God, I wish I could keep him.

Ronan is hot in a suit. On some men, it makes them more imposing. I could see his brother giving off that aura, but Ronan’s too playful to be intimidating. No longer the neighborhood bully, he’s still young at heart.

I find everything about him alluring, from the huskiness of his voice to the soft down of his chest hair. Forty-eight hours alone with Ronan has made me intimately familiar with his body. I’ve identified ten different shades of blue in his eyes.

I’m heartsick at the thought of leaving. I can’t even piece it together—why? Maybe it’s the knowledge of his feelings for me. The fact he loves me makes me giddy. It warms my soul, which troubles me. I should agonize over not returning those sentiments. I should be punishing myself.

Instead, I’m the happiest I’ve been in the longest time.

I touch Ronan, ensnared by a memory of digging my nails into his back. He swivels on the stool and takes my waist. His heart-stopping smile draws me close, and then we kiss. Ronan isn’t shy about expressing his emotions. It’s one of the things I love about him. It didn’t take much to get used to kissing him in public. Ronan has a way of making me forget everything else.

He pulls away, his forehead against mine. "Gigi, it’s our last night."

I’d avoided thinking of it all day. "This weekend went by so quickly."

Truth is, I expected this getaway to be nothing more than a steamy fling. We’d fuck like mad, have a good time, and I’d get this ridiculous attraction purged from my system. I’ve lost count of how many orgasms he’s given me. My desire for Ronan isn’t going anywhere.

If anything, it’s deepened into something more.

That’s a problem.

Ronan waves at the bartender. "Another one, please."

I study Ronan as his shoulders curl inwards and his grin trembles. That’s his third round.

Something’s eating him. "What’s up?"

"Nothing."

It isn’t hard to catch Ronan in a lie. He’s not good at hiding his emotions. It’s as though a decade of bottling them up ruined that ability forever.

Ronan chugs his drink without looking at me. Then he puts it down, disappointed. Miserable.

I take his shoulder. "Hey, what’s wrong?"

"Nothing, babe."

He reaches for my hand after paying, and we slide from the bar to walk through the lodge. Instead of taking me directly upstairs, he strolls the gigantic lobby. We loop the ground floor. Ronan stops at a windowed stretch, his face shining with illuminated snow from outdoor lights. He releases me and looks at his feet.

"Ronan, I know you’re upset. Tell me what’s wrong."

For a long moment, he says nothing.

"All right. You got me." He shoves his hands into his pockets and sucks in a deep breath. "I-I guess I’m a little sad. Tomorrow, everything reverts to what it was."

"Between you and me?" My pulse pounds when he nods. "I mean—that’s what we both agreed to."

"I want you, Gigi. Not as a friends-with-benefits. Not as a fling."

"Oh." The air catches in my lungs. "Then what?"

"I know that I need you."

His words are white-hot. They consume me. The glow of warmth around my heart builds to an inferno. "Our schools are hours from each other."

"Difficult doesn’t mean impossible. I’m not asking for anything except for a chance."

"A chance?"

"Yes. Things don’t have to end when we get home." He grasps my chin, luring me closer with his gritty voice. "I don’t want to let you go. I need to know if you feel the same."

He was good enough to give me honesty. I owe him the truth.

"This wasn’t supposed to turn into anything serious. I was ready for a fun weekend, nothing more. But ever since we got here, I’ve been dreading our last night. You’re different."

"How?"

"For one thing, I can’t stop thinking about you."

Relief washes over Ronan. A grin staggers across his face. "Well, you haven’t had enough moments by yourself."

"But that’s just it. I don’t want to be alone."

He grabs my waist, his lips crashing into mine. I melt in his arms as he pulls away and says, "Me neither, Gigi. I—I"

I silence him with another kiss, heart thudding. I’m not ready to hear that he loves me. If he confesses that, I’ll have to shoot him down. And I really have no desire to ruin this beautiful weekend.

"Ronan." I whisper against his hot mouth. "Take me upstairs."

"Soon." Ronan’s eyes flare like two bright stars. "I need you to answer another question."

I pull away, slightly. "What is it?"

"Do you want more or not?"

I’m not leaving until I reply to him. He’ll never let this go.

So I tell him the truth. "Yes."

"Am I just a rebound?" He grimaces through his pain. "Shit. I am, aren’t I?"

"No, you’re not! Ronan, I swear to God. You are—We’re much more than that. We have a connection. What James and I had didn’t light a candle to what you and I share."

"Are you sure you want this?"

"I just ended a relationship, and jumping into another seems crazy. But I want you. It feels right."

Once again, relief washes over Ronan with a smile. Unlike his hard-eyed smirks, it’s as though there are windows behind those clear blues.

