The one subject he didn’t discuss with anyone. Ever. Her question had merely been an attempt to be polite, so he didn’t feel obligated to answer.

He swayed against her, palming her nape, brushing his lips over her cheek—all the way to her ear. “Is that what you really want to talk about?”

Kata sighed and slipped her hand under his T-shirt, and she scratched her nails lightly down his back, lighting him up like a Fourth of July fireworks show. Impatience to touch her, to spread her out and please her, flayed him.

He whispered his lips across her neck, a slow tease. Almost a kiss . . . but not quite. She gasped and tilted her head back, exposing the graceful arch of her throat to him. A sign of surrender that had his dick tightening, weeping for more.

With a growl, he rocked his erection directly against her pussy. She went utterly boneless against him. Her lips parted on a moan.

“Or do you want to talk about how I’m going to fuck you, Kata?”

“Y-you and Ben?”

He hesitated. “I can’t speak for him. But I know what I’m going to do to you.”

She met his stare again, now growing bolder. “Nice that you have plans. But you should be wondering what mine are.”

Boldly, Kata pressed her mouth over his, kissing him. Her pouty lips molded to his, incredibly soft yet demanding, a hard brush. Then she eased back, a tease—there and gone—leaving behind a hint of her flavor, hot and intoxicating and impossible to pin down. Instantly, fire raged through his body, and he grabbed her tighter.

She ended the kiss with a husky laugh that scraped down his spine.

“Kata,” he breathed in warning.

A brazen smile flitted across her mouth. She knew she was stringing him out, grabbing him by the dick and not letting go. He liked this playful side of her, so he let her lead—for now.

She rose on her tiptoes, closer, as she feathered her mouth over his again. Grabbing his arms, she deepened the kiss, her tongue like a butterfly, fleeting, flitting, elusive. She tasted like cherries, a hint of tequila, and pure sin. She made him so fucking hard.

When she broke away, Hunter looked up. Kata’s sister frowned, but her girlfriends were smiling from ear to ear. Ben, still surrounded by buddies and nursing another beer, looked at them with an uncertain scowl. Hunter danced her farther away from them all, closer to the windows with the stunning views of the Strip just lighting up for the night.

Shoving all the bystanders out of his mind, Hunter thrust both hands into that dark, silky hair twisting down Kata’s back and tugged gently until her neck arched for him.

“You’re playing dangerous games with me.”

A smug, sexy smile curled her fuckable lips. “I can handle you.” “You should find out what games I like before you get too confident.”

“Tell me.”

He stared right into her dilated eyes, took in the pulse beating at her neck. And he smiled. “I’d rather show you.”

Hunter took control and unleashed the force of his kiss on her, past her lips, into that cherry-tequila mouth, to tangle his tongue with hers in a sensuous dance. He demanded. Took. Followed the clues she gave him, those little gasps and shivers that told him what she wanted. Then he delivered.

Still eating at her mouth, Hunter grabbed her wrists and clasped them together with one unyielding hand at the small of her back. He bracketed her thighs with his own and pressed against her—chest, belly, hips. He urged her back to the wall, holding her completely immobile.

She gasped, and he swallowed the sound with another kiss. Fuck, yeah.

His body shook with the need to strip her bare, fuck her mindless, master her utterly. As brutally sexy images flooded his mind and her flavor intoxicated him, she wiggled one hand free and slipped it between them, wrapping her fingers around his cock. And then she gripped. Need tore through Hunter. He gritted his teeth, swallowing back a hiss—and shoved her hand behind her back once more.

Kata was accustomed to taking charge. She wouldn’t cede control to him easily, but he was determined and patient. He relished a good challenge. And he wasn’t going to quit until she surrendered completely.

AFTER blowing out her candles, Kata set in to celebrate. Evening turned to night as she chatted, danced, and burned with the knowledge of the pleasure yet to come.

