Jared practically sprinted to the kitchen to grab another glass of wine when Felicity left to go change. He spilled the Bordeaux on the counter in his haste to fill his glass. His princess was going to kill him. He wanted to go fast, to rush headlong into this thing between them. But Felicity was fragile, and she deserved a slow courtship. Movies, dinner, sweet kisses. Not the wild, hungry ravishing his entire body wanted to give hers.

With everything that had happened at work with Pimms, he was feeling caged and threatened. He just wanted to do his job and not worry about the fact that said job hinged on whether or not he was dating the boss’s daughter. Which he wasn’t, and he had no plans whatsoever to do so. Felicity was his girl, and he didn’t want anyone else. Thank God for his princess. She made him forget work. Kissing her, talking with her, just looking at her, soothed the tightness in his chest.

I’m becoming too damn sentimental. We’ll just watch the movie, and I’ll hold her in my arms tonight.

He gulped down his second glass of wine and rinsed the glass. Then he walked over to the entertainment center and knelt on one knee by the DVD player. He was just cueing up the movie when movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he turned.

Holy shit… His mind went blank at the sight of Felicity in a black trench coat, high heels, and black hose.

“Felicity, sweetheart.” His voice came out hoarse. “What are you—”

She flung the trench coat open, dropped it to the ground, and then did a slow turn in a circle, hands on her luscious hips.

Holy fuck. She was a damn sex goddess. All curves, lace, and heels. He used to fantasize about women dressed like that, but he never thought he’d get to experience it for real. She looked adorable…and yet completely seductive, ready for a long, hard tumble between the sheets. That’s what he wanted—to grab her, fist a hand in her hair, and drive into her until they both couldn’t walk. His cock swelled against the press of his pants as he stared at her, his mouth dry. He couldn’t stop from licking his lips and imagining all the places he was going to run his tongue along her skin.

Screw the movies, screw the dinner. They were going straight to bed tonight, and he was going to punish her for forcing his hand when he wanted to take things slow. Yeah, he’d punish her all night until she thought she’d die from pleasure.

* * *

Jared looked…mad. Why did he look mad?

Felicity had been so confident a few minutes before when she’d been stripping out of her clothes. As she’d donned the babydoll nightie and the hose and slipped into the heels, she’d thought for sure this night was going to be amazing. He was going to go crazy for this, right? Her own skin had flushed at the thought of a hungry, hot Jared possessing her, but instead he looked angry.

Felicity’s hands dropped from her hips and she covered her chest, shying away as he stood from his crouched position by the TV and studied her. Maybe this was a mistake. It had been a risk wearing something like this at all. Her breasts were almost falling out of the top, and the hose and shoes looked too…well…maybe they were overkill? God, this was really stupid. These things only worked for girls in movies.

“I’m sorry. I’ll go change.” She started to slide past him toward the hallway, but he moved swiftly with long strides and blocked her from reaching the hall.

“Go stand behind the couch and face the TV,” he ordered. His voice was soft, dark, and full of that domination that did funny things to her inside. Her brief hesitation earned her a dark look. In a few quick clicking steps, she was behind the couch, hands resting on the waist-high back. She glanced over her shoulder, watching him.

Jared slowly approached, hands in his trouser pockets as he studied her. The predatory gleam in his eyes set fire to every nerve ending inside her.

“So this is what you want? Or is this what you think I want? Be honest with me.”

When he was finally close enough, standing right behind her, she tried to turn. He pressed one hand between her shoulder blades and pressed firmly, urging her to bend over the couch. She rested on bent elbows, her breath hitching in anticipation.

“Answer me, Felicity.” The sharp tap to her ass made her flinch and then moan as he smoothed a hand over her barely covered bottom. She liked that tiny edge of pain. It made her wetter.

“I wanted this,” she confessed. “I want you, and I want this—please,” she begged. At this point, her old self would have shaken her head at the thought of being bent over a couch, wearing lingerie and begging to be fucked. But after everything she’d been through with Jared, this was exactly what she wanted, what she needed.

In the reflection of the TV screen in front of her, she could see him jerking his tie off. He draped it over the couch next to her before he grasped her hips, holding her still.

“Do you have any idea what you just did to me?” he growled low at the back of his throat, the guttural sound eliciting a heady, lusty series of panting breaths as she shook her head.

“Did…did you like it?” She needed to hear him say it, that he loved what she’d been brave enough to wear.

His fingers clenched her hips hard, and he ground his groin against her ass. The very obvious, very big erection was apparently his answer.

