Roman felt the instant she surrendered. It wouldn’t last long. Tomorrow, her defenses would be up and she’d fight him again. But tonight she was his, and he didn’t have to think any further than their next touch, their next kiss, the next slow slide of his tongue against hers.

His body pinged electric, as though being with Gus had flipped some switch. He felt more alive than he had in a decade.

Touching her was like running his hands over the finest silk, smooth and perfect. Soft and yet so damn strong. She was wearing far too many clothes, but he couldn’t get her naked here. Any minute now Sandra would walk into the outer rooms of the suite, hauling Gus’s things.

He’d moved quickly to consolidate his victory—before Gus found some way to maneuver around him. After she’d turned haughtily and strode away from him, he’d used the time to call a staffer and explain that Augustine needed a quick move for security purposes. Of course, no one believed the White House chief of staff needed to personally see to the safety of the second in command in the press office, but that didn’t matter. Gus would be moved to his room officially, and no one would ever publicly question why they were together.

And they would remain together until the danger had passed. Until he said otherwise.

He leaned over and slid an arm under Gus’s knees, hauling her high against his chest. No more dancing around their incendiary chemistry. He needed her in his bed, naked and laid out for him like a gorgeous feminine feast he could see and smell and taste over and over again.

He hadn’t gotten his mouth on her pussy the night before. He’d been thinking about that lapse in judgment all day. Merely touching her hadn’t been enough. Yes, he’d slid his fingers through her slick arousal and given her pleasure. But damn it, he wanted his tongue there. Years and years had gone by. He’d had countless women since then. Yet he remembered her—and her alone—this sharply, as if he’d last had his mouth on her just yesterday, not over a decade ago.

He strode through the door that led to the bedroom, kicking it closed behind them. Then he set her on her feet and immediately started unfastening the buttons of his shirt. “Take your clothes off.”

She stood there, hands on hips, like a goddess, staring him down. “You’re bossy, but then you always were. Why don’t you undress me?”

He could do that. He tossed his shirt aside before yanking the sides of her blouse apart. The buttons pinged every which way. The scrap of stylish gray silk joined his shirt somewhere on the floor. He had the front clasp of her bra undone in a heartbeat. Her breasts sprang free into his waiting hands. She gasped. Yeah, she hadn’t been expecting him to act quite so decisively.

He was just getting started.

Roman whirled her around, flattening her back to his chest. He palmed her breasts, planted his face in her neck, and inhaled. Now that he’d decided he would damn well have her, he refused to wait another moment to start staking a claim on what was his.

At least for now.

He shoved the thought aside and concentrated on the feel of her body against his. Her nipples were already hard, poking sweetly against his palms. He pinched them and breathed in her scent, something citrus and jasmine mingled with her own arousal. He let her intoxicate him, and his mind buzzed with her nearness. It was like being drunk on the very best Scotch. He remembered getting high on Augustine. He’d never felt the dizzy, sweltering need again after her. Never imagined he would. But it was back—with a vengeance.

“I liked that shirt, Roman,” she complained, but her words sounded more like a breathy moan.

“I needed it off your body. I need this gone, too.” He skimmed his palms down to the waist of her skirt, tore through the button, yanked down the zipper, then shoved it over her hips. It pooled at her feet, and Roman admired his handiwork. In mere seconds, he’d stripped her down to a pair of barely there undies and fuck-me heels. She could leave those on, but the pretty bit of lace was in his way. It would have to go. He didn’t really care if that was in one piece…or two.

Roman caught sight of her in the mirrored armoire that dominated one side of the bedroom. She looked like sin. In the tussle, her hair had come undone and now flowed loose around her shoulders, thick and wild. Some would call it brown, but it was a mix of chestnut and red with sun-streaked gold. A long curl brushed against her ribs, luring his gaze to her curves tucked against him. Her breasts were perfect, round and topped with blushing nipples he intended to suck until she squirmed and begged for mercy. He might show her some…but probably not.

He rolled the hard tips and watched as her lips parted and desire filled her face. Her breasts swelled in his hands.

That wasn’t the only thing swelling…

Roman pinched the sensitive nubs again, squeezing a little harder. This gasp sounded more like a moan. She squirmed against him, letting him know she was every bit as aroused as he was.

Raw possessiveness raced through him. The way he wanted her now, he’d been a fool to think he could truly want anyone else. Augustine had always been the only woman who could make him lose his mind, let go of everything but the thought of being with her. Though time had changed them both, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

Gus was definitely more lush than she’d been in her twenties, her hips wider, her thighs thicker, waist seemingly smaller. All of that only made her more gorgeous to him. Her curves complemented the confidence her youth had only hinted at. Now, it had come to fruition. She stared right back at him in the mirror, her lips curled up. Yes, she knew exactly how beautiful she was. He wanted her even more for it.

He felt his way down her body, to the lace of her white panties.

