“It’s a beautiful night,” Lacey murmured against his neck.

Cam hugged her tighter. They were lying on a patio lounger under a gorgeous night sky sprinkled with twinkling stars.

He chuckled. “I ordered it up special for my lovely wife. She likes making the other celestial bodies jealous with her sexy bod.”

She let loose with a happy snicker before returning to her oral exploration. He angled his head to give her easy access.

“Look who’s talking,” she growled between nips and kisses. “I have to endure the constant drooling of the staff at the medical center. They’ve got your picture on the V.I.P. Dads bulletin board.”

He had a good laugh because she wasn’t kidding. Just because he adored his wife and loved every second of being married didn’t mean he was blind to the attention and come-ons his bad boy good looks still inspired.

“What about you? I have to put up with half the town falling in love with my wife!”

It was a throw-away compliment meant to bring a smile, but his innocent Ponytail was quick to assert her loyalty.

“That is so not true. And besides, I’m taken, remember?”

Cam stroked her hair and took pleasure in the things she did to his neck. When her teeth nibbled his earlobe, he shuddered.

The warmth of her breathy whisper next to his ear made his cock harden.

“I just thought of a new game we can play.”

Hanging on her next words, he alternated between panting and holding his breath.

“It’s called love, honor, or obey.”

A deep growl of approval rumbled from his chest.

She changed from lying stretching alongside him to straddling his hips. He loved the way she stroked his chest and purred her enjoyment.

“The choice is yours.” She locked eyes with him. The playful humor in her voice made all his pulse points throb with enjoyment.

“Explain the choices, please.”

“Isn’t it obvious?’

Of course, it was but he enjoyed teasing her. His smirk and shrug were enough to earn a laugh.

As she drew lazy designs on his chest, he took pleasure in watching her teasing response.

“Behind door number one, we have, l-o-v-e, love. As in making love.”

He grinned.

“Door number two reveals an oldie but goodie. Honor. Now this refers to your desires and me doing the heavy lifting.”

His grin turned into a lascivious smirk. So far both options had merit.

“And then there’s obey.” Her sexy tongue came out to wet her lips. He eagerly tracked the movement with his eyes.

He growled a question. “As in whatever I say, you’ll do?”

Her mouth quivered with restrained laughter. “You definitely have the picture, Mr. Cameron.”

He locked his fingers behind his head and lay there sporting a grin plus a throbbing hard-on.

“Maybe you should share this game with Heather. She can put it in the next Heartline newsletter.”

His wife’s silly giggle said she was pleased with the suggestion. “We can call it the Cameron recipe for a happy marriage – love, honor and obey.”

They shared a chuckle.

Gathering her hair after a gust of night wind blew around them, she twined the long, thick blond mane into order and gave a little sigh.

Cam missed the warmth of her body on his groin when she stood next to the lounger and stared up at the heavens. She’d thrown on a plain white nightgown after her bath to join him outside. Moonlight made the gown transparent as she stretched her arms up high and called to the moon.

She turned to say something and stopped. He glanced at her face twice, searching for a clue.

Following the line of her vision, he looked down the length of his body and gave a lusty snigger.

Waving dismissively, he drawled, “Nothing to see. Move along.”

Lacey’s wicked giggle guaranteed his cock turned to stone. She went to the little table between loungers and checked the baby monitors.

He jumped when her hands suddenly tugged his sweatpants down and ripped them down his legs. Naked and freed from restriction, the crown jewel of the Cameron dynasty stood erect and proud.

The wickedly sexy nymphette he was lucky enough to call his wife made a bold declaration while languidly fondling his dick.

“The moonlight makes me want to do dirty things so tonight I chose door number two.”

“Honor?” he croaked.

“Yeah. That.” She had the cutest was of snicker giggling. “You just lay back and let me honor my hot as hell husband.”

“Lacey,” he grunted when she squeezed his dick. “Whatever turns you on, honey. But know this.” He arched one brow and subjected her to a meaningful scowl. “I come inside you.”

Her sultry smile almost triggered a heart attack.

Whipping the nightgown over her head, Cam watched as it drifted a few feet on a stiff breeze and landed on the ground.

Naked, her skin glowed in the moonlight. His mouth watered when he studied her breasts. Fuller than normal because she was nursing Lily, the nipples he loved to torment peaked under his focused perusal.

One of Cam’s favorite things was rubbing nipple balm on her breasts. The soothing formula smelled of roses. It kept her nipples from cracking and chafing while she was on breastfeeding duty.

She looked like a goddess with her flowing golden hair and pale skin. He held his breath on a delighted gasp when she twirled on her toes like a naked ballerina. Hair flying as she spun, Cam was mesmerized by his wife’s beauty.

“On your stomach, sexy man,” she demanded. “I need to take a bite out of your ass.”

He exploded with laughter as he turned over. It was a joyful thing to be so connected.

Doing a lot more than biting his butt cheeks, his fetching lunar temptress crawled around him to stroke her swaying tits all over his naked backside.

The naughty way she teased and tickled his calves and feet guaranteed his erection grew fiercer.

Goose bumps broke out all over his body when she dug her fingers into his thick head of hair and massaged his scalp. A noise that was part purr, part growl sent love darts shooting from him.

He assumed his cock was dialed to maximum arousal until Lacey Cameron audaciously fondled his butt before swatting his ass with a lusty chuckle. The sound pierced the control he exercised over his sexual appetite. In seconds, he was mindful of the aching throb in his shaft and a hot, heaviness coming from his balls.

“Show me what you got, big man.”

Eager and more than willing to flip on his back so they could progress to the main event, Cam gathered some pillows to give him a pretend backrest and lay stretched out with his ankles crossed.

To be a gentleman, he cupped his balls in one hand, grabbed his cock with the other, wrapped his fingers around the base, and squeezed.

“Mmm,” she moaned. “Somebody gets top honors for visual impact.”

Until she teased him with her mouth, Cam had no idea how sensitive his ankles were. Pretty much the same was true of his knees and both thighs.

Hands that went everywhere aided her wicked mouth.

When she skipped over his aching cock to lick and nip his chest, Cam’s disappointed grunt led to her chuckle.

She drew back and smirked. “Oh, okay,” she grumbled. “I’ll say hello, but that’s it.”

Pushing his hands away, she redefined what it meant to have one’s junk fondled. After a groan-inducing flicker tease with her tongue, she licked his cock’s plump head and drove him crazy with a heart-stopping erotic tongue swirl that succeeded in emptying his brain.

He barely survived the love bites she decorated his abdomen with and could barely say his name by the time she scraped his manly nipples and bit his neck.

Focused on the drugging pleasure she coaxed from his body, Cam surrendered to her hungry mouth on his flesh only to call out when she unexpectedly climbed on him and sank onto his mighty hard-on.

Her body welcomed his intrusion with drenching heat. He groaned when her inner muscles fiercely gripped him. His cock responded with a throbbing pulse.

Moaning, “I love this,” she rode him with graceful, wanton abandon. Her hips rolled; she bit her lip and grunted.

With every movement, whimper, word, fondle, and kiss, she declared her love for him.

