Shay rested her hands against the bathroom tiles, letting the hot water rush down her back. She couldn’t keep her eyes open, yet when she closed them, all she could see was the dejection in Leo’s expression before he strode away from her.

Why was this so hard? It wasn’t like she was batting away guys on a nightly basis…well, not decent ones anyway. She should listen to her hormones, enjoy a few hours of hot and dirty sex and then brush it away like any other one-night stand. There was no need for exclusivity.

Can you say delusional?

She wrinkled her nose. Her possessive side wasn’t going to disappear overnight. If she went to bed with him, she’d want more. Maybe they could play around for a few weeks. With his experience, he could probably teach her a thing or two while getting the fucking out of their systems. Then finally she could move on.

Yeah, right.

She whimpered and raised her face to the water spray. She wanted Leo. Wanted him so much her chest hurt. Surely, if they decided to have fun together and things didn’t work out, her loss wouldn’t feel any less painful than what she was going through now, would it? It’s better to have loved and lost, and all that sappy shit. Right?

“Oh, Christ.” She knew this was going to be a mistake, and still she didn’t care.

She turned off the water, slammed the shower door open and yanked a towel from the rack. Please don’t be gone. She wrapped the plush material around her body, not bothering to dry herself before she secured it above her breasts, and ran from the bathroom.

With her wet hair dripping down her back, she hurried to the front door and flung it open. There was no time to contemplate the inevitable crash and burn as she rushed outside, taking the three steps to her front lawn while searching the darkness. “Leo?”

“Yeah.” His voice drifted softly from the porch.

She spun around, finding him in the shadows, seated on her wooden deck chair, hunched over with his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. He lifted his gaze, the wisps of loose hair framing his face as his soulful eyes stole her breath.

“Oh, good,” she squeaked, suddenly feeling like a douche for running into the night in nothing but a towel. “I thought you might have left already.”

“I haven’t made the call, yet.”

“Oh.” Awkward. She’d run after him without weighing the consequences and now had no clue what to say.

“What did you want, Shay?”

You. She strolled back to the house, this time ascending the three steps leisurely, giving herself a moment to calm down.

“I thought maybe we could give this a try. Take things slow and see where it goes.” She shrugged to lessen the impact of her statement and clung to the top of her towel.

“I don’t like slow.” His voice was smooth as velvet and deep enough to make her nipples tighten. “And you don’t want to be with a perverted guy like me.”

Her heart clenched. She’d been the cause of his current self-loathing. Her heartless insults from earlier were sinking in, her rejection of his lifestyle, too.

“You’re not perverted, Leo. You’re just different.” She stood at the top of the steps, her bare feet bathed in the warm glow from the lounge room light.

He pushed from his chair, stalking toward her, his face devoid of emotion. “And you want to be different, too?”

She shrugged again. There was nothing blasé about her current emotions, yet she was determined not to show her fear. “I don’t know what I want. But I’m willing to test my boundaries a bit.”

He gave a derisive chuckle. “A bit?”

She stiffened at his animosity. His bitterness wasn’t directed at her, she knew that, yet his scrutiny made her lose confidence.

“Drop the towel.”

Oh, boy.

She bit back an anxious retort and raised her chin. He was pushing her away, trying to scare her with his ferocity. Only it had the opposite effect. She wanted to shock him enough to wipe the wicked sneer from his face. To make his eyes widen, his mouth drop. But could she release the towel, exposing herself to anyone who may happen to be awake at this early hour? This was her neighborhood. The place she had to come home to every day.

“See,” he taunted, this time taking a step around her and heading for the stairs. “You couldn’t handle the shit I’d make you do.”

How much do you really want him?

She cursed her nerves and yanked at the towel, releasing the hold at her breasts. He paused as she let the material fall to the wooden floor, exposing herself to the world.

His nostrils flared, the tight grip on his restraint wavering before her eyes. She jutted her chin, waiting, her chest throbbing harder with each passing second. When the silence continued, she began to realize she wasn’t good enough. He wanted a sexual goddess, someone capable of bending to his will in an instant. That change would take time, and with her stubborn streak, probably a lot of patience.

Breaking eye contact, she bent down to scoop up the towel. “Well, I guess there was no harm in trying.” She swiveled on her toes and strode to the door. The urge to cover herself was cloying. Instead of succumbing, she remained strong, not giving him the excuse to claim she was scared.

