If this is a dream, I don’t ever want to wake up.

“I see you, Lucía. The scarred places. And the beautiful parts.” He pauses and shakes his head. He threads his fingers into my hair and my entire body erupts with gooseflesh. His eyes come to mine and I know that I’m ready for this. “You’ve seen me at my worst, too.” He tightens his grip on my hair and he leans down so his lips brush mine. They are cool, dry and when he pulls back I gasp at the sensation of loss that overwhelms me. “This connection. This feeling. It feels like a blessing and curse. I need you so much, it frightens me.”

He’s right. We’re each other’s strength and weakness, intertwined and indistinguishable. He is my undoing, this man. The thought of being laid bare in front of him emboldens me. I’ve never known this kind of connection. It’s visceral and charged. It’s freeing.

My hands come up to his face and I brush back the lock of dark hair that’s fallen over his eyes.

The wild and untamed attraction that’s been running between us has only been intensified by the friendship we’ve formed over the last couple of months.

I’ve made my choice. I want to be with him.

We may drag each other to hell and back before we resolve all the shit that life has thrown between us, but I know that what’s on the other side of all of that is so beautiful, it will be worth the flames. “Come with me,” I whisper. He nods.

The walk up the stairs feels like it takes forever. I’m very aware of Reece’s body behind me. I know what I’m taking him to my room for and yet, I can’t believe this is actually going to happen.

As soon as the door is closed, Reece picks me up. My legs wrap around his waist, my arms go around his neck. “Is your arm okay?” he asks me suddenly.

“Yes, it’s a little sore, but it’s fine,” I respond quickly.

His mouth is on mine an instant later. The kiss is slow, open-mouthed and deep. Reese’s hand slips through my hair and trails to cup my neck. He takes a step so that my back is against the door. Our kiss goes from intense to all-consuming. He sucks my lips and nips my chin. He’s pins me to the door and holds me there using only the strength of his legs and hips. One hand remains fisted in the hair at the nape of my neck. The other is fast at work on the buttons that line the front of my blouse. I hear several of them pop off and land on the floor. As soon he bares my chest, he dips his head and takes my nipple into his mouth through the lace of my bra. He sucks it hard, his teeth nipping me at the same time. Sparks of tension fire off between my legs.

My head falls back and hits the door as I moan. I rub myself against him. He lifts his head from my breast and steps back so that I’m no longer on the wall. He walks over to my bed and puts me onto my back. He pulls off his tie and shirt. And then undoes his pants and lets them fall. He’s wearing boxer briefs and he’s so erect that the tip of his cock is peaking out of the waistband.

I watch him and admire that body, so beautifully crafted by his time in the pool and the gym. My eyes feast on the hollows and swells created by the muscles of his chest. He reaches for me and pulls my pants down and off, and my panties fly off right after them. He kneels onto the mattress, right between my legs. The hunger in his eyes sets my heart galloping. His strong hands roam over my body, squeezing, caressing, rubbing me into a puddle of senseless need. His thumbs brush my nipples, as he drags his hand down my torso and in between my legs.

When his hand covers my pussy, I move my pelvis so that the heel of his palm presses on my clit. I whimper at the delicious sensation and I watch his hand as it moves in rhythm with my hips. I move them even faster.

“Yeah, baby, show me. You don’t have to hide with me,” he says. His eyes are hooded, yet I can see the possessiveness in them. Even in the shadows cast by the setting sun as it streams through my window, I can see the flush on his cheeks as he watches me unravel at his touch.

I bring my hands up to cup my breasts in offering. I squeeze them and moan at the sensation it creates. He leans over and licks the tip of each one, back and forth while his hand continues to create delicious friction on my pussy. I can feel his fingers growing wet from touching me and my un-bandaged hand reaches between us and slips into his boxer briefs. I circle the head with my hand, it’s already slick with pre-cum and I spread it over him as I start to stroke him.

He slips out of my grip as he grabs my waist and lifts me over him. He lies back on the bed and says, “I’ve been dreaming of this since the first time I saw you in a skirt. Climb up here and sit that pretty pussy on my face.” He doesn’t wait for me to comply, but hooks his hands under my thighs and lifts me until I’m straddling his mouth. And then he leans up and takes a long lick.

“Reece.” I call his name. It’s a plea. I need more.

“Yeah, baby. I’ve got you.” And then he pulls me to him. I feel his tongue, lips and teeth start to feast on me. I reach behind me with my uninjured hand and start to stroke him. His cock is hot, hard and the skin feels like velvet. His hips pump into my hand and I can feel the rush of blood as he grows even harder in my hand. I try to keep a steady rhythm, but when he pulls my clit into his mouth and starts to suck, I can’t sit up anymore. I fall forward over him. He flips me onto my back without breaking the wicked motion of his mouth. He takes two fingers and starts to stroke me and fuck me with them. And, that’s all it takes to send me over. I come so hard I can’t control the shout of pleasure it elicits. I try to pull away, moving my overly sensitive parts from his eager mouth. His hands grip the back of my thighs and he pulls me back to him.

“Again. I haven’t had enough.” And he eats me, making his tongue the only thing I’m aware of. I beg him to stop after my next orgasm crashes over me. I can’t take it anymore. And I want him, my body needs him, inside.

He crawls up my body, kissing his way until we are hip to hip. When he kisses my mouth, I taste myself on his lips and I don’t think I’ve ever felt closer to another human being as I do to him right now.

He rolls us over so he’s underneath me. His strong, long arms circle me, pulling me so close it feels like we’re conjoined. I rest my head on his chest and the beating of his heart drowns out the ambient noises of the neighborhood that seeps in through my partially open window. He runs his fingers up and down my spine. “You should try to sleep; it’s been a long day.”

I lift my head up in surprise and look at him. “Wait, we’re done? You didn’t finish . . .” I roll my hips so that his still erect cock glides in between the lips of my pussy.

“Oh, Luc.” He chuckles softly. “I’ll never be finished with you. But when I fuck you for the first time, I want you in my bed. You’re driving back to Malibu early, right? You’ve got a long day and that arm of yours has a few more days of rest due.”

I groan as I remember everything that’s waiting for me tomorrow. He rolls us so that we are lying side by side. He kisses me softly, and pushes the hair out of my face. He smiles roguishly. “I also need to go and stock up on condoms and lube because I’m a greedy bastard and I want to put my cock in every single part of you . . . your mouth, your pussy.” His hand runs down my back. “I want to fuck your tits and your ass.” He squeezes the ass he just spoke of and I shiver in anticipation. Not just from his words, but from the intensity in his eyes as they land on mine. They demand that I don’t look away.

His smile disappears.

“I’m going to take everything, Lucía. I’m going to fucking wreck you. But I’m going to give you everything I’ve got, too. Everything.”

I nod and wrap my arm around his waist. I look at him and let him see the excitement, fear, power and love that I’m feeling. “Fuck, yeah.”