After allowing her a short doze, Flynn tucked her into one of the ultra-soft robes the club kept on hand for aftercare. Cashmere, by his guess, noticing how Cassie snuggled into the ultra-soft fabric with a contented sigh. No doubt it cost a small fortune. The owners never skimped on amenities for their members; thus, the club was aptly named, and the membership fees hefty. Now, more than ever before, since he had Cassie to enjoy it with him, he found it well worth the expense.

With her warm and covered from chin to ankles, he scooped her up in his arms, flipped the “needs cleaning” sign on the door, then strode down the darkened hall to the stairs that led to the third floor and the owners’ private apartments.

Eight in all, he entered the largest at the far end of the long corridor. It belonged to Eric and Val, and he smiled when he saw a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket of ice on the bar. Setting his sleepy new sub on her feet, he guided her one-handed into the bathroom, while grabbing two glasses and the bottle with the other, as they passed.

Seeing her sway, he propped her against the wall, before filling the tub. As steam heated the room, he gathered several thick, thirsty towels and laid them nearby, then looked over the variety of bath soaps on the vanity. He selected eucalyptus mint, the only neutral scent that wouldn’t leave him smelling like a flower or a fruit salad. After starting the Jacuzzi jets, he squeezed a generous amount of body wash into the churning water, then turned his attention back to Cassie.

Drowsy and looking fucking adorable, he stripped off her robe and lifted her into the tub, not letting go until she sank into the oodles of bubbles up to her rosy tipped breasts.

She hissed, but it soon changed to a throaty groan.

“Is it too hot?” he asked.

“Un-uh,” she purred. “It’s perfect.”

Amused, and eager to join her, he hurried and popped the cork on the champagne, then poured them each a glass.

“Scoot forward,” he ordered as he stepped into the steamy, sudsy bath with a full glass in each hand. Although filled to the brim, he managed not to spill a drop as he lowered himself in behind her, his legs grazing her hips and thighs as he extended his much longer ones the length of the big tub. He wrapped her fingers around one of the champagne flutes before easing her back against him. “I’m not done with you yet. Only one glass for you, or you’ll be nodding off again.”

Over her shoulder, he watched as she wrinkled her nose—so fucking cute—but took a sip without protesting.

They soaked, savoring the expensive vintage Eric had provided while enjoying the quiet moment together. When he’d drained his glass, he set it aside and picked up a loofah. Starting at her neck, Flynn bathed her, fascinated by the water and bubbles sliding over her flawless skin. He squeezed the sponge over her shoulders sending frothy suds down her chest and over what he could see of her breasts where they peeked above the water line. While rinsing away the foam obscuring his view, he opted for no barriers between him and her beautiful body and switched to using only his hands. He washed her arms, chest, and breasts, lingering on the latter and reveling in the feel of his fingers gliding over the slick globes, and bringing each nipple to a hard point. Noticing her breathing quickening, he moved on, still needing to wash the rest of her before things got out of control.

“Drape your legs over mine.”

Wonderfully compliant, she did as he asked, lounging against him while opening herself up to his touch.

Moving down her belly, he rubbed his soap-slicked hands over her hips, the length of her legs, then back up the insides to her spread thighs. There, he raised his hips, bringing her pussy to the surface of the water. After scooping up handfuls of suds, he ran his fingertips the length of her slit, then with two fingers, delved into her heat and soaped her there too.

She arched into his touch, seeking more. He gave it to her, but only for a minute, then withdrew. With a pat on her inner thigh, rosy pink from the warm water, he ordered. “Flip over, and I’ll get your back.”

“But Flynn, I was almost there.”

He squelched a laugh at how disappointed she sounded, then brought his hand down, this time for a light spank instead of a pat, right on her pussy. She yelped and slammed her legs together, sitting up in surprise. Her movements sent a wave over the edge of the tub. He didn’t scold her because her response trapped his hand between her thighs. Never one to miss an opportunity, he sank two fingers into her pussy, while his thumb found her clit.

“You are rusty, imp. Does the sub decide how we go about things?”

“No, sir,” she answered, breathing hard.

“That’s right. As the Dom, I’m driving this ship. And I’ve decided there’ll be no more coming tonight without permission.” He removed his hand. “Now flip over so I can finish.”

He relieved her of her glass before she turned to face him. Grasping her hips, he slid her upward, her breasts gliding along his chest in the water. Her eyes had lost their sleepy appearance and grown darker, the dilated pupils indicative of her unquenched desire.

