Jagger’s attraction to Raven was off the charts. When she’d strolled into his suite, he knew he had to have her. She was strikingly gorgeous. Her ocean blue eyes hypnotized him. Her beautiful smile sent him rocketing to the moon. One minute she oozed confidence, the next, she seemed completely unsure, to the point of being downright timid.

And that’s when he wanted to comfort her. Her sweet nature drew him in and kept him rooted by her side.

Before she’d arrived, he’d made a point to speak with every guest. Sure, he rushed things a bit, but he’d kicked up the charm, offered a warm smile, and a firm handshake. Most clients had been there to check a box or ensure themselves an invitation to Loving Malibu. And he hadn’t disappointed. Everyone had received an engraved invitation for a complimentary two-night stay for two. Jagger may have arrived late to his own party, but his business associates had left happy.

The second he’d seen Raven, he couldn’t get to her fast enough. An hour later, they were almost alone. Ten minutes until the hotel staff cleared out.

With his fingers still laced with hers, Jagger returned to the living room. Though he’d continued stroking her skin with his thumb, she’d turned rigid in his grasp. He had to play this right. She hadn’t even given him her phone number. But he was a realist. He had just dropped anchor in California and she lived in the DC area. Even with all the technology at their disposal, nothing replaced human contact. He didn’t want a long-distance relationship. In the long run, it wouldn’t work, especially from the get-go. But he had tonight and he was damn well going to make the most of it.

Their chemistry was undeniable. He hated looking anywhere but at her. She smelled feminine and flowery. She was sexy as hell, not just physically, but emotionally, too. Part timid, part bold was his hot button. He gestured for her to sit on the sofa.

She remained standing. “So, you’re from out of town.” Disappointment tinged her voice.

“Yes. I had an association meeting in DC.”

“Where do you live?” When she pulled her hand from his, a chill ran through him.

“I recently moved to California.” He didn’t touch her again, on purpose.

Arching a brow, she broke eye contact. A few seconds later, she stepped close enough for him to appreciate the faint smell of her arousal.

“How can you claim your prize if you don’t live around here?” Her voice had dropped. She stopped fidgeting. A sense of calm and determination streamed from her eyes.

“And what, exactly, is my prize, Raven?”

Her gaze floated over his face, pausing on his mouth. Her breathing had shifted and her lips parted.

“I am.”

More than anything, he wanted to haul her into his arms and kiss her, then drive himself inside her until they both surrendered to the ecstasy. And then, he wanted to do it again. Stopping only when the morning light streamed through the hotel windows.

“Excuse me, Mr. Loving,” said the head attendant. “We’re done, sir. Have a good evening.” The staff left, quietly closing the suite door behind them.

But Jagger hadn’t paid for a fuck and he wanted to make that perfectly clear. If need be, he’d walk. Wouldn’t be the first time.

“Raven, that’s not why I invited you here—”

Her mouth was on his, her arms wrapping his back, stroking him with a raw, ravenous need that sent energy pounding his groin. Their breathing quickened. The kiss was greedy, reckless, and rough.

Groaning into her, he opened his mouth and she pressed her tongue to his. The grittiness of her throaty sounds turned the heat level way up. His pulse quickened, his cock throbbed against his boxers.

He threaded one hand around the back of her neck and anchored the other on her ass. This time, her whimper sent more blood to his aching erection while her fingers dug into his hair. Every urge commanded he yank up her gown and drive himself inside her. The intensity of their embrace demanded it. But for reasons he couldn’t process in the heat of the moment, he didn’t want to nail her. Not yet, anyway.

Breaking the kiss, he gasped for air. “Raven—” he growled. He needed to slow this down.

Her lips were red, ripe. Her bright eyes full of want. Her chest expanded with every labored breath. This woman would be his undoing and he couldn’t become undone fast enough.

She came at him again, but this time the kiss was soft, tender. Her warm mouth melded to his and a tiny smile floated on her lips. He felt it and he saw it. Neither closed their eyes. He smiled back. Goddammit, he was always, always in control, especially in the bedroom, but this sweet, sexy woman had him hanging—dangling—on her every move.

“I have a proposition,” she whispered. “One night. No expectations. No strings. We share a fantasy. If the other agrees, we do it.”

He drew her close. Kissed her. “Tell me. What do you need?”

She seemed to draw strength from that question. “You, in my mouth,” she said with an urgency he hadn’t expected. “And I want you on a beach.”

