Back at the hotel, they stepped into the empty elevator car. Penn pressed the button for her floor. The last thing she needed to do was run into any more puck bunnies. She could handle a lot, but another run in with Elena would be the straw that finally broke her.

"Don't." West slid his arms around her from behind and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I know what you're thinking. Please don't go there, Pixie."

The doors slid open a few moments later. "Trust me, I'm trying not to." Penn pulled Holly's spare room key from her purse. "Wait here, okay? I'll just be a minute."

She slipped into the room. "Hol?" she called softly. "It's Penn. Are you okay?" She walked over to the bed, where Holly lay, snoring softly.

Penn brushed a lock of hair from her friend’s forehead. "Hol? Honey?"

"Uh," Holly groaned. "Sleeping. Shh."

"I'm going to be in my room, okay? If you need anything, call my cell. There’s water and pain medicine on the nightstand."

Holly rolled over. "’Kay."

Penn covered her back up with the comforter and slipped out into the hallway. West leaned against the wall with his eyes closed and his hands in his pockets.

Seeing him standing there waiting, her heart beat a bit faster. He'd changed into jeans and a t-shirt before they’d left, and both clung to him in all the right places. She’d always considered her ex, Matt, to be good-looking, but West put him to shame. He put most men to shame in that department.

He opened his eyes and pushed away from the wall. "Hey. Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Just needs to sleep it off."

"No doubt." He took her hand and they walked down the hall to her room in companionable silence.

Penn unlocked the door and turned her gaze toward the king sized bed in the middle of the room. She swallowed down her fears and uncertainties before asking, "How many times have you done this?"

He placed his wallet, keys, and phone down on the nightstand. "Done what?"

"How many times have you come to this hotel with a woman for sex. To one of these rooms?"

West slid his arms around her waist. "I only came here to make you comfortable, Penn. I wanted to stay at my house, remember?"

"Nice try, but that still didn't answer my question." She sat on the bed and looked up at him. "Well?"

"You want an actual number?" West asked, arching a brow.

"I guess."

He rubbed a hand over his beard. "I'm sorry, but I can't give you that."

Disappointment flooded her. "Why not?"

"Because I honestly don't know. It’s not something I’m proud of. I’m sure over a year ago, I would have been pretty proud of it, but like I said before, lately…" He shrugged. "Some months, it happened a lot. Some months, a lot less. In the past six months? Hardly at all."

He certainly didn’t look proud of it now. She wasn’t sure how to respond, so she didn’t.

West sat next to her on the bed and took her hand. "Is this too fast? Because we can slow it down. I think you know how I feel, but I’m not going to pressure you." He smiled. "I know you said you wanted to enjoy your seven course meal as it comes."

She covered her face with her hands and let out a snort of laughter. "Thanks for bringing that up."

He pulled her hands away, and she was met with his serious, questioning gray gaze. "Do you want to be with me, Pixie?"

If he’d asked her that question earlier tonight, her feelings wouldn’t have been quite so clear. But she understood why he’d kept things from her. Why he hadn’t been truthful. She knew in her heart it wasn’t done to hurt her.

Surprisingly, as she looked up into his face, her thoughts turned to Danny for a moment. Her brother had been so unhappy, and if he would have talked to her about how he was feeling, the advice she would have given him was to grab on with both hands to anything that made him happy and hang on for dear life. Hang on until it was ripped away.

She’d like to think that he’d tell her the same thing right now. To be happy. To grab on to happiness wherever she could.

Placing one hand against West's face, she nodded. "Yes, I want to be with you."

"Then let go and stop thinking."

West was right. Her brain was in overdrive and she couldn't stand it anymore. She needed to put an end to this endless merry-go-round of internal analysis.

"You're right, I’m thinking too much. Please make it stop."

Standing, she slid the zipper down on her dress. It hit the floor and puddled around her feet. Stepping out of it, she stood in front of him in nothing but her jeweled bra and skimpy panties. "Please."

West gave her a slow, lingering once over, his eyes darkening with arousal. Hooking one finger under the side of her panties, he tugged her forward between his legs. "You don't have to ask me twice, sweetheart."

Penn closed her eyes as his big hands roamed up and down her body. He turned her around and sat her on the edge of the bed. Kneeling down on the plush carpeting, he gently pushed her legs apart.

She ran one hand through his thick hair, and let out a deep breath. Yes, she was going to take her happiness right now. Everything else could wait.