Contrary to how it started, the honor was all his.

He drank in the staggering beauty of being made love to by the wife he adored. His Ponytail was a vision in the moonlight with the stars twinkling behind her head as she rode them closer and closer to a climactic finish.

Her muscles clenched. His cock throbbed. She groaned his name, and Cam exploded. Their bodies jerked and spasmed. He emptied inside her. When she couldn’t be in control anymore, she collapsed on his chest.

Cam wrapped her tight in his arms and stared at the heavens. Her lush body quivered. Overhead, a shooting star raced across the inky night sky, and he made a hurried wish before the sparkling fairy lights in the dying star’s tail disappeared.

He wished for a future filled with love, laughter, and happily ever after.

Lacey’s kiss on his cheek and softly whispered, “I love you,” made the moment even sweeter.

* * *

“No.

“Nuh-uh.

“God, no.

“Maybe.

“Nope.”

Heather sighed, gathering her hair into a tangled knot and securing it high on the back of her head with a plastic clip.

Brody was trying awfully damn hard not to laugh. They were flipping through a costume catalog searching for looks for their musical number. The way she vetoed half the catalog along with a dim view of the few things almost acceptable, you’d think a Bendover Variety Show equaled a walk down a red carpet.

“I know you don’t want to do a copycat thing, but Ingrid is right. The song is iconic and so are the outfits.”

He pretended to growl, so she tickled his sides and told him in rather filthy terms how hot he’d look dressed all in black with his hair slicked back.

“C’mon,” she laughingly argued. “You know we’re right. We can use the wireless microphones, and she’ll help choreograph some moves. Please,” she pouted. “Please, please, please.”

He kept a straight face and let her believe he remained unconvinced. “Does that mean you’ll wear the pink dress and let me lift you?”

Sensing her triumph, she did a touchdown dance and gurgled, “Yes!”

“Yes to the lift?” He wasn’t going to give in without making her squirm.

She tried softening him up by rubbing her body on his before throwing cold water on the idea.

“Let’s revisit the lift after we practice a little bit, okay? I really don’t need to eat the floor in front of an audience.”

“The price of a deferred decision is a kiss.” He wagged his brows and grinned.

She didn’t give the words time to dry on the line before wrapping around him like a horny vine and aggressively devouring his mouth.

A hidden smile appeared in his thoughts. Mistress Clarke was present in the house.

Mistress Clarke was how he jokingly referred to Heather’s horny cycle. When she had a rapacious case of mistress going on, he could count on a visit from the titillating vixen with insatiable needs that she carefully hid inside. If he were a betting man, his money would be on a wildly exuberant midnight Tanta Chair rodeo.

One of their phones rang, and they separated with annoyed grumbling.

“Shit, it’s me,” she told him. When she checked who was calling, she made a surprised grimace and said, “Hmph.” He was intrigued.

“It’s Sophia. I wonder what’s up.” She put up a finger, asking for a moment, and answered the call.

“Hi, Soph. What’s up?”

Brody didn’t mind that she walked away to take the call. It gave him a chance to check his email and see if Stephanie had an update on Bella’s bewitching costume. He loved that his kid showed no stage fright and couldn’t wait to see what she and Finn came up with for their magic act.

Distracted by the random bullshit in his email, he didn’t realize twenty minutes passed until Heather tapped on the study door as she walked in.

“Knock, knock.”

He looked up and smiled. “Who’s there?”

“A problem at the family center.”

Heather was one of the most consistently calm, level-headed, and even-tempered people he’d ever met, so sometimes, she was difficult to read.

This was one of those times.

His senses fired up and performed a snap diagnostic. Her face was relatively blank, but he saw the tension in the rigid set of her upper body. He recognized the sign. She was mentally strapping on her superheroine outfit. Without knowing anything at all, the signs pointed to someone in crisis needing a hand and a shoulder.

Heather to the rescue.

He offered his lap, and she wasted no time planting her cute butt on his thigh.

“Tell me,” he urged. Brody scratched her back as she started to talk.

“Oh, boy. Well, here goes. There’s been a woman frequenting Busty’s the past couple of weeks. Quiet, minds her own business. Has a kid. A teenager. The woman asked if they needed help. One thing leads to another, and she ends up at the center filling out an application. She aimed low and checked housekeeping and janitorial. In other words, anything for a paycheck.”

“It’s tough right now for so many folks. Can the center help her out?”

Brody didn’t anticipate her grimace or the way she frowned. He assumed there was more to the story.

“That remains to be seen. The reason Sophie involved me is, well, it appears she’s homeless. Isn’t admitting to it, but one of the busboys at Busty’s saw her and the kid parked behind a dumpster.”

She groaned. He slid his hand to her shoulder for a supportive squeeze.

“It gets worse.” Her eyes met his. “She’s a veteran.”

His immediate reaction was a terse, angrily muttered, “Fuck.”

Heather nodded and said, “Yeah.”

“How old’s the kid? You said a teenager?”

“Sophie thinks she’s fourteen or fifteen. It’s hard to tell. They aren’t exactly forthcoming with information. It’s summer, so a teen not in school won’t draw attention. The one thing she is sure of, though, is that the kid is super smart. Someone in the registration office at the Double M recognized her name from a workshop they did. The one about AI.”

“Artificial Intelligence?” he interjected for clarification.

“Yeah, yeah. Calder put it together, and one of the Justice crew stood in as an instructor. It was three sessions. Two Monday evenings and then a Saturday reveal. Small robotics. Apparently, she built something pretty clever.”

“So the kid has it going on. That’s good, I suppose. What about mom? In which branch did she serve?”

“Army. Don’t know more than that.”

He pondered all that she shared and asked, “If I know Sophie, she has a plan, so where’s this leading?”

“Well, for now, she’s got them stashed temporarily at Busty’s. Air mattresses on the floor of an empty office.”

“What she needs is a job,” he grumbled. “And a hand up not a handout.”

“Precisely. She doesn’t want to get Alex or Meghan involved, and that’s what will happen if they catch wind of the situation. Major Daddy would have to find solutions and you know Lady M. Those two would take in a stray velociraptor if one needed a home.”

Brody snorted a laugh at her choice of words. Velociraptor – good one! And a great way to poke fun at Alex and Meghan’s overly big hearts.

Out of left field, he asked, “Do you miss working?”

He wasn’t sure why he asked. Maybe because the life Heather lived today in no way resembled any part of her life during their early years. She’d literally walked away from a career with a steady job, left the place she called home, and thrown her lot in with his. Since his lot included a surprise kid and a completely different life thousands of miles away, he was aware of the sacrifices she’d made to be with him.

“You’d think, right?” She sighed. “But no. Not at all. I find our life and the roles we play to be challenging enough!”

She was making a funny, but he wanted substance.

“What happens when the challenge gets old? Is this enough for you?”

“Sweetie,” she crooned. The fingers on his face when she stroked his cheek felt familiar and reassuring. “Don’t ever wonder if this is where I want to be. Where I ought to be. I adore your mangy butt. Same for Bella – minus the scruffy canine reference.” She laughed. “We’re meant to be here, all of us. I feel it in my bones. Arizona is where we make our stand, Brody.”

