Soaking in the tub, breathing in the lavender vapors, Aria tried desperately to keep her head straight. But the question that kept rising inside her was, why the hell now? Why couldn’t she leave this bath, walk soaking wet to the fire, and give herself over to Monroe. She deserved the indulgence. She deserved sheer pleasure.

Finally finding the courage, she released the plug from the tub and drew a deep breath. Her legs quivered as she stepped from the tub and quickly patted herself dry. She decided she’d ditch the towel. Parading about naked wasn’t normally her style, but it had been so long since she’d felt desire. She was tingling, aching to be touched.

Monroe seemed a capable man. More than just talk and bragging. The one kiss they’d shared earlier, the way he worked his tongue around her mouth, made her confident that if she was willing to jump into his promise of pleasure, she wouldn’t regret it.

She pulled open the bathroom door to find dozens of candles lit on every open surface. Wax streamed down and pooled in places she knew someone would have to clean tomorrow. But she pushed that thought from her mind. She wasn’t a part of the staff right now. She was his.

“Damn,” Monroe panted, his eyes wide as he took in every inch of her naked body. “Get over here.”

“It was a good bath,” she said through her smile and a light blush of her cheeks. “A very good bath.”

He was sitting on the floor by the fire. He’d moved the table out of the way and spread one of the lush velour blankets out for them.

“I thought you might have a chill,” he said as he grabbed the metal poker and stoked the fire, sending sparks fluttering upward. “I’ll warm you.”

“I feel silly being the only one without clothes,” she said, considering racing back to the bathroom for the towel.

“You’ll feel anything but silly in a second,” he promised as he reached out and took her hand, pulling her closer. She turned so her bare ass faced the fire, and her skin heated immediately. Before she could protest the extreme heat, his tongue plunged against her folds, lapping frantically at her sweet core. Aria called out wildly as she tipped her head back with pleasure. On sheer instinct she grabbed handfuls of his hair and gave in to the heat from the fire as well as the hot pulsing bolts of ecstasy he provided.

She breathed out his name, feeling like her legs might give out any second. His finger plunged deep inside her and his pace frenzied, matching her rapid breath, and she cried out. Her core tightened around his finger and pulsed with the waves of her climax.

“Monroe,” she gasped, as her knees buckled, and she fell into his waiting arms. He stripped quickly, and through her haze she helped, pulling at his clothes until they were thrown aside. Aria’s smile was a simple reflex to the sight of his fully hard excitement.

Monroe grabbed her waist and laid her down, and before she could catch her breath he drove himself deep inside her. There had been an emptiness, both physical and in her heart, for so long. The way he’d filled her, his eyes locked with hers, felt like she’d been pulled from an icy lake and warmed by a thick, plush blanket.

“You taste so sweet,” he groaned into her ear as he thrust with a powerful rhythm. Dipping her head back and exposing her neck, Monroe immediately ravaged her skin with his teeth and tongue, each pinch and bite sending her body into a new dimension of pleasure.

Monroe’s grunts became primal, his need showing on his twisting face.

“Come. Faster. Harder,” she demanded as she curled her legs around him and pulled him tightly to her.

With all the fireworks of a Fourth of July celebration, Monroe brought her to the edge of the world where they both burst to life in ecstasy.

His arms collapsed as he rolled to her side and pulled her in tight, promising without words to never let her go. His grip was as strong as a bear. His breath, rapid. The fire crackled and popped, the shifting pile of burning wood settling as their bodies did. Aria nuzzled against his bare chest and stared into the fire, feeling a peace she hadn’t felt for many years. She fought sleep though her eyes were heavy. If she gave in, every minute spent in slumber would be wasted instead of enjoyed.