“I’d almost forgotten how beautiful you are naked. And you’re more stunning now than you were then.” No denying he’d dreamed of her at night, but now that he was here with her in the flesh, reality was shockingly better. She was so vibrant and warm that it hurt.

How long had he been cold inside?

“I swear if you pull the same trick on me you did last night, you won’t enjoy the rest of your evening, Roman,” she warned as he slipped his fingers under the waistband of her panties and drifted toward her pussy.

He’d been an ass, even if he’d been trying to protect her. But now they had an agreement. He didn’t need to negotiate with her, try to exchange pleasure for her compliance. No, now he had control. He could simply enjoy her.

“I won’t.” He wasn’t letting her go tonight. She was in his room and she would spend the night in his bed. She would wake up in the morning and find herself wrapped around him while he pounded inside her. He only had a few weeks. He intended to make the most of them. When he wasn’t working, he would be fucking her until he’d purged her from his system.

“Everyone is going to know about this. You can say you’re watching after me, but everyone with half a brain will know we’re having sex. The rumor mill won’t stop at this shore, either. People in DC will hear all about it, too.”

“Let them gossip. I don’t care. Do you really give a damn, Augustine?”

Before she answered, he slid his fingers over her pussy. She was already slick and ready for him. The way she responded so totally, it was as if she’d been made for him. And when he skimmed over her clitoris, her head fell back against his shoulder with a groan.

“Roman…”

“I’m here. I’m the only one with you. All those busybodies can go to hell if they have a problem with us. I’ll fire anyone who says anything other than ‘Congratulations. The two of you are great together.’”

Until now, he would have shared her concerns. Appearances were everything in politics. Reality didn’t matter half as much as perception. He’d preached that to the rest of the White House staff. But now that he had Gus’s bare curves against him, he couldn’t remember what the hell he’d been so worried about. He was single. She was single. There was nothing to stop them from falling into bed and staying there as long as they damn well wanted. If someone wanted to gossip about them, why should he give a shit? He was one of the most powerful men in the world. If he wanted to fuck the most beautiful woman he’d ever known, he would.

“That’s the Roman I remembered. The one I dreamed of,” she admitted, her voice low.

“And this is what I dreamed of.” He let his fingers slide through her pussy as he rubbed her slowly, soaking his skin in her sweet arousal.

So wet and ripe. She was slick enough to take him now, but he wanted more. He wanted her writhing, needy, begging…

With a groan, she moved against him, her backside rubbing against his cock in a silent plea. Arousal gripped Roman by the throat. He couldn’t breathe through the need without inhaling her and wanting more. But he still held back, watching in the mirror as her pleasure unfurled. He loved the sight of her in his arms, so feminine and wild. And right now, all his.

Gus bit her bottom lip as he eased the pad of his finger over her clit again, pressing down lightly. Then a bit harder. Her body bucked, pelvis pressing up. Her breathing turned choppy. He smiled.

“Roman!” Augustine didn’t pretend she was unaffected or play coy. After all, she was a sensual creature. That open, honest sexuality had always made his pulse pound and his cock ache. Nothing had changed in the last thirteen years except that she’d ratcheted up her effect on him.

Her stare tangled with his as she slid one of her arms up and around his neck, anchoring her closer to him. The other she slid to his thigh, then around his body to cup one cheek of his ass.

Gritting his teeth, Roman held her in his strong grip. If he let her go, he would shove his cock inside her before he’d explored her body as thoroughly as he ached to. The temptation to bend her over, shove his slacks and boxers down, and fuck her until they both screamed out and found relief was strong. He’d done that plenty of times in their past. But after waiting so long for her again, he didn’t want this over fast. He intended to drag it out, make her feel every sensation he could heap on her. He wanted more.

Shooting her a cocky grin, he withdrew his fingers and took a step back. “No orgasm yet, Augustine. I want to taste you. I didn’t get my mouth on you last night. I want you to come all over my tongue. Panties off. Lay on the bed. Spread your legs for me.”

“I shouldn’t. I know how this ends but…” She pushed the tiny scrap of silk off her hips as if she didn’t have an insecurity in the world and strode to the bed, sending him a come-hither glance over her shoulder. “I want to see if this is as good as I remember.”

God, he wanted that, too. He needed to know for his sanity.

She did his bidding, sliding her gorgeous body across the bed and spreading her legs for him. Roman stared for a moment, taking in the sight of the best pussy he’d ever had. He’d wanted to live between her legs when he was younger. Despite the years and reaching the pinnacle of power, he still couldn’t think of any place he’d rather be.

On the other hand, he recognized their old pattern. They’d always fought, then fucked, only to start the cycle all over again. Sometimes it had happened so fast he hadn’t even recalled what they’d been fighting about. One minute he’d been yelling about something he would have sworn was vital. The next he would have his tongue deep inside her, lapping her up and soaking in her taste, dizzy with her scent, right before he plunged into her with every ounce of his strength. But he wasn’t twenty-five anymore. He didn’t want to hurry their foreplay just to get inside her tonight; he also didn’t want to revert to screaming, then patching things up in bed.