She paused to give him some sweet kisses.

“You’ve introduced me to some amazing people, and I thank you for that. The energy we all bring to this pinpoint on a map is transformative.” Heather smiled and gave a playful nudge. “It’s why you kept coming back. Why you led two lives for all those years. Justice was changing you and once you were ready to stand on your own, you chose Arizona.”

“It was more than change,” he admitted. “Being here healed my soul. I found a purpose that fit better than living someone else’s life. Don’t get me wrong. I loved teaching. And I think I was damn good at it ... but it didn’t fill the hole.”

“What did?” Her eyes shone with love when she asked.

“You did. You were first, Heather. I was going through the motions before you. In the beginning our relationship – what there was of it – woke me up. Opened my eyes. Until that happened, Justice was just a piece in a one-color puzzle. Shit didn’t get real, come alive, until a beautiful woman, who was ten times more fucked up than me, gave me a run for the spotlight in a therapy group.”

Luckily, she found the gentle burn funny and jostled his shoulders as her joyful laugh swirled in the air around them.

“I was such a mess, and you were so unbelievably hot with all that alpha smolder.”

He felt the smile before it moved to his mouth. Remembering his observation about Mistress Clarke, Brody pounced on her innocent comment.

“Want you to know I worked on that smolder. Practiced and everything.” He feathered his fingers very slowly down her arm. “Knew it would take something special to catch your eye.”

The mocking expression – her ‘You naughty boy’ smirk – and a suggestive butt wiggle earned his mental applause. She gave off a very good mistress vibe.

“Yes, well, as the start of our relationship proved, I was only interested in a fuck buddy. We weren’t going to win any awards for communication.”

“We found other ways,” he reminder her with a leering snicker. “Which reminds me. I’ve got an app that we use in the kennel for reminders. I asked Calder to modify it for me. He didn’t flinch and now I have a detailed notification program.”

“Where is this leading?” she asked in a snooty voice.

Brody worked up one of his best sex-fueled leers and told her exactly where he was leading.

“I’ll put the program on your phone. We are the only two with access. The program includes a scheduler.”

The amused twinkle in her eyes was simply the best.

“For example,” he began in a pontificating drawl. “Nine a.m. Notify Heather it’s time to remove panties. Eleven thirty a.m. Message to Heather – Lunch break? I left something in your bag.”

She hissed and pretended to strangle him. “What’s in my bag? Tell me now. What filthy thing have you got up your sleeve, hmm?”

“I’d plant a pretty box in your purse. You’d open to find a bullet vibrator. And a note.”

In a husky, passionate voice, she said, “I like your idea of alternate communication.” Then begged to know what the note said.

He chuckled and slipped his hand under the hem of her shirt in search of tits to grab. It only took a few seconds to put his fingers inside her bra.

“It said, Go someplace private. Pull your skirt up and squat.”

Her sharp hiss earned a nipple pinch.

“Ah, yes. I presume you get the picture?”

Heather’s sexy chuckle turned him inside out. “You are a bad man.”

He shrugged and smirked. They’d experimented with so many creative positions and options that he had an entire repertoire of possibilities at his disposal. Squatting plus vibrator plus a vulnerable clit equaled fuck yeah.

“Then what?” she asked in a breathy, excited voice.

“Well,” he growled. “I forgot to add the part where you call and let me listen. It’s exciting as fuck to imagine you teasing your clit. After you come, we hang up.”

“Tell me something,” she purred. “Are you touching yourself?”

He grinned. “Of course.” Heather had a thing for watching. It wasn’t voyeuristic. She swore that the visual of him jerking off was like admiring a work of art. Each viewing was different.

He firmed his grip on her tit. “Wanna go to the museum?”

She knew what he meant and lowered her eyes. The nervous chuckle was cute.

With Bella and Georgie doing an overnight with Matty at Roman and Kelly’s place, they had the all clear to get as down and dirty as they wanted in every room of the house. He pushed her off his lap, stood, and grabbed her chin so he could give her a greedy kiss.

“Give me ten minutes and then come to the bedroom.”

Heather’s sexy smirk silenced her nervous laugh. “Give me fifteen and I’ll make it worth your while.”

Seriously?

Without pause, he hauled her against him for a ravenous kiss complete with an ass grab.

After a meaningful smack on her sexy butt, he walked away and took the steps upstairs, two at a time.

* * *

She turned to the side and checked her reflection in the mirror.

“Pretty, pretty, pretty good.” She chuckled with sexy purpose. “This is sure to get a reaction. Hopefully a standing ovation from his dick.”

Turning to face the full-length mirror, she could only smirk at the outrageous sexy times outfit she’d been keeping for a special occasion.

Heather wasn’t sure what made this particular evening special; she only knew her entire being was locked and loaded in a carnal way.

The truth was she’d been entertaining hot, sexy fantasies about Brody all day. If her schedule hadn’t been jam packed, she might have ended up surprising him at work.

Posing for effect, she considered the ridiculous cost of everything she wore. The sexy open-cup bra from a private bordello themed lingerie collection supported her breasts while leaving her nipples vulnerable. It wasn’t much in the way of straps and fabric so why it cost hundreds of dollars was a mystery.

Same for the naughty garter belt and deliciously silky lace topped stockings. It seemed like the less was more when it came to pricing

The open crotch thong offered a bit of coverage in front, but it was just for effect. Basically, the panties were a small patch of fabric and that was it.

And then there were the shoes. She’d plopped down a small fortune for the outrageous Louboutin's because the sexy footwear released her inner vixen. She wanted Brody to know that whenever she wore the red sole shoes, he was going to be devoured.

Turning to check out her exposed ass, she had to snigger. Her man was toast once he got a good look at this get-up.

Grabbing the long silk tie, she snagged at a sex toy party one of Betty’s friends threw, she flipped off the lights and sashayed from the bathroom and very nearly face-planted when an air-to-air missile of lust slammed into her when she saw Brody.

He was laying on the Tantra chair – feet on either side – his glorious cock erect and waiting. His head swung her way when she stumbled into view.

She heard his husky, “Holy fuck,” and was sure his manhood quivered. It wasn’t a surprise when her body’s answering quiver left no doubt about the level of her horniness.

“Well, damn.” She lustfully sniggered while waving the silky restraint in her hand. “Won’t be needing this.”

The sound of her man’s growling laugh told her what he thought of her plan. It also served as a reminder that she was wearing lingerie designed for fucking. Seeing his lovely, fat cock already aroused and waiting had her switching to Plan B.

No need to wait, her overly excited inner slut chuckled. You know damn well you’re wet enough to jump right on. Go ahead! He’ll be shocked, and you can use his cock the way God intended. For pleasure and baby making.

Saying a silent, very sarcastic prayer of thanks for the naughty Tantra furniture, she walked right up to him, bent, grabbed his hair, and laid down a demanding kiss.

She swung her leg and moved into position. Without missing a beat, Heather swirled her tongue with his and slowly lowered onto his considerable length.

