When the car jerked to a stop, she pulled away and opened her purse, but he stopped her. Placing his hand on her purse, he shook his head.

“No, baby,” he said while pulling out his wallet and throwing a couple twenties to the cabbie. “Wait,” he asked and then got out, coming around, happy that she did as he asked. Looking around, he saw that they were in front of some ritzy-looking apartment complex, one he walked past earlier that evening to go to dinner. One he always passed. She had been there the whole time, and he didn’t know it? He was always so close, but now, close wouldn’t be the word he would use to describe what would happen once they were upstairs.

They would be one.

Opening the door for her, he took her hand in his and pulled her to his chest. Slamming the door, his hand slid up her back as his mouth crashed against hers. Moving his lips along hers, he closed his eyes tightly, willing God to not let this be a dream. To allow this gift to be real, and when he pulled back, looking down into her flushed face and smile, he knew.

This was real.

Her eyes searched his, as if she didn’t believe he was real either, but he planned to prove just that as soon as they got to her apartment.

“Let’s get out of the cold.”

She nodded briskly and started for inside, but he didn’t let her get far. Stopping her, he took her hand in his, lacing his fingers with hers. Her eyes looked at where their hands were joined and then back up to meet his gaze. When a small little smile curved the side of her mouth, he felt like he had been hit in the chest with a puck.

Good God, she was magnificent.

Tearing her gaze from him, she started for the building. When they entered through the large glass entrance, the guard said, “Good evening, Ms. Martin.”

“Good evening, Oscar. Have a good night.”

“You too, ma’am,” he said, his eyes wide as he took in Karson.

He wasn’t sure what that meant, but he wasn’t really worried about it. His mind was solely on Lacey. Heading to the glass elevator, he was curious to see if the whole apartment complex was made only of glass. If so, Lord help anyone who was awake because they were sure to get a show.

When the doors shut, he watched as she pressed the penthouse button before entering her card and typing a code. Impressive. She had made something of herself, and pride burned in his veins. That’s what he wanted. He wanted her to have the best of everything, and while he was sure he could have given it to her, he was glad she’d done it for herself.

When the elevator started moving up, he moved behind her, his hand still joined with hers, bringing it behind her back as his other hand moved up her hip and rested right under her breast. When she sucked in a deep breath, his cock cried out for relief. Running his nose along her jaw, he whispered, “I’ve missed you, Lacey.”

She took in another jagged breath and nodded. “I’ve missed you.”

“Good, I like that, a lot,” he whispered, his teeth grazing her jaw. “Do you still think of me?”

When the doors opened, she turned her face into his, her lips grazing the spot by his mouth before she said, “I do.”

Turning in his arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck and said, “And you?”

He closed his eyes, his nose moving along hers as his mouth gently touched hers. There wasn’t a time when he didn’t think about her. She was constantly in his mind and his heart. Thinking that was a pretty heavy answer, he said, “Yeah, a lot.”

Her eyes glazed over, and he could feel her heart vibrating her body. Leaning down, he wrapped his arms around her below her butt and picked her up, pressing his lips to hers as her arms tightened around his neck. Carrying her out of the elevator, he paused since he didn’t know where to go.

Against his will, he pulled back and asked, “Which way to your bed, baby?”

She jerked a thumb to the left, her breath coming out fast and hot against his lips. “That way. Hurry.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.”

As he carried her down the hall, she moved her lips along his and then his jaw, driving him completely insane. When they came slamming into a door, he prayed it was hers and she pulled away, grinning. She handed him her card, and he took it and opened the door before throwing the card on the entry floor and slamming the door shut by pressing her against it. Meeting her gaze, he saw her lips curve into another little sneaky grin as she slid to her feet, and he knew there was no coming back from this.

Unbuttoning his jacket, she pushed it down his shoulders before it fell to the ground. He then undid her scarf, his eyes never leaving hers as he undressed her so slowly it was agonizing, but he didn’t want to ever forget this moment.

The moment he had her again.

Opening her jacket, he pushed it down her arms and then to the side before going for the hem of her shirt, but her hands stopped him. “I don’t look the same as I did.”

His eyes met her worried gaze, and he shook his head. “You’re beautiful, Lacey. You’ll always be so fucking beautiful to me.”

Kissing her nose, he reached for the hem again and lifted it up and over her head. Setting his gaze on where her breasts were supposed to be, he was surprised to find that she did have breasts there and was supersurprised when he saw through her lace bra that her chest was covered with big black and white flowers. Biting his lip, he reached around her, unhooking her bra, and when the cups fell away and he could see the pure beauty of her, he almost fell to his knees to worship her. Dropping his mouth to the spot between her breasts, he pressed a soft kiss there before inhaling deeply, his eyes drifting shut.