“You had me at the shoes. Those little fucking red bows. That is now my favorite shade of red.” He slid his hands up her sides toward her breasts and cupped them. She arched her back, trying to give him easier access. The two slender spaghetti straps slid off her shoulders, and he peeled the lacy cups off her breasts, exposing them fully to his touch. With deft fingers, he rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger before he pinched them lightly.

“Ah,” she hissed, shoving her bottom back against his groin. If he didn’t get inside her soon…

“Not so fast.” He laughed softly. “If you want to play, we play.” He continued to torture her until she was nearly screaming in need and frustration, clawing the leather couch back. Suddenly he was nudging her legs wider apart and tugging those black bikini bottom panties down her thighs. She jolted like a live wire when he ran two exploring fingers along her slit. There was something sinful about her panties still being on her body but her being exposed to his exploring touch.

“So wet, so hot,” he murmured huskily before pushing two fingers into her.

“Oh God.” Felicity blinked, trying to focus, to grasp at any remaining strands of self-control she was supposed to have.

“Tell me now if you don’t want it hard and rough. Because I’m about to let go, princess.” The clink of his belt, the whir of a zipper, and she was nodding.

“Yes, please, Jared.”

The crinkle of foil, the continued strokes of his fingers—they blurred together, and there it was. The sweet torturous moment when she was empty and then he shoved his cock inside her. She rocked forward, arching up on her toes even more as his powerful pounding rhythm rammed her against the leather couch. She was pinned at a perfect angle for his furious fucking. The overwhelming sensations of him surging into her again and again, waking up nerve endings as he claimed her body and soul.

There wasn’t a part of her that wasn’t full with him. Jared fisted his fingers in her hair, tugging her head back a little, which gave her the perfect view of their reflection in the dark TV screen. The way he towered over her, the wild, wanton look on her dazed face, the way her breasts spilled out against the babydoll, bouncing with each jerk of her body as Jared rammed into her. The orgasm exploded through her with the force of a firebomb. A hoarse scream ripped from her lips, but it was drowned out by Jared’s harsh shout and three last thrusts hard enough that her whole body snapped forward. Her head dropped onto the couch, and she exhaled a shaky breath. Her shoulders and legs twitched, and then she went fully limp. Jared’s ragged breaths puffed out across her back. He rocked inside her, and she whimpered helplessly as little aftershocks rippled through her.

“You okay, sweetheart?” The gentle concern in his tone meant everything.

What they had just done was raw, hard, almost violent, but she had trusted him, and it had been worth it. He was still here, asking if she was okay and showing he cared about her. The thought made her eyes burn with treacherous tears, and she choked down a sob.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry, Felicity.” Jared pulled out of her and was fixing her clothes and his. Then he scooped her up and carried her around to the other side of the couch and sat down with her in his lap. His hands smoothed up and down her back with sweet strokes.

“Talk to me. Was that too much? This is why I didn’t want to—”

Felicity reached up and clamped both of her hands over his mouth, silencing him.

“No. Stop. I’m happy. So happy.” She met his gaze, and when the worry darkening his eyes lifted, she removed her hands from his mouth and swiped at a few stray tears that had escaped.

“You better explain.” He touched his forehead to hers, patiently waiting.

“It’s just…after what we did, you…cared.” How else could she explain it?

He rolled his eyes playfully. “Of course I care. I care about you. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be doing any of this,” he said as he waved a hand around them. “So what we did just now, that was good, right?” Jared nuzzled her nose with his and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Mm, yes. It was very good. I’m sorry I sort of sprung myself on you without much warning. I felt you trying to slow things down, but I don’t want to slow things down, unless…” She bit her lip. “Do you want to?”

“Princess, I’m up for this any day.” He kissed her, nibbling almost delicately. Her body responded, and her sensitive core throbbed with renewed interest.

“But—”

He met her gaze steadily. “If we go into this at the speed we’re going, you’re going to have to trust me. You need to start telling me things. I don’t want you to still be a stranger to me, and in a lot of ways you are. And I’m a stranger to you.”

The words stung a little. If she was being honest with herself, they made her ache. She wanted to tell him everything, but she wasn’t sure he’d want to hear or care. She wasn’t special, and she wasn’t worth knowing, at least she didn’t think so. But he wanted her, despite all of that. Maybe sharing herself with him wouldn’t be the end of this perfect dream. She ran her hands over his shoulders. His expensive shirt was rumpled.