He wrapped his hands around her ankles and removed her shoes. Those fuck-me heels were a crutch for her, a shield that showed the world how powerful she was, but she didn’t need them while she was with him. If he was careful, if he showed her that he could be good to her, she wouldn’t feel the urge to protect herself from him, just surrender everything that made her the woman he’d never been able to forget.

Surprise widened her eyes. “I thought you liked the shoes.”

Something he’d never felt before gripped him: pure possessiveness. The moment that had seemed merely sexy seconds before now felt precious. He didn’t know why but he damn well intended to experience her even as he imprinted himself on her indelibly.

He drew her foot to his lips, kissing the pretty, painted tips of her toes. “I like you more. I like you even better when you’re completely naked and open to me.”

He dragged his lips across her arch, up to her ankles. Odd that he found her feet so pretty. But everything about Augustine lured him. Her calves were firm and round, her knees dimpled and lovely. Why hadn’t he taken this kind of time with her before? He’d spent a year in her bed, but every encounter had been fraught with urgency, with stirred anger and whipped passion. And fear. He’d both been afraid of getting caught with her and being caught up in her.

No, he’d been most fearful of how completely he lost himself in her.

He smoothed his fingertips up her legs, loving how velvety her skin felt under his palm. What would have happened way back when if he’d slowed down? Would he have felt this searing need? Would he have felt then how right it was to touch her, like he did right now? Would he have fallen even more in love?

“What’s wrong?”

Not even realizing he’d paused, Roman had been turning the questions over in his head. But he had no answers. So he diverted his attention back to her silken flesh.

Leaning closer, he kissed her knee before tightening his grip on her ankles and flipping her over. Damn, that was a beautiful ass. Heart-shaped and perfect, the globes of her backside were made to fill his hands.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this.” He cupped her lush derrière. “You’re beautiful, woman.”

“Roman, if you’ve changed your mind…” She pushed up to her elbows and turned her head to face him.

Oh, no. She wasn’t getting away. He moved in between her splayed legs, using his body to hold her down. Once he had her pinned, he bent to whisper in her ear. “The only thing I’ve changed my mind about is how this will go down. You know what I’ve decided, Gus? I don’t care what our sex life was like back then. We were horny kids who couldn’t wait for orgasm. Now I’m a man. I want more. I need it. I intend to have everything from you.”

She ducked her head, resting it against the bed. “It wasn’t so bad back then.”

“It was the best sex I’ve ever had,” he admitted. “It was the sex I’ve compared encounters with every other woman to. All of them came up lacking. But I think you and I can do even better this time. We’re stronger. We can go higher.”

She slid a seductive grin his way. “I like how you think. Why don’t you show me how much better this Roman is, because the younger version was pretty good.”

Faint praise, but he would prove that he was right.

He licked the shell of her ear. She’d always been sensitive there. Had any of her other lovers known that? How well had she been loved during the years they’d been apart? Had her other lovers been more tender? Had they taken the time to worship her properly?

Water under the bridge. Their sex in the past might have been hurried, but he’d definitely learned to please her in small ways. She liked a little nip. And when she was really hot, she could do some damage with teeth and claws. Roman hadn’t minded one bit. In fact, he hoped to feel that again. The fresh, raw scratches down his back used to fill him with confidence, make him feel like such a man.

“Now I need time with you. We’re not hiding from anyone anymore. We’ve got no reason for quickies. We have all night, Gus. I’m going to use every minute of it.”

“You’re going to kill me, Calder.” Her voice sounded throaty, rough. Aroused.

“Roman,” he corrected. “I’m Roman. And you’re my Augustine.”

She used last names to force distance, and he refused to allow that tonight. Inevitably, it would come, but not until later. For now, he wanted absolutely nothing between them. Not their past. Not the uncertain future. Just the glorious now.

“All right. You know Dax will likely find out,” she murmured.

Yes, he did, but she wasn’t fighting him. He considered that a win. He had no idea what his old pal would think. In fact, Roman wasn’t entirely sure Dax hadn’t known about them back then. He’d never said anything, but the odd tension he’d noticed between them had evaporated after Gus had taken the shark-in-training job in DC. At the time, Roman had thought it was a mistake, but she’d proven herself. Her stubborn choice to do exactly the opposite of what he had wanted was the reason they were together now. If she’d gone back to New Orleans all those years ago, she wouldn’t have been as versed in politics and wouldn’t have been qualified for the job that brought her close to him again.

Thank god she was so willful.

“I’ll handle your brother.” He wasn’t sure how, but he would. He hated strife between him and any of his remaining brothers, but in that moment he knew that even if being with Gus again cost him Dax’s friendship, he wouldn’t make any other choice.

