Riya sat back and listened to her radio about someone dancing on their own. She used to feel that way, and instead she had an over-protective male who was going to be opening her car door any second.

Gray knocked on the window, and she unlocked her door, and he opened it.

“I like that your car was locked,” he said as he took her hand and helped her out of the car.

“What’s another word for over-protective?” Riya started walking with him up the path to her house.

“Caring?” he suggested.

She leaned against his side. When they got to the door, she fished out her keys and handed them to him. What was the point of fighting him on this? It was important for him to unlock the door and check her house. He went in and dealt with the alarm.

As soon as the door was shut behind them, he pulled her into his arms.

A slow burn had been building all day while she’d watched him at the O’Malley’s. Who was she kidding, it wasn’t watching him, it was the way he cared for her. He made her feel cherished.

“I need my kiss,” he rasped out.

“So who’s stopping you?”

She loved teasing him.

He slanted his mouth over hers, and magic sparkled all around them. Her hands slid up his chest, kneading his hard muscles, reveling in his strength. He pulled her even closer, so that she was trapped. She didn’t care, because his kiss had gone from a storm to a hurricane, ripping away all sense. Gray’s hand was tangled in her hair, guiding her head so that her mouth was exactly where he wanted it.

Having Gray in charge aroused her. All of her erogenous zones flared to life. She squeezed her legs together to stop herself from squirming, but nothing could prevent the flame of heated response that gathered at her core.

Did he just bite my lower lip?

“Come back to me,” he demanded. Then he pressed stinging kisses along her jaw and down the side of her neck.

Einstein tried to push himself between them, meowing his need for attention.

“Nope,” Gray said looking down. “She’s mine. You get her most of the time. Tonight she’s mine.”

Didn’t that sound nice? Actually a whole lot better than nice. It sounded absolutely wonderful.

“Did you go away again?”

“Hmmm?” What was he talking about?

Gray was looking at her weird. He was waiting for her response.

“No, I was just thinking how I felt about your usage of the word ‘mine’.”

Gray winced. “And? What was your conclusion?”

“I liked it.”

He backed her up against the hallway wall, hands on either side of her head. “That’s good. Because you are. You’re mine.”

She had to tilt back her head to look at him. “What do I get to call you?”

He took his time answering. He moved one of his hands to cup her cheek, his rough thumb slid along her lower lip, sending shivers coursing through her body. “What do you want to call me? What do I mean to you?”

She’d been going to repeat back the word ‘mine’. But then he asked that follow-up question. She hadn’t quite anticipated this. Then, intellect melted into emotion, wave after wave of exquisite memories coursed through her body. She trembled with need, with passion but most of all, with love.

“You’re my lover.”

Gray went blank for a moment, then he gave her a wicked smile. “Damn right I am, let me take you upstairs and prove it.”

He stepped backwards, and she grabbed his shirt with both hands. “No,” she cried. “I said that wrong.”

“What are you talking about? Of course I’m your lover.”

“My love. You’re my love, is what I meant to say.”

Gray stopped, his sapphire blue eyes blazed. He covered her hands with his. “Honey—”

“I think I love you.” The words burst out of her. They still weren’t right. Dammit. Her fingers pressed into his chest through his sweatshirt. “I love you so much. You’re my love. You’re so much my love.”

It was like the roof of her house had been ripped off, night turned to day and the sun was shining. She got it right. She loved Gray Tyler.

“Ah, Honey, that’s what I meant when I claimed you as mine. I love you too.”

Riya’s eyes shimmered like black diamonds in the dim hallway light. He needed her in the most elemental way. He needed to stake his claim. Letting go of her hands he bent to pick her up, but she laughed and darted out from under him and made a run for it up the stairs. “Come and get me, Lover.”

Oh, he was going to get her. Gray slowly made his way up the stairs. He saw that Riya had pulled back the comforter.

“Glad to see you hadn’t taken off your clothes.”

She pointed to her sneakers in the corner. Then she grinned. “I left my socks on, though. I’ve kind of figured out you like my feet.”

The woman was right.

Scratch that, his woman was right.

Gray closed the bedroom door, and came to stand in front of her.

“Why’d you do that?”

“No company until sleepy time. Einstein puts me off my game.”

“Gray, I have never complained. You have blown me away.

“Every.

“Single.

“Time.”

That was actually great to hear, because she made him so crazy. He sometimes wondered if he was fucking things up when she was blowing his mind. He reached up and touched the strands of hair that covered her breasts. He gathered up the dark mass into a fist and enjoyed how she wet her lips in anticipation of what he would do next.

Pulling her hair into a ponytail at the back of her head, he tugged so that her face was tilted upwards. She gave a soft pant.

“You like this, don’t you?”

“Yes.” The word wasn’t a sigh, it was a hiss.

He tugged harder. Her eyes dilated, and her face flushed. It still wasn’t enough. He pulled just a little harder, and he exalted when he saw her squirm and squeeze her thighs together.

“You’re wet for me, aren’t you?”

She closed her eyes, then opened them. He couldn’t tell where her pupils ended and her irises began. “I need you so bad. I’m so ready for you.”