“What’s the worst that could happen? No matter what you tell me, I’m not going to let you out of my arms. We’ll stay right here and talk.”

It sounded reasonable. She continued to let her fingers trace the little furrows in the once-crisp dress shirt where it covered his beautiful pectoral muscles.

“I am so afraid you’ll figure out that I’m just a nobody, and you won’t want me anymore.” The words came out of her barely above a whisper. There, she’d told him the worst part about herself, her self-doubt, her fear that she wasn’t good enough.

Jared tilted her face up to his so they were close enough to share quiet breaths.

“I see you, Felicity Hart. And what I see is a beautiful, intelligent, and compassionate woman. How could I not want you? You’re my dream.” He pulled her flush against him, cradling her in his arms as he pressed a kiss to the crown of her hair.

The sincerity of his words gave her a momentary sense of peace. She could believe him. He would still want her. At least for now.

* * *

For nearly an hour and a half, Jared held Felicity in his arms on the couch. He’d tucked her up in blankets and started the movie. When the movie credits rolled on the screen, he reached for the remote and turned it off. Felicity woke up from her light sleep and wrinkled her adorable nose.

“One of these days we’ll actually watch it all the way through,” she muttered.

“Yeah.” He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Let’s go to bed. You wore me out, princess.”

When she tried to stand up, he merely picked her up in his arms, blankets and all, and carried her to the bedroom. He set her down on his bed and then shut the door. She watched him from her nest of blankets, eyes wide and so full of emotions that tugged at his heart. Like a frightened rabbit, she seemed ready to bolt, and he guessed her instincts screamed for her to run because she was afraid to care too much.

Jared stripped out of his clothes and then walked over to stand in front of her. He uncoiled the blankets until she was lying there in nothing but the hose, babydoll, and heels. He’d completely forgotten all of that as his desire toward her had shifted from lust to the need to protect. He removed her shoes and held one up, flicking at the bows with a wicked smile.

“These are hot—real hot. You’ll be wearing them a lot, but just in here.” He gestured to his bedroom.

Her little smile was back, a sassy smirk. “Layla picked them out.”

He dropped the shoes to the floor. “Of course she did. I bet the trench coat was her idea too.” He placed his hands on her right thigh, rolling down the hose and noting with no small amount of male pride that it made her flush pink. He liked that she was shy, even with him, but she was brave enough to share herself with him.

She’s mine. All mine.

When he reached for the bottoms of her lingerie, she actually sighed in relief. He cocked a brow at her unexpected reaction.

“This thing…uncomfortable. The bottoms were giving me a wedgie,” she admitted, then blushed and glanced away. “That was probably too much info, wasn’t it?”

He laughed and immediately stripped her out of her babydoll completely. “Princess, a man always loves to get a woman fully naked.” He held up the lingerie, dangling it from one finger. “This is a fine way to start, but when I sleep with you, I want you comfortable and, if I get my way, with no clothes between us.” He waggled his brows, and she giggled. He inwardly marveled at how easy it was to be with her. She could go from sex kitten in heels to a sweet little thing he wanted to cuddle with, to a woman he wanted to talk to about his job, her job, everything.

Things had been easy with Shana at the beginning before she’d lost her love of real estate law. But things between them had never been electric—they’d been comfortable, that was all. With Felicity it was a cosmic pull that he felt when he was around her. They didn’t make a ton of sense together on paper, but screw that. What mattered was what he felt when he looked at her, the way she heated his blood and encased his heart in warmth at the same time. That mattered.

“Get under the covers before I revisit your punishment,” he commanded, letting his lips twitch in a hint of a smile. She’d seemed okay with him spanking her—more than okay if he was watching her reactions now.

Once she was under the covers, he turned off the lights and got in bed beside her. Questions still plagued him, and he wouldn’t be able to resist until he had some answers.

“Felicity?”

“Hmm?” She burrowed into him, that hesitation she’d had when they’d first shared a bed slowly vanishing.

“You would tell me if something bothered you, right?”

“Yes.”

“I mean it. If I do something that scares you—”

“You won’t. You haven’t.” She kissed his chin, his cheek, and then his lips. “Whenever I’m with you, I’m excited. I love being with you.” Her lashes lowered at the admission. It was so close to saying I love you.

A startling pang of disappointment shot through him. He wanted to hear her say it, to have it be true. Did he want to love her back? Frightening, yeah, but he had to admit that he did. For the first time in a long while, something was more important than work. Felicity was more important than his job.

I’m in deep shit.