Alastair’s jaw was tight from gritting his teeth. His need for Darcy was huge, pumping inside him.

He felt sensations clamp down on the base of his spine and his cock ached. He’d never needed anything like this. Never needed anyone the way he needed Darcy.

Her hands were loosely holding onto the headboard. That sexy, naked body was limp and flushed. Damn, that ass. Her delicious taste was still on his tongue.

He reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a foil packet. He tore it open with his teeth, and made short work of rolling the condom on. Then, he gripped Darcy’s waist, pulled her up, and turned her. He wanted to see her face when he slid inside her.

Her eyelids fluttered. So damn beautiful.

They faced each other on their knees. He knew that this woman had brought him to his knees a long time ago. He’d tried to fight it, but every interaction had tangled her with him more and more.

Alastair slid his hand between her slim thighs and stroked. She let out a keening moan. He thrust a finger inside her. “Mine. This is mine.”

She bit her lip.

“Darcy, tell me.”

“Yes, yours, Alastair. Now fuck me, please.”

He circled her waist and lifted her. She gasped. He could tell that she liked that he could lift her so easily.

He pressed her back to the headboard, and gripped his cock with one hand, lodging the head between her slick folds.

“Look at me,” he growled.

Blue-gray eyes met his, and then he slammed her down on his cock.

She cried out.

Fuck. Jesus. She felt so good. Hot, slick, tight. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and her head fell back.

“God, yes.” She wrapped her legs around him.

As he lifted her up, she drove herself back down, letting out a wild moan.

“You feel so good, Darcy.” He worked himself inside her, sinking deep.

“Alastair—”

“I love being buried deep in your sweetness.”

She gripped his shoulders, bouncing up and down, taking his cock and meeting each one of his driving thrusts.

“Darcy.” He grunted, the pleasure growing inside him. He reached up, tugging her hair to make her look at him. “Look at me when you come.”

“Okay.” Her nails bit into his skin and her heels dug into his ass.

“I can feel you trembling around me.”

She cried out, her head falling back, and she started coming.

Alastair thrust into her, and then lodged himself deep, staying there. He yanked her closer and sank his teeth into the spot where her shoulder met her neck. She cried out again, and his orgasm slammed into him, ripping a groan from his throat.

He knelt there, chest heaving, sensations still rushing through him. Darcy dropped her forehead to his, her arms and legs still wrapped around him.

“Okay?” His voice was hoarse.

“Better than okay.” She lifted her head and smiled. Her cheeks were filled with color. “That was fabulous.”

Warmth filled his chest. After he lowered her to the bed, he kissed her, nipping her bottom lip.

Her eyelids fluttered. “We might kill each other if we have sex like that every time, but it’ll be fantastic.”

Alastair moved lower, brushing his teeth along her jaw, down her neck, across her collarbone. He took it slow, savoring her. She stretched under him, making a sound close to a purr.

Darcy Ward was beneath him, wet from taking his cock, and she was perfect.

He spotted the bruise forming where he’d bitten her and he pressed a kiss to the mark. His mark. She looked up at him, her eyes huge.

Shit. Darcy was more than just a distraction, she was taking over his life. He felt a pressure in his chest.

“I’m hungry,” she murmured.

“I’ll feed you. So you have enough energy for me to fuck you again.”

As he pushed off the bed, Darcy rose up on her elbow. She didn’t bother to hide the fact that she was checking out his naked body. After a quick stop to the bathroom to deal with the condom, he headed for the kitchen.

After checking his phone—no messages or updates—he raided his cupboard and refrigerator, and grabbed some cheese and crackers. When he got back to his bedroom, Darcy was wrapped in a sheet. He set the plate down on the bed.

She smiled. “You should be naked all the time.” Her nose wrinkled. “Except you look pretty darn fine in a suit.”

“Really?”

“I may or may not have had inappropriate thoughts of taking your suit off in the past.” She grabbed a slice of cheese and nibbled.

Darcy was in his bed. He felt pretty damn satisfied about that.

Then her face changed. “I wonder what the Collector is doing?” she said quietly.

“He’d better be enjoying his last night of freedom.”

