Maybe it was the ring. Badger had never bought a woman a ring before. When he’d slipped this one in his jacket pocket, their caper had shifted from a lark to something more significant.

But they weren’t engaged. The ring was an empty symbol of something that didn’t exist. And yet…something had changed.

He followed her up two flights of stairs to their hideaway. Naturally the prospect of having sex up there jump-started his libido. Besides, she had a great-looking ass and her jeans fit real nice.

Except he didn’t focus on that. Instead he kept looking at her bare ring finger each time she rested her left hand on the polished wooden bannister.

Once he gave her the sapphire, she might plan to return it, but he had no such plans. She could wear it, sell it or throw it off the cliff they’d ridden out to yesterday. He wasn’t taking it back.

By the time he was halfway up the second flight, he had a view of the third-floor landing and the open bedroom door beyond it. Good. He wouldn’t have to remember which key was which. Down in the lobby, Hayley had been standing in a shaft of sunlight that had made her hair gleam like the gold hood ornament on his father’s Bentley. He’d been mesmerized by that during the instruction about keys.

Through the open bedroom door, he got a glimpse of a four poster and snowy bed linens. Then she reached the landing and blocked the view of the doorway.

Pausing, she turned back to him. He wasn’t sure what to expect until she clutched the front of his shirt, stood on tiptoe and gave him an open-mouthed kiss.

There was nothing tentative about it, either. She went all in. With a groan, he wrapped her in his arms, crushing both coats but keeping a protective grip on his hat. That hot kiss of hers was having a predictable effect on his package.

He started backing them through the open door. Once they cleared it, he nudged it shut and continued the maneuver until she came up against the side of the bed. He tossed the coats aside, not caring where they landed. But he broke the kiss long enough to hang his hat on the bedpost.

She glanced at it and laughed. “I like that.”

“I like this better.” Recapturing her mouth, he slid his hands under her hips and lifted her until she sat on the bed with her legs dangled off the side. Perfect height for kissing.

Settling his hips between her thighs, he feasted on her mouth while he searched for the hem of her sweater. Then he paused and lifted his head. “I should’ve asked.” He took a quick breath. “Breakfast first, or—”

“You. I want you first.” Reaching down, she took hold of her sweater and whipped it over her head.

“I was hopin’ you’d say that.”

“Priorities.” Gulping for air, she tugged on his shirt and a few snaps came undone. “I want this off, too.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He stepped away from the bed, unsnapped his cuffs and pulled the shirt over his head. When he looked at her, she’d taken off her bra. He let out a breath. “Oh, Hayley…”

She motioned with both hands. “Come back over here.”

Crossing to the bed, he took her by the shoulders and guided her down. “I have an idea.” Bracing himself on his forearms, he tucked his aching package between her thighs as he surveyed the tempting territory beneath him. “I’m goin’ to start with your sweet mouth and work my way down.”

“I have an idea, too.” She smoothed her hands over his shoulders. “Lift up a little. Last night I barely got to touch you.”

“Glad to oblige. Long as I get my turn.” He straightened his arms.

Slowly she explored his chest with her soft hands. She rubbed and stroked and squeezed until his pulse rate hovered in the red zone. Usually he didn’t care whether a woman loved on his pecs, but with Hayley, all bets were off.

“I like doing this.” Her voice was breathy, seductive. “You have such hard muscles, such springy hair.” She raked her nails lightly over his skin. “Yummy.”

He shivered.

“Does that feel good?” She scratched gently, moving her hands in circles, pausing to pinch his nipples.

He swallowed. “Mm.” Her breasts rose and fell rapidly as her breathing picked up. Lowering himself again, he brushed his mouth over hers. “My turn.”

Beneath his kiss, her mouth curved into a smile and she let her arms fall to her sides.

Taking that as permission, he kissed his way down the curve of her throat and slowly made his way to one plump breast. She gasped as he began to lick and nibble.

He swore she tasted like whipped cream on his tongue. Her soft moans and whimpers increased the pain in his privates, but his mouth was in sensual heaven. He could do this all day if he didn’t have to worry about the pressure cooker behind his fly.

He returned to her lips, urged them to open and thrust his tongue deep. She responded by grabbing his belt loops and wedging him deeper between her thighs.

Message received. Abandoning the joy of kissing her, he began working her out of her jeans and panties. Happy days and hallelujah, she elected to help him. After he’d shoved them most of the way, she kicked them off herself. Her loafers went flying and came down on the wooden floor with a loud clatter. Now that was enthusiasm.

He intended to reward that enthusiasm. He was out of his boots, jeans and boxers in no time. Grabbing his jeans, he pulled a condom out of the pocket. After he ripped it open, he threw the wrapper over his shoulder. Get that later, too.

She watched him, blue eyes bright with passion, her body quivering, her breasts still damp from his mouth. She let out a sweet little whimper. “Hurry.”

“I’m hurryin’ fast as I can.” He rolled the condom in place. Then he scooped her up and laid her back down lengthwise on the bed. They needed plenty of room to maneuver.

