Take off your shirt.

The whispered words rang so loud in Clem’s ears, they nearly knocked her off balance. His firm grip on her belly was the only thing keeping her upright while her knees trembled. His erection pressed into her back, leaving no doubt about his intentions, and she couldn’t seem to stop herself from leaning into him.

She must have taken too long, because his hands stilled against her waist. “No?”

“Yes,” she whispered back. “Definitely yes.”

He exhaled and flicked open the top button of her shirt, brushing his lips along her temple. Butterflies kicked up in her stomach.

She fumbled with the bottom buttons until the shirt hung loosely at her sides. His big hands grazed her breasts as he pulled it off her shoulders, stirring her nipples into tight, aching peaks and sending thunderous pulses of heat to her core. His mouth trailed kisses to her neck while his hands traced up her ribs to cup her breasts over her bra. His fingertips brushed over her nipples, making her hypersensitive to the barest hint of friction from the black lace.

“I’ve been trying so damn hard to resist you, but I can’t. Everything about you turns me on, Clem. Your voice, your body, your smile. Everything about you brings me to my knees.”

Her entire body trembled. She needed more. She needed his mouth on her. “Please, Jake.”

He nipped her earlobe before turning her to face him. There was a hunger in his eyes she’d never seen before. It was intoxicating. He cupped her cheeks and pulled her toward him until their lips met in the most sensual, brain-melting kiss she’d ever experienced. His lips were soft, but commanding, like they were drinking her in. His tongue slid against hers, opening her to him. This was better than any kiss she’d experienced before. This was pure addiction.

Goosebumps prickled her skin as he slipped her bra straps down her shoulders and tugged at the cups until her breasts spilled out. He broke the kiss, pressing his lips to the column of her neck and working his way down along her collarbone, like he was memorizing the smallest details of her body. Worshipping her. Stoking her arousal until her nipples were throbbing with need.

“More, please,” she moaned.

“What do you need?” He voice was calm, unhurried. He licked the curve of her collarbone, like he was completely in control of himself while she was falling apart from the slightest touch.

“You,” she managed to say. “Your mouth.”

“Is that what happens next in your book?”

A shiver rolled down her body. “Yes.”

He dipped his head and pulled one tight pink peak into his mouth. The relief was so sweet, she buried her hands in his hair, clinging to him while he flicked and circled her nipple with his tongue. He sucked her next, enveloping her nipple with that delicious heat until she cried out.

He pulled off too soon, leaving her breathless as he lavished her other breast with the same attention.

“What comes next?” He asked between flicks of the tongue.

She’d never been super-confident in bed but none of her previous rules or inhibitions made sense right now. Raw, undiluted need was the only thing driving her. She grabbed his hand and brought it to the edge of her shorts, urging his fingers inside. He looked at her with a smile so wicked, so full of lust, it made her head spin.

He popped open the button of her fly and slipped his hands inside her panties. She was so wet, there was no resistance. His fingers slicked through her seam, finding her entrance instantly.

“This for me, Clem?”

God, she loved the way he said her name. Like it was the sexiest thing in the world instead of a joke. She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut as he spread her wetness around her most sensitive parts. She couldn’t stop herself from bucking against his hand, her entire body begging while her words failed.

He sank a thick finger insider her and pressed his thumb to her clit, finally giving her what she needed. She moaned and clung to his shoulders while her knees gave out. He worked her like a master and kissed her until the sensations were too much. She exploded against him, crying out as the pent up ecstasy unleashed like a hurricane inside her.

He gave her a few moments to catch her breath and let the aftershocks settle before letting her go. He pushed her shorts down her legs, leaving her in nothing but her black panties with her matching bra barely clinging to her body.

He buried his face in her hair and whispered, “Now what, babe? Does he drop to his knees and use his mouth?”

She exhaled a shaky breath, fortifying herself against the new wave of arousal spiking in her already sensitive heat. “No,” she responded tremulously.

“No?” A hint of humor laced his voice. “Then what?”

She bit her lip, forcing herself to meet his gaze dead-on. “She uses hers.”

His eyes widened and she took advantage of his split-second pause to sink to her knees in front of him. The towel at his waist came off with the slightest tug, revealing his huge, hard length. He was so gorgeous, with lean muscles and chiseled abs, it was hard to believe he was real. The faintest hint of a tan line from his shorts was the only imperfection on his naturally golden skin.

