell for ten eternities.

The heat the two of them generated practically set her house on fire. He only had to look at her in that certain way, with that slow-burning smolder, that promise of mind-melting ecstasy, for the spark to flare deep in her belly. She threw herself into this "hot sex" thing, no holds barred.

The time they spent apart—while he flew shifts at Knight and Day and she settled back into her house and prepared for the spring semester—dragged at a glacial pace.

New Year’s Eve came and went. They never made it to the big champagne party at the observatory everyone else attended. Instead, they spent the night in bed. Soon the spring semester would start and she’d be too busy to spend so much time with Tobias. But for now, she reveled in it.

Something about his bad-boy exterior paired with his rock-solid heart made all her inhibitions fall away. She felt free to do absolutely anything with him, because his acceptance was absolute. He didn't judge her at all, the opposite, in fact. His only desire was for her to enjoy herself. He was constantly monitoring her to make sure she was, to make sure he wasn't pushing her too far. That made her feel utterly safe and let loose all kinds of secret fantasies she hadn't known she had.

Like melted chocolate.

Who knew melted chocolate could give her the best orgasm of her life? It started with a blindfold, then the slow removal of all her clothes. When she was completely naked, he led her by the hand through her house to the kitchen. Even walking naked like that had a wild effect on her. She felt both vulnerable and powerful, because he kept whispering in her ear how sexy she was.

In the kitchen, the smell of melted chocolate made saliva spring to her mouth. She licked her lips, a gesture she knew turned him on. He growled in response and squeezed her ass. Her arousal ticked up another notch.

He turned her so she felt something against her back. The kitchen counter.

"I've had this obsession with countertops ever since Evergreen," he growled. "Lean your elbows back on the counter, please."

The 'please' always felt pro forma, as if both of them knew she'd do it with or without the please. Still, she appreciated it.

"Anything for you, lover," she purred. He also loved it when she acted bold and demanding, which worked out well because she did too. She leaned back provocatively, pushing her breasts out. He circled each breast with his finger, the calloused surface skimming across her tender skin. With slow, torturous movements he closed the circle, homing in on her nipples, which ached to be touched.

Even though she was blindfolded, she felt his gaze on her. She always knew when he was looking at her because her body came alive under his scrutiny. She could even narrow it down to specific body parts—he's looking at my ass, now my breasts. He wants me. He thinks I'm beautiful.

The anticipation generated by his slow survey made her bite her lip. What was he going to do next? When?

Then something warm and thick dribbled across her nipples. She cried out from the surprise sensation. The pinch of heat made them tighten instantly, even before his tongue swept across them to catch the sticky droplets. Thoroughly, meticulously, he licked her clean. She clenched her teeth against the sounds clamoring to come out of her mouth. If she released them, she wouldn't be able to focus on the physical sensation she was experiencing, and she wanted to savor every moment.

The way Tobias was savoring her chocolate-covered nipples, like a cat voraciously attacking a bowl of cream.

He feasted for what seemed like an eternity, finding chocolate in every sensitive crevice of her nipples. Then he brought his mouth, all warm and lush with chocolate, to hers. He ran his deliciously sweetened tongue across the roof of her mouth, the inside of her lower lip, generating wild tingles wherever he touched.

When she was sticky and wild for release, Tobias still made her wait. He brought her into the bathroom, where the steamy warmth made her sigh with pleasure. He'd already drawn a bath and filled it with piles of foamy bubbles. He took off her blindfold before he helped her into the tub.

"I got this, sweetheart. You don't need to do a thing. Just lay back and let me take care of you," he murmured. That was another voice of his that revved her up. The tender, gentle one, the voice that said I'd do anything for you, stand between you and any bullet you can name.

Of course she would follow that voice to the ends of the earth. She lay back with a sigh in the old-fashioned claw-foot tub. She’d always loved this tub, but it had never been put to this kind of use before.

He wrapped her hands around the still-warm pipes that ran up to the ceiling. "Don't move," he murmured. "Stay just like that. I swear, I could look at you forever like this, all pink and steamy. You're like cotton candy and strawberry pie all rolled into one."

"I had no idea you had such a sweet tooth." She quivered as he wrung warm water from her big soft sponge over her breasts. Then he took her washcloth over the peaked mounds of her breasts, teasing her nipples with the rough, nubby fabric.

"No squirming," he warned. He moved to the other end of the tub. Lifting each foot in turn, he used the washcloth to stroke between her toes, until she was rosy and panting. The movement of the water sent soap bubbles foaming around her nipples with fluffy, maddening touches, like air kisses. She stretched like a cat, arching her spine so the water streamed off her in warm rivers.

