I couldn't look into his eyes and not believe what he'd said. Or at least believe that he believed, at least in this moment. This time, when he reached for me, I let him take my hand. He was right about the connection. I could feel it, and I didn't want to ignore it. The need to touch him was too strong. He paid the check and laced his fingers through mine as we headed out of the restaurant. Neither of us said anything and I wondered if his brain was as busy as mine.

I had so many questions I wanted to ask him as he flagged a cab. What did it mean that he wanted to be with me? Here in Vegas? Back in Philadelphia? Did he expect me to move back? I'd be able to stay with Anastascia if I needed to, and I could probably find a waitressing job without too much trouble, but what about dancing? Then again, was I actually more likely to make it in Vegas, where I was a stripper, than if I tried in Philly? What would his family say, especially when they found out where I worked? I didn't doubt for a minute that Brock would tell his sister about me being a stripper when he found out that Reed called off the wedding for me. And what if it didn't work out? Would I be stuck back in Philadelphia?

“We have a choice to make.” Reed's statement drew my attention back to him. He looked at the cab. “Is he making two stops, or just one?” He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I want you, Piper, but I'm not going to ask you to do anything you don't want to do.”

I looked up at him. I was doing what I always did. I was over-thinking things, making plans for things that hadn't happened and might never happen.

“Come back to my hotel with me.” He brushed my hair back from my face, letting his fingers linger on my cheeks. “Let me show you how much I want to be with you.”

It might've been stupid of me, but I couldn't stop the way I felt. I nodded and he lowered his head to kiss me. Our first kiss had been gentle, searching, testing. The second had been full of desire. This was something else entirely. Reed felt like he was possessing my mouth, staking a claim. He thrust his tongue between my lips, devouring with teeth and lips. By the time he released me, my heart was racing and I was gasping for air.

Even though we behaved ourselves on the ride back to Reed's hotel, the cabbie couldn't stop smirking at us. The only part of us touching were our hands, but as his thumb made small circles on the side of my hand, I couldn't help but remember what it had felt like to have his hands on more intimate places and my stomach fluttered in anticipation.

The elevator ride was torture. There we were, this enclosed space, so close that I could smell his aftershave. I'd heard people talking about craving someone's touch, but I'd never truly understood it until that moment. It was like there was this deep, inexplicable hunger inside me and he was the only thing that could satisfy it. I knew I was getting in deep, but I'd been lost from the moment I'd let him take my hand.

When he shut the door behind us, I expected him to be all over me. I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd just done me up against the wall or bent me over the couch. Instead, he just pulled me after him towards the master bedroom. I remembered then that he was sharing this suite with his former wedding party. Having them walk in on us fucking wouldn't be the best way to let them know that the wedding was off.

When he didn't immediately start ravaging me when the bedroom door was closed behind me, I was thoroughly confused. I started to turn towards him, but he slid his arms around me from behind and pulled me back against his body. He pressed his lips against the side of my throat and I shivered.

“When we were back in Philadelphia, we had to rush. Tonight we don't, and I intend to take my time with you.”

He slid his hands up over my ribcage and cupped my breasts through my dress as he fastened his lips over the place where my shoulder met my neck. I closed my eyes as he sucked the skin into his mouth, losing myself in the sensations of his hands and mouth. I knew he was marking me, telling everyone that he wanted me, and a thrill went all the way to my toes.

“I'm going to do exactly what I promised, show you how much I want you,” he whispered in my ear. “And I'm going to make you come loud enough that no one else is going to doubt how much I want you.”

I started to turn but he held me tightly, keeping me facing the bed. I felt his hands in my hair, and then the waves began to fall, one by one from the up-do I'd put them into. When my hair was free, his hands moved to my zipper and slowly lowered it. I didn't move as he slid the dress off of my body. His fingers traced along my spine, stopping at the waistband of my panties, and then moved up again to the clasp of my bra.

He stayed behind me as he removed my bra, his hands running over me from behind. His fingers teased at my nipples, rolling and pinching them until I was moaning, arching my back to push them into his hands.

“I don't like the fact that other men have seen these.” There was a possessive edge to his voice that made my breathing stutter. “I don't want anyone else looking at you like this.”

I nodded even though he hadn't asked a question. This was a side of him I hadn't seen before.

“Do they touch you?” His fingers tightened until it was almost painful.

“They're not supposed to,” I managed to say. “But sometimes...” I whimpered as he twisted his grip.

When he released my breasts, my nipples throbbed and I wasn't sure if I was relieved or wanted more. One hand slid down my stomach and over my panties.

“What about this?” He cupped my sex over the green silk. “Do they touch you here?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Good.” He practically growled the word. “I hate that other men have seen you, but if they'd touched you...” His hold tightened almost convulsively. “No more.” He ran his tongue along the outer rim of my ear. “From now on, I'm the only one who gets to see you naked.”

There were logistics, practicalities, that needed to be discussed, but I wasn't about to kill the mood. That was pillow talk for after.