---

The anticipation of finally being able to sleep with Penn made his groin ache and his chest grow tight. This girl did more than turn him on. He couldn’t accurately describe it, except that it was close to the feeling he got when he was playing a perfect game and tuned into everything on the ice. When his instincts fired on all cylinders, and he saw the puck and read every play perfectly. It gave him a high he couldn’t describe.

That was how it was for him when he was near Penn. It wasn’t something he’d experienced before, that kind of connection, but he found himself craving more.

Needing more.

His eyes locked with hers. "I can’t wait to finally taste you." Christ, was that deep rumble his voice? He swallowed and tried again. "I need to taste you."

Penn leaned back on her elbows as she watched him, her expression equal parts aroused and curious. Curly blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, the ends of it touching the top of her sparkly bra.

She was so damn pretty.

He slid the tiny panties down her smooth legs, dragging his hands along her soft skin. Lust swept through him, and he bit back a groan.

She’d probably never even done this before. Her douchebag ex probably skipped the foreplay and went straight for the sex.

She deserved better, and he was going to make sure she got it. He wasn't some college boy racing for the finish line. He’d be taking his time with her tonight.

West leaned forward, kissing and sucking his way up her thighs. When he finally slid his tongue along her clit, she let out a soft sigh and draped her hand over her chest.

He pressed in close, licking and sucking her sweetness, pausing to place tiny love bites on her thighs. She let her head fall back as she grasped the comforter in her hands, pulling it between her fingers.

"Christ, I knew it would be like this with you." He jerked her closer and swung her legs over his shoulders. She arched up and gasped as he flicked his tongue over her sensitive flesh. "So fucking sweet."

"Oh." She pushed her hands through his hair and grabbed at it, greedily tugging him forward between her legs. "More. West, more."

"That's it, baby. Show me how you like it." He battled a surge of lust that nearly had him panting. His cock was as hard as steel while she writhed on the bed, moaning.

"I—it feels so good, West." She cried out, grabbing the comforter in her hands above her head and twisting.

He surrendered to it all—to her tiny cries of pleasure and her startled gasps when his tongue would caress another sensitive spot. Her legs fell open wider to give him better access, and he clutched at her ass, pulling her closer to his mouth, desperate for more of her, more of her sweetness.

Penn pulled herself up until she was sitting on the bed, cradling his head in her hands. He paused and pulled back, looking up into her big, blue eyes. She gently brushed a lock of hair away from his face, her expression tender as she gazed down at him.

That look got to him. It hit him right between the eyes and slid deep into his chest, settling there and warming him.

"Sweet Pixie." He pressed a delicate kiss against her hipbone and he slid two fingers inside of her. Penn whimpered and sank back on the bed once more. "Oh my God. West."

He wasn't sure what he loved more, tasting her or watching her reactions. When she said his name like that, he tried everything in his power to get her to say it again. Hell, he wanted her fucking screaming it.

Keeping his movements slow and steady elicited the strongest responses from her. Sliding his thumb over her clitoris, he stroked her hard and deep.

"Please," she begged. "Don’t stop."

Penn burned his fingers up with her heat. She was so tight and slick with need, he wanted to say fuck it all, grab a condom, and bury himself deep inside of her.

"Let go," he urged. "Let go, sweetheart."

She lifted her hips off the bed, meeting the thrusts of his probing fingers. He bent down and sucked her clit, and she shattered, arching off the bed and crying out his name as she came apart.

Breathless, her gaze dropped to his face. Her eyes—heavy-lidded with passion—closed.

He wanted to see her like this all night. He fucking craved it.

---

Penn opened her eyes to find West kneeling between her legs, studying her face.

For a moment, she was rendered speechless by his masculine beauty. The shock of brown hair falling over his forehead, his intense gray eyes, perfect lips, and the month's worth of beard that made him look a tiny bit dangerous.

Penn shifted on the bed, glancing down at the red marks between her thighs. That beard had branded her, and she'd loved every second.

The adrenaline had fled, leaving her boneless and exhausted. Stretching like a cat, she sighed contentedly.

"Don't get comfortable," he warned. "We aren't finished here." His scorching gaze traveled up the length of her body, first pausing between her legs, then up to her breasts, before moving to her face and settling there.

West yanked his t-shirt over his head and threw it on the floor, affording her a glance of his lean, tattooed, upper body. She wanted to run her hands along his muscled biceps and further down to his taut, sculpted stomach.

She studied his big, capable hands as he unsnapped the button of his jeans. Did he ever hesitate or falter with anything? She doubted it.

He nodded toward the middle of the bed. "Get up against those pillows."