Climbing onto the mattress, he moved between her thighs. “Wrap your legs around me, darlin’. I’m comin’ in.”

She followed his instructions, and those long legs sliding against his skin nearly destroyed his control. Jaw tight, he probed once to make sure she was ready for him. Oh, yeah.

Holding her gaze, he eased in, slow and steady. Too fast and this would be over before it began. Once he was locked in tight, he decided to hang out there and get a grip. This was so right it was scary.

She dug her fingertips into his glutes. “Badger…I want…”

“We’ll get there.” The strain of maintaining control made him sound like a mating bullfrog. “But you can’t rush these things.” He drew back and pushed forward again at the same gentle pace.

She began to pant. “Sure you can. You can rush. Please rush.”

“Ever see a moonshiner’s still explode?” He continued his unhurried stroke.

Her laughter sounded strangled. “Badger!”

“If I rush, then it’ll be like that.” He clenched his teeth against the urge to come, even though he should be able to maintain at this level. But Hayley’s welcoming body was a game changer.

“That’s what I want.” She sucked in a breath. “Explosions. Moonshine all over the place.”

“No, you don’t. We’d make a lot of noise and alert the entire house.”

“Speak for yourself. I won’t make a lot of noise.”

“Wanna bet?” He never could resist a challenge. He picked up the pace. It was rough on him because he was right on the edge, but from the way her eyes darkened, she had nearly tipped over it.

“I’ll…take that bet.” The faster he moved, the tighter she held on.

She would make noise. He knew it in his bones. He could say the hell with it, barrel on through and make his point, but this was their special moment. He didn’t want to share it with strangers.

Instead of tearing along at a speed that would make them both crazy, he slowed down.

“Badger?”

“You’re goin’ to come, darlin’, but when you do, I’ll be there for you.” He shifted the angle. There. The first spasm. The first catch in her breath.

“That’s it.” He kept moving as the color in her cheeks bloomed and her sapphire eyes turned navy. “Now you’re close.”

Her voice was a whisper. “Yes.”

“Let go, Hayley. Let go.”

Her breathing grew rough and she arched her back. “Oh. Badger, I’m—”

He covered her mouth with his, muffling her cries as her climax roared through her. He held her tight as she trembled and shook beneath him. Then he lifted his head and gazed down at her, so flushed and beautiful in the glow of release.

Her eyes were closed, but they fluttered open and she gulped in air. “Your…turn.”

“Yeah.” He focused on the sapphire blue in her eyes as he allowed himself to move again. Shouldn’t take long. Her tight channel continued to vibrate with the aftershocks of her orgasm.

A few fast strokes and he erupted, shuddering violently in her arms. He swallowed the triumphant yell that rose to his throat. This stolen moment was theirs alone.

Eventually he roused himself and gazed down at her. He’d meant to say something funny or clever, but her beauty addled his brain. Nothing funny or clever occurred to him. Only the truth. “You were wonderful.”

Her smile would melt the polar icecap. “So were you.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes. I don’t think I’ve ever been this hungry in my life.”

“Then while I duck into the bathroom, why don’t you check out what Mrs. Stanislowski left for us?”

“I’m on it.”

When he returned, striding into the room naked as a jaybird, she’d put on his shirt.

“I hope you don’t mind. I didn’t feel like putting on my—”

“That shirt looks way better on you than it does on me.” He pulled on his boxers and reached for his jeans. “But why didn’t you feel like puttin’ on your clothes?”

“Because this is more decadent and sexy. If all I’m wearing is your shirt, I can continue feeling that way while we eat breakfast.”

“That sounds mighty promisin’. Let’s eat fast.”

“You might not want to. She made us each an omelet.”

“She did?” He walked over to the table and lifted a silver lid covering one of the plates. “What do you know? But they have to be stone-cold by now.”

“They are, but there’s a small microwave on the dresser.”

He glanced over there. “So there is.”

“She left a note telling us it was there for warming up the omelets.”

“Because she knew we’d take care of business and let them get cold. I didn’t notice many details when we came in.”

“Funny, neither did I.” She gave him the once-over. “But we’ll know this room inside out before the holidays are over.”

“To hell with the room. I’d rather know you inside out.”

“That can be arranged.”

“So you’re good with this plan?” He pulled on his jeans, zipped and buttoned them.

“I love this plan.”

“Excellent.” He fastened the elaborate Western belt Ryker had talked him into buying.

“That’s a pretty belt buckle.” Hayley walked over to take a closer look. “I didn’t pay much attention to it before.”

“I can understand that. You were too mesmerized by my manly physique.”

She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Yes, Badger, I was, you gorgeous hunk of burning love.”

He grabbed her and pulled her close. “Keep talkin’ like that and I’m liable to haul you back to bed.”

“Oh, no! A fate worse than death!” She pulled his head down for a kiss.

Just like that, he was hard again. But he’d promised her breakfast. With great effort, he ended the kiss. “You said you were starving.”

“Changed my mind.” She combed her fingers through his hair. “The omelets are already cold. Let’s eat them later.”