She braced one hand on his muscular thigh and circled his cock with the other. His size was almost intimidating but she was too eager to let that stop her. She swirled her tongue around the head, exploring him. His strangled moan spurred her on. She licked down the underside of his erection and back before taking him in her mouth. His fingers locked in her curls as she bobbed down his length, taking him as deep as she could and using her palm to make up the difference.

Every sound, every movement, every labored breath encouraged her to take him faster. Tighter. She could feel him getting close but he tugged at her hair. “Not like this, babe.”

She dropped back on her ankles. “But—”

“We’re going off-script. I need to be inside you.”

With his hand on her elbow, she climbed to her feet. He met her with another scorching kiss. She circled his neck, locking her body against his. He carried her to the bed and laid her against the soft duvet, then slid down her body, out of her grasp.

“Condoms?”

“My bag. In the closet,” she managed to say in spite of her painfully dry throat.

She stared shamelessly at his perfect ass as he rifled for a condom, too consumed with lust to restrain herself.

“Remind me to thank your sisters later,” he said, turning around with a shiny foil packet in hand.

His backside was amazing, but it had nothing on the sheer deliciousness of the front, especially when he stroked his cock with his own hand as he walked toward her. The sight shattered every one of her remaining brain cells, leaving her breathless and desperate for him.

“Take your panties off,” he commanded, circling the head of his cock before sliding his fist down to the base again.

There was no way to say no to the man when he looked at her that way. Like he was going to rip her panties off with his teeth if she didn’t comply. She dragged the black lace down her legs, then unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. She was so wet, her thighs felt slick.

He crawled onto the bed and she opened her legs for him, forgetting all traces of shyness. He flashed her a wicked grin in response, one that made a wave of heat roll across her skin.

“Don’t make me wait.” She reached for his shoulder, wanting to drag his body against hers but he backed just out of reach.

“I already warned you I’m a selfish man, Clem.” He sank down and buried his face between her thighs. Her back arched sharply, unprepared for the intensity of the sensation. He didn’t tease this time, focusing entirely on her clit until her body erupted with a second orgasm.

He hadn’t even penetrated her yet, and this was already the best sex of her life. She’d never been worshipped like this before. He was cherishing her body like she was a priceless work of art. Like he was addicted to the taste of her skin. She rose up on her elbows and tried to catch her breath, but the sight of him rolling the condom over his length only made the void between her legs ache more.

He crawled over her and poised his cock at her entrance.

“Hurry. Please.”

“This is all I can give you. You need to understand that before we do this. Just sex. Nothing else.”

The harsh words cut through the fog clouding her brain. He’d made his stance on relationships clear this morning. “I’m a grown woman, Jake. Give me what I need.”

He thrust inside her, filling her with so much relief she forgot about everything else. She greedily ran her hands over every part of his body she could reach—his arms, his back, his ass—while he surged inside her.

He threaded one hand in her hair, taking her hard and fast, exactly like she wanted it. Needed it. Another wave of ecstasy was building inside her. He captured her cry with his mouth, coming with a fierce growl at the same time.

He didn’t stop kissing her as she came down from her high, but the press of his lips against hers became softer. Sweeter. Her whole body felt boneless and relaxed in a way she couldn’t remember experiencing before.

He brushed his lips against hers one last time, then slipped out of bed to clean up in the bathroom. Still naked, she crawled under the covers, fearing she would break the spell he’d just cast on her if she got out of bed to hunt for her pajamas.

He came back into the room a second later and lied down beside her. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized she was holding on to the worry he wouldn’t come back. He grabbed the edge of the blanket to pull it over them, then hesitated.

“Fuck. I’m sorry.”

Her body stiffened, bracing for the sting of his next words. “For what?”

“For not stopping to tell you how fucking beautiful you are.”

Oh.

He pulled her back into his chest, spooning her against his warm body, and brushed her unruly hair behind her ear. “Goodnight, Clem.”

She closed her eyes and settled against him, wondering how the hell she was going to protect her heart now.

The first thing Jake noticed when he woke was the smell of coconut. He hadn’t even opened his eyes yet, but the sweet, tropical scent had him convinced he was going to find himself on a Hawaiian beach. He inhaled deeply, trying to soak in the aroma, and ended up with a face-full of soft hair tickling his skin. Clem.

Fuck. What had he done?