He grabbed her arms and grunted when she swallowed him whole and fiercely clenched an intimate hello. With his cock captured and at her mercy, she massaged his length without moving.

Thank god for Meghan and her yoga. The practice included exercises that gave Heather a sexy confidence. Brody’s earthy groan and firm grip let her know she was on to a good thing.

Teasing him stopped being an option when her pussy pulsed wildly. The first thrilling tingles of a building climax pushed her into overdrive. He grunted when she lifted, rocked, and ground her desperate body on his staff.

“Heather,” he ground out in a voice heavy with arousal.

Putting two fingers on his lips, she smirked. “Shhh. You don’t need to do anything but stay still and take it.”

With that, she unleashed a spine tingling volley of strokes. The angle of the fantastic chair and having her feet on the floor meant she had total control. She grabbed his face and lifted her nipple to his lips.

“Suck,” she demanded.

He grabbed her ass, licked the offered nipple, and then drew the tip of her breasts into his mouth. She quivered at the sensation of his suckling tongue.

It was go time.

Moving her feet wider apart, she grasped the sloped chair and slammed away on his cock. The delicious noises drove her senses wild.

Brody’s groan of surrender was music to her ears.

She took his face in her hands once more and lovingly kissed his lips.

He grunted a warning that if she kept up what she was doing, he would come.

It was all kinds of sexy to laugh and warn him that he’d better not. Making it clear that she wanted more, deeper, harder, he bucked his hips as she sank down and ended up taking her breath away,

Filled with his cock, she clenched and released.

He grunted.

Her orgasm built quickly. It gathered force. She felt the exquisite pleasure spread into every corner of her body.

Suddenly desperate, she rode him with one purpose in mind.

His pleasure invaded her thoughts. She felt his cock twitch. He took hold of her hips and forced her to take all of him.

“Is that what you want?” he growled.

His words pushed her over. She cried out and lost control. Her entire body sent power to the clenching of her inner muscles. A fierce spasm blew her apart. Jerking and crying her pleasure, she soaked his groin.

He didn’t come until she was past the peak. He swelled inside her, and the pulsing jerks of his orgasm reminded Heather that the lovely throbs signaled his essence joining hers.

She surrendered to the sexy moment.

When her brain got enough oxygen to function once more, she kissed him and apologized for the fast, greedy coupling.

Brody’s wicked chuckle melted her bones. “No worries, babe. Takes the edge off. My turn next. Love the mistress outfit, by the way.” He grinned. “Crotchless panties. Nice touch. Well played.”

Heather giggled.

They got playful when she lifted off his ridiculously hot body and helped him stand. He made a bunch of filthy comments about her outfit that got her laughing. She did so enjoy dressing up and taking what she wanted. And he was always so willing.

“What was the plan for the long sash?”

With a silly laugh and a smirk, she admitted there wasn’t time for a plan. She’d brought it just in case.

Without any discussion or walking slowly up to the subject, he floored her with the declarative statement of all times.

“I want to set a date. To be married.”

She heard what he said but asked, “What?” anyway.

“We’re trying to make a baby. You’re wearing my ring. Our daughter is getting antsy. It’s a simple thing. We just need a date. Everything else will fall into place after that.”

She frowned. Was he right? Maybe the thing to do was stop obsessing over her monthly cycle and focus instead on a wedding.

“A wedding would be nice,” she stammered.

Brody’s smile went supersonic, and she couldn’t have loved him more. With a wicked grin, he made the moment forever memorable.

“Right now, babe. I want to pick a date while I’m naked, you’re dressed like Dominatrix Donna, and we still have the traces of an orgasm about us.”

Heather snickered when she reminded him that more than a mere trace was leaking from her body as they stood there.

“I can make it even easier,” he said. “School vacation. Whatever day we chose has to fall in a vacation bubble. Bella would have a fit if Matty and Molly couldn’t join us.”

She slipped into the familiar rhythm of a school calendar and spoke without thinking.

“Um, well, let’s see. The next holiday to affect school is Labor Day, but we’ve got the variety show that weekend. After that, it’s Thanksgiving, and the St. Johns have already claimed the day as their official anniversary. And don’t forget the Cameron’s took Valentine’s Day.

“What’s wrong with Christmas? Or even better, New Year’s Day. Think about it. Travis and the kids can come. We can do it up country style! Why not?” he said with a laugh. “What better time to start a new life than on the first day of a new year?”

Oh, my god! Heather laughed with joy.

“Yes! I love it! New Year’s Day, it is.”

“Let’s call Pops and then your mom.”

The happy pleasure in his voice made Heather’s heart sing.

“We have to put on clothes for that part. It’s one thing to remember setting a date while getting our nasty on, but another thing entirely when it involves our families.”

He gave her a through kissing and held her face. “Are you okay with doing the ceremony here?”

Where the hell else would they do it? He was being silly, so she set his mind at ease.

“Are you kidding? I love the whole thing. Our guests can dress cowboy casual, and I think we have the inside track with finding a band for the reception. Same for a caterer.” She chuckled.

The most exquisite happiness filled her soul.

“We’ll need a preacher. I’m pretty sure Father Ed only does church sanctioned stuff.”

Heather laughed ’cause she had to. “There’s really only one person.”

He searched her face with his eyes. Didn’t take long to catch her drift.

She asked, “Do you think he’ll do it?”

“I think I can put it to him in a way that will make sense. And I have it on pretty good authority that he has a hard time saying no when the request comes from Family Justice.”

Heather leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You mean the world to me, Brody Jensen. You and Bella Mia are my everything.”

“Right back atcha, sweetheart,” he drawled in an impeccable Bogart impersonation.

Her head fell back as laughter shook her body and soul.

“My god! What were we doing before we ended up like this? What the hell am I wearing, and why are you still naked?”

They held tight, laughed, and swapped some truly awful quips and one-liners.

“We’re unstoppable, babe.”

“I like how that sounds. Unstoppable. Limitless.”

“The whole enchilada, Heather. That’s my promise to you. We’re only getting started, m’lady.”

“Can we do this enchilada thing with clothes?” She giggled and swirled her hand in front of her. “I’m feeling a mite exposed, and you, sir”—she sniffed with a leer—“you are far too distracting.”

“Come on.” Brody laughed as he took her hand and started for the walk-in closet. “I agree. We need a reset. You put on something sloppy and comfortable, and I’ll wear those sweatpants you hate, so you can bitch at me while we raid the refrigerator.”

“I think I can do sloppy and comfortable. Good luck finding those god-awful sweatpants,” she drawled as she turned away.

* * *

Oh, for god’s sake. Really? When had he ever had sweaty palms?

Jace scowled and rubbed his hands together. When that didn’t help, he gave up and wiped them on his thighs.

Flipping the visor down, he opened the lighted mirror and checked his smile for evidence of food. He rubbed his finger back and forth on his teeth and blew into his cupped hand.

When he couldn’t delay any longer without drawing attention, he stepped from his car and did a quick zipper and belt check. Double-checking that his shirt was tucked in, he shook out a leg and prayed to all the angels in heaven that he not break out a hard-on. Hiding wood in a pair of jeans was easy but not so much in casual slacks.