Maybe being willing to lose a dear friend for a woman made him a selfish ass. She seemed willing to risk her relationships for the chance to touch him, too. Of course he could protect Gus without getting into her bed. But he was determined to have this time with her. Most likely, it would never come again.

And if Dax showed up with a shotgun…well, he wouldn’t have much choice, would he? He’d do what he had to.

Roman wrapped his hand around her hair, drew it away from her neck, then brushed his lips over the sensitive skin at her nape. “I’ll handle everyone. All you have to do is let me stroke you. Let me kiss you. Fuck you. Let me show you everything I should have before. Affection. Need.”

She shivered beneath him as he kissed his way down her spine. “You’re going to torture me, aren’t you?”

He loved the curve at the small of her back and the twin indentations there. “Think of it as anticipation. My dick is so hard right now and I can smell how ready you are for me, but that doesn’t mean we should throw down with no preliminaries. I’m sick of quick and empty. I want this to mean something.”

She stiffened. “It always meant something to me, Roman.”

He soothed her with kisses down the curve of her ass before shifting down her legs, licking the back of her knee and loving the way she squirmed. “Then that was my mistake, baby. I still don’t have anything to offer you except pleasure. I’ll give you all I can. I’ll make it so good for you.”

They weren’t fighting right now, but they would. For the moment, he needed this truce afforded by arousal, the blissful respite.

Why was it the only woman in the world who could bring him such peace was also the only one who could rev his temper and turn him into a blind hothead he swore he’d never be?

Roman forced the thoughts aside. There was only now. Only this. Only Gus.

Slowly, he wandered back to her feet and her perfectly kept toes, gratified to see her shiver under his touch. When was the last time he found a woman’s toes and ankles fascinating? Never. In fact, not once. But he wanted to inspect every inch of Augustine, like a man memorizing something precious, something he knew he would eventually lose so he needed a picture in his mind of its perfection.

He flipped her over again. She gasped up at him. Then a frown flattened her gorgeous lips, and she fisted her hands at her sides, as though she didn’t trust herself not to reach for him. Or because she was thinking of punching him. With Gus it could be either.

“When did you take to manhandling me?” she demanded.

He grinned. So she’d noticed that he could still lift her and carry her around. Daily workouts had kept him strong, but he might need to up his cardio if he was going to spend a few weeks in her bed.

He yanked her down the mattress so her backside perched on the edge—and her pussy was splayed wide open to him. Her skin had flushed a pretty pink, and her nipples were straining for attention. Already, Roman could tell she liked being aroused slowly, being kissed and caressed and adored as if he had all night long. She might not want to admit it, but her body didn’t lie.

He urged her to bend her legs and place her feet flat on the bed. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I like being in charge.”

Her eyes flashed. “You are so not in charge of me.”

Another challenge, but then he should have expected that.

He laid his right hand on the tiny curve of her belly. Frustratingly close to the flesh he wanted to touch…but he would get there soon. “Do you want to bet me? How about I won’t give you my cock until you admit I’m the boss in the bedroom?”

“You’ll give in before I will,” she vowed. “I’m in control, Roman. Always. I have to be. This is all nice, but I can handle you.”

So she could take him or leave him? That’s what she implied. That pretty mouth could BS him all day long if she needed to protect her ego. The old him would have been hurt by her tart words and started a fight. Now, he simply shut his mouth and vowed he wouldn’t give up until she’d surrendered everything to him.

He smiled down at her, satisfied when unease crept across her face. “I will take that deal, baby. Let’s see who gives in first.”

 

* * * *

 

“We’ll see.” Gus dug her nails into her palms. If she didn’t, she might do exactly what she’d sworn not to. She would beg.

She wasn’t sure who the hell Roman had turned into, but this new version was infinitely more devastating than the previous one. This Roman was slowly driving her mad with his long caresses, deliberate kisses. If he’d missed an inch of her skin, she wasn’t sure where. Well, besides the one place she needed him most.

“Why are you still dressed while I’m naked?” She bit back the need to ask when he would stop this torture and put his damn sexy mouth on her pussy.

But she couldn’t give him that kind of power over her. He already had enough. Begging was totally out of the question.

He lowered his head, his mouth hovering above hers. “Because you’re so pretty naked, Augustine. I don’t think you should ever wear clothes.”

Yep, he was making her crazy. The Roman she remembered didn’t talk and tease during sex. That Roman had fucked. Oh, he’d fucked well, and for the blissful moments she’d been with him, she’d felt as if he truly needed her—at least for his orgasm. But the way he made her feel like the center of his world now was totally new.

And so dangerous.

She wasn’t about to tell him that she liked being naked for him. Something about the way the fabric of his slacks gently abraded the skin between her legs made her feel wanton and sexy, like she was a treat he’d rushed to unwrap because he couldn’t wait another second. “I think the press pool would find me walking around naked amusing.”

