Waking up the second time in Brecken’s glorious bed was far less startling. In fact, January had rested a little too effortlessly. She threw back the covers as her stomach growled and walked in the direction of the kitchen in pursuit of food.

The fridge was almost empty. A dozen eggs, a carton of milk, and every condiment known to man. Opening the pantry next, she laughed as her eyes fell to several shelves filled with colorful boxes. He had at least fifteen different brands of cereal. The man had everything from Froot Loops to Raisin Bran.

Grabbing the Cheerios, she flipped open the top of the box and pulled out a handful. Her stomach was too angry to mess around with a bowl or milk.

The sound of an elevator dinging from the other side of the wall reminded her where she was and how removed and quiet it was. Granted she’d been sleeping most the day, but there was no constant bustle of people coming and going like there was at her apartment. Being there felt like she was removed from everyone and everything.

She froze at the sound of keys jingling and the unmistakable click of the front door opening. Brecken entered the apartment, scanning the room until his eyes found her and then he flashed her a boyish grin.

She tried to swallow, but the dry cereal stuck to the back of her throat, and her eyes teared as she struggled to cough the tiny circles back up.

“You’re still here.”

Trying to speak, her eyes continued to water, and she nodded instead. He moved past her, grabbed a glass, and filled it with water before handing it to her. It was only after she lifted it to her mouth that he dropped his eyes to her bare legs. His shirt, which was big on her, only just covered her assets.

She took a long drink and then cleared her throat.

“Better?”

“Yes, thanks. You surprised me.”

“That was the idea. I brought lunch.” He held up two takeout bags that he’d dropped on the counter in his rush to rescue her from the cereal debacle. “Unless you’d rather have dry cereal,” he said, not hiding his appalled tone.

“Says the guy who has twenty different kinds of cereal in his pantry.”

“I like to mix it up.” He raised his eyebrows and motioned with his head to the living room.

They sat on the couch next to each other, and he pulled out three takeout containers from the bags.

“I took a chance you liked Thai. You can have your pick.” He opened the containers placed each on the table in turn. “Pad Thai with chicken, Kao Phad with beef, or Som Tam.”

She reached for the Pad Thai while Brecken grabbed two plates. Her eyes lingered on him as he took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie. The suit was a traditional style in black, but the bold colors and intricate knot of his tie remained true to his eccentric style.

Their eyes met, and he flashed a wicked, knowing smile. She’d been caught checking him out, but he looked too good to look away.

“Did you sleep while I was gone?” He handed her a plate and spooned a generous serving of Som Tam on his own.

“Yeah, your bed is heavenly. I could sleep in it forever.” Her face warmed as the intimate suggestion of her words sank in. He winked but didn’t rib her about it, which was surprising.

“This is delicious.” She closed her eyes and let the food ease the hunger pains. When she pried them open a colorful bouquet of pink roses was inches from her face. Placing a hand over her mouth as she continued to chew, she looked from the beautiful flowers to the gorgeous man sitting next to her.

“You sure know how to treat a girl. Almost makes this hangover worth it.” She set the plate down and groaned as her stomach flipped.

Concern etched his features. “Not feeling well?”

“My stomach is a little upset,” she admitted, feeling ridiculous after he obviously spent so much effort on the lunch surprise. “I’ll be okay. Maybe food isn’t the best idea yet. What time do you have to be back at the office?”

“I’m not going back. I’m staying right here.” He pulled out his phone, placed it on the coffee table, and then drew her close to him as he leaned back into the couch.

Holding herself up so her entire weight didn’t rest on him, she spoke without facing him. “You really don’t have to go back to work?”

“I took the afternoon off.”

“Do you do that often?” She had imagined him working the same sort of insane hours her father did, and days off weren’t something she remembered her father taking very often.

“Honestly? No. I can’t remember the last time I took a day off.”

The vibration of his deep voice rattled against her back, and it was oddly comforting.

This time, she did turn to look at him, which put their faces so close she could feel his breath. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the nose. With a laugh, she turned back around and relaxed into his hold.

“Comedy, drama, cooking shows?” he asked, flipping the television on.