"You're going to make a mess," he warned. "No splashing. Keep perfectly still."

"I can't." She squirmed deliciously.

"Try harder."

She bit her lip and stilled her body. When he put that extra bit of gravel into his voice it drove her wild. She loved following that dark voice wherever it might lead her, because a screaming orgasm was the inevitable end.

"Prop one foot on the edge of the tub," he commanded. "I need to clean you everywhere."

Oh God. She did as he said, which meant she was splayed open under the foaming bubbles. He worked the washcloth delicately against her folds, the warm friction sending her into a trancelike state. Then he found her clit with the wet cloth, rubbing until she throbbed and yearned for the magical shimmering joy hovering at the edge of possibility.

"Tobias Knight, you'd better do something quick, or I'm going to melt down right here in the bubbles."

"I don't do things quick. I do them slow." He grinned at her. At some point he'd shucked his clothes. His broad chest and rippling muscles flexed with each gentle movement of his hands. It blew her away, every time, that he could be in such complete control of those muscles, that he could be so explosive and so gentle in the next moment.

"I noticed," she said with gritted teeth. Her eyes drifted half closed as she pushed subtly against his hand. Would that count as moving? What bad thing would happen if she moved? Or would it be the best thing ever? "There's slow and then there's molasses."

"Hmm, molasses. How did you know I love molasses?" He drove a finger inside her as he brushed his broad thumb against her clit.

"Such. A. Sweet tooth," she managed. She pressed frantically against his thumb, needing more friction, more pressure, the hot, wet, slippery soap bubbles making everything so much more intense.

"I do love sweets, you're right." His growl sizzled across her nerve endings. She knew she was close. So close. She could only take so much.

"I'm going to come," she warned him breathlessly. "And there's going to be splashing."

He laughed softly. "Babe, if there isn't I'd be disappointed. Nothing makes me happier than to watch you thrash around while you orgasm."

She tried to make a face at him, but she felt too good and her face refused to do anything but grimace in ecstasy. And when she came in long rolling waves, ocean swells of sensation sweeping through her, she held on to those pipes as if they were the only things anchoring her to Earth. Other than Tobias’s growls of encouragement and hot hand anchored to her pussy.

Afterwards, he helped her out of the tub and dried her off with her favorite fluffy towel. Every bit of her tingled under his gentle patting.

"Why did I never realize how fun something like this would be?"

He looked down at her, a puzzled frown denting his forehead. "This?"

"This…you know." She waved her hand vaguely. "This thing we're doing. This crazy, wild, live-for-the moment thing."

His eyebrows lifted, almost as if she'd surprised him. "Is that what it is?"

"Sure, I mean, there’s nothing wrong with it, right?" She put her hand on his cock and discovered it was hot and hard and eager. "By the way, you have a sparkling clean naked woman standing before you, ready for the next deep dark fantasy. What'll it be?"

He hesitated. "Live for the moment, huh?"

"Yes." Waiting for him to continue, her heart raced. Her nipples rose all on their own.

He put one big hand on her head and pushed her gently down. She kissed him as she went, pressing her lips to each chiseled muscle, passing a scar that slashed across his lower belly, following the dark trail of hair. On her knees on the bath mat, she touched her lips to the head of his erection.

His penis stood out like an exclamation point from its nest of dark hair. Its hot velvety skin brushed against her cheek. Its heft and weight felt nearly overwhelming. It was going to come into her mouth, that hard spear of flesh. It wanted her. And it would ravage her until it was satisfied. And she would love every minute.

As soon as she took him into her mouth, she felt the intensity of his arousal. The little twitches and jumps she'd come to know meant he was already wildly turned on. She'd gotten to know the feel of his skin better than her own. She knew every inch of his muscular frame, knew which spots made him growl with pleasure, which parts needed only a touch to make his cock spring into action. The sound of his breath, the deep sounds he made when he was close to coming, the pressure of his penis against her tongue—it all felt like home. It felt essential, like oxygen.

She surrounded him with her lips and mouth, wrapped her hand around the base of his penis. She tasted a hint of salt, maybe even some soap from the bubble bath. But mostly, she tasted passion. Not just his passion, as he moved in her mouth, taking up the rhythm she set. Also hers, as she gave him every bit of her attention. Giving him her mouth, her tongue, her lips.

Giving him her love.

The thought slipped in like a thief, stealing her pleasure. No, this wasn't love. This was thrills and chills, release and freedom and wild adventure. It’s live-for-the-moment, not love, you idiot. Get a grip.

But try as she might, for the rest of that night with Tobias, she couldn't get her groove back.