He inches closer, forehead once again pressed against mine. "I feel the same. I want you everyday, and I want you now. Let’s go upstairs."

Hell yes.

I lie on the mattress, warm air kissing my bare skin. My legs hang over the bed, where Ronan stands. He’s poised in a mouth-watering stance. One hand touches himself, and the other smoothes my thighs.

"I had an idea. Something that’ll help your shyness."

"How am I shy? I’m naked."

"You’re not shy about your body—you’re scared to tell me what you like. I’m not a mind reader, Gigi. That’s why I snagged this." He flourishes a branch sprouting with small berries.

"Mistletoe?"

Ronan ceases stroking himself to lean over me, grazing my body with the leaves. It glides up my stomach. "I want you to point this wherever you want my mouth."

Hot.

My heart does back flips as he pushes the branch into my hand. Images of the night at the theater burn into my mind—I hadn’t felt his lips on me since then. Asking to have my pussy licked was hard for me. The very question, phrased in my head, burned my cheeks.

"Mmm. I wonder what you’re thinking." His warmth returns to my thighs as he kneads my skin. "No limits, Gigi. I’ll go as long as you want."

I stare at him, quailing under his intense gaze.

I make my choice. I tap my lips with the branch, which seems like the coward’s way out, but doesn’t seem like it when you’re making out with Ronan. He’s an amazing kisser.

His weight pins me down as he snakes his arm behind my neck and crushes his lips against mine. My head tilts as he digs into my hair and pulls. I wrap my arms around him, loving how his body lights my nerve endings, reveling in every sensation. I’ve never been so safe and cherished. I wish I could hold on to this forever.

The branch grazes my neck.

Ronan pulls away, taking a moment to steel himself. And then he kisses my neck. His sensual lips blaze my skin, following the dragging mistletoe. Somehow he makes every part of me sing. He nips at my collarbone, slowly gliding down, until I trail the berries over my breast and circle my nipple. Ronan’s head moves lower with a smile..

The first kiss sends a jolt to my pussy. The second drags a moan from my throat. "Ronan."

He loves that, squeezing my tits as he sucks. He takes his time moving to the center, pink patches welling where his mouth has been. Slowly, he tongues my areola. His wet heat closes over me. I arch my back, nail digging into his skin. I keep the branch there until I’m almost raw, and then I tease it across. Ronan swipes his tongue and gives the other breast attention. He suckles until a cry hitches in my throat. Then he pushes them together, alternating.

My desire for him is unrestrained. It’s as though it rips from my grasp like the reins of a horse bolting. I take his free hand and guide it between my legs. His fingers curl into my pussy, dragging my wetness up and around. He sweeps to my clit and rubs.

I need his mouth there.

Ronan pauses, watching the progression of the mistletoe. It trails between my tits. The berries drag down my skin, until I reach the part of me that aches for him.

"As you wish," he sighs against me. "Can’t wait to get my tongue inside you."

I want more than his tongue. I want all of him.

His lips make a slow dance on my body, slowly leading to the place I long for him most, where his fingers massage me. They glide down my swollen nub and curve inside me. And then his wet heat swallows my clit.

I grab at my chest, caught in an agonizing battle between pleasure and restraint. I could nudge myself and come over his tongue, or I could enjoy it for a little longer.

"Ronan, I fucking need."

He stops, breath billowing over my pussy. "Need what, babe?"

"You." I glance at his cock trembling at full-mast.

"I just started licking your pussy—"

"Please."

Ronan smiles. "Tell you what. Let’s compromise."

"What?"

Ronan’s head dips between my legs as his fingers slide out. He pushes apart my knees, and a glorious heat spreads over me. I tighten my thighs as he dives in, tongue and all. It curls before he seals his lips and sucks.

A moan bursts from me.

Ronan’s mouth disappears, leaving me cold and wet. He quickly stands. Grabbing my thighs, he positions himself. A firm pressure builds. It pushes through, spreading me wide as he slams into me. I cling to his ass, wanting him to go faster. Harder.

But Ronan’s measured thrusts pulse at the same pace. He grinds into me and pulls out. The ache returns in full force before he drops to his knees and once again kisses my pussy.

"Oh my God, Ronan."

It’s so dirty. So hot.

He reaches all the way back. He massages my clit, and down again, to and fro, until I’m ready to scream.

And then he disappears. I open my eyes, finding Ronan upright. His cock sinks into me, and I can’t keep from crying out. He climbs into my embrace and claims my lips. He bites. The shock jars me.

We climax together, Ronan’s face buried in my neck. My pulse rockets as I ride a wave of ecstasy.

My body wants more. "Is it always this good?"

"No, Gigi." Simmering with his own orgasm, Ronan pulls me into his arms. "Not even close."