His mouth played lightly over hers, his tongue teasing her before retreating in a frustrating dance. “I think I would have to kill a couple of those reporters, but your nudity would be an easy way to change the narrative of the twenty-four-hour news cycle. Maybe we should consider that the next time Zack steps in it. We’ll send you out all pretty and bare. At least half those asses won’t be able to think long enough to ask questions.”

Who the hell was this? Roman didn’t joke during sex. He single-mindedly forged ahead until he was inside her, pounding away at her. She’d thought it was so passionate at the time, so romantic that he couldn’t wait another second to have her. But this…this was something more than sex. He was taking the time to make a connection with her.

It scared the hell out of Gus, but she’d ached for him so much and for so long, she couldn’t find the will to fight him.

He kissed her again, drugging her. She slid her hands over the smooth skin and rippling muscles of his back. That hadn’t changed. If anything, he was stronger now than he’d been then. More manly. And more tempting. When he’d picked her up, she’d actually felt light and dainty, and for a woman who was taller than most of the men she knew, that was saying something. She wouldn’t admit it to Roman, but when he turned or twisted her at will into whatever position he wanted, her heart raced. She loved the way he could press her down into the mattress and hold her still so he could ravage her mouth with his.

He raised his head again, staring down into her face, seemingly trying to read her. “But you should understand that the first one who touches you will never see the light of day again. I’ll charge him with treason and turn him over to those bloodthirsty boys at the CIA.”

Before she could respond, he kissed her into silence, then began working his way down her body. His lips brushed her neck, sending electric thrills through her. She bit back a moan when his mouth wandered to her breasts. He teased her, his tongue licking around her areola in long, unhurried laps—first one, then the other. More blood rushed to the untouched tips. Gus bit her lip to hold in a whimper.

“Need something, baby?”

He was taunting her. And he probably relished how hard she fought not to beg. Damn sexy bastard.

Gus meant to assuage some of the ache without his help, so she raised her hands to pinch her aching nipples. Roman was having none of that. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the mattress on either side of her.

“Bad girl. All you had to do was ask.”

Beg, he meant. But thankfully, he didn’t make her, he merely showed her mercy and sucked one nipple into the heat of his mouth. His teeth grazed her, approaching the right side of pain. Searing tingles sizzled, and she could feel her pussy clenching and pulsing with an arousal so fierce it was almost painful.

He shifted to her other breast, lavishing it with affection. Like the first, he engulfed the tip into his hot mouth while he cradled the straining globe, seemingly more than content to worship her body. As she arched up to him, he groaned and wended farther down her body. He settled his hips between her legs, looking as if he intended to stay and torment her until he was good and ready for more.

This was something she hadn’t counted on. Over the years, she’d thought a lot about what it would be like to sleep with Roman again. The idea had danced through her fantasies, but in every scenario, the sex had been quick, furtive. He would haul her into his office, growling and grabbing her as he bent her over his desk before taking her hard and fast, hurtling her to a screaming orgasm. The sex would be good, sure. But more important, she would have solved the mystery of what it would feel like to be Roman’s lover again. Then she could tell herself that, since their youth, she’d had better. And she could walk away after satisfying her curiosity and need, knowing she’d gotten all he was capable of giving her.

But never in all her daydreams had he laid her out and made a decadent feast of her. Never had he teased her and taunted her. Never had he joked with her. And never had she imagined that he could make her want something more from him again beyond mere sex.

Gus didn’t like the realization, but she couldn’t spare the brainpower to stamp it out now. She couldn’t think about anything, except the fact that Roman shimmied his way down her body, his exploring mouth inching closer and closer to where she needed him most.

Callused fingertips skimmed over her ribs, drifted across the indentation of her waist, then settled on her hips. His hands were so big, so masculine, so talented as they held her in thrall. A shiver raced through her as he eased lower, showing her just how good he was with his lips, too. They skated over her abdomen before he dipped into her navel, awakening nerve endings she hadn’t known existed, giving her a preview of what his tongue could do elsewhere.

When he edged down her body once more, he stopped just short of planting his mouth on the spot that would give her relief. A whimper slipped free from her throat. He was so close. The heat of his breath on her needy flesh wracked her. He palmed her thighs, spreading them even wider, and gazed up her body. His dark eyes flared when their stares tangled.

A single lock of inky hair had fallen over his forehead. He was usually so meticulously groomed. When he was in his pressed three-piece designer suits with his hair tamed and neat, he was the president’s strong right hand. But now, with his shirt off, his eyes hot, and his hair tumbled, he was a dangerous predator. Gus couldn’t wait for him to eat her up.

“You still shave.” His voice rang with satisfaction.

She shook her head. “I got the kitty lasered a long time ago.”

His stare held hers as he lowered his mouth and brushed his lips over the fleshy pad of her pussy. “So fucking soft. That’s what makes me crazy about you. You’re so strong and still soft. And this is beautiful.”