She reached for the handle and paused at the sound of his footfalls pounding behind her. His body slammed against hers, making her gasp as he pushed her against the cold wood.

“Think twice.” He gripped her upper arm and yanking her to face him. “Think about what I’ll demand of you, and what you’re willing to give.”

His possession was a scorching balm against her wounded pride. The hardness of his cock pressed between her thighs. The stability of his hands held her tight. “That’s all I’ve done for the past three hours.”

He narrowed his gaze, his jaw harsh. “I won’t stop this time.”

“Well, hurry up and get start—”

He slammed his mouth against hers, pushing his tongue past her lips, searching. He devoured her, kissed her harder than she’d ever been kissed, turning her bones to mush, her strength to weakness. He ran greedy hands down her back, over her bottom and along the underside of her thighs, creating goose bumps in their wake. She gripped his shoulders as he lifted her leg, encouraging her to circle his hip.

“I’ll ruin you,” he growled into her mouth, thrusting his erection against her pubic bone. His gaze held her captive as her ass began to slam against the wooden door with each of his thrusts.

“You already have.” She clawed at his shirt, willing the thin fabric to fall from his shoulders.

She kept her leg in place while he travelled his hand up the underside of her thigh and over her sex. He parted her folds with a finger, sliding it through the slickness of her arousal, and his accompanying throaty groan against her neck had her eyes closing in bliss. He teased her, relentlessly, dragging his finger back and forth, taking her mouth again and again. The slight breeze tickled her skin, an unwanted reminder of the exposure.

“Think of me,” he whispered into her mouth. “Only of me.”

She nodded. But as Leo’s lips moved to her shoulder, her gaze couldn’t help travelling to the darkened windows of the house across the street. A group of college kids lived there. They could be watching. Not that they could see much. Leo’s bigger frame covered her completely, yet the light from her kitchen filtered through the glass panel beside the door, illuminating them like a flare in the desert.

“My hands, Shay.”

She closed her eyes, concentrating on those hands, the way one continued to torment her greedy pussy. The other stroked her side, gently bringing all her nerve endings to life.

“My mouth.” He sucked hard on her shoulder, bringing a bite of pain. “My tongue.”

She shuddered and reached up to grab the band holding his hair together. She yanked it down and opened her eyes to watch the light-brown strands fall to span along the back of his neck.

“And eventually, my cock.”

“Oh, Christ.” She couldn’t take anymore. She fumbled behind her for the door handle and turned the knob. Together, they stumbled into the house and he slammed the wood shut with the sole of his shoe.

He narrowed his gaze as she stepped back, her chest heaving, her sex throbbing. She could tell what he was thinking, that she couldn’t hack being naked outside, and she supposed he was right. To him, being fucked in the open might be a daily ritual. To her, and surely to her neighbors, it wouldn’t be so trivial.

“I have condoms in my bedside table,” she said as an excuse.

“I have condoms in my pocket.” His hair was loose around his cheeks, his dress shirt now untucked and crinkled.

She rolled her eyes, her breaths still coming out in harsh exhalations. “Of course you do.”

He let his gaze rake her body. Gradually. Leaving a scorching trail all the way to her toes and up again. “Well, this is your domain now. So, what happens next?”

She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, her heart a flutter at his raw masculinity.

“Shay, despite my statement earlier, this can go as fast or as slow as you like. There’s no preconceptions on my end. If you want to stop, we stop. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing.”

“No.” She shook her head. “No stopping.”

His grin returned as he strode toward her and swept her off her feet. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

She squealed—a little in delight, a little in pure adrenaline-filled nervousness. He carried her to the sofa and fell backward onto the cold leather upholstery with her on his lap.

“Straddle me.”

She complied, placing her hands on his defined pecs while she spread her legs across either side of his thighs. Her breathing was labored, her heart a rapid pulse behind her ribs.

This was Leo, her boss, the man she’d been fantasizing about for a lifetime. Her dirty dream was finally a reality. Then his hands came to rest on her bare knees and he slowly slid them to her hips and time ceased.

He stared at her with adoration. There was no arrogance, no mildly annoying yet always attractive confidence. His gaze broke her, turning her lust into longing, her fear into anticipation. He was beautiful. His skin so smooth, so perfect. The darkened patch of stubble along his jaw too tempting not to reach out and brush her palm over the rough surface. No man had ever made her insides turn to butter, her brain into a mass of incoherent thoughts.