Flynn shifted her until their hips aligned, then he guided her legs to the outside of his, so she straddled him again, this time front to front. Already hard, he fitted his length against the wet seam of her pussy.

Her lips parted on an indrawn breath, then curved into a sultry smile. “Your recuperative powers are amazing, Commander. It makes me wonder how much you have in reserves. By my count, you’re behind four orgasms to two.” She shook her head sadly. “That just doesn’t seem fair.”

Chuckling, he brushed back the few strands of hair that clung to her cheeks, and finger combed the rest of the thick, wet mass over her shoulders. “You’re keeping score?”

“No,” she said quickly, then admitted with a grin, “Well, kind of.”

“I’m pacing myself.” He slid his hands beneath the heavy drape of hair around her shoulders. “And I’ve learned to value quality, over quantity, something I plan to teach you. Still, I have a six-month drought to make up for, and I’ll expect your full cooperation to help me even the score.”

As one hand curled around her nape, his fingers splayed wide to encompass both cheeks, while he pumped his hips, the iron hard length gliding through her folds, proving he not only had the fortitude to take her again but the intention.

“You have it, sir. Along with my appreciation of your stamina, which for a man of your years—” She yelped before she could finish, responding to the stinging smack he landed on the rosy cheeks peeking up through the bubbles.

“I’ll make a deal with you. I won’t call you girl genius or kiddo if you refrain from calling me an old man.”

“I was going to say years of experience.”

That earned her a pinch. “Same thing, imp.”

“I meant years of experience… in the lifestyle. I swear it wasn’t a crack about your age, Flynn.” The gleam in her eyes and the slight twitch of her lips belied both claims.

While he shook his head, he murmured more to himself than to her, “And she wonders how I came up with her nickname.” He rubbed the spot he’d so recently chastised, as he met her gaze. “Fibbers are dealt with harshly in my household. Be warned.”

She pushed up from his chest with another splash but ignored it as she stared down at him. With her breasts gleaming and soapy, and her skin glowing and flushed, she made a pretty picture, but she was either unconcerned or oblivious to the fact. “Your household,” she repeated. “Does that mean you want me to move in with you?”

He frowned. “Where did you think this was headed, Cassie? I don’t want you thirty minutes away on the mainland when I can have you in my bed. We’ll go by your place tomorrow and pack a bag, then worry about moving the rest in next weekend.”

She bit her lip. “Are you sure this isn’t too soon? What if I have a bad habit you can’t stand, like leaving the cap off the toothpaste?”

“I have creative ways to correct bad habits.” His fingers flexed on her behind as he gave her a reminder squeeze. “Besides, wasn’t it you, only moments ago, regretting all the time we wasted?”

“Yes, but living together, isn’t that a huge step? We haven’t even been out on a date. And we’ve barely talked about what we like and don’t like. You know, about sex and all the BDSM stuff.” Her face glowed pink with embarrassment as she tried to make her point. “Especially that. There are limits and rules to discuss. Shouldn’t we hash everything out first?”

“Earlier, you said you were falling in love with me, Cassie. Was that true?”

He grinned at her shyness and the captivating flush in her cheeks, but she didn’t hesitate in her response. “I misspoke, Flynn.”

Dread lanced through his heart. Had he heard her right? “What was that?”

“I should have said I’ve already fallen—past tense. I think I’ve loved you from the start.”

Closing his eyes, he bent forward, his forehead coming to rest against hers. “You scared me for a moment there.” As the pain receded, he gathered her closer. “I love you, too, Cassie, and isn’t that the only thing we need to hash out before we get started?”

Her nose crinkled as she considered his answer—so fucking cute. Eventually, she nodded.

Flynn couldn’t keep from chuckling. “That wasn’t very convincing. Nor was a frown the reaction I expected when I told you I love you for the first time.”

Her mouth rounded. “Oh my God, Flynn. I didn’t mean to brush off what you said, not at all.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “See what I mean? I’m awful at relationships.”

“Baby, I was teasing.” He slid his hands to her face, cupping her jaw as he brought her in for a kiss, but when she whispered, “I don’t want to mess this up; you mean too much to me,” he drew back.

“You won’t mess us up; I won’t let it happen.”

“We sent each other conflicting messages for months and have only played once. How can you know that?”