Gus tried to give him an offhanded smile, as if his adoration didn’t matter. But she couldn’t stop herself from clutching the comforter in her fists. She didn’t know how else she could keep herself from tangling her fingers in his hair. Because if she did, she would tug on the strands and try to force him to fuck her with that mouth of his. Not only would he torment her by doing the opposite because the man was contrary, but she couldn’t let him know how much she needed him and the pleasure he could give her.

Any power she gave him, Roman would use with ruthless intent.

“Do you know how much I want this, Augustine? How often I think I can still taste you on my tongue? I’ll be sitting in a meeting and see you walk by, and I’ll swear your flavor is still lingering. Do you have any idea how often I get a hard-on in the middle of an intelligence briefing at the thought of getting my mouth on you again?”

He still thought about her? No matter how much she’d tried not to, she’d thought about him, too. She’d told herself she’d moved on, but her longest relationship had been the ten months she’d dated a JAG lawyer Dax had introduced her to. It had ended when she’d taken the job at the White House. She’d told him her schedule was too insane, but not missing him at all had been her first clue he wasn’t the man for her. Now she had to wonder if being near Roman day in and day out had forced her to acknowledge that, deep down, no one could compare to him.

“Do you?” He lifted his hand to her folds, gently pulling back the hood of her clitoris.

Oh, god. What was he doing to her?

“No,” she managed to breathe out.

“I do,” he whispered softly against her pussy. “Oh, baby.”

He licked her with a slow stroke of his tongue. Soft. Barely there. Gus closed her eyes and shuddered, fighting not to thrash against him. It felt so good, but it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.

She pressed her lips together so she didn’t beg him for more. He wanted this, too. She had to remember that. Just like she had to remember that she was with Roman. He would eventually take what he wanted. It was his nature.

“Hmm,” he groaned. “That’s exactly the flavor I remember. Tell me, Augustine. Do you want me to give you more?”

“I do, but I won’t beg you.”

“Baby, we’re not there yet. Not even close.” He leaned closer and licked her once more, drawing his tongue over her sensitive button and engulfing her whole body in heat. It swamped her, searing her skin, making her sweat. “I’ll let you know when you can beg.”

Bastard. Even his arrogance aroused her. It was a new thing. Not that he hadn’t been arrogant before, but he’d kept it to the classroom and the office. In bed, she’d suspected he felt less than secure because she’d had more experience. He’d been touchy about her showing him how she liked a caress or wanted his mouth on her at times. Oh, he’d learned, but in his time and in his way. Now all that seemed gone, replaced with a confidence that fit him like the custom-made suits he wore.

“But until then…” An unholy grin flashed across his face before he parted her labia and covered her with his mouth.

At the electric sensations, she nearly came off the bed. She gripped the comforter tighter, mashed her lips together even harder.

With a demanding grunt, he settled in, licking and sucking and making her throat ache with the repressed scream. He was relentless, laving her with his affection and plaguing her with his tongue. He drove her up, up, almost letting her soar. But he always pulled back when she trembled against her will, breath held, thin seconds from climax.

“Gus?”

She knew what he was asking. Nope, she still wasn’t begging.

Then she felt a single finger tracing her entrance, teasing her. Her hips jerked toward him. She tried to regain control of her body, tamp down her reaction. But it was too late. He knew. He rewarded her lapse of restraint when a second finger breached her.

Roman moved the digits inside her with slow strokes. Against her will, her body tightened again. He licked, sucked, and stroked her with his mouth all while heaping more agony on her with his thick fingers. They fucked her deep, hooking upward to the perfect spot.

Oh, god. She could barely breathe. Satisfaction shimmered right there, closer than ever…but still out of reach. All she needed was another few seconds—another lick, another stroke of his fingers against her G-spot—and she would go flying. But Roman held her satisfaction in his grip. She had to wrest it back, without letting him know how close she was to going over the edge. Then he would never have to know how deeply he affected her. She could steal this orgasm without begging.

His lifted his head and withdrew his fingers. “You know, I was thinking about the upcoming G7 meeting. What’s your take on it?”

“I am going to kill you.”

He chuckled, a deep rumble that rolled over her skin. “I’m not really thinking about that, baby. I’m thinking about how my cock is going to revolt if you don’t give in soon. Come on, Gus. Give me this one thing. I won’t even make you beg tonight. Just tell me you want me. Tell me you’re not here merely because we made a bargain.”

Gus swallowed. That was surprisingly vulnerable for him. And she wasn’t immune to it.

In some ways, she longed for the previous Roman. He would never have opened himself up. It would have been so easy to get revenge on that man. A few well-placed words vowing that she didn’t give a damn about anything except their bargain and that, when it came to orgasm, any man would do… That would have crushed the twenty-something Roman. Then he would ache exactly the way she had all those years ago. But he was no longer the self-absorbed asshole who’d spurned her callously without regard for her feelings, who had never asked why she wanted to change her plans for the future, who had been way too ambitious to notice her missed period.

If she could trust his words, he’d broken off their relationship back then not because he hadn’t cared, but because he’d cared too much. Because she made him feel.