Two hours later, the cake was decimated, and most of the revelers had gone back to their rooms or out to gamble. Kata swallowed back her fourth margarita of the night, feeling more than a bit euphoric. But since a girl didn’t turn twenty-five every day, tipsy was okay in her book.

Behind her, Hunter still stood very close, his hand slung on her hip. His body heat permeated her sweater and little black skirt— while his stiff cock pressed into her ass. Everything about his stance screamed possession, and she kind of liked the thought that he wouldn’t let her go until he was satisfied that he’d taken her as thoroughly as a man could. With Ben’s help, of course.

Since their dance, Kata had found it difficult to focus on anything other than getting the clothes off Hunter’s hard body and finding out just how capable he was of making her feel good. So why the hell had he cheered Ben on when her friend with benefits had suggested a drinking contest with another one of her neighbors?

For that matter, what was Ben thinking? This frat boy shit bored her. She’d never seen him down a six-pack like this. Why tonight?

“Go, go, go!” the small crowd surrounding them chanted, comprised of Ben’s opponent’s girlfriend and brother. Hunter remained silent.

Four minutes into the challenge, both opponents ripped open a new beer, Tim his fourth, Ben his fifth. They guzzled.

Two long minutes later, Ben belched and held up his sixth empty beer. “Did it!”

That, coupled with the copious amounts of beer and vodka he’d been drinking for the past few hours, made Ben a very drunk guy. His speech was slurred, and his limbs moved like wet noodles. Kata sighed and got up to make coffee. If he was going to be useful in helping fulfill her fantasy, she had to sober him up now.

His opponent, Tim, slammed his half-full bottle down. “Damn, I’m getting too old to drink anyone under the table.” He sighed, then turned to his girlfriend with a scowl. “Let’s go.”

After Tim grabbed his girlfriend’s arm and stomped out the door, his brother, Trey, hugged her. “Happy birthday, Kata. I hope it’s a great night.”

She smiled at the thirtysomething cop. “Thanks for coming to Vegas to celebrate with me.”

“And miss a kick-ass weekend? Never!” He flicked a gaze over at Hunter. “You okay for the rest of the night, or you need me to stay with you?”

Translation: Are you okay with this stranger?

No one knew Hunter much except Ben, who had assured her that Hunter was a great guy with a boatload of medals. But even if the sexy soldier hadn’t been a SEAL, Kata sensed that, while tough, he was good people. With his power play of a kiss earlier, he’d proven he had an uncompromising side. Then again, so did she.

Kata smiled. “I’m fine. Go enjoy the rest of your night.”

Trey shrugged. “I got a hundred-dollar chip from Caesars burning a hole in my pocket.”

She laughed and waved the trio out, then locked the door behind her and made her way to the suite’s little kitchen. Hallie and Chloe had left a few minutes ago to seek out single, gorgeous males for the night. She’d catch up with them on their flight home tomorrow morning. Marisol had gone back to her room shortly after Kata had blown out her candles. The mommy of two rambunctious school-age boys wasn’t used to late-night parties anymore.

So she, Ben, and Hunter were finally alone in the suite. Now the real fun could begin. After coffee.

She started the brew, then fished around the cabinets for mugs. Suddenly, she turned, and Hunter stood right there. She yelped. “Oh . . . You scared me. Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

A ghost of a smile played across his mouth. “Sorry. Can I help you with something?”

“No. Thanks. You want a cup?” She gestured to the coffee.

“I’m good for now. You need one?”

“I don’t actually drink it.” She looked out into the suite’s living room at her slouching friend. His eyes were at half-mast. “But Ben looks like he could use it.”

Ben sat up and barked, “I don’ want no fuckin’ coffee. I’ve just been waitin’ for ev’rone to leave so we could fuck. You still game, Kata?”

God knew she’d wanted a ménage forever. People did it and enjoyed it, from what she’d heard. She knew she’d feel the same.

But Ben was flat drunk. She’d never known his equipment to stop working, short of deep slumber, true. And she liked him, even if it was more as a friend than a lover. No denying that he was good in bed.

Hunter? Just being near the man made her tremble all over. Over the last few hours, she’d begun to sense that he was more than intense. That he crossed the line into forceful, maybe even controlling. That should send her running fast and hard. Given her family history, the idea of putting herself in the path of a domineering jackass terrified her. But Hunter just made her embarrassingly wet.

If she passed on this opportunity now because the situation wasn’t perfect, would this chance—or a man like Hunter—ever come her way again?

In a few dozen steps, Kata could be face-to-face with her biggest fantasy, if she just walked down the hall to the bedroom.

“I’m game.” She drew in a shaking breath and met Hunter’s blue gaze. “You?”

Every time she looked at him, she went a bit more breathless. He was gorgeous, but she didn’t feel this way with every gorgeous guy she met. It was him. He rolled up like a quiet storm, all cool and collected, but inside, barely leashed power filled him. Kata wanted to be the one to undo all that.

“I came here for you. I’m nothing but game, honey,” Hunter drawled.

“Then . . . I guess we should go to the bedroom.”

“Damn straight!” Ben rose to his feet, stumbled.

Hunter caught and steadied him, while gesturing down the hall. Ben lurched, walking unsteadily forward. Still, he managed to bounce from one wall to the other like a pinball on the boards. She watched, biting her lip.

Hunter approached her, his hot palm at the small of her back. “Second thoughts?”

“No. I’m worried about Ben.”

He gripped her shoulder, squeezed. “It’ll all work out. C’mon.”

She nodded, figuring she was wasting time worrying about what might happen. Right now, she had two hotties willing to fulfill her fantasy. Why worry about anything?

Exhaling away her tension, Kata sauntered toward the bedroom, anticipation simmering inside her. And not just from the fantasy itself. She was familiar with Ben; they’d fallen into a twice weekly routine, so she knew exactly what to expect from him. But Hunter . . .

She cast a glance at him, and her breathing hitched. He sent her a slow smile that dripped sex. Kata looked forward to him. He’d likely drive her insane with the sort of pleasure she’d only ever imagined. She couldn’t wait.

“If you move that pretty ass faster,” Hunter drawled, “I’ll get my mouth on your pussy faster.”

Her stomach flipped over, and their gazes connected. Her breath caught. Oh, holy shit. He meant that.

She nearly ran the rest of the way to the bedroom.

Inside, against the backdrop of glittering Vegas night sky, Ben was already shedding his clothes, shirt half unbuttoned, one shoe on, the other off. The fly of his jeans and his eyes were both partially open.

After she drew shut the heavy hotel drapes along the south side of the room, Hunter took her cue and closed those along the east wall, shrouding the room in almost total darkness. Which brought her a measure of comfort. As a plus-sized girl, she liked her curves, but if her lover didn’t, she didn’t want to know. She preferred to leave the lights off. Ben had never minded.

Hunter flipped on the bedside lamp, and a white glow encircled the bedroom’s huge king-sized bed. She hesitated, then crossed the room and switched it off, leaving them in shadow. “I’d feel better . . .”

Even in the semidarkness, she sensed his displeasure. Kata found herself regretting that. Why should she care what he thought? He’d be gone by morning. And she’d always been determined to please no one but herself. The minute a guy showed any sign of trying to pull controlling macho bullshit, she got out quick. Hunter hadn’t said a word, but somehow, she knew that he wanted to see her exposed to his gaze. Vulnerable. The thought terrified and aroused her at once.

“Kata, I need help,” Ben called.

Relieved to have something else to focus on, she dashed to his side, helping him off with his other shoe. “You really tied one on tonight.”

“Aw, don’ be pissed off. The guys challenged me, and—”

“And you weren’t smart enough to turn them down, even when you knew you’d win? Seriously, Ben.”