Taking in her worried expression, his arms tightened around her. “Fine, if you need to hash this out, here goes. A man of my years, in the lifestyle, as you say, knows what he wants. And I want you.” He paused, seeing that wasn’t enough to convince her. “Since we’ve eliminated the misguided assumptions keeping us apart, I want it all. And I’ll be damned if I let you go back to your apartment, only to see you every other Friday for lunch and when our schedules allow. I waited six long months already. I want you with me, at my house, and in my bed.” He used his thumbs to wipe away the tears tracking down her cheeks. “As for the rest, Cassie, we’ll take it as it comes.” He nudged her chin up and his lips lightly brushed hers. “I train newbies for a living, that takes a patient man. I’ll have no problem teaching you what I like.”

“The methods you use for training in your day job are a bit extreme, sir.”

“I won’t haul you down to the grinder if you misbehave, if that’s what you’re worried about. Over my knee for a sound paddling is more my style.”

She sniffled, a hint of a smile gracing her tear streaked, though still beautiful, face. “I already learned that about you.”

He quirked a brow and grinned. “See what I mean? We don’t need to hash out rules and formal protocols. We’ll work it out as we go. The exploring and excitement of discovery are half the fun, anyway. I don’t need a list of what you’ve tried and with whom. Hell, the thought of you with anyone else pisses me off. It’s irrational, but I don’t care. You’re mine, and I can’t think of you any other way.”

He knew he had allayed some of her fears when the tiny lines between her perfectly arched brows disappeared. His hands slid down her back and curved around her bottom. He hoped his next decree would ease her worries even more. “As we build a future together, let’s leave history, both yours and mine where it belongs, in our past.”

She raised her hand to his cheek and stroked his jaw with her thumb. “I love the idea of a future with you, Flynn. I just worry.”

“I’ve noticed, imp. We’ll work on that.” He turned his head and placed a kiss in her palm, surprising a whimper from her when his tongue came out to tease with a lick. “As far as kink and D/s go, we’ll play, and I’ll ask you to try new things. But I’m not into anything scary, and nothing too extreme, no blood, knives, or breath play. I like toys, restraints, and rope, lots of rope. Most sailors do.”

She didn’t need to tell him she did too. He’d learned earlier she came fast and hard when bound and vulnerable to all the tantalizing things he did to her body—and this was only the beginning.

“I already know you enjoy the attention I pay to your luscious backside; it gets you wet, and I love that. I’ll spank you often, with or without an excuse, and I won’t only use my hand, Cassie. But no matter if we’re here at the club, or playing at home, or when a real punishment is earned, like the first time in my office, you’ll always be safe with me.”

“I trust you, Flynn, and feel safe with you too, so my backside is all yours.” She dipped her head and buried her face in his neck the next instant as she murmured, “I cannot believe I just said that.”

“Ah, but you did, imp, and I plan to take full advantage.” He couldn’t keep from laughing when she moaned, which sounded halfway between excitement and dread. The sudden movement of his chest jarred her so she slid sideways. His arms caught her, but she clutched at his shoulders sending more water sloshing onto the floor.

When her head came up, they grinned at one another.

For his final point, he grew serious. “There is one more thing.” He pulled her up until they were nose to nose, her eyes on him. “I expect honesty, Cassie—always—whether in day-to-day issues or here at the club. And I’ll give you the same respect. I’ll be more upset if you hide something from me rather than owning up to a mistake.”

“I can do that, Flynn. I don’t want secrets between us either.”

His mouth came down on hers hard, rife with both happiness and possession, but he pulled away before he wanted to. He needed to address something else she said before he lost control. “Since we’ve settled the D/s “stuff”, let’s talk about dating. How many picnic lunches or morning coffees have we shared?”

She blinked. “What?”

“We went to the see the Padres play twice and to that Wine and Canvas Art show you dragged me to downtown. We also went to Sunday brunch at least once a month, and to the mall. I’m a man, Cassie. I don’t do malls, but I went because you asked me to help you pick out a new driver for your dad’s birthday.” Her eyes widened as what he was saying sank in, and he wasn’t done. “We might not have been romantically involved, but we grew to care about each other without it, which puts us at an advantage starting out. Today proved intimacy between us sure as hell isn’t a problem. After all of that, do you really have to ask if moving in is too soon?”

“We’ve been a couple for months without the sex,” she observed, sounding as dazed as she looked. “It’s like I had blinders on.”