Maybe it wasn’t witty or worldly or even smart, but she wouldn’t hurt this Roman.

“I want this, Roman. I don’t want the boy I once had. I want the man. I want you.” It wasn’t begging. She could never do that, not with him. But she could give him the truth.

Besides, she wanted to feel this Roman, even if he was more dangerous than the younger version. Even if he broke her heart again.

“Then let go. I want you to come all over my tongue, baby.” He lowered his head again, mouth finding just the right spot while he held her gaze. Electricity arced between them.

Finally, he groaned and his eyes slid shut. Gus gave in too, letting her hands sink into his hair. No, she wouldn’t beg with words, but her body had different ideas. Her hips tilted up in silent entreaty, thrusting against his mouth as he suckled her clit. He eased his fingers inside again, curling them up to press and rub against her sweet spot. The man was going to kill her.

The heat built again until the cataclysm felt imminent. Lightning flashed through her, singeing, coiling, burning, rolling up under her. The powerful clap of thunder was right there… Finally, the shattering pleasure crashed through her, pummeling her, nearly destroying her. She couldn’t stop the shout that gathered deep inside. It began in her heart and burst from her lips.

She called Roman’s name as she thrashed and panted and scratched in satisfaction.

As she caught her breath, he gave her one last savoring lick, accompanied by a low moan, then dragged himself to his feet. When his hands paused at the fly of his slacks, he raked his gaze over her body. “Tell me I can have you, Augustine. I need to hear it again before I go on.”

He was giving her a loophole out of their bargain. She could send him away, end everything between them, just as he’d unwittingly done the night before. But like her last gut check, she couldn’t make herself hurt him. In fact, the thought of wounding him upset her even more now, especially when all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and welcome him inside her body. There were no walls between them now. No boundaries or barriers. It was everything she’d wanted back then. She knew she should protect herself, but she couldn’t say anything to disrupt this golden moment. Though he’d shattered her once before, here she was again, addicted and hoping for more from him than was wise.

Still, she held her arms out to him. “Don’t leave me, Roman. I don’t want to be alone tonight. I need you.”

His gaze softened. “I don’t want you alone. I want you happy. Hell, I want to make you happy. But I have to get a condom first, baby. I didn’t take one with me when I went out earlier. I didn’t even think about it because I wasn’t touching that woman with a ten-foot pole.”

He looked so sincere that she believed he had no designs on Darcy. Something inside her melted even more.

“I’m on birth control, Roman. And believe it or not, I actually haven’t had sex since my last checkup three months ago. But you should—”

“Fuck, Gus.” He shoved his slacks down, followed immediately by his boxers. His cock, big and thick, sprang free, standing proud against his abdomen, almost touching his navel. “I haven’t had sex since my last checkup a year ago. I’m totally clean. Tell me I can have you now.”

He might have hurt her in the past, but he would never lie about this. She normally didn’t have sex without a condom because she would never trust a man with something this important. Only Roman. He was the only man she’d ever conceived a baby with, even if accidentally. And somewhere in the back of her mind…maybe she was mulling the idea of doing it again. Not to trap him, but some part of her wanted so desperately to get back what she’d lost.

She couldn’t let her mind wander there. Instead, she reached for Roman, wanting this moment with him. She was safe. She’d had her contraceptive shot. There was no reason to make him stop now. “Yes.”

That was all she had to say. He toed off his loafers, peeled off his socks, and kicked his slacks away before he turned back to her, wide shoulders lifting with every harsh breath as he stood between her legs and aligned his cock against her. Gus froze, waiting eagerly. This moment was real. He was here. They were finally going to make love.

Roman pushed inside her in one long thrust, gliding through her sensitive flesh and submerging deep until he filled her. Gus gasped as sensation flowed over her. She clamped around him with a cry, feeling stuffed tightly and desperate for more. But she also felt open and unfettered by their past. Having him inside now seemed right.

“Damn you feel good.” Roman stood over her, jaw clenched, holding himself still as though he needed a moment to regain his self-control. “This I definitely remember, feeling like a teenaged boy fucking a goddess for the first time.”

He made her feel like a goddess. At least he always had when they were in bed together. Now, he made her feel important, too. A woman he wanted more than a trophy he felt compelled to win.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him down until he covered her chest with his and they rested overheated skin to skin. “I remember this part, too. This is where you make me crazy. Don’t hold back on me, Roman. Don’t you dare.”

She wanted everything he had to give. If they only had a few weeks, she would damn well make the most of them. No more hiding pieces of herself from him. At least when they were in bed, she intended to give him her all. Yes, she would be shattered when he walked away again, but maybe that was better than being numb. She hated how gray her days had become. She needed some sunshine, even if it was only for a short time.

“I can’t hold back, not even if I tried. Not with you.” He gripped her waist and dragged his cock back out before plunging in again.

