“I—I didn’t agree to—” She cut off her own words, and I swore I heard her brain kick into overdrive. If she overthought this, I could lose my shot. That wasn’t fucking happening.

“Elle, stop.”

Her forehead creased as she met my eyes. “Stop what?”

“Overthinking this.”

“But—”

“But nothing. It’s happening. And you’re going to enjoy the hell out of it, and me.” I flicked her nipples again, and her eyes clouded.

I don’t know what tipped the scales in my favor, and right now, I didn’t care. The only thing that mattered to me was the shape of her mouth as she said, “Okay.”

After I dropped off Elle, I was too keyed up to head home. It’d taken every ounce of my control to watch her walk up the stairs alone. But this—what we were starting—was worth taking slow.

I headed to the gym instead. It was late, so I was surprised to see Reggie’s old truck still in the parking lot when I pulled in.

I let myself in the back door, and was greeted by the quick, rhythmic smack and bounce of someone hitting the speed bag. Reggie’s smooth movements hadn’t lost any impact over the years. He paused and stretched his shoulders, and I crossed the floor toward him.

“Still looking good, old man.”

He swung his head around.

“Hey, Lord. Whatcha doing here so late?”

“Thought I’d hit a bag for a while. Haven’t gotten a workout in today.”

“Why don’t you go get changed, and I’ll get in the ring with some mitts so you can get a good one in.”

“You sure?”

“I ain’t got anything better to do tonight.”

I headed for the locker room and changed into shorts. Reggie was waiting for me in the ring, and I ducked between the ropes and bounced on the balls of my feet and stretched.

I started to punch, and he started to talk.

“Surprised you ain’t out living it up. You’re here with an old man instead.”

“I had a date tonight. So don’t worry about my social calendar.”

“A date,” he said, tilting his right hand for my uppercut. “Thought that was ancient history.”

I laughed. “It’s sure been awhile since I’ve had a proper one.”

“And yet you’re not in her bed.”

I punched harder into the mitts. “It was a first date.”

“And you’re being a gentleman?”

“More like trying to make sure she agrees to a second one.”

Reggie’s chuckle boomed across the quiet gym. “She’s playing hard to get so you’re turning it around on her?”

We circled as I continued to bounce and strike. “Just trying to do it right.”

“She must be a special girl.”

“She is.”

“Then you better bring her ’round so I can get a look at her sometime. I gave Con’s girl my stamp of approval on the first day. Gotta make sure yours is a keeper too.”

Reggie’s concern warmed me more than the sweat I was breaking. Con may be the only biological family I had, but the one we’d built was a helluva lot better than the one we’d started with.

“I’ll do that.”

I kept punching and circling until my shoulders and arms were too tired to move. I’d be sore tomorrow, but at least tonight I’d be out when my head hit the pillow.

And yet, I still dreamt of Elle.

Anticipation. That was the feeling buzzing through every muscle of my body. After I’d agreed to Lord’s proposition, I couldn’t stop my mind from going to all the places it had already gone, but in more detail. Anyone who said that women didn’t think about sex was full of shit. After our date, I’d gotten a little hands-on and given myself the release that had been burning low in my belly since he’d touched me. If you forced me to admit it, I’d probably tell you that Lord’s name echoed off the walls of my bedroom when I came. When he’d picked me up for work the next morning, I’d felt like what I’d done the night before was stamped on my forehead. Instead of a scarlet letter, I had an invisible tattoo that said: I scream your name when I masturbate. Knowing Lord, he’d probably be totally cool with that. Didn’t mean I was going to offer up the information.

Work had been business as usual … for the most part. Except now, instead of holing up in the office, Lord hung out up front with me. I think there might have been twenty minutes out of the entire day when he wasn’t touching me or close enough for me to feel his presence.

With anyone else, I would’ve felt claustrophobic, but with Lord, I could barely curtail the urge to rub up against him like a cat in heat. What was I saying? I took every opportunity to do just that. I “squeezed” by him to clean the top of the glass case for the fifth time today.

“Woman,” he growled. “You rub that tight little ass of yours up against my dick again, and I’m going to bend you over, flip that sexy skirt up, and take you right here.”

I turned on my sassy smile. “You like it … don’t deny it.”

His hands landed on my hips, and he dragged me back against him. The ridge of his cock pressed against the seam of my ass.

Cue another shiver.

“You’re teasing the fuck out of me, and making it impossible for me to think. I gotta run some numbers in the back just to get my dick to calm the hell down so I don’t scar my customers for life.”

“More like give them a hell of a show…” I said.

His breath hit my neck before his teeth dragged down the tendon.

This man was lethal.

He turned me in his arms, his eyes dropping to my chest. Luckily, today I was wearing a bra that was lined, or otherwise I would’ve been the one providing a show.

“I need you in my bed, Elle. Ain’t fucking around any more. I need to be inside you.”

I bit my lip to hold in the moan. What I didn’t hold in was the whispered, “Okay.