“It seems we both did but thank fuck they’re off now.”

The little lines appeared between her brows as her pink lips puckered.

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

He caught her chin in his hand with a stern reminder. “No secrets, Cassie.”

“I just wondered, since we’re together now, and you’re my big bad bossy Dom, does it mean you won’t want to do any of those things anymore? We had fun, or I thought we did.”

“Did you hear me complaining?”

Her mouth fell open. “Uh, yes!”

Flynn frowned, trying to recall when, but couldn’t. “I don’t remember—”

“The Nouvelle Artiste Exposition,” she reminded him.

“You mean the abstract crap that looked like a two-year-old threw paint on a bunch of canvases, and not well I might add.”

She burst into giggles. “It was pretty awful, wasn’t it?”

His thumb swept over the fullness of her lower lip, charmed by her easy smile and the lovely glow in her cheeks. “I want you to be happy, Cassie.”

“You make me happy, Flynn,” she whispered, her lovely blue eyes glistening.

“Good, but I’m just getting started.” She beamed at him through her tears. “I assume you want the same for me.”

“Of course! I live to see the dimple in your cheek, sir.”

“Are you getting sassy with me, imp?”

“No. It comes out when you’re happy, I swear.”

He caught her lower lip with his teeth and nipped it. “Then to help promote my future happiness, how about you go with Jules to the artsy events, and save the fun stuff for me? I’m up for the ball games and a day spent sailing on the bay. Count me in for walks by the ocean, bike rides at sunset, and making out on the beach under the moon. And we’ll come up here to the club to play, often.”

A radiant smile graced her lips when he finished. “I like your idea of fun stuff. You’ve got a deal. Colt will be grateful; he hates that girly crap, too.”

“Any more reservations about moving in with me?”

“No, I can’t wait.”

“You’ll have to, at least until morning.” His tongue slid along her lower lip before he sealed his mouth over hers, in a slow, wet, bone tingling kiss. When they were both breathless, he called a halt to it once more out of necessity. “The water’s getting cold. Let’s get you out before you turn into a shivering prune.”

Without waiting for a response, he stood with her in his arms, sheets of water pouring off them. He lifted her out, and took his time drying every glorious inch of her, rubbing until her skin took on a warm rosy glow. She returned the favor, delighting in trailing her towel covered hands over his body. She paused when she found the crescent-shaped scar on his right side just beneath his ribs.

Tracing it with her fingertips, she asked, “What’s this from?”

“Shrapnel from an IED in Kabul.”

Her brows drew together, continuing her rub down only after she’d brushed her lips in a tender caress over the site of the decade-old injury. Bypassing his midsection, she dropped to her knees to dry his feet and legs. It didn’t take long until she found another scar, this one from a car bomb in Kandahar that sent flying metal ripping into his thigh. One of his men had died that day, two others severely injured. It was a horrific memory that had no place in what he shared tonight with Cassie.

He would have drawn her to her feet, ending it, but she touched the jagged, ugly reminder and rubbed her flawless cheek over his damaged skin. Moved by her tender touch, he threaded his fingers through her damp hair, combing through it.

“You’re getting a battered old frogman in this deal. There’s a third on my shoulder in back.”

“I’m so glad you’re not over there anymore. I’d be sick with worry.” She looked up his body, concern reflected in her beautiful blue eyes. “Please say you won’t ever have to go back.”

“We talked of this once before. Special forces are in demand, and someone—many someones, in fact—have to train new teams. It’s a high-risk career, the conditions harsh, the work grueling, so ten years is often all we get from a SEAL. With that in mind and the many conflicts around the world, the Navy values my role here just as much as those abroad. So, the answer is no, most likely. But I’m a Navy man, Cassie, and follow orders. If they call me, I have to go.”

“After twenty years you could retire.” Her eyes narrowed as her voice turned firm with conviction. “You’ve done your fair share, Flynn. You’ve got the scars to prove it. Two decades is more than enough.”

His hand slid out of her hair to cup her cheek, intense pleasure welling in his chest as she nuzzled his palm. “Such a tigress in defense of your man. I like it. Rest easy though, the chances of being reassigned to another team are very unlikely.”

She lowered her eyes and nodded. As she lifted the towel to pay attention to the parts in the middle she’d skipped, he had other ideas.

“Drop the towel, Cassie. I think your tongue will be sufficient to dry the rest.”