She couldn’t say it. The woman who worked on a sex study couldn’t admit she was wet. He swooped in for a kiss. It was hot and needy. She sent him close to the edge. No woman ever excited him more. He’d always thought love was going to be a soft and warm emotion, not this elemental, explosive craving.

Gray backed her up until he could lower her to the bed. As soon as she was lying down, he knelt at her feet and began to pull off her socks. She was right, he was obsessed with her feet. He stroked her arches.

“Hurry,” she murmured.

“No.”

He threw her socks over his shoulder, then he pulled her up into a sitting position. Ever so slowly, he peeled the UCSD sweatshirt over her head, then sucked in a deep breath when he found nothing but the sheerest red lace.

“Surprise,” she whispered.

“You’re going to give me a heart attack.”

“I like wrapping paper, you like unwrapping gifts, it’s a win-win.” Her black eyes danced. He cupped her breasts while they were encased in the delicate fabric, then he circled her nipples with his thumbs. Riya threw her head back and moaned.

He put his mouth over one hard peak, and suckled.

“More,” she cried.

He bit softly. It took him a moment to figure out she was trying to undo her jeans.

“Nuh-uh, that’s my job.” He pushed her back so that she was flat on her back. He divested her of her jeans. He took a short moment to admire the matching red thong, but right now it had to go.

"Please, Gray, hurry up."

He was going to do everything in his power, not to hurry up. But it was going to be hell. Riya struggled to sit up.

"What are you doing?"

"You're not hurrying. You need to be naked."

She was right.

"Lie back," he commanded sternly. She continued to move. He tried a different approach. "If you hold still, I'll make it worth your while."

All movement stopped, and her eyes glittered up at him. Damn, he was so hard, he'd never be able to unbutton his jeans over his erection. Gray pulled his Henley shirt over his head.

"More," she practically purred.

He sat down on the bed, and untied his boots, and yanked off his socks, then he stood back up and pulled at the buttons on his jeans, and winced. Yep, his woman had made the situation hard.

I did not just think that, did I?

His brain had officially turned to mush.

His.

She was his.

He picked up her foot and brought it to his chest. He stroked her toes, and looked at the flesh at the top of her thighs. He could see that she was wet for him, and it made him crazy. This petite little scientist matched him.

Riya gave him a sultry grin and slowly lifted her other leg, pointing her toe at him, as she aimed it at his erect flesh. Gray waited with baited breath, then she stroked her soft foot over his cock and he shuddered.

She gave him a wicked smile, then did it again, smoothing it up, then down. He grabbed her foot, pulling it away from his cock. He bent her legs and then knelt down beside the bed.

"No, it's my turn to taste you, I've been keeping score," she protested.

"You foolish, foolish girl. Keeping score means you think that I lose when I get to lick you up." Gray bent his head and gently brushed his tongue over her tender flesh. He heard her sigh with pleasure, and sweat gathered on the back of his neck. He wasn't going to last long.

"Get a condom," she breathed. As much as he wanted...needed...to hear that, he was going to make her come this way first.

Gray curled his tongue around the bud of her clit, then pushed a finger into her tight sheath. The feel of her was intoxicating. He needed to bury himself inside her. Her sighs were turning to moans. Gray increased the speed of his thrusts, and caressed her swollen flesh in tighter circles. More. Faster.

"Gray!"

Hallelujah.

He stood up and grabbed his jeans, fished out the condom and covered himself. Riya stared at him, clearly in a daze. He moved her languid body so that it rested in the middle of the bed, then slid beside her. He gathered her beside him. It was like a fire was lit, because Riya rolled over on top of him.

"Now I have you where I want you," She said.

"You do?"

The most perfect lips in the world lowered and blessed him with a kiss. Gray's head spun. He felt the rasp of lace on his chest, and realized the pretty red bra was still adorning Riya's golden flesh. He worked the clasp loose and slid it off her, so he could touch her luxuriant breasts without any impediment. He loved the feel of her stiff nipples rubbing against his palms. But there was one thing he needed more.

Gray lifted Riya and positioned her, so that he was lined up with her entrance. He looked up at her face. All he saw was eager anticipation. Wasn't that fantastic?

She braced herself against his abdomen and slowly slid downward, her tight flesh engulfing him in molten rapture. He gritted his teeth. It was her show, and he wasn’t going to rush her, no matter how badly his body was demanding release.

“I want to do this forever and ever.” He had to strain to hear her. When he did, his heart melted.

“So do I, Baby.”

A long slide and he was home. “Help me, Gray.” Another whisper.

“Tell me what you need, Riya.”

She bent down, and rested her head on his chest. He slipped his hands down to the plush globes of her ass and pulled her close, starting a languid rhythm. Riya moved her hands and gripped his hair.

“God, yes. I need this. More, give me everything.” She slammed her mouth to his, tangling their tongues, turning their lovemaking into a hectic force that stunned him.

Gray met her greedy need with masculine power. He rolled them over and Riya’s legs clamped around his waist as her internal muscles milked his cock.

“Yes,” she screamed out her release.

He closed his eyes as he followed her over the edge. He gathered her as close as he could. His universe could never be complete without her.