That image turned his already hard cock to granite. “Come visit me in California. Lots of beautiful beaches to choose from.”

Her playful expression fell. “Nothing past tonight, so we’ll have to improvise.” She stroked the cotton covering his erection. “Tell me your dirty dreams.”

“Eating you until you beg for a release tops my list.” He brushed his lips to hers. "Mirror sex. I want to watch us.”

Her expression faltered. Maybe he’d said too much. “I’m not on the pill. I’ll assume you have condoms.”

He loved an honest, direct woman. Sadly, he’d encountered so few. He could let a little white lie here and there slip through the cracks, but over the years, he’d met women who’d fed him one hell of a story. But Raven put it all out there.

“I have a condom.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Just one?”

He drew her into his arms. “How many do you need?”

The uneasiness floated away with her smile. “Two. We each get one fantasy.”

He loved how she was up for anything. With his arm around her lean waist, they entered the bathroom. He rifled through his Dopp kit, pulled out a three-pack, and shot her a playful grin. “You are too dressed for what I have in mind. Time to get you naked, Raven.”

They returned to the bedroom and he turned off all of the lights, save for one shining above the fireplace. A quick tap on the remote, and the gas flames bathed the room in a warm, fiery glow.

“Thank you for leaving a light on.”

The quiet appreciation in her voice surprised him. “I want to watch you unravel around me when I take you over the edge.” Her raspy groan sent need pounding through him.

With their fingers still interlocked, he turned to face her. He paused, appreciating her elegance, her delicate neck, her soft curves. Her eyes had turned dark and her hungry mouth had parted.

Slowly, he embraced her, stroked her soft cheek with the back of his finger. “Being with you now has nothing to do with winning you at the auction. What I mean…I didn’t win you to sleep with you.” Jesus, get it together.

She leaned up to kiss him. “Thank you for saying that, but I want to be here, with you. I want to have sex with you.” Again, she offered a shy smile. “Intimate relations sounds better. Let’s call it that. I have no expectations beyond tonight. We’re both adults, and from what I can tell, we’re both sober.”

“Yes, I’m quite sober.”

“We don’t even live on the same side of the country, so let’s make the most of our time together. No strings. No regrets.”

His chest tightened. Strangely, he didn’t like the sound of that. But, as he leaned close, deep blue eyes as vast as the ocean peered up at him. His mouth found hers and he tightened his hold. This felt different. She felt different. The wild intensity with which she kneaded his shoulders was in stark contrast to the delicate way her tongue tangled with his. Raven didn’t just ignite his desire, she made the flame burn stronger.

When the kiss came to a natural end, she turned around. “There’s a hook at the top,” she whispered.

He peeled off the dress and eyed her creamy skin. Beneath the silky black cloth, she wore a strapless pink bra with matching thong panties. With her back to him and her hair swept off her neck, he had a front-row seat to her beautiful backside. Long, lean, and breathtaking.

He kissed her shoulder, his lips lingering on her warm skin. His insides were on fire, but he could wait. Jagger loved pleasuring a woman until she shattered beneath him. Her tremble snapped him out of his fantasy and he nibbled her soft shoulder before she turned toward him.

“I don’t have big boobs,” she murmured.

“Neither do I,” he replied, admiring her breasts.

Her giggle landed square in his heart. He kissed her again before brushing kisses from her jawline, down her neck, and across her chest. When he pressed his lips to the swell of her breast, he inhaled everything Raven. She smelled delicious. “Your breasts are beautiful.” He removed her bra and tossed it aside. Her already swollen nipples plumped when he teased them with his thumbs. “They’re not just beautiful, they’re perfect.” And he meant it.

He’d been with busty women. Some natural; others not. And he’d been with small-breasted women, too. Breasts had never been the deciding factor. The woman was. And this one was doing it for him in the best of ways. He left her panties on because he wanted them soaked when he was done teasing her. Adrenaline rocketed through him and his cock strained against his boxers.

He toed off his loafers before she helped him remove his suit jacket. With determination in her eyes, she loosened his tie enough to pull it over his head. She worked quickly, removing his shirt and tugging off his undershirt. Pants were removed in record time, and so were his boxers. She ran gentle fingers over his chest before a gentle nudge sent him backwards. As soon as he sat on the king bed, she knelt at his feet and removed his socks. Then, she peered up at him. The wild gleam in her eyes, coupled with the delicate way she stroked him, turned him to granite. Again, she’d taken control, and all he could do was absorb hit after hit of pleasure surging through him.