He didn’t have to ask twice. Terrycloth hit the floor, and she immediately began lapping at the droplets still beaded on his skin. Starting low on his right hip, she moved up to his lower abs. Her hands weren’t idle, sliding from the backs of his thighs up to his ass cheeks where her fingers curled and hung on. His cock jerked, demanding its due.

Flynn was of like mind. Taking himself in hand, he stared down at the beautiful submissive gazing up at him, her lips only inches away from where he wanted them most. Although she’d taken initiative in other ways, in this, she waited for his permission. Something he didn’t hesitate to give.

Rigid with wanting her, his fingers slid along her jaw, while he guided the head of his cock to her mouth. “This needs your attention the most.”

Hot and wet, her tongue came out and swirled around the tip. Then she tilted her head, and with her stunning eyes locked on his, dragged the flat of her tongue along the underside. His dick ached, his balls tightening at the sensation, and a knot of tension formed low in his gut.

“Suck me.” His order came out raspy.

Cassie opened wide and took him into her mouth. The bright blueness of her eyes darkened as he slid along her tongue. She worked him, sucking and swirling, occasionally taking him deep until he felt the muscles in her throat closing, then pulling off and lapping at the sensitive head while she caught her breath.

Without breaking eye contact, she brought him to the brink, never once using her hands, which remained palms up on her thighs. It was one of the most erotic sights he’d ever seen.

“Damn, Cassie, you have an incredible mouth.”

She withdrew with strong suction, then without releasing him, reversed, and her lips slid down around the length of him. It felt phenomenal and was almost too much.

Flynn’s other hand threaded through her hair.

“Hold on to me.”

She obeyed, her hands curling around the backs of his thighs. He pumped his hips, fucking her mouth. He didn’t demand more than she could take, though moved deep and at a rhythm challenging enough for her to understand who was in control.

When she handled what he gave her, he increased his pace, and she managed that too. It felt fucking fantastic, but if he didn’t stop soon, he’d come down her throat. That was for another time, sooner rather than later, but tonight he wanted to finish with her, while buried deep in her pussy.

Flynn withdrew from the warm, wet haven of her mouth, pulled her to her feet, and into his arms. He took her lips, sucking on her tongue. Urgent to taste more of her sweetness, he broke the kiss and carried her to bed. Once there, he located the cuffs secured to the headboard—what else could he expect in a Dom’s apartment over a BDSM club? With her eager compliance, Cassie held out her wrists to assist him.

“You like your hands bound, don’t you, baby?”

“Yes. Giving up control to you is hot, sir.”

“So noted.” He grinned. “Let’s see if I can get you hotter.”

With her wrists tied to the posts at the head of the bed, he found leg straps tucked into the sides. One at a time, he wrapped them around her thighs, just above her knees, and secured them so she was spread out before him, completely immobilized.

Flynn took a moment to admire her in restraints.

Cheeks flushed, with her lips parted, her breasts rising and falling as she panted with excitement. Her splayed pussy glistened with wetness as she waited for what he would do next. And the pink hole he had taken earlier, claiming it solely as his, contracted as moisture from above trickled over it as if her body prepared itself if he should go that route again. Damn, it was like she’d been made especially for him.

Hungry, he lowered his mouth and consumed her, the sweetness of her cunt something he’d never get his fill of. He didn’t stop until she screamed through not one, but two more climaxes.

Then he rose above her, and with his knees on the bed, fists bracketing her torso, lowered himself in a controlled downward stroke. Without touching her anywhere else, he filled her tight, hot, drenched channel.

“I’m gonna come again,” she cried.

“Then do it but realize it will make the count seven to two, and I’m not letting you up until I even the score.”

“You’d kill me with pleasure.”

He grinned while withdrawing at the same unhurried pace. “Highly unlikely, sweetheart, but it sure would be a hell of a way to go.”

Increasing the tempo, he drove into her a moment later, relishing the glove-tight fit and the ripple of her satiny sheath all around him as sure enough, she came again.

He groaned as her orgasm pulled him into his own.

After they recovered, and he released her restraints, Flynn rolled them onto their sides while still inside her. Yeah, if it ended for him while in bed, buried deep in his beautiful Cassie, he’d die a happy man. But he prayed he had another forty or fifty years of fucking her ahead of him first.