But nothing happened. He didn’t make a move. Didn’t speak. Didn’t try and alleviate the mindlessness taking over her fluttering heart.

“Leo?”

He frowned. “I don’t want to ruin this.”

She pulled back at the underlying anger in his voice, unsure who it was directed at. “Umm.”

“I don’t want to push you or scare you away. Usually, I don’t have to worry about what happens after I’m with a woman.” His consuming ocean-blue irises made her come undone. “You’re different, Shay. I’ve waited a lifetime for this. Fucking months spent immersed in thoughts of having you hot and ready for me. I’ve relived those moments in the storeroom over and over and fucking over again. And now that you’re here, your pussy hovering over the hardest erection I’ve had since seventh grade, I’m worried about where to start.”

Her cheeks lifted with a smile, one that grew until she was beaming back at him. She ran her hands from his stubble to the loose strands of his hair. “You start by kissing me senseless.” She brushed her lips over his and moaned at the way he took possession of her mouth. He scorched her with ferocious licks of his tongue, bringing his hand up to palm the back of her head, to hold her tight.

Her nipples beaded to the point of pain, her sex becoming so hot she was sure she was leaving a wet patch on his trousers. As their tongues tangled, she trailed her hands down, back over his jawline, along his neck to the top button of his shirt. One by one, she undid the buttons and then pulled the shirt wide.

She wanted to look at him, to see the light dusting of hair she could feel beneath her fingers while she stroked his chest. She wanted to mark the skin with her nails, to see his eyes widen or maybe narrow with the pinch of pain. But she couldn’t drag her mouth away from his, couldn’t stop returning the strokes of tongue and mashing of lips that made her mind blank and her heart all the more attached to this gorgeous man.

“My pants.” He spoke into her mouth. “Undo them.”

She smiled against his lips. She’d never be a weak woman, easily snapping to comply with a man’s demanding order, yet in this moment, with his hands holding her tight and his panted breaths mingling with hers, she could’ve easily seen herself falling to her knees in submission. Her fingers fumbled with his buckle, releasing the clasp and lowering his zipper.

“Touch me, Shay.”

She whimpered, undone by his need. She ran her hand along his crotch, touching the heavy material of his pants and then the softness of silk before stilling on his thick erection. Closing her eyes, she dared not look, trying hard not to grin. The man had a lot to be confident about. He’d brought her undone with his fingers before, but this…this generous length of manliness was going to take her to heaven.

“What are you smirking at?” He tugged her hair until her eyes snapped open.

She giggled, she couldn’t help it. The sound was girly and far too feminine, and fuck it, she didn’t care. She was high, so damn delirious with lust that she could continue to sound like a virginal school girl and not give a shit.

She wanted the hardened length between her lips, pulsing in her mouth, his hands guiding her to take him deep until he shot down the back of her throat. Without answering, she tilted her head, moving until his hands fell to his sides. Then she backed off his lap, taking herself to the carpeted floor and kneeling between his feet.

His gaze followed her as she gripped the waistband of his pants and boxers, tugged at the material until he raised his ass and helped her lower them down his thighs. His cock stood proud from a patch of dark, trimmed curls, the length jerking toward her. Pre-come beaded his slit, the glistening moisture begging to be tasted. She leaned forward, hovering over him, and blew softly on the flesh she could already taste on her tongue.

“Tease me and I’ll return the favor tenfold.” He jutted his hips so the head of his shaft bumped her lips.

“That sounds like fun.” She poked out her tongue and lightly lapped the salt of his flesh before retreating.

He groaned, the veins in his neck bulging as he threw his head back and gripped the sofa material near his knees. “I’ll make sure it isn’t.” He lifted his head, pinning her with unadulterated lust. “I’ll drive you insane. I’ll tie you to the bed, bring you to the point of climax for hours on end until you’re begging me to fuck you.”

Shay pressed her lips together, trying not to smile at what he thought was a threat. If only he knew what she would give to be laid out for his pleasure for hours.

“Don’t you like to beg?” She stretched out her tongue to flick the head of his shaft.

He cupped the side of her face, bringing her closer to his length. “This is me begging.”

She opened her mouth, emboldened and empowered by the guttural way he growled.

“And when it comes to sex,” he grated, “I like everything.”

Shay raised a brow, running her tongue down his length and sucking him deep. She built his pleasure, feeling his dick pulse between her lips, ripping a moan from his throat, then she released him with a pop. “Care to elaborate?” She had too many questions when it came to his lifestyle. Only she still wasn’t sure if she could handle the answers.