He prepared himself to feel the knife of regret stab him in the chest, but it didn’t come. He couldn’t explain it, but he didn’t feel guilty. Not like all those times he’d woken up looking for the nearest exit after going home with some random woman whenever he and Kelly were on a break. Right now, he just felt…good. Her body was soft and warm against his.

And naked. Shit.

He’d lost control last night. The minute he heard her sultry voice uttering those words, he’d snapped. And he was about to do it again.

He slid his hand up her arm to her shoulder and urged her to turn around. She mumbled, still half-asleep, but complied.

“Good morning.”

Her eyes opened slowly but her full lips wasted no time pulling into a brilliant smile. “Morning.”

Would she let him kiss her again?

He didn’t get the chance to find out. She rolled out of his arms and stood up with her back toward him, stretching her arms above her head and giving him and unobstructed view of her lush curves and smooth, pale skin. She was a work of art. And her lack of inhibition heightened the effect on him a million times over.

He got out of bed and yanked on a pair of boxers. “Look, about last night—”

“You don’t have to say anything. It was just sex, we’re two consenting adults and all that jazz.” She rubbed her belly without a trace of awkwardness. “Mmm. I hope there’s bacon again this morning.”

It felt like his brain hit a speed bump. Last night was a hell of a lot more than just sex. He’d never felt so twisted upside down by a woman before, and all she could think about was breakfast. What the hell was going on? “Okay. It’s good that we can be mature about this. But I still think we should talk about it—”

She tilted her head to the side and drew eyebrows together. “Oh, sorry. You’re right. You were really good. A-plus performance.”

Christ, he’d had a lot of different reactions from women the morning after a roll in the sheets, but this was the first time he’d gotten a literal thumbs up from a woman. “Are you trying to soothe my ego?”

“Yep. Is it working?”

He laughed in spite of himself. “Not really.”

She shrugged with a grin. “Sorry. We both knew what this was when we got into it last night, and I’m not really the type to fawn all over a guy the next day like a lovesick fool. I hope that’s okay.”

“No, that’s great. I’m glad we’re on the same wavelength.”

“Perfect. I’m going to grab a shower.” She headed to the door, then turned. “Unless you want one first?”

What he wanted was to drag her back onto the mattress for round two, but he just shook his head instead. “Go ahead. I’m going to go for a quick run.”

It took him longer than he’d like to admit to realize he was standing next to the bed like a shell-shocked idiot after watching her saunter out of the room. He’d expected an uncomfortable morning-after conversation, but apparently he was the only one whose mind and body were engaged in an all-out war over whether to chastise or congratulate himself for his lack of self-control last night. Clem was acting like she’d been utterly unaffected by the explosive chemistry between them. It was the reaction he’d hoped for. No awkwardness. No tears. No bitterness. So why the hell did it bother him so much?

He finished dressing quickly and headed out for a jog. He kept it short since the morning sun was even hotter than the day before, and his body was still recovering from yesterday’s stupid race with Mike and Andrew, but his brain could have used a few extra miles to wipe away the memory of Clem’s body.

He still didn’t have any clarity by the time he came back to the cabin and jumped in the shower, but she wasn’t anywhere to be found. He cleaned himself up, dressed, and headed over to Darlene and Frank’s cabin, figuring she’d gone over there for breakfast.

She was helping Olive flip pancakes when he approached. He had no doubt her relaxed smile was genuine as she ladled a scoop of batter onto the portable griddle. He was probably an ass for thinking the glow on her face had anything to do with him after she’d dismissed him so readily this morning, but he couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride. He came up behind her, slipped his hand around her waist, and kissed her cheek.

Not because he wanted to be convincing to her family. Because he couldn’t stand the thought of not having his lips on her.

She leaned into his touch like she was molded to fit next to his body. “Circle, heart, or dog?”

“I was kind of hoping for a pancake, to be honest.”

She let out a sweet laugh. “I know. Olive and I are practicing our pancake shapes, but so far I can only successfully make a circle, a heart, and a dog.”

“I’m trying to make a Yoda head, but it’s not going so well. My YouTube tutorial keeps stalling because the reception’s so bad,” Olive added.

“I’m not quite so ambitious, but I think my hearts are getting pretty good,” Clem added. “So what’ll it be?”

“Surprise me.”

She dropped a scoop of batter onto the griddle with a flourish, then pointed her finger at him. “No peeking.”