Slamming the driver door, he yanked on the passenger door and retrieved the bouquet he’d painstakingly supervised at the florist shop. Jace suspected the only reason the owner hadn’t slapped him up the side of his head for being an arrogant know-it-all was because she found his awkward uncertainty funny.

This was the most important flower arrangement of his life so far, and he didn’t want to fuck up, which was why he’d hovered and vacillated as the bouquet came together.

He knew that Sophie loved all flowers, but she singled out peonies and sweet pea, so that was what he wanted. The experienced florist persuaded him to go with pastels, so the arrangement didn’t look like a bridal bouquet.

Holding the flowers in front of him as he walked, Jace counted his steps between the driveway and front door as a way to keep his nervousness in check.

He paused at the front door because he knew what awaited him on the other side, said a silent prayer to not fuck up, and then rang the bell.

His finger was barely off the button when the door flew open and Cristián Marquez filled the entire doorway.

Gulping down the nervous lump in his throat, he extended his hand. “Good evening, sir.”

“Jace,” Cristián drawled.

He felt like a pornographer come to do dirty things to the man’s precious daughter. Sweat bloomed on his neck.

His handshake was accepted and used to pull him into the air conditioning. As Cristián shut the door, he quirked an eyebrow at the bouquet and asked if it was for him.

Jace blinked at the question? Was it for him? He was joking. Right?

He looked at Cristián’s face and then at the bouquet. All he could do was wince because he was holding it like a shield.

“Oh. No, sir. Sorry. Um, I thought that Sophia might like—” The rest of what he wanted to say was cut off when Ashleigh Marquez floated into the room.

“Jace! How lovely. Have you come for Sophia?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he stammered. “A date. We have a date. Um, I mean, that is I asked if I might take Sophia to dinner. She said yes. We’re going on a date.”

Oh, my fucking god – stop babbling like an idiot.

Ashleigh’s amused smile in no way matched the scowl on her husband’s face.

“The flowers are lovely, Jace.” She reached for his wrist and gave an encouraging squeeze. “Sophie will love them.”

She sort of wafted in a swirl of fabric and lace and went to her husband. Indicating a chair, Sophie’s mom smiled. “Would you like to sit down? I’m sure she’ll be along in a moment.”

He sat woodenly and happened to catch the raised brow and head wag that wife directed to husband a second before Cristián gave a huff and sat. Ashleigh stood by his side and kept a hand on his shoulder.

“How are you finding Justice? Is running the agency what you expected?”

Small talk with the parents. Okay. He came prepared for this and had some rehearsed comments at the ready.

“I don’t know how Alex managed all of it by himself. Without Domineau Rivera to handle the programming and everything that entails, I’d be having a tough time.”

Whew. Got all the words out and in their proper sequence! Now if only the nervous sweat would stop.

Cristián’s fatherly grumble lifted somewhat. “Has Rafael accepted my son’s offer? The man looked like he came from central casting, but after a week of seeing him as a dad, I feel confident he’s perfect for Justice. That beautiful facility without the services of a professional trainer is a crime. He has a unique résumé,” Cristián commented. “And since he’s got the military in his background, he would seem a perfect fit.”

Jace squirmed slightly. Alex’s father had an awful lot of firsthand, detailed knowledge of Justice matters. Something to remember for the future. He could see that Alex and Cristián were close, but now, he knew that father and son shared more than just a blood bond.

He responded with confidence. “My money is on Rafe accepting the offer. He’d be foolish to turn it down. The support he’d get as a single dad and the opportunity to develop Justice programming are potent lures.”

“Hmm,” Cristián mumbled. “The training facility would fall under Domineau’s area of responsibility, wouldn’t it?”

He nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Will that be a problem? Can those two work together?”

Fuck, he thought. Cristián Marquez knew way more than a little. But maybe that was a good thing. He could use some advice. Advice that did not involve bothering Alex.

“I overheard a rather serious discussion they had.” He was going to parse portions of the insider info he had and get the guy’s opinion, but Cristián laughed and made a face.

“Overheard or spied on?”

He laughed because the truth was funnier than snooping.

“Actually, sir, they sort of had it out right in front of me.”

“Ah, the fly on the wall.”

Jace rolled his eyes. “More like pass the popcorn for a front row seat.”

Ashleigh reacted. “He’s carrying a torch, isn’t he? We could hear it in his voice on the camping trip.”

“I believe you’re correct, ma’am.”

She sighed heavily. “I hope they find their way. Molly is such a delight, and Rafe does a wonderful job, but that little girl is going to need a mama.”

Everyone nodded in unison. Two seconds later, he heard heels clicking on the tile floor and looked over his shoulder. When Sophia came into view, he nearly lost his shit.

She was, simply put, breathtakingly beautiful. Something was alluring about a woman who knew who she was.

Her smile was huge.

“Hi.”

He grinned his response because he couldn’t talk.

She wore a dress made of fabric that molded to her body and clung to every curve. He was an instant fan of hot summers because it gave her an excuse to go short and strapless. Her beautiful hair was swept onto her head and secured with sparkling crystal clips.

On her feet was a pair of high heels that threatened to pull the hard-on trigger.

“Sophia,” he murmured. “You look beautiful.”

He jerkily held out the bouquet and barked like a voice-changing thirteen-year-old. “These are for you.”

Her smile was nothing short of rapturous.

“Oh, Jace,” she gushed. Rushing to meet him halfway, they collided in the middle.

He shoved the flowers into her hands and smiled. “Peony and sweet pea.”

Her face when she breathed in the bouquet showed her delight.

She touched his arm. “Aren’t you the sweetest man.” Her soft lips on his cheek got him grinning. He even turned to look at her parents to get their reaction.

Cristián looked pleased while Ashleigh appeared to be having a case of happy tears.

“Where’s Teo?” he asked expectantly.

Ashleigh answered quickly. “Now, don’t you two worry about a thing. Didn’t you know? Parent date nights are grandparent bonuses. While you two enjoy a night on the town, we have plans with our first grandchild.”

Cristián chuckled. “In other words, run along. Have a good time. Teo will be fine.”

Jace was still processing Ashleigh including him as one of Teo’s parents when she asked where they were going.

“Annabelle’s,” he proudly informed her. “Getting a reservation is next to impossible. Bit of Justice name dropping and voila!”

Sophie’s amused laugh was everything at that moment. She handed the bouquet off to her mother. “Mom, will you put these in water?”

When they walked to his car, he honest to god felt like a million dollars. The tapping of her heels and the sexy sway of her hips won the hard-on challenge. When he strapped in, he had to take extra care not to damage his eager manhood with a clumsy buckle.

Before putting the car in gear to back up, he took her hand and kissed it.

“Are you happy?” he asked.

“Ecstatic,” she answered. “You?”

The smile on his face reached into his heart. He kissed her knuckles again. “My life finally makes sense, thanks to you.”

Her face lit with a smile so big it spread to his. When she looked at him, the whole world felt wide open and filled with new promise.