Penn slid backwards until she reached the headboard. West turned the lights down low and stepped out of his jeans. Awareness coursed through her and hit low in her belly at the sight of his long, thick erection.

"You okay?" He tossed a condom on the nightstand and laid down next to her.

Penn placed one hand against his chest. "I'm better than okay. I’m wonderful."

His gaze softened as he watched her. Skimming the back of his hand along her cheek, he whispered, "My sweet Penn."

Angling his mouth over hers, he slid his tongue along her lower lip. Cupping her breasts, he traced his fingertips over her nipples as his kiss grew urgent and seeking.

A tense, achy feeling spread through her belly and settled between her thighs. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever been so turned on before.

He moved his hand down until it was between her legs, and she sighed with pleasure at the feel of his skilled fingers as they stroked her tenderly.

"So wet," he murmured, drawing his hand over her slickness before gliding it back up her hip and along her ribs.

Pouting at the loss of contact, she leaned back as West reached for the condom and ripped open the package. She couldn't tear her gaze away as he unrolled it over and down the length of him.

Excitement, anticipation, and need washed over her. She wanted him so much.

"Don't ever stop looking at me like that."

His deep voice rolled over her, making her shivery. "Like what?"

"Like you're hungry for me. Your eyes betray everything you feel, sweetheart."

Her heart stuttered before beginning a mad gallop in her chest. If that was true, he was watching her too-fast descent into a pool of deep, intense feelings for him.

It scared her witless, but she couldn't stop it. She wasn’t sure she wanted to stop it, anyway.

Penn pressed her lips together, afraid she'd say something stupid and ruin it all before they even got started.

No. More. Thinking. Time to act, and stop her thoughts in their tracks. She needed this.

She needed him.

Penn got onto her knees and pushed him back against the headboard. Straddling his waist, she ground herself against him as she placed her hands on his chest.

His gaze heated as his hands slid down and gripped her hips. "Is this how we're playing things, then?"

"For now." She captured his bottom lip with her teeth and tugged.

West held the back of her head with one hand and placed tiny kisses along the pulse of her neck.

Her eyelids fluttered closed as she slowly lowered herself onto his cock. Tipping her head back, she whimpered and tried to relax her body as she adjusted to the size of him.

She was so hot for him—so wet—it didn't take long until he was buried all the way inside of her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let out the breath she’d been holding.

"Pixie."

Penn lifted her head at the gentle tone of his voice, realizing instantly it was a mistake. Passionate eyes filled with longing—with affection—stared back at her.

Oh, that look. It wasn't something she was ready for. Her emotions bubbled too close to the surface already, and that look just stripped her bare.

He reached a hand out and threaded it through her hair. Brushing his thumb along her cheek he whispered, "Give me all of you. Don’t hold back."

But she had to hold back. If she didn’t, her growing feelings for him would be painfully obvious. She wasn’t ready for him to know, and no matter how he was looking at her, she knew he wasn’t ready for that, either.

Leaning forward, she buried her face in his neck and raised her hips, sinking back down onto him.

"Fuck," he muttered, his teeth clenched. He gripped her ass with his big hands, holding her steady as she began to rock, taking him deeper inside of her with every stroke.

He kept up a streak of sexy, sweet talk in her ear—‘he’d never been more turned on, he’d never been with anyone hotter’, and the best—‘what was she doing to him?’

She wanted to believe everything he said. Oh, how she wanted to believe him, but she had to shove it all to the back of her mind or she’d fall even further. Some part of her heart needed to stay intact so she could get through the pain that would eventually come when this vacation was over, and it all ended.

Every time she moved, he pushed his hips upward, the head of his cock hitting a soft, sensitive spot inside of her. Warmth spread through her belly, and she tipped her head back and moaned, delighting in the sweet friction of their bodies.

"Christ." He slid his hands up to cup her breasts, leaning in and grazing his tongue over her nipple. "That’s it."

Her orgasm began to build as he captured her mouth with his and kissed her. These kisses were different than the ones they’d shared before. Deep and seeking, like they were reaching for something just out of their grasp, they left her breathless and on edge.

Desperate for release, she tried to move faster, but he gripped her hips, holding her still as he began thrusting slowly into her from below.

"West. Oh, please." She gripped his shoulders and pressed her face into the crook of his neck, her stamina fading fast.

"Please what?" he whispered. "Tell me, baby. Tell me."

Teetering on the edge of orgasm, she began to whimper. "West." She clung to him, desperate and greedy for release. "I’m so close."