He liked this playful side of her. She twisted her lips in concentration the same way she did the other night when they played Scrabble—not that he’d let her know about that particular tell—while casting him occasional glances. After a few short minutes, she slid the pancake onto his plate. “Here you go.”

“Thanks. It’s a nice…” he examined the oblong shape and took his best guess, “…heart.”

“It’s supposed to be a beer bottle.”

He could barely hold back his laugh. “It looks like bathtub with a tumor.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Maybe cat with no ears wearing a tiny hat?”

She leveled her spatula at him. “Just eat it, Jake.”

“Gladly.”

She thrust the bottle of Aunt Jemima’s Extra Buttery toward him. “Here. You don’t want to forget your syrup.”

“Don’t want to forget anything,” he said before he could stop himself.

He didn’t know if it was possible for her skin to redden even more, but he decided that finding out was exactly the kind of challenge he’d be up for this week.

“Ooh…” Olive cooed. “Innuendo.”

Jake raised his eyebrows. “Anyone ever tell you your vocabulary’s too big, kid?”

The teenager preened. “All the time! My ninth-grade teacher, Ms. Witherspoon, says I’m perspicacious and incorrigible.”

“I’ll have to take her word for it.” He finished loading his plate with the heart-attack inducing food, grateful he’d already gone for a run this morning. They weren’t even halfway through the week, and he still couldn’t quite parse together the physics of how Clem’s family had brought this much food in just three minivans.

After serving everyone her bizarrely shaped pancakes, Clem took a seat next to him and dug into her food. She ate without reservation, something he’d always appreciated about her. She was quiet, sometimes shy, but she didn’t hide away from the small pleasures in life. She was incredibly sensual, in the purest meaning of the word. Every experience, whether the biting into a pastry or running her hand through the water while they drifted along on the boat the other day, was something she relished. Just like every little touch seemed to drive her wild last night.

Shit. He needed to get his mind out of the gutter before he did something stupid.

“What are you two sweethearts going to get up to this morning?” Darlene asked.

He finished his bite of back bacon and smiled. Darlene’s schedule indicated the morning would be dedicated to painting leaves and rocks for a nature collage, and he was pretty sure they’d be skipping that particular activity. “Whatever Clem wants.”

She smiled brightly at him, and he realized he meant it. He would have given her the moon if she asked.

“You should check out that hike you missed out on yesterday,” Andrew said. “We didn’t make it to the waterfall with the kids, but it’s worth the extra effort.”

“Sounds good,” Clem said.

One of the little twins crawled toward Clem and laid her blond head in her lap. “Will you take us with you, Aunty Clem? Please?”

Andrew stood up and tickled the kid until she let go of Clem’s thighs. “Not a chance, Millie. Your legs need to be another foot taller before you can make it.”

Millie rose up on her tiptoes defiantly, which only made her dad laugh. “No fair. Why do the grownups get to do all the fun stuff?”

“Marcy Jones told us there’s always treasure hidden behind a waterfall,” Ellie added.

“She knows things. She’s in the third grade!”

Jake shook his head. He didn’t have a lot of experience with kids, but he was pretty sure the twins were exceptionally adorable, and quite possibly exceptionally troublesome.

They finished up breakfast listening to Frank explain different techniques for building a campfire. Jake offered to help with the dishes Chastity had taken into the kitchen to clean. To his surprise, no one rejected his offer, giving him a strange sense of relief as he made his way up the short flight of steps to the back deck and into the kitchen. Feeling like a freeloader was already uncomfortable, and the fact he and Clem were lying to her family only amplified his unease.

He’d spent so much of his life blindly taking what he wanted, not caring if he deserved it. Not caring who paid for it. It wasn’t enough that he refused to be that person anymore. He needed to atone for that greed and make sure he’d never allow himself to fall into the trap of becoming that person again.

The cabin Clem’s family rented was more than twice the size of the one he and Clem were staying in, though it looked more like a family-owned place than a pristine vacation rental. Wood paneling lined the walls and the furniture was worn, rugged, and straight from the seventies.

Chastity was pouring soap into the sink while running the faucet when he came in.

“You want me to wash or dry?”

She silently handed him a dishtowel in response, a clear sign he needed to work a little harder to win over Clem’s suspicious older sister. At least he’d made some headway with the rest of her family.

Not that any of that mattered, he reminded himself. This was all over after a week. Just because they were starting to treat him like family didn’t make it real. Neither did last night.