The following Monday, they drove into work together, a short seven-minute commute from Flynn’s house on the island, something Cassie liked, a lot. Planning to drop her off at the lab before heading to the firing range for drills, he parked and like always, came around to her side of the truck to get her door. She felt his eyes on her, and rather than hopping down like she normally did, she eased out, sliding to the ground. It was a distance for her short legs, and despite her caution, the landing jarred her. She couldn’t hide her slight wince of pain.

“What’s wrong?”

“Not being used to certain activities, I’m a little sore.”

With her caged in by his body and the open door, the vehicle behind her providing a screen from curious eyes, he slid his arms around her. His hands curved over her ass cheeks, and he squeezed. “That comes with being out of practice, imp. I’ll have to whip you into shape. Maybe I need to put you through First Phase conditioning.”

The thought of walking up the few steps in front of her, let alone running and swimming for miles made her groan. He gazed down at her, lips twitching with amusement, then dipped his head for a quick, yet smoldering kiss.

Ending it much too soon for Cassie’s liking, but out of necessity, considering they were in a busy parking lot at work, he moved back, bringing her with him, and slammed the door. When she groaned as she stepped up on the curb, Flynn put an arm around her to help, more than a little concerned.

“You can barely move,” he exclaimed. “Maybe you should take the day off.”

“I’ve got a system update to run today, and I think my boss would frown upon taking a sick day for overdoing it on the weekend.”

“Call it a personal day. He doesn’t need to know why does he? Isn’t that why they’re called personal?”

“I’m okay, honey. Really. I’ve got ibuprofen in my office I can take.”

He frowned as he opened the heavy glass door for her. “Tonight, you get a hot bath and a deep-tissue massage. And we’re taking a night off from sex, maybe two. I teased about fucking you until you couldn’t walk, Cassie, but never intended to actually do it.”

She gasped, glancing around to see if anyone may have heard. “I’m not sore from too much sex.” When she said the last word, she dropped her voice to a whisper. “It’s from weeding your rose garden out back yesterday.”

He blinked in surprise. “Why did you do that? I have a yard service.”

“I know, but they’re ripping you off. Your granddad’s white roses were being choked out by weeds, and several other bushes needed pruning. When I got started, I couldn’t stop. Now my calves are tight, and my hamstrings are killing me from all the bending. Not to mention—” She thought better of using the words aching glutes to an ass man; it would only give him ideas. Instead, she concluded, “You get the gist.”

“New plan. Bath, massage, then a sound paddling.”

Her head snapped up. “What did I do?”

“I told you I didn’t need an excuse,” he replied with a predatory grin. “Other than your ass fits my hand just right and is made for spanking.”

“That can’t possibly be my fault.”

“No, but since your gardening made you too sore to fuck, you’ve got to give me something.”

“I didn’t say I was too sore to, um—,” she glanced around again, checking to see no one could overhear this altogether inappropriate conversation. Spying two uniformed men in the vicinity, although likely still out of earshot, she lowered her voice to a whisper anyway when she finished with, “—you know.”

“You don’t have the vantage point I have and aren’t watching you move like an eighty-year-old grandmother. After your bath tonight, I think I’ll sit with my back against the headboard with you naked across my lap, and in between swats to that luscious ass, I’ll massage all your aches and pains away.”

Not admitting to the warmth the idea stirred in her body, she rolled her eyes and walked into the small lobby. Unstaffed by a receptionist, she was glad for it for once, because she would have gotten an earful.

Flynn didn’t miss her put-upon expression. “That look right there earned you a plug in your saucy bottom for good measure.” As he bent for his goodbye kiss, his hand slid around her waist, the tips of his fingers resting meaningfully on the upper curves of her behind.

She dutifully raised her mouth to his. “What have I gotten myself into with you? I think you’re a sadist.”

“You won’t once you’ve seen the real ones at the club. Besides, you’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done to you so far. Admit it.”

“Yes, but you have a vivid imagination. I’m almost afraid to find out what’s next.”

“A little anxiety adds excitement, which makes it all the better for you, imp. Say ‘Thank you, Flynn’.”

“How about I love you, instead?”

Both arms came around her, big hands sliding over her behind as he hauled her onto her toes, and up against the hard bulge in the front of his pants. Sealing his mouth over hers, he used his tongue, not caring who might pass by out front and see them in a hot clinch through the glass doors. When she was too muddled to think straight or care if the entire base paraded by, he raised his head a fraction and said against her tingling lips, “I’ll take an ‘I love you’ every time.”