What began as a time-out-of-time friendship had turned into an unstoppable wave of joyful possibility.

He and Sophie were destined to find each other.

Their love for each other and Teo was strong enough to build a life upon.

As he drove them into the night, her happy laughter filled the car.

“I think I’m going to like this dating thing!”

You and I both, he thought.

* * *

What was the accepted limit to how many things a person could juggle at one time? Domineau thought of herself as a master multitasker, but this was getting a little ridiculous.

Ever since she’d run into Rafe and learned the truth about his kid, she’d been actively hiding from him.

Four separate times, she’d wiggled out of an Applebee’s rendezvous but that didn’t mean he was going to give up.

Completely outside her comfort zone, she was having a hard time figuring out which way was up, so she fell back into old habits. She’d survived her world blowing up right in front of her eleven-year-old face by staying in constant motion. In a word, she kept busy. Day and night. Night and day. Back then, it was the only way to escape the horror and deal with a resentful, unloving guardian.

She’d learned early that godparents and legal guardians were all well and good as concepts – a gamble weighed against an uncertain future – but when reality came knocking, true colors were revealed.

Domineau’s inclination for mindless busywork annoyed the piss out of her mother’s only sister, so of course, that would be who she was given to.

An angry grunt punctuated the thought. Given to. That was how it felt to her after an uncomfortable court hearing when an uninterested judge smacked his little gavel and decided her life.

Frail, traumatized, and horribly alone, she was still recovering from the operation that removed a bullet from her chest – put there by her brother – when she was given to her Aunt Judy.

From that first moment when her pissed-off guardian pushed her from the courthouse in a secondhand wheelchair until the day she turned eighteen and could finally take charge of her life, Domineau had mastered the art of keeping busy.

Since then, she’d made good use of the learned skill. It enabled her to get high grades in school and ace the accelerated courses. Same for college. When she graduated early and with high honors in political science and economics from a top-drawer university, the CIA came calling.

She didn’t know or care what they had in mind when she was initially recruited because her unique skillsets included martial arts training, gymnastics, ballet, and archery.

Things got really interesting when they discovered that she rarely flinched at blood, guts, and gore. Not after what she’d been through.

Now, that didn’t mean she couldn’t coax a tear or two for a sappy movie. She was human despite outward appearance and behavior.

It was her humanity that tipped the scales in the end. She knew what it was like to be victimized by circumstance. She had a unique firsthand perspective on evil. When it came time to choose sides – democracy and freedom versus arrogant bloodthirsty power – there wasn’t much of a debate.

In that regard, things were black and white. She easily divided people and situations into good and bad. She tossed her lot in with the guys in the white hats even if, at times, their methods were messy, chaotic, and barely legal.

The buzzer on the dryer made an obnoxious sound to let her know another load of laundry was finished. She pushed the pile of old recipe cards, magazine clippings, and scribbled notes out of the way and set her laptop down beside it.

She discovered a file folder crammed full of recipes when she’d transferred her storage space crap to Arizona. The handwriting was her mom’s and her grandmother’s on Dad’s side. Some of the scraps of paper and three-by-five cards were old and yellowing, so she decided to scan everything for posterity and transfer the recipes to a flash drive.

In other words, busywork.

On the way to get the laundry, she stopped in the kitchen and touched the pan of brownies she left out to cool. It was warm – not hot – so after she dealt with the wash, she’d treat herself to warm gooey chocolate and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Pywakett padded along after her and jumped onto the washing machine to watch as she folded a shitload of large and small towels, a couple of washcloths, some potholders, and a new set of place mats.

While she folded, her eyes drifted over the little countertop wine refrigerator she splurged on from Costco.

She looked at Pywakett. “What wine pairs well with sugar and calories?”

Layering the piles of clean laundry in a basket, she continued her out loud thinking.

“Red goes well with chocolate.” She scratched Py’s head. “You knew that, right?”

Not feeling the open bottle of Chardonnay, she noted what was on hand and decided to go with a sweet, raisiny sherry.

Chocolate brownie, vanilla ice cream, and a good sherry struck her as the perfect busywork indulgence.

She tucked the bottle in the middle of the laundry basket and carried it into the living room. Checking the time, she clicked on the TV. Mama Mia was in heavy rotation this month, so she found the right cable channel, muted the movie previews, and made a quick dash to her bedroom.

It had been another sizzling summer day. The dry heat reminded her of the Middle East. It bothered some people but not her. She was used to it. But once she was off the clock and at home, she liked to relax and go natural.

Ripping off the work clothes she still wore, Domineau stripped down to skin, made more laundry with a quick three-point toss into the hamper, and made quick work of grabbing some undies and a nightie.

In the bathroom, she did a speed refresh and brushed out her hair. Stepping into the plain cotton panties, she pulled them, snapped the elastic on each leg, and slid into the cool, short summer nightie.

Pywakett wound around her bare leg. The cat’s soft fur rubbed her ankle.

Ignoring the suggested serving size, she cut the pan of brownies into six huge blocks and lifted one into a spaghetti bowl. The extra dish space was for the double serving of ice cream. She almost took it to an eleven with a squeeze of chocolate syrup but managed to refrain. She’d need that syrup next week when her period came. From the time she could remember, guzzling water glass-size servings of chocolate milk was how she dealt with her cramps and foul mood.

Grabbing a glass for the sherry, she juggled everything neatly onto the coffee table and got her movie watching station set up. Putting away the laundry could wait, and the recipe project was an ongoing thing, so she didn’t feel bad about the quick switching of gears.

Cross-legged on the sofa, Pywakett curled beside her, and with a nutritionally bankrupt treat in hand, she relished the delightful sherry, decadent brownie, and refreshing ice cream while singing along to the movie.

She loved all the songs and gave a spirited sofa rendition of “Honey, Honey” with Pywakett as her audience.

A knock on her door nearly earned a startled scream. She managed not to yell, but in her scrambling haste to stand, she ended up with chocolate goo and ice cream on her nightie.

Growling, “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she stomped to the door oblivious to what she was wearing until she flung the door open prepared to rip a head off and found herself face to face with Rafe.

Please let me wake up now because this can’t be happening.

He didn’t hide the smirking head-to-toe onceover, and for a second, she considered slamming the door in his face. What better way to pretend this never happened?

Caught off guard and uncomfortably vulnerable, the wine and chocolate finished off any hope of rescuing this awful moment.

“What are you doing here?”

He met her frowning glare with an amused snort.

“You’re ignoring me. What did you think I’d do?”

He took his time with a second lascivious inspection.

“Or was this what you planned? That eventually I’d beat down your door?” He growled and gave her a wink. “This is a good look for you. Especially the nightie.”

The grinning fool was asking for a foot up his ass. She nervously pushed some hair behind an ear and gripped the doorknob with her free hand. If she asked him in, she was fucked. If she refused to let him in, she was equally as fucked.

“Here,” he said. “I’ll make the decision for you.”

He stepped across her threshold, took the knob from her grasp, and shut the door.

Domineau swallowed hard and hoped the zombies did their thing ’cause only an apocalypse could minimize the importance of Rafael D’Alessandro being in her house.