Chastity handed him a plate, then turned to face him, resting her hip against the counter. “Why are you really dating my sister?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not her usual type.”

He set the plate inside the cupboard. “Maybe that’s a good thing.”

“I’m not so sure.”

He dropped the towel onto the counter and waited for her explanation.

“The last guy my sister dated was a jerk who stood her up on Valentine’s Day to attend a comic book convention with his buddies, even though she would have loved to have gone with. The worst part is, she didn’t even dump him after that. They only broke up because she caught him stealing cash from her wallet a couple weeks later.”

Tension wound down his limbs, curling his hands into fists.

She crossed her arms, and he had no doubt she was studying his body language in that moment. “None of the guys she dated before were any better. But you’re different. I just don’t know why yet.”

“I’m not perfect, but I have no intention of hurting Clem like that. Ever.”

“You say that, but you’re rich, you’re good-looking, and so far I’d classify your social skills as refreshingly normal.”

“Already told you I’m not rich. As for the rest, there’s more than a few people who would disagree.”

Chastity shook her head. “We were about to stage a dating intervention with Clem after all her disasters. We had a date set up for this week with one of our clients at the shop. An actual nice guy with a good job who wouldn’t treat her like crap. And then she tells us she’s going on a romantic getaway with a new guy we know nothing about. At first, I thought she was just trying to get out of being set up by lying about being in a relationship. You know, faking the whole thing just to avoid having to make small talk for a night.”

Shit. He grabbed a wet coffee mug from the rack and wiped it dry, not wanting to give anything away.

Chastity followed his cue and went back to the dishes still lingering in the sink. “But then I saw her this morning with her freshly boinked face.”

The cup slipped from his hand and crashed against the laminate counter. He caught it before it tumbled to the floor.

She gave him a half smirk as he picked the now-detached ceramic handle off the ground, and opened the cupboard beneath the sink so he could toss the broken mug into the garbage bin. “I’m her oldest sister. I know what she looks like when she’s angry, when she’s heartbroken, and when she’s just had great sex. What I don’t know is what she’s doing with you. She can barely muster the energy to talk to most guys, so how did she break through all that awkwardness and insecurity to ask out a guy way above her league? Are you just some mega Red Zephyr fan trying to get an early spoiler? Because I promise you that if she won’t spill to me, there’s no way she’ll spill to you.”

He hadn’t expected to feel so much anger so soon after the best night of his life, but the nonsense Chastity was spouting ignited his fury. How could the woman claim to know Clem so well and yet be so clueless about her? Chastity was talking about her like she was a child instead of a smart, successful, grown woman. And he sure as hell wasn’t okay with that.

Jake ran his hand along his stubble-covered jaw, searching for the right words. “You obviously don’t know your sister as well as you think you do.”

She crossed her arms. “Really?”

“I’ve never known someone as incredible as Clem. Just because she’s shy doesn’t mean she isn’t witty or interesting or fiercely intelligent. I wasted way too much time watching her from afar. She’s the kind of woman I’ve dreamed about, and it took me until now to get the courage to do something about it because the fact is, she’s the one who’s way out of my league. Hell, I’ll probably never be good enough for her, but I’m going to try my best to be the man she needs because she deserves nothing less. But one thing I do know is that she’s smart enough to figure out for herself what she needs. And if you can’t see that, then no, you really don’t know her at all.”

“You’re serious?”

He hesitated for a split-second. Was he? Hell, he didn’t even know where that outburst just came from, but he was damn certain Clem deserved a man who felt that way about her and right now his job was to convince everyone he was that guy. “Absolutely.”

“Then I guess it’s a good thing you’ve got the rest of the week to prove it.”

The front door opened and shut with a clatter, interrupting Chastity before he could respond.

Clem walked into the kitchen with a sunny smile on her face. “Hey, I came to see if you two needed some help.”

Panic hit him square in the chest. The last thing he needed was for her to overhear him professing his goddamn infatuation with her.

“I think we’re all done,” Chastity said.

“Great. Up for that hike, Jake?” There was no hint in her voice to suggest she’d heard anything. No trace of concern or awkwardness on her expressive features.

“Yeah, sure.” Relief dulled some of the pressure of his heart pounding in his chest, but he wasn’t in the clear yet. No matter how well he hid it from her, Jake was going to have to face the truth that he’d meant every single one of those words.