“You watch cooking shows?”

“Only Giada. Giada is hot.”

She laughed. “Whatever you want. I just like the noise.”

The sound of the television jumped between voices and background music as Brecken flipped through the channels, stopping when Lennie and Jack’s voices filled the room with an old episode of Law & Order.

Crime shows were pretty high up on the list of shows she couldn’t stand, but even with a headache, an upset stomach, and crappy television, it was positively the best day she could remember.

* * *

January woke for the third time that day and was curled on her side facing the television. She could feel Brecken lying behind her, and the faint sound of his deep, even breathing tickled her ears. Rolling to the edge, she made an attempt to get up, but he threw an arm over her and pulled her back flush against him.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he murmured in a playful voice.

She squirmed under his arm but couldn’t get free. “I need to get up. I can’t believe I’ve slept the whole day away.”

“If this is what you typically wear to sleep in, you may find yourself napping a lot more often with me around.” He pressed his groin against her back, and she inhaled sharply at the feel of him hard against her. His hands slipped underneath the t-shirt and slid forward to caress her stomach. The shirt bunched up around her hips, and the cool air against her bare cheeks reminded her that there was only a lacy thong between them. He groaned in what she hoped was appreciation, and his hands continued their exploration of her body, moving up and brushing past her nipples. He rested a hand on her chest. His long fingers splayed out over her heart. It was intimate, and the heat from his hand seeped through her skin, turning her whole body white hot.

His mouth found her neck, and he licked the sensitive skin, causing an unexpected giggle to escape her lips. Turning, he pinned her underneath him with a knee between her legs. The button-up shirt he was wearing when she’d fallen asleep was gone, and her eyes were drawn to the dark hair peeking out of the top of the V-neck undershirt.

Grabbing the bottom of his shirt, she lifted. He straightened and pulled it over his head and tossed it on the floor. Her eyes were greedy as they roamed over his bare chest and stomach. She already knew he was built, but the definition in his chest and abs was not fair. Especially after seeing his pantry.

“You maintain this body with Froot Loops? God, I hate you.”

He smiled. The proud smile of a man who loved his hard work being appreciated.

Her fingers had a mind of their own and reached out to trace every ridge and muscle. When her eyes fell back to his face, he was no longer smiling. His mouth was set in a straight line, and his eyes were hooded and dark. As much as she enjoyed the sweet, romantic Brecken of last night and this morning, the one leaning over her—dark and challenging—made her toes curl in anticipation. It transported her back to their first meeting and how blunt and bristly he had been when they had their first conversation.

He grabbed her hands by the wrist and pushed them up over her head in one smooth motion. The position pushed her breasts up, and he bent his head to take one of her peaked nipples into his mouth through the material. The sharp pressure of his teeth pulled a moan from her lips before he moved to the other one and gave it the same treatment.

“Take your shirt off.” He released her wrists and leaned back on his knees to wait, watching her with ragged breaths. The tone of his command made heat pool at her core. She sat forward enough to pull it over her head and tossed it next to his on the floor.

“You can keep the thong on. I like it,” he said before kissing her over the soft lace. He worked his way up her body, leaving a warm trail from the imprint of his lips, and devoured her mouth. They were lips and tongues and a clash of teeth as they explored and consumed.

January lost all concept of time while his lips moved slowly, agonizingly slowly and completely maddeningly. His mouth stayed fixated on hers, but his hands roved over her body, taking in all the dips and slopes.

She moved her hands down, finding the top of his pants by feel, unbuttoning and unzipping him as fast as her hands could move. Breaking from the kiss, he stood to remove his pants, and she watched in fascination as they fell to the floor, revealing a pair of leopard print boxer briefs. He smiled at her, a silent dare to comment on his choice in underwear.

Good Lord, they should have looked ridiculous, but they didn’t. She doubted in that moment that anything could look less than magnificent against his body.

Magnificent.

He looked absolutely mouthwatering with his black hair disheveled and sticking up, his eyes swirling with an intensity she’d never seen as they raked over her spread out on his couch.

He dropped a hand inside the material and grabbed himself, the head of his dick just barely visible. Wetting her lips, she watched, captivated by the way he stroked himself while staring down at her. His eyes scanned her naked flesh, a low rumble of heat and lust passing his lips. Then, unwilling to let him have all the fun and fueled by lust and him, she ran a hand down over her body and inside the lacy thong. A whimper escaped her lips as her fingers touched the sensitive nerves, but the look on his face darkened, and she continued.

He stroked himself in long, slow strokes that she tried to mimic, but her body craved release. Increasing the pace of her fingers while massaging her breasts with her free hand, she worked each nipple, pulling and pinching until it was almost painful. Her orgasm was within reach, and she closed her eyes, welcoming it as it wracked through her body. Brecken was on top of her before she knew it, pushing aside the lacy material and dropping his mouth to her so his tongue could take over the rhythm of her fingers. The heat of his mouth, licking and biting, was bliss and she cried out his name.

Boneless and humming from the warmth of her orgasm, she smiled. She could feel Brecken’s face in front of hers, and he chuckled softly as her grin grew wider.

“That might be my new favorite smile.” He brushed his lips against hers softly.

“What? This smile?” She pointed toward her lips, eyes still closed. “This smile has nothing to do with you.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I was just thinking about something funny from last night.”

“Liar.”

January opened her eyes to see the victorious smirk on his face. “Maybe I was smiling at your ridiculous underwear.” She looked down at the leopard print material that was barely covering his bulge.

“You like them. Admit it.”

“Do you have more of these? I feel compelled to check out your underwear drawer. I suddenly see the appeal women’s lingerie has for men.”

“Mm-hmm, but you’ll have to wait to see them. No rifling through my underwear drawer.”

Rolling under his arm and darting off the couch, she sprinted toward the bedroom. She had no idea where his underwear drawer was, but it didn’t matter because his footsteps pounded the floor behind her and he caught her before she reached the bedroom. After a few long strides, he put her down on the bed and followed, settling his weight on her legs to keep her from moving.

“Admit you like my underwear.”

She shook her head and bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling.

Positioning his bulge at the right spot, he rubbed against her, causing her body to hum back to life. She groaned as he continued to circle slowly around the sensitive area. Raising her hips to increase the pressure, he stopped and moved so they were no longer touching. “Admit it.”

“Okay, okay. I admit it,” she pleaded, trying to pull him back to her.

He leaned over her, his mouth only inches from her lips. “I wanna hear you say the words, January.”

Licking her lips, her body trembled in anticipation, loving the little game of cat and mouse they were playing. It was a good thing he had no idea that she would skydive naked off the building if it meant he’d give her what she wanted.

“I like your pretty panties,” she mocked.

He leaned back, seemingly unfazed by her teasing, and pulled the waistband of his underwear down, letting his cock spring free. “Mmmm, you mean these pretty panties?”

She nodded frantically, begging him with her eyes and pouty lips.

He stood, letting the underwear fall to the floor, revealing every inch of his sculpted, lean body. He was every fantasy she’d ever had combined into one glorious package.

Where could she go from here?

No one would ever be able to compare.

She was still staring as his fingers slid under the elastic of her panties, slowly dragging them down her legs. He took his time working his way back up her body, teasing her naked flesh. Placing a soft kiss on her lips, he braced himself over her and stared down for a long moment. “You’re beautiful, January Lyle.”

Before she could find the words to speak, he grabbed a condom from the nightstand drawer and ripped open the package. She watched his hands work it into place and attempted to steady her erratic breathing.

He positioned the head of his penis at her entrance and pushed in only a small bit. He gazed down into her eyes, a look of satisfaction hardened on his features as his jaw went tense with restraint. He owned her, and he knew it.

Slowly, he moved, letting her body adjust to him. January rocked her hips, urging him deeper, and his control broke. He moved with a steady pace that shouldn’t, under any normal circumstances, have her on the brink of orgasm. Yet, she was. Moaning and mumbling something close to his name incoherently, he increased the pace again, and she shattered, wondering if she’d ever be able to put the pieces back together.