She’d never allowed this line to be crossed before. Not even when they practically lived together after the war. It was protection and self-defense that made her keep a part of her personal life private. Domineau always knew once he got a look at what was behind the curtain, things would never be the same.

Music from the living room drew his attention away from her for a few seconds. He chuckled. “Mama Mia?”

She nodded and shuffled her bare feet. Remembering the mess on her nightie, she grumbled and marched into the kitchen, knowing full well he watched her ass as she walked away.

Following behind her, he wandered about the kitchen as she wet a washcloth and tried to wipe the goo off her clothes. He inspected the giant portions of brownie and laughed.

“Guilty pleasure?”

All she could do was nod. Having him in her house was flat out terrifying. He’d see things and assume stuff that made her extremely uncomfortable.

A quick assessment of viable options paraded through her mind. Getting him to leave was priority one. He’d seen too much already.

Tossing the washcloth into the sink, she stood her ground with crossed arms. It didn’t occur to her until she saw his face that a short flimsy nightie and very little underwear gave her attempt at badassery a feeble assist.

“If I agree to have dinner with you, will you please leave?”

He was looking at her like she was an expensive steak meal that he couldn’t wait to devour.

“You missed a spot.”

He pointed at something, and before she had a second to catch up, the next thing she knew, he was at her feet on one knee, lifting her nightie out of the way. She nearly jumped out of her skin when his mouth landed on her thigh.

Staring with her mouth hanging open in shock, she watched him lick a smudge of chocolate goo off her exposed leg.

Skin-prickling awareness of where his face was helped scatter whatever was left of her thoughts.

She ran her hand over his smooth head and trembled. He was a big man with big muscles. Only a man such as him could manage to make her feel small and fragile.

When he finished licking away the chocolate, he buried his face in her crotch while inhaling and then bit the soft part of her inner thigh.

“I love the way you smell.”

He stood in slow motion. She was too shocked for words or movement.

With fierce effort, she gathered her wits and asked where Molly was.

“Sleepover with her new buds at Roman and Kelly’s.”

A strange noise made her look down in time to see Pywakett curling around Rafe’s legs. Her purr was incredibly loud. What the hell? Py hated everyone.

“Who’s this?” he asked. His husky laugh did things to her insides. Scooping the normally ornery and unpleasant feline into his arms, he cradled the she-devil cat against his chest and stroked her fur.

“Her name’s Pywakett.” She gazed at them with worried eyes. “Be careful. She’s got a hair temper.”

Her cat going berserk and clawing him would definitely be the icing on this cake of a day.

“Hey, girl,” he purred in his human voice. “Pywakett. Cool name.”

She nervously waited for all hell to break loose, but she might as well have saved the effort because her damn cat and the one person on the whole planet who made her nervous bonded right before her eyes.

Fantastic.

When he finally dropped Pywakett back on the floor and looked at her, she gave up and threw her body at his. He caught her and wasted no time whirling them around, so he could slam her back against the wall and lift her bare legs around his waist.

She tried to control what happened, but he was ten steps ahead of her. He fisted a hand in her hair, pulled her head back, and sank his teeth into her neck. Everything that happened after that was a dance with danger. In Rafe’s arms, she became someone else – someone who didn’t have to prove how tough she was. That sort of emotional freedom was dangerous and came at a price.

They kissed like the future of the human race depended on it. She thrilled to the sensation of his tongue exploring her mouth. Rafe’s manly grunt when her tongue tangled with his encouraged Domineau to abandon all reason.

Nothing ever felt as good or as right as being with this man.

One of them got desperate. It might have been her. The raw desire she felt was too big to be confined to a section of wall.

Rafe tore his mouth away from hers. “Bedroom,” he groaned.

She should have applied the brakes and slowed them down, but she didn’t.

“End of the hallway.”

She clung to him as he walked with hard purpose while she clutched him with her legs and mauled his neck.

He dropped her on the bed. She landed in a sprawl that made fire glow in his eyes. Pulling his t-shirt off, he dropped it and quickly unbuckled his belt and lowered the zipper of his jeans.

“Oh, hold on.”

She rose on her elbows to study him and watched as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a billfold. Tossing it aside, Rafe waved a small piece of paper in her face.

Snatching it from his hand, she held up the folded square and read the words scrawled in black ink.

To be opened in case of Domineau.

She didn’t understand and turned the square over in her hand.

“Open it before I embarrass myself.”

She tore the notebook paper open and gasped. In her hand she held two condoms.

His belt buckle hit the floor with a thud. He shucked off his jeans, grinned, and crooked his finger at her.

She felt a shocking laugh rumble up from inside and abandoned all hope of stopping this madness before it went further.

Tossing the necessary protection on the bed, she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Magnum? Really?”

He grinned and shrugged.

“Ego much?” she teased.

He pulled her close and made an audacious map of her ass. In a voice made husky by the erotic explosion they both knew damn well was about to go off, he growled next to her ear. “Tight fit if I remember correctly.”

Oh. My. God.

“Lose the nightie,” he demanded.

“Rafe,” she stammered.

“Domineau,” he countered in a voice thick with desire.

“This won’t change anything.”

“Do I need to spell this out for you?”

She let out an exasperated grunt. “Don’t.”

“Tough. No more word games. No more bullet dodging – real or imagined. I’m here to fight for you if I have to, Domineau.”

He touched her face. For such a large, imposing man, he could be quite gentle.

“I’ve loved you for a long time. And you’ve loved me even though you’ll deny it. We’re not getting any younger, darlin’. Don’t you think it’s time for both of us to stop fucking around and take this thing seriously? Where you’re concerned, I’m an open book. I’ll tell you everyone I’ve slept with.”

She grumbled and shot him a dirty look.

“You might be surprised by the lack of engagement. Once you’ve been to paradise, a random fuck loses its appeal.”

The admission on the tip of her tongue refused to be denied. She knew once the words came out of her mouth, there would be no taking them back.

“I never slept with Guy Burmont. I lied when I told you he was why I took the assignment at Bagram.”

She’d suffered a thousand deaths of painful regret over the Guy Burmont incident. The dude was an asshole she used for intel. When the agency gave her a convenient excuse to run away, she grabbed it with both hands and her passport clutched between her teeth. It was the only thing she could do after turning down a romantic proposal that rattled her cage so badly she had to burn off the freak-out with a black site assignment in an Afghani hell hole.

In a moment of panic, she made up a cheating scenario in the hopes that Rafe would get so mad he’d walk away. But she didn’t know what he did because she showed her true colors and ran like a coward.

“I know,” he said.

She stiffened. “What do you mean, you know?” Panic vibrated through her system.

“I smacked the snot out of him a couple of years back. Ran into him when I was in D.C. on business.”

“You hit him? Why?”

“Well, I thought he took you away from me. Or at the very least was one of the reasons why you walked away without a word. I was jealous so when we bumped into each other, I sort of overreacted.”

“Oh.” She supposed more was expected, but that was all she had.

Biting her lip in a most uncharacteristic way, she floundered emotionally and was searching for her footing when Rafe gave a lusty chuckle right before he apologized.

