“Oh, God, yes...like that.” My body turned limp as I focused completely inward. He supported me as he did it again, slowly learning me as I learned him, trading our dictionaries, our thesauruses, making sense of this new language we’d developed.

“Please, Penn,” I whimpered as the billowing orgasm became a physical entity. It was part human, part wind, part ocean. It needed somewhere to go, someone to explode for.

“Fuck, I love it when you beg.” His lips latched onto mine. We kissed hungrily. We kissed savagely. “Do it again.”

I didn’t hesitate. “Please. Please make me come. I need to come.”

His grip bruised me as he thrust up, sending my breasts bouncing.

My thoughts scattered, my nerve endings trembled, my entire body clenched. “I’m so close. God, please...”

“Come, Elle. Fucking come.”

My breathing stopped.

The world turned sparkly and gray.

I couldn’t hold off anymore.

My brain turned to sounds rather than words.

My body turned to liquid rather than bones.

I came.

I came and came as Penn fucked me as ruthlessly and as thoroughly as any hot-blooded lover.

The moment I finished, he looked down, shoving aside the bunched material of my dress, hypnotized by his cock driving into me. “Fuck, yes. This—this is truth right here, Elle.”

His hand roamed to my breast, clutching my flesh with passion bordering on pain.

Grabbing my hair, he drove into me harder, harder. His roar added gasoline, and I plummeted stronger and faster than ever before. My back bowed as he pulled my hair with a vicious yank.

“Shit, take it. Take me. Take everything.” His words scrambled with grunts as he chased me off the cliff.

His orgasm quaked his body, his forehead smashing against my shoulder as he emptied himself.

He didn’t look up for a long moment. His breathing ragged and lost.

I stroked his hair, calming him even though I needed calming myself.

Time lost all meaning as we slowly returned to earth and disengaged.

I couldn’t look him in the eye as he pulled off the used condom and placed it in the brown paper bag the mousse had come from.

Standing, he tucked himself away and did up his trousers, followed by fastening his belt. Once presentable, he raked a hand through his hair.

“Tomorrow night.”

I looked up, smoothing my dress, still shivering from orgasm aftershocks. “What?”

“If you have any plans, cancel them.” He strode around the couch, pausing in the middle of my apartment. “You’re coming with me. Dress in silver. I’ll pick you up at Belle Elle at seven.”

He left me alone with the chocolate mousse and my crazy conclusions.

Chapter Thirty-One

ALL DAY I’D struggled between working and reminiscing about sex.

I was sore again, entirely focused on Penn every time I moved, and my body clenched from being used. He’d consumed me and utterly confused me.

Why chocolate?

Why kiss me with chocolate?

I hated that I now had two experiences with dessert and kissing.

The two memories did their best to mingle, to convince me that Penn was Nameless and Nameless was Penn.

I didn’t have a picture of Penn, and Google had nothing on him—no company profile, no Facebook account. I wanted to stare into his face and force my brain to recall Nameless. To delete the scruffy beard and dark dreadlocks—to see if there was any chance (no matter how small) that the distinguished cocky businessman currently seducing me was that ragamuffin from my past.

* * * * *

By the afternoon, I was semi back to normal. There were no erotic texts from Penn, no pop-ins from Greg, and the back-to-back meetings with Japan wholesalers and a new supplier of handbags in Beijing meant I could remain focused on things I knew, rather than things I didn’t.

Around noon, Dad brought me a chicken Caesar salad and kissed my forehead like I was still his twelve-year-old protégée. He stared at me as if he was awed and a little afraid. “Two things. If you still want me to hire a private investigator, I will—for your peace of mind.”

“Thank you.” I patted his hand, grateful but not as gung-ho as I thought I’d be about snooping into Penn’s background.

“And two,” Dad continued. “Greg cornered me this morning.”

My heart picked up a sword while my voice remained nonchalant. “Oh?”

“He said you guys have agreed to go to dinner tonight.”

I exhaled with frustration. “I did nothing of the sort.” Deciding now would be a good time to tell him how wary I’d become of Greg, I added, “He’s not as suave and sophisticated as you think, Dad.” I fought my shiver. “He said some pretty nasty things to me yesterday. I wasn’t comfortable.”

Dad’s eyes became snipers. “He did?” He rubbed his jaw. “I must admit I thought it was low of you to date Penn yet see Greg on the side. I should’ve known you’d never do such a thing.”

“The male race could die out, and I still wouldn’t entertain the idea of Greg being dateable.”

He sighed. “I’m beginning to see that. I’m sorry I pushed you into something you’re not happy about.”

“It’s fine. But would you do me a favor and have my back next time he tries to do anything?”

Dad nodded fiercely. “Absolutely. I’ll have a word with Steve that you’re with Penn now, and even if you weren’t, you guys are old enough to set yourself up without meddling old matchmakers who don’t have a clue what they’re doing.”