“I haven’t tasted a man in a long time.” She licked her lips. Her breathing roared in his ears. “I’m clean. How ‘bout you?”

Her directness surprised him. Before he could check himself, he said, “I’m clean and I haven’t been with anyone in a while, either.” Talking about his sex life with his lovers never happened. For some reason, Raven’s honesty prompted him to keep it real.

With one hand around the base of his shaft, she devoured him with her mouth, and sucked with an unexpected frenzy. He gritted his teeth as wave after wave of euphoria streaked through him. Groaning, he murmured, “Fuck, Raven, you feel good.”

On a throaty moan, she slowed her wild assault. Her tender strokes and gentle licks teased him, and he leaned back on his elbows to watch. She had this sexy way of working him in, rolling her tongue around his head, and pulling him back out.

“Delicious.” Her raspy voice sounded nothing like the terrified woman who’d stepped onstage. With a ravenous look in her eyes, she straddled him.

“I want you inside me when you come,” she said, peering down at him.

Feeling intoxicated, he gazed up at her. Her beauty and free spirit sent needy shock waves pulsing through him. “You don’t hold back, do you?”

“Not tonight.” She shot him a sultry grin. “Where are the condoms?”

And that’s when Jagger’s brain kicked into overdrive. In one easy move, he flipped them, pinning her beneath him. His mouth found hers. He kissed her hard, mercilessly. His tongue stroked hers while he slipped a hand between her legs.

“Not yet,” he said. “You aren’t ready.”

“How do you know?”

He caressed her pussy over her underwear. “Because your panties aren’t drenched.”

“Ohmygod,” she murmured.

“I can’t wait to taste the sweetest, most intimate part of you.”

Her low, deep groan streaked desire through him.

With one hand claiming her breast, he kissed her until she writhed beneath him, then he suckled her swollen nipples until her moans turned into growls. He nibbled his way across her toned midriff until her ass lifted from the mattress. When he stroked the insides of her thighs, she finally gave him what he needed.

“Please, Jagger,” she panted. “I can’t hold on much longer. I need you inside me.”

He felt the same way, but she hadn’t climaxed yet. “Ladies first.”

Off came her soaked panties. “This,” he said, holding up the undergarment, “is you having fun.”

With hooded eyelids, she reached for the three-pack. “Patience,” he said, taking it from her. I’m hungry.”

Her muffled cry tore through him and he fought the desire to plunge inside her. He hadn’t wanted anyone this badly in…hell, he couldn’t recall a time when he’d ever felt this kind of intoxicating pull from a woman. Whatever Raven possessed, he couldn’t get enough of it.

He licked his lips, shouldered her legs apart, and pinned her with a hard stare. “I’m going to torture you until you beg for a release. And then, I’m going to fuck you.”

With his mouth buried between her legs, he licked and sucked. He pulled back the hood of her clit and teased her delicate head. And he breathed sweet, sweet pussy. From a gentle flick of his tongue to slipping his fingers inside, he pleasured her until she fisted the sheet and gritted her teeth, writhing and groaning. Then, he slowed, and began the build again. When her body shook and her cries turned savage, she rasped out, “Jagger, I’m…I’m…ohhhhmyyyygod.”

And she convulsed violently against his mouth. The intensity with which she responded to him only made him want her that much more.

She stilled, her taut body slowly relaxing. On a deep, soulful breath, her eyes fluttered open. He liked her sated, but he wasn’t nearly done with her.

He pecked the soft curve of each hip before leaving a trail of kisses on her stomach, each breast, her chest, and, finally, her mouth.

“I need you inside me,” she murmured.

He was done waiting. He turned up the lights over the fireplace, rolled on a condom, and returned to bed to find her on all fours. Energy streaked through his throbbing cock. While he stroked her curvy ass with one hand, he teased her soaked pussy with the other. Her raw, hungry sounds made him ache. “I want to see your expression when I enter you.”

She moved so he could see her better in the mirrored wall. Their jagged breathing cut through the air as the swell of anticipation built to a frenzying state.

“Please,” she begged.

With cock in hand, he tunneled inside her soft flesh, their cries of pleasure piercing the silence. Her body bowed to his, but the thing that aroused him the most was that her eyes never left his. When he was nestled inside her, she started moving on him. It was then that she struggled to keep her eyes open.

“You feel so good,” she rasped. “So good.”