She was quiet for a minute. “I realize now that taking down Silk Road is very personal for you.”

He turned his head, looking at the framed picture of him and his mom. “Yeah. Losing my mother…it was why I joined the FBI, and why I helped create a team specializing in art and antiquities crime. I want justice for her.”

“I always knew something deeper was driving you.” Darcy stroked his arm. “What happened to you after she died?”

“Foster homes. My father was never in the picture.” Alastair chewed on a cracker. “It took me a while to settle. I had terrible nightmares for years. Every night, remembering her screams, that I was helpless to get to her.”

Darcy’s hand slid into his and tightened. “You were a child. There was nothing you could have done.”

He looked at her slim, competent fingers. He’d never held hands with a woman before. “My mom had nothing, came from nothing. She’d run away from a bad home as a teenager. But she worked hard. She was a waitress.” Alastair smiled, remembering his mother’s pretty face, the affection in her eyes. “She wanted me to have a job where I got to wear a suit.” He’d forgotten that. He’d forgotten so many of the good times in his focus on finding revenge. “She always thought people in suits had important jobs.”

“She loved you.”

“Yes, she did.”

Darcy shifted, climbing onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, absorbing her warmth.

“I bet your mom would love to know that you look mighty fine in a suit, Alastair.” She lowered her head, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “And pretty darn good without one, as well.”

He barked out a laugh.

“She’d be proud of the important job you do.”

And as Darcy kept nibbling on his skin, he looked down at her dark head. He felt the need growing in him again. “What are you doing?”

She looked up at him, then nudged him. He fell on his back and Darcy straddled him.

“This time, I’m going to fuck you, Special Agent Burke.”

“Really?” Need slammed into him.

“And remember I told you that you’d owe me if I got those impossible, undetectable trackers for you?”

Her smile made his gut clench. “Yes.”

“Time to pay up.” She smiled. “Now, where are your handcuffs?”

* * *

Darcy raced into the living room, looking for her shoes. Early-morning sex had left her feeling tremendous, but running late.

“My shoes?”

“Next to the front door.”

She looked up. Alastair was in the kitchen, dressed in a crisp shirt and trousers, hair damp from the shower. Memories of the shower slammed back into her. He’d pinned her to the tiles, whispered dirty things in her ear, and given her another soul-shattering orgasm. And just as delicious was the memory of him stretched out beneath her with his hands cuffed to his headboard, muscles straining as she’d touched him. Mmm.

She stared at him now. He was wearing his shoulder holster over his shirt, and damn, he looked sexy. Her exhausted and satiated body still reacted to the sight of him.

“You are so damn handsome,” she said.

He shot her a half smile and mixed the eggs he was cooking.

God, Darcy knew his mom would be so proud of him. “What are you cooking for me?” She slipped on her heels and made her way over to him.

“Scrambled eggs.” He slid a plate across the island toward her.

Suddenly ravenous, Darcy sat and ate. It was pretty handy having a guy who could cook. “Any news on the search warrant?”

“I spoke to Thom while you were in the bathroom. He said we should have it soon.”

Darcy heard something in his voice and studied him. He was filled with a fine tension, visible in the line of his shoulders and his posture.

She knew he’d been in contact with the onsite teams during the night and morning. “The diamonds haven’t moved, and no one’s been in or out of the penthouse.”

“Correct.”

God, she hoped no one had cut the diamonds up overnight. The Louvre and the Dashwood would be beyond pissed.

“And you really think the Collector will be there?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’m guessing they’re waiting for the Collector to arrive today.”

She lifted her chin. “We’re going to get them.”

Intense green eyes met hers. “We are.”

They finished up their breakfast and got ready. Darcy swiped on some lipstick. She was wearing black, fitted trousers, and a white shirt. She added a chunky green bangle at her wrist. Just because they were taking down international black-market thieves didn’t mean she couldn’t look good while they did it.

She glanced at Alastair’s phone. It hadn’t rung yet.

Then she started pacing. The minutes ticked by, and still no call about the search warrant.

“Waiting sucks.”

Alastair opened his laptop, leaning against the counter as he touched the keyboard. “When you work for the government, you learn to have some patience.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I prefer action.”

He snorted. “I’d noticed. And caffeine.”

She smiled at him. He really did look too damn handsome. Even though he was obviously on edge and alert waiting for the search warrant, for the first time since she’d known him, his face didn’t have its usual harsh intensity. It looked relaxed. She guessed that out-of-this-world, wild sex would probably do that.

“What’s that smile for?” He was staring at her face.

“Oh, just thinking about how good you are in bed.”

He cocked his head.

She lifted a hand, rubbing her thumb over her lips. “How good you are with your hands and mouth. How impressive your—” when he raised a brow at her, she grinned “—stamina is.”

Suddenly, he pushed away from the counter and stalked toward her.

The intensity was back in his green eyes. Excitement shivered through her, and she backed up until she hit the back of the couch.

“Alastair—” God, that look in his eyes…

He reached her, gripped her hips, and spun her around. Her hips hit the back of the couch.

Then he leaned down, his lips teasing her ear. “I’m going to fuck you, Darcy. Right here.”

All the air shuddered out of her. He bent her over the couch, his fingers working the zipper of her trousers. A second later, he pushed them down, along with her panties.

Then his fingers were between her legs, stroking. She bit down to stifle a moan.

“Wet for me already, Ms. Ward. Naughty.”

“I’m always ready for you.” She rode his hand, needing him to touch her.

“All those times we talked, fought, argued…were you wet for me?” His fingers thrust deep.

She cried out, pleasure spiraling through her.

“Answer me,” he growled.

“Yes. God, yes.”

Then she heard the sound of a zipper lowering, the crinkle of foil, and then he thrust forward, filling her.

Darcy moaned.

“Tilt your hips, baby. Take more.”

She did and he pumped deep. She gripped the couch for dear life and bit her lip. Sensations rocketed through her.

“God, Darcy—” His voice was a growl.

She could hear his control breaking. Watching, listening, and feeling Alastair Burke lose control was her new favorite thing.

“More, Alastair. Don’t stop.”

“I never want to stop. I want to stay right here inside you forever.”

His hand slid around and cupped her chin, tilting her head to the side. Their gazes met, and his mouth covered hers—the kiss hard and demanding, like the way he was taking her body.

Then his other hand slipped down over her belly. His fingers found her clit and rolled it.

“Come.” He thrust hard inside her.

It was an order and she wasn’t going to disobey it. Her release exploded through her and she screamed.

Alastair pumped again—once, twice, three times. He lodged his cock deep and groaned through his own orgasm.

When Darcy blinked her eyes open, all she could hear was their harsh breathing.

“Wow,” she murmured.

He leaned down and kissed her shoulder. Then, there was the sudden ringing of a phone. She waited for Alastair to pull away, but instead, she felt him reach into his pocket. Darcy went to move, but he pressed his other hand between her shoulder blades, holding her in place.

“Thom?”

Oh, God. He was talking to Thom while he was still inside her. She shoved back, but Alastair kept her pinned in place.

“Got it. Yeah, Darcy’s right here.” The hand on her back slid down and around, then between her legs. He tweaked her swollen clit again. She glared at him over her shoulder, but as pleasure hit her, she bit her lip.

“You tracked down Elettaria Inc.” He made a humming sound. “A bunch of dummy corporations.” His gaze met Darcy’s. “But elettaria is a genus of plant. Elettaria cardamomum is the true name for cardamom.”

Darcy gasped. “And cardamom was one of the main spices sold along the historical Silk Road.”

“Yeah, we’re on our way.” Alastair shifted his hips, his fingers rubbing her clit.

The move sent a wave of latent pleasure through her and she moaned.

“See you soon, Thom.”

“You are incorrigible.” She shoved against Alastair.

He kept working her clit.

“Alastair!” The sensations were building again, her belly on fire.

He didn’t let up. Not until she moaned his name through another short, sharp orgasm. Then he pulled out of her, and pressed a hard kiss to her lips.

“We got the warrant.”

Excitement shivered through her. “Luckily I’m feeling too good to be angry with you about that stunt. Let me clean up and then let’s go.”

He nodded. “It’s time to end this, and take down the Collector.”

“Then let’s do it.”