He released me and his fingers hooked under the elastic at my hips. He lowered my panties, but I didn't realize he was on his knees until I felt him press his lips against my right ass cheek. His hand settled on the small of my back, putting pressure on it until I realized what he wanted and bent over. We were close enough to the bed that I was able to put my hands down on it to steady me, which was good considering what happened next.

Without easing into it, Reed buried his face between my legs and I swore. His tongue twisted and probed, sliding in and out of my pussy until I was spreading my legs further apart, wordlessly begging for more. Luc had always been reluctant to go down on me, and had pretty much only done it for foreplay or because he wanted a blow-job. Reed, however, was applying himself with so much enthusiasm that I felt myself going from practically zero to a hundred in seconds.

As his tongue circled my clit, he slid a finger into my pussy, only giving me a couple strokes before it disappeared. Then his lips were around my clit and I was making a sound I'd never known I could make. I was so close, I could taste it. All I needed was a little more and I'd come.

I felt something pressing against my asshole and started to speak, but whatever word I was going to say turned into a wail as he did two things at once. The suction on my clit increased as his finger slid into my ass. My legs buckled, but he held me up, his mouth never ceasing as my climax crashed into me. He kept licking and sucking on my sensitive flesh even as I came, pushing one orgasm into another until I wasn't sure they were separate anymore and I was certain I was going explode.

“Stop, please,” I gasped. My body called me a traitor but I ignored it, my mind needing relief. “Too much.”

Then he was gone and my knees were giving out. Before I hit the floor, his arms were around me, lifting me and moving me to the bed. I flopped bonelessly on the bedspread, my muscles still quivering from the force of my climax. I wasn't sure I could move my limbs at the moment, but I did manage to turn my head so I could watch him undress.

Before, I'd only seen his cock as he'd been entering me. I wanted to see it now, see how turned on he was. His eyes met mine and then he slowly started to remove his shirt, revealing that cut body I'd enjoyed feeling beneath my hands. Next came his pants and he kicked them aside, pausing for a moment to let me enjoy the sight of him in just a pair of tight black boxer-briefs that clearly demonstrated just how much he'd been enjoying himself.

Then they were coming off too and I groaned as his cock appeared, thick and long and fully erect. I remember it filling me, stretching me, sinking into me so deep. I pushed myself up on my elbows. Now I wanted to see if it could fit in my mouth.

“Where do you think you're going?” Reed's voice was a mixture of dark and teasing. He reached the edge of the bed at the same time I managed to get myself into a sitting position, which put me exactly where I wanted to be.

“Right here.” I smiled up at him as I wrapped my hand around the base of his shaft. My fingers couldn't touch.

I leaned down and ran my tongue along the underside of his cock, tasting salt and something that was distinctly male. He groaned and I smiled. I loved the texture of him and explored him as thoroughly as he'd explored me, licking every inch of him before taking the head between my lips.

“Shit.”

I looked up to see his eyes closed and took that to be a good sign. I took more of him until my jaw began to ache and I had to back off. I repeated the movement and then his hand was in my hair, pulling me back.

“As much as I love the idea of coming in your mouth, I need to be inside you.” Reed lowered his head and kissed me hard, shoving his tongue into my mouth until I could taste our mingled flavors.

He pressed me back on the bed, crawling over me without breaking the kiss. I heard the rip of a wrapper and had a moment to wonder where it had come from, and then he was pushing inside me and I didn't care. He entered with a single thrust and I cried out. He took the sound, stilling inside me as my body trembled, adjusting to the sudden intrusion. I was wet, but still very tight.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to absorb the myriad sensations coursing along my nerves. He rested his forehead against mine, our mouths parting.

“Like a fucking vice.” He was panting.

We stayed like that, joined as intimately as possible, our breath mingling, until our body's most basic urges overpowered everything else and Reed had to move. His strokes were slow and deep, making every inch of me feel every inch of him as he thrust over and over again. This was nothing like before when he'd pounded into me, relentless and focused on reaching our release. This was more like I'd always imagined making love would be; though I didn't want to use that particular four-letter word. Still, as he drove forward with a steady rhythm, I knew that this was something more than fucking. He was doing what he'd promised, showing me how much he wanted me.

The pleasure inside me was building differently than before. That had been an explosion while this was a flame being stoked into a raging inferno. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hooked my ankles around the back of his thighs, loving the feel of his muscles moving under his tanned skin. Even as I felt myself reaching the point of no return, I didn't want it to end. I wanted to stay like this forever, our bodies moving together, working to bring each other pleasure.

“Come for me, baby.” His voice was strained. “I want to see your face when you come.”

He was moving faster now, but still in control, and a roll of his hips was all it took for me to obey his command. I lifted my body to meet his as I called out his name and the movement drove him deep. He cried out as we came together, my pussy tightening around him, drawing out every last drop of pleasure for us both. I clung to him, wanting the moment to last. He rolled us over, putting me on top of him even as he pulled the bedspread around us both, cocooning us together.

“Believe me now?” he murmured the question against the top of my head.

I nodded, not sure I had the energy to form words. Words could come tomorrow. Right now, I just wanted to bask in the afterglow and fall asleep in his arms.