He set a ruthless rhythm, shuttling in and out, testing his angles until he found just the right one to have her tensing and gasping, clawing at him as he sent her closer and closer to the edge. The pleasure built, a hot, destructive force threatening to break her—and tear down all the walls she’d erected against him at any moment.

Over and over he slammed into her, ratcheting up her senses. He bellowed out each breath. The bed rattled. Gus dug her fingers into his shoulders, nails in his skin. When her thoughts evaporated and she clawed her way down his back, he tossed back his head with a groan.

“I remember that, too. Oh, fuck. Baby, I can’t stop. Feels too good,” he panted as he surged inside her again, somehow even deeper. “Why the hell did we wait this long?”

She didn’t know how to answer him.

Then she couldn’t because he settled his thumb over her clitoris and pressed down while his cock shuttled in and out, picking up speed and prodding her most tender spot over and over.

The explosion built and swelled, climbing, growing, overwhelming. Then he sent her soaring toward heaven.

Gus clutched him. He felt like the only solid anchor left in her world. Everything else was violent sensation. Pure emotion and energy flowed through her as her body jolted, her hips crashing into his, and she keened out in agonized satisfaction.

Roman’s head fell back and he gave up all semblance of control, following her into orgasm. He slammed into her again before she felt the heat of his climax jetting deep inside her.

He slowed his strokes before stopping altogether. But he remained inside her, still connected to her. Roman’s chest heaved as if he’d sprinted hard for the finish line. Then Gus realized she was breathing hard herself.

The younger Roman would have immediately withdrawn from her and either left the bed or talked about something deeply unromantic. Through the lens of maturity, Gus wondered now if he’d intentionally put walls between them because he’d been afraid not to. This Roman caressed her cheek, his stare delving into hers. He didn’t need words now. His expression told her that he was just as amazed by the pleasure and connection as she was.

“You good?” he murmured, thumb trailing over her temple as if he didn’t want to let her go yet. As if he wanted to savor their joining a moment longer.

“Yeah.” Gus wasn’t sure what else to say. Anything more would have told him that feeling him deep inside her again had opened some part of her heart closed for more than a dozen years, some part that belonged to him alone.

He smiled her way, then groaned as he withdrew and stepped back, stretching his big body. Gus shifted closer to the headboard but didn’t try to cover herself. It was nice to be naked with him. Her body was still pulsing with the gentle aftershocks of orgasm. She tried not to wonder if the two of them having lived more and now being less immature could mean anything to their future. A nice blanket of peace began to settle over her thoughts instead. Later, she’d think about the ramifications of tonight. Now, she intended to wrap herself in bliss.

“Wow. We should be happy you’re on the pill because there’s no doubt in my mind that episode would have ended in an unwanted pregnancy.” Roman sighed. “I’ve never come so hard in my life.”

His words yanked the peaceful blanket away and punched her in the gut. She jolted upright. He was joking, of course. He had no way of knowing what had happened the terrible night they’d split up. She’d never told him. But it didn’t matter. One word rang in her head over and over: unwanted. That was all she needed to hear.

She remembered why she’d never intended to be with him again.

His expression shifted from satisfied to concerned in an instant. “Augustine? Baby, are you all right?”

She sat up, scanning the room for anything she could use to cover up. She refused to look his way. “I’m good. I need a shower before I get in bed.” She rolled off, grabbing the robe the staff had obviously left behind for him. It was far too big, but she needed the cover it provided now. “Are you sure you want me to sleep here? It’s been forever since I slept with someone. For actual sleep, anyway. I might snore.”

Roman blocked her path to the shower, wrapping her face in his big hands and tilting her up to meet his stare. “What did I say wrong? That’s the second time I’ve seen you turn pale and haunted. What am I doing, Augustine? Talk to me.”

She couldn’t. She wasn’t ready. Panic started to creep in. God, she felt so vulnerable. And now that he wasn’t showering her with ecstasy, now that she knew he still felt the same way about any child they might have conceived, she couldn’t stand it. Rose-colored thoughts of the future aside, she and Roman didn’t need to share more than sex. She didn’t need to give him the power to hurt her again.

“I don’t have to talk to you. That wasn’t part of our deal. I only have to fuck you and I did that.”

His face flushed as he dropped his arms to his sides, stepping back. “Are you kidding me? That’s such bullshit and you know it.”

She opened her mouth to fight back when a knock sounded on the door and a masculine voice called out. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Calder,” one of the Secret Service agents murmured. “The president needs you in his suite now. You and Ms. Spencer. He says it’s an emergency.”

“Understood. We’ll be there in a moment,” Roman barked before looking back to her, his eyes narrowed. “Get dressed. And in case you were wondering about the answer to your last question, yes. You will stay in that bed with me tonight. And if you think this conversation is over, think again. I’m not done. Not with the conversation. Not with the sex. Not with you.”

He stalked off toward the bathroom. She was left clutching the robe and wondering how the hell she could stop him from bulldozing her heart again.