"I've wanted this since you climbed into my truck the very first day we met." He placed kisses along the hollow of her throat. "All I could think about is how much I wanted to corrupt you. How much I wanted to get inside of you, baby."

A strained cry escaped her lips as he thrust upward again. She sat up, arching and grinding against him. "I can’t—I need you. West, please."

His eyes locked with hers, and that fast, the force of her orgasm—deep and strong—sent her tumbling forward. She grabbed for his shoulders and cried out his name as wave after wave of pleasure radiated through her body.

"Oh, fuck, that’s it. That’s it, baby." He flipped her over onto her back before she could recover.

The slow, easy approach he’d taken a minute ago had vanished. He pushed her knees apart and thrust into her, fast and deep.

The easy going patience he’d showed seconds ago was gone and replaced with frantic need. "I can't get close enough, Pixie. Let me get close. I need you so much."

Penn wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him down against her. "I need you, too. So much, West."

She knew they were saying much more than simple words. As casual as this relationship was supposed to be, right now, in this moment, it was anything but.

Tension began building in her tummy again as he lost himself in her, and she shuddered. His kisses were so urgent and so intense, she felt herself sliding toward release again. She'd never come twice during sex, ever.

"I can't get enough of you. Every sound, every—" he hesitated, then groaned. "Penn, I'm going to come. Come with me."

He began to move faster and go deeper, and she fell apart in his arms, arching up off of the bed and crying out his name.

"Fuck. Oh fuck." He slammed himself into her one final time, burying his face against her shoulder and shuddering with the force of his own orgasm.

The seconds ticked by slowly, and the roar of her heartbeat finally dulled in her ears. Running her hands down his back, she placed kisses along his collarbone.

He stared down at her, studying her face intently before slipping from her body. Penn sighed with contentment and pulled the sheet over her as he walked to the bathroom.

A minute later he came back into the bedroom, sat on the bed and began pulling on his jeans.

Fear stole through her as he tugged on his t-shirt. "Where are you going?"

"It's late. I should get home to Bo."

A sinking sensation spread through her as he shoved his wallet in his back pocket.

He was lying to her again, and she had no idea why. But it was breaking her heart.

---

His thoughts came fast and furious, and his focus was all over the place. Instinct had him running for the door.

He’d wanted her so badly, but he’d never expected to feel like this. Their emotional connection had only intensified during sex.

Penn clutched the sheet to her breasts as she watched him, her hair tousled around her shoulders. She looked beautiful-and completely vulnerable.

"Is this how you do it?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

He glanced over at her. "Do what?"

"Make your exit after fucking a woman. Just make up an excuse and leave? You got what you wanted. That's all that matters, right?" Her lower lip trembled.

He smacked his palms on his thighs and stood up. "That wasn't 'just fucking' and you know it, Penn."

"Are you going to tell me what’s wrong, then?"

How could he tell her the fact that it wasn’t just fucking was exactly what was wrong?

That realization scared the shit out of him. He wasn’t sure he wanted—or could even handle—more.

"Like I said, that wasn’t just fucking. That was intense."

"No shit." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Tell me something I don’t know, West. You don’t see me running for the door, though."

He couldn’t help but be amused at her response. She swore so infrequently. And right now she was looking at him like he was one can short of a six-pack.

"I’m not used to that."

"And you think I am?"

"I didn’t say that."

Sweeping her hair over her shoulder she asked, "So what are you saying? You can’t handle it?" Her face became resolute as she narrowed her gaze in on him. "I know that this is just a fling. You aren’t looking for a girlfriend, West. Regardless of whatever this is and how it feels, I know where I stand at the end of this week. And that’s alone. So relax, take off your damn clothes and get back into this bed."

Well, fuck. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it hadn’t been that. Still, her little speech didn’t help sort out the muddled thoughts swirling around in his head. Whatever it was that they just shared, it wasn’t going to be easily dismissed.

He sat back down on the bed and put an arm around her. "I’m sorry you thought I was going to take what I wanted and leave. That’s not how I see you, even if this is casual. You know that, right?"

She kissed him. "I know."

He flopped down on the pillows and pulled her down on top of him, cupping her face. "So, you didn't want it to end, huh?"

"No." She laid her head on his chest as he cuddled her close.

For the first time in his life, it wasn’t going to be easy to walk away from a woman.

He grew aware of her small hand gently rubbing back and forth on his stomach.

"West?" He loved when she spoke like that, her voice so soft and feminine.

"Yeah?"

"Are you tired?"

He ran a hand over her hair. "Why? Do you have something in mind?"

She slid on top of him. "Definitely."