“Sorry.”

“For what?” she asked in confusion.

“For this,” he growled.

He grabbed the neckline of her cotton nightie, and with a hearty yank, he separated the fabric and tore the garment off her body.

She yelped in surprise and then went under so quickly she had to have set a new land speed record for fastest surrender.

“I know this won’t change anything. Do you want to stop?”

Part of her was overwhelmed by his integrity. Domineau was sure if she asked him to stop, he would.

“No, but I have one question.”

Rafe’s comical smirk said what he thought of her shitty timing.

“Go ahead,” he drawled. “What’s so fucking important?”

She gave him the finger and an arched brow smirk.

“Are you going to accept Alex’s offer?”

He answered immediately and with firmness. “Yes.”

“I can’t be your boss, Rafe.”

The speculative look on his face made her squirm. He already knew firsthand that her public persona was built on a pile of bullshit. Work was one thing, but when it came to her personal life, she wasn’t half as tough as people imagined. In fact, she had some rather old-fashioned views on relationship roles. She didn’t want to be the man, and she was uncomfortable assuming a hard-ass act just because others expected that.

“I’ve already worked that part out with the Major. Jason is a bit at loose ends now that they aren’t running things. He thinks we might buddy up and work on developing the training modules. You can crack the boss whip with everyone else, but I’ll be dealing with Jason and Alex.”

This was news she could get excited about. It solved so many problems.

“You have great tits.”

“Hmm? What?” She was only half listening now that she’d glanced down and gotten an eyeful of an in-your-face bulge.

He bent and licked one of her nipples. His enormous hands kneading her breasts made her knees shake.

When he kissed all her surgery scars, she melted a little. She liked when he ran his fingers through her hair. The female part of her personality – the one who liked expensive lingerie and put hot pink sheets on her bed – never felt as confident or alive as when she was with this one man.

She wanted to lay on the bed with him and crawl all over his massive body, but he kept them standing with a thigh shoved between her legs. What was she to do except grind on the hard, muscular flesh?

“I’ve dreamed about this, honey. At times, the wanting has been hard to live with. Remembering how it felt to have you beneath me. The sexy way your long legs clutch my hips when my cock pins you to the bed. Do you remember, Domineau? Have you thought about us like this again? About me?”

“You’re the only man I’ve ever loved.”

It was the truth, so she said it out loud. But he frowned and gave a rough sigh.

“You said that in past tense. Is love the deal breaker?”

She lowered her head and put her forehead on his chest to hide her face.

“Love isn’t always the answer.”

“Yes, it is. All you have to do is give me a chance. Give us a chance, Domineau.”

Conflict raged inside her. What if she allowed this to happen, and later on, she fucked up and he got hurt? She wasn’t sure she could take that chance. She’d taken lives at the behest of her country and slept soundly. But if her actions hurt Rafe, she wouldn’t forgive herself.

“This isn’t about me asking anymore. Being nice didn’t work. We’ve lost enough time. You’re my woman, Domineau Rivera. I want you to stop denying what’s so damn obvious and get with the program.”

What was that she’d just been thinking? That she had old-fashioned ideas about gender roles? If he kept on using that no-nonsense alpha growl and laying down the law as he saw it, she was going to come without him touching her.

“What should I do?” she simpered through a grin.

He gave a triumphant grunt and forced his thigh higher. “In general or right this moment?”

Oh dear. Coming wasn’t going to be a problem at all if she continued to wiggle on his sturdy thigh.

“We can discuss the bigger picture later.” She stared into his eyes. His voice had a sexy, gravelly tone that demanded her attention.

“But regarding this moment, you can be a good girl and shimmy out of those panties. Guaranteed breakfast in bed if you lay back and spread those sexy thighs. I love looking at your pussy.”

The decision was made when she let him invade her space and didn’t throw him out on his ear.

Sliding the cotton panties down, she bent in half and showed him her ass when she stepped out of the undies. At the bed, she pulled back the frilly summer bedspread and top sheet with the flick of her wrist.

Climbing on the mattress like a porn star in heat, Domineau took her time until she ended up in what she hoped was a provocative sprawl.

“Spread ’em darlin’. Show me.”

Feeling daring, she did more than a basic show-and-tell.

Bending her legs, she pushed her thighs wide and did a slow caress and fondle of her breasts before slowly sliding both hands down across her abdomen. She didn’t stop there and went a very sexy step further.

Separating her folds with shaking fingers, Domineau combed through the groomed tufts of soft hair and spread her lips open. It felt like she was offering her body to him.

Rafe gave a sexy grunt and leaned close. He breathed her in. She nearly self-combusted from the heat of her need.

“Does that taste as delicious as it looks?”

With a quivering moan, she said, “Why don’t you lick me and find out?”

He wasted no time. Taking her hands, he moved them to her breasts and said, “Hold these.”

Holding her down with his hands on her thighs, her sexy giant devoured her nakedness. Twice, he ruthlessly edged her right up to the start of an orgasm only to stop. She found it far too easy to drown in the pleasure he wielded.

“Rafael,” she groaned. “Please.”

He sat back on his haunches between her open thighs and played with her pussy.

She maybe heard the distinctive sounds of a wrapper opening and saw him rolling the thin latex onto his cock. It was hard to be sure what else was happening while he fingered her with glorious precision.

The bed shifted, and she felt him lift her legs. He demanded she hold her knees back and keep her legs spread so he had room to fuck her hard.

Domineau whimpered when she felt the head of his fat manhood tease her opening. He pushed just inside and then put his hands under her ass and lifted.

Rafe’s lusty chuckles made her pussy ache with need.

“Trajectory is everything. That first stroke should take your breath away.”

He shifted her ass, and she pulled her knees back as far as she comfortably could.

“Hang on, baby. My cock is very hungry, and you are so very sexy-licious.”

No joke, her eyes rolled back in her head when he aggressively thrust his big cock into her and sank balls deep. She grunted from the exquisite fullness.

She was delirious with desire. He went slowly – stroking deep and holding for a long time. Then he’d retreat only to hammer harder the next time.

When he lay on her and she was helpless beneath his churning hips, Domineau went someplace she’d never been. With each forceful cock stroke, he drew a lusty grunt from her.

He licked her nipples and destroyed her tits with love bites.

Her body began to tighten. “Rafael,” she groaned.

She heard his husky, amused chuckle. “Fuck, babe. I thought I’d be a goner real fast, but your pussy feels so damn good. Oh god. I love how wet you are.”

Her whole body moved on the bed when he stroked with a fierceness that stole her breath.

He held deep inside her while grinding against her soaking wet pussy. The movements made his sturdy cock rub in all the right places.

She started to tremble and shake. Her muscles clenched like mad.

Rafe groaned and reared back before unleashing a mind-blowing series of strokes that sent her flying right off the edge of the earth.

He finished right behind her, coming with a fierceness that touched someplace deep in her heart. Her name on his lips as he gave in to the pleasure reminded her what was at stake.

She could have this for the rest of her life if she was brave enough to follow her heart.