He guided her face back to his cock, encouraging her to take him again. “I’ve got other things on my mind right now.” He smiled down at her, the blue-green of his irises darkening as she took him to the back of her mouth.

She worked the length with her lips and tongue, cupping his sac in her hands, stroking it gently with her fingers. Her sex clenched and the slickness of arousal dampened the inside of her thighs. Pleasure had never been this potent. Sex had never been this exciting. She didn’t know if it stemmed from who she was with, how long she’d wanted this, or maybe it was the thrill of arousing a man who seemed to have an insatiable sexual appetite. Either way, her body was burning, craving his touch and aching in the most delicious places.

“Take me all the way in.” He moved his other hand to the opposite side of her face. “I want to see those gorgeous lips stretched.”

The need to please him was immense. She wanted to make an impact, to stand apart from all the women he’d slept with. Previously, she thought her competition was the unending line of beauties who rubbed up against him on the dance floor of Shot of Sin. Now she knew better. He had eager women at his disposal, ones he didn’t have to chat up or flirt with. Women who strolled around in their underwear, who shared the same sexual disposition.

It made her all the more eager to control her breathing and take him as far as she could. Even after relaxing her throat, she still had at least two inches to go. Determination made her push past her gag reflex, taking his full length with eager strokes.

“Fuck, Shay.” His hips began to buck, pistoning into her mouth, making her lips numb. “Jesus. You’re driving me insane…stop.”

She didn’t listen, needing to make him mindless.

“Shay, stop.” He grasped her arms, brought her to her feet and yanked her forward to straddle his lap. “Shooting down the back of your throat has been a fantasy of mine. But not tonight.” He reached for his pocket and pulled out a condom. “Tonight, I want you riding my cock. I want to see your pretty mouth gasp in pleasure while I make you come.”

He could make her orgasm with his dirty words alone. Already, her nipples throbbed and her clit tingled with heightened awareness. She bit her lip as he ripped open the silver packet and rolled the condom down his length. She was starved for him. Impatience clawed at her skin. Need pulsed through her veins. “Hurry the hell up.”

Leo chuckled and grabbed the base of his covered shaft. “Ready and waiting, your feistiness.”

She could already feel him inside her, could anticipate the delicious stretch of her muscles around him. Her hands were shaking, like a crack addict waiting for a fix. Grabbing his shoulders, she lifted and hovered her pussy above his cock. She closed her eyes, letting the engorged head swipe through her slick juices and across her clit before lowering in one exquisite motion.

Leo moaned as her walls contracted around him, sucking him deeper, holding him tight. He leaned in and rested his head against the side of hers, brushing his lips over the sensitive skin around her ear. “Fucking. Heaven.”

She shuddered, taking his compliment to heart. Slowly, she began to undulate, grinding her hips back and forth, leisurely riding him. She set the pace, and Leo followed her lead, kissing her neck in the same soft motion, his hands relaxed and sensual as they explored her body.

Then his lips found hers. He trailed his palms to her breasts and the languid tempo flew out the window. She bucked against him, sucking his tongue into her mouth, delighting in his faint taste of alcohol. He tweaked her nipples and rubbed his calloused palms over the hardened flesh. When his hands grabbed her ass to set his own more punishing rhythm, she let go.

Her pussy clamped tight. Her breathing became erratic as her orgasm began to take over. With one hand, Leo lightly gripped the front of her neck, almost like a choke hold, and lifted her chin so all she could see was him.

She grasped for the top of the sofa behind his shoulders, arching her back while his gaze held her captive. His other hand continued to push her against his cock, the punishing movements making her sight darken in pleasure. She cried out in release, mewling, moaning, screaming to the heavens until the pulsing in her pussy subsided and she had the chance to watch Leo come undone.

His face contorted in lines of strain. He tightened his hand around her throat. “Fuck.” He roared and the sound reverberated around the room. He smashed his mouth against hers, and gradually, almost imperceptibly, his jolts slowed. The exquisite harshness of his kiss became a languorous mingling of tongues and lips. And when he pulled back, his face was filled with a softness she’d never been on the receiving end of.

“Shay?” His hand fell from her neck.

She quirked a brow and whimpered in reply, her head and eyelids now heavy with exhaustion.

“I think we’re both in for a lot of trouble.”