As he glided inside her, he stroked her back, her curvy ass. On another deep groan, she lowered her head.

He reached around and pinched her nipple. Shuddering in a ragged breath, she ground against him. “Faster. Harder.”

As he thrust, the ecstasy overtook him. When she eyed him in the mirror, raw, untamed sexuality stared back. “You are so fucking hot.” He gritted his teeth to keep from climaxing.

“I’m going to come,” she said between gasps. “Come with me, Jagger.”

He grabbed her hips and surrendered to the orgasm.

“Oh, god, yes,” she choked out as she shattered around him.

Several glorious seconds passed before he pulled out. Didn’t want to leave her heat, but he needed to kiss her more. Rising to her knees, she faced him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He couldn’t hold her tightly enough or kiss her long enough. Maybe there was something in the DC water. Whatever it was, it was crazy. He wanted her again, but he needed time to recover.

When the embrace ended, he excused himself into the bathroom. He returned to find her snuggled beneath the linens. Joining her, he kissed her breathless.

“Your tattoo is beautiful,” she said. “Can I see it?”

He flipped onto his stomach and she propped herself on her elbow. After studying it, she traced the outline from one shoulder blade to the other. Her tender touch both soothed and excited him.

“A phoenix?”

“Yes,” he replied, rolling toward her.

“There must be a story behind that.”

Leaning up, he kissed her. “I made some terrible choices. After turning my life around, I marked my new start with ink.”

“Rising from the ashes,” she murmured. “That’s sexy. I don’t have any tattoos.” With a smirk, she added, “But I do have this fantasy.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Lots of people have done it, but I haven’t. Since my life is here, and I’m not traveling west anytime soon, I’d like to improvise, if you’re up for a story.”

“I’m up for anything you want to do.” He tucked errant strands of hair behind her ear.

While she paused, he studied her face. Her delicate features—small nose, slender lips, and soulful eyes—were framed in her now mussed lion’s mane.

“You’re so beautiful.” The words had spilled before he could censor them. One-night stands were all about the feels, but there was something special about this connection that tugged at his heart.

“You don’t have to say that.” She kissed him. “Imagine we’re on a secluded beach,” she began. “We’re basking in the warm weather, our bodies moist with perspiration. The saltwater air is refreshing and you close your eyes. I roll on my stomach.”

“What are you wearing?” he asked.

“A black bikini,” she answers. “And I ask you to untie the straps so I don’t have tan lines on my back.”

Stroking her back, Jagger kissed her.

“You don’t want me to burn, so you offer to rub sunscreen on me, but I roll onto my back, leaving the top on the blanket, and lean up on my elbows.”

His cock twitched. “Aren’t you a naughty girl?”

“Very,” she replied, a wild gleam in her eyes.

They were lying sideways, facing each other, and she caressed his arm. He stroked her back, anchoring his hand to her curvy ass.

“While you suck my nipple, I whisper that I want you on the beach.”

He groaned, his growing erection pressing against her. “Someone might see us,” he said.

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take. I need you, Jagger.” Her husky moan sent a jolt of adrenaline through him. But it was how she murmured his name that turned him rock hard.

Breaking away, she felt around for a condom. “You remove your trunks while I wiggle out of my bikini bottoms.” Her expression changed and she gave him a little smile. “No condom needed in my fantasy.”

He smiled back and brushed a kiss over her lips. She ripped open the packet and he rolled it on. “I mount you and take you inside me.”

Arousal thundered through him as she straddled him. The searing look in her eyes was eclipsed with a shyness he’d not expected.

“Fuck me on the beach,” he commanded. She lifted up and took him inside her, working him into her most sensitive area. “You feel incredible,” he murmured.

As she began gliding, her gasps and soft cries roared in his ears. He grazed, then pinched her protruding nipples, and she rolled her head back. Once she found a slow, intoxicating rhythm, she continued with her story.

“You whisper in my ear, ‘someone is watching us’.” Her insides tightened around him. “But I don’t care.” She glided faster and raised her arms over her head. “I love the way you feel inside me.”

He rubbed her clit and she arched her back, her eyes turning fiery. “Jagger, I…oh, oh…yes. I’m coming.” The orgasm ravaged her and she surrendered to the ecstasy.

When the aftershocks stopped, she draped herself over him. He held her tightly and, when she lifted her face to his, he kissed her breathless. “I want you to remember this night for the rest of your life.”

Because I’m sure as hell not going to forget this…or her.