Heat surges through me at the first touch of our lips. She must feel it, too—she only hesitates for an instant before she grabs my shoulders and pulls me closer, deepening the kiss.

I wasn’t even gone an hour, but it feels like a lifetime since the last time I kissed her. What sort of madness is this? She’s truly an addiction, an obsession I can’t shake.

But no—she’s even more than that. My first thought when Andrew told me the press knew about Elle wasn’t, Oh, that gives me the perfect excuse to return to her. Instead, it was, I have to protect her. I wasn’t thinking of my own needs when I returned here—I was thinking of hers. This situation could become messy very quickly, and I refuse to let Elle endure it alone. Andrew wasn’t very happy when I told him I was returning to her side, but frankly, I don’t care. No doubt he and my father will make me—or Elle—pay for this decision, but now I understand that the most important thing is to be with her. To protect her from whatever is to come.

Right now, though, my thoughts are on one thing and one thing only.

I slide my fingers through her damp hair and clutch the back of her head. My tongue slides deep into her mouth, drawing a moan from her. My entire body is tight with hunger. Not even an hour ago I thought I had to leave her forever, and now that I have her pressed against me again, I have every intention of taking full advantage.

Her hands slide all the way around my neck, and her breasts press against me as she leans into me. Her tongue slides against mine, and my cock throbs painfully against the fabric of my pants.

There are too many blasted clothes between us.

I drop my hands to her pants. She’s wearing a pair of those intoxicating leggings that American women seem to love so much—the kind that cling delightfully to the skin. They’re so thin I can feel the heat of her body through the fabric, and I let my fingers slide across her hip and then between us. When I reach the apex of her thighs, she lets out a whimper. My hand slides between her legs, grazing across the warm, damp fabric. I can feel every line of her beneath the material. My thumb finds her clit, and I press gently against it as my other fingers find her entrance through the thin layer of cotton that separates us. I curl my hand slightly, letting my fingers slide against her, teasing her through the fabric.

She groans and bites down on my lip. The sharp stab of pain sends a new jolt of desire through me. Why am I wasting time taunting her through her clothes? I need her. Now.

I pull my hand away—but not for long. I grab the waistband of her leggings and shove them down over her hips.

God, she’s not wearing any underwear…

I almost lose control right there. Instead, I continue to push her leggings down with one hand while my other hand slides between her legs once more. My fingers slip against her, sliding against that heated, velvety skin. She’s so wet…

“Fuck, Elle,” I murmur against her mouth. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anyone so much in my entire bloody life.”

I don’t give her the chance to respond. I kiss her again, biting down on her lip the way she bit mine.

She doesn’t seem to mind. Her hands slide down my body and grab my belt. I tear my mouth away from hers and kiss a line along her jaw toward her ear.

“There are still plenty of ways for us to explore each other,” I rasp against her skin. “Which would you prefer? Up against the wall? On the floor? Bent over the counter?” She’s managed to undo my belt, and I groan as her fingers brush against my cock through the fabric of my pants. “Or would you prefer all three?”

I suck her earlobe between my teeth, and she lets out a little gasp.

“I…I don’t care,” she says in a ragged whisper. “Just…”

She doesn’t even need to finish her sentence. I feel exactly the same way.

I slide a finger inside of her as she starts to undo my pants. She moans and squirms, so I add another, filling her as she fumbles with my zipper. She’s probably tender and sore from last night, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

With my free hand, I help her get my pants down past my hips. My cock finally springs free, and it’s painfully hard.

I’ll never have enough of her. I spent all night fucking her, and I still need more…

I pull my hand out from between her legs. My mouth finds hers again. God, who knew something as simple and mundane as kissing could feel like this with her? Every taste of her is sweet agony. Every brush of her lips against mine makes my cock throb.

“Please,” she begs between our kisses. “Please…”

I don’t want to wait any longer, either. My knee slides between her legs, nudging them further apart. But it isn’t enough—her leggings are still around her knees, restricting her movements.

I don’t have the patience to undress her completely. Not when she’s inspired this sort of need.

Counter it is.

I stumble back, pulling her with me. She clings to me, never breaking our kiss. When my back hits the counter, I pull my mouth away from hers. I twist us both around until she’s pressed against the counter. Then I turn her away from me so that her back is against my chest and the soft, luscious curve of her ass is right against my cock.

My lips slide across the side of her throat as I lean her over the counter. My fingers go between her legs again, dancing over her. She trembles beneath my delicate touch.

Fuck, Elle—you have no idea what you do to me.

I slide my arousal between her legs from behind, gliding it across her wetness. The skin of my cock is nearly as hot as the silken skin it touches—we’re two beings of heat, ready to be joined.

I know what it feels like to be overcome with desire. But there’s something more with Elle. With her, this is more than a taking of pleasure. It’s a joining—a coming together. She is the other half of my ecstasy.

My hardness slides against her, aching to be inside of her again, but I pause right at her entrance. I almost feel the need to take a breath, to prepare myself for what I know I’ll feel when we’re joined once more.

And then, suddenly, Elle stiffens beneath me. She says something, but bent over as she is, the word is muffled.

I frown, trying to understand what’s going on. My need has cast a haze over my mind.

She straightens slightly, and her voice sounds strangled as she says, “Condom.”

Oh.

I freeze. Honestly, condoms are the last thing on my mind.

“We’re out, remember?” My voice sounds strangely deep and raw. “We used all of them last night.”

For a moment we both just stand there, our chests heaving. She’s still bent partway over the counter, her back to me, and after a moment I lean down and touch my lips lightly to the base of her neck.

“We don’t need one,” I murmur gently. “I’ll stop before—”

“No,” she says. “I…I don’t trust us to do that.”

Honestly, I’m not sure I do either, but the thought of stopping now is physically painful.

She lets out a long, ragged breath. Finally, she straightens completely, pushing me away from her.

“We have to stop,” she says, her voice still shaky. “We have to.” Before I can argue, she reaches down and grabs her leggings, pulling them back up.

“Elle—”

“No arguments. I’m not having sex with you without a condom.” She turns slowly, almost as if she’s afraid to look me in the eye. When she’s finally facing me, though, I see that desire is still written all over her face.

“Elle—”

“No condom, no sex.” This time, it sounds like she’s trying to convince herself, not me. “But I do think we should go get some condoms. Right now.”

Well, I suppose that’s an idea I can support. I reach down and grab my pants, pulling them back up. This will be the fastest, most agonizing condom run of my life.

As I’m buckling my belt, though, a thought occurs to me.

“It might not be safe to go out there,” I tell her.

She frowns as she twists her still-damp hair back into a bun. “What do you mean, not safe?”

“I mean that we risk members of the press spotting us,” I say. “You never know when the paparazzi might show up.”

Elle walks over to the window and pushes the curtains aside, looking out at the street. “There’s no one out there. I don’t think they know you’re here.”

“We don’t know that, Elle. They might be on their way here as we speak.”

Her frown deepens, and she looks back out at the street once more before turning back to me.

“Maybe,” she says. “But I refuse to hide in my house because of the possibility of the press knowing about me. I won’t be a hostage in my own home.” She crosses her arms. “And we do need condoms. That was too close, Leo. We can’t… One of us needs to be the responsible one here. If you’ve worried about paparazzi spotting you, then you can stay here. I’ll go get the condoms myself.”

Now I’m frowning. “That won’t be necessary. I will go get the condoms. But perhaps you should stay here. If they see you with me—”

“I’ve already told you that I refuse to hide here. The media doesn’t scare me.”

Because you don’t realize how hard it can be. And if my father or brother get involved, we’re in even bigger trouble…

I shake my head. “You’ll stay here. I’m the man, and I should—”

“Oh, no,” she says, her eyes flashing. “You did not just try to order me around. I swear, Leo, either I’m going out there or we are never having sex again. I mean it.”

Judging by the look on her face, I know she does.

I let out a sigh, my shoulders sinking. This is not going to end well, I know. But as she said, it doesn’t seem like the media has found us yet. It’s risky, going outside…but if we’re quick about this little errand, we might be all right.

And God, my cock is still hard as a rock inside my pants. If I don’t have her—and soon—I may very well spontaneously combust.

“All right,” I say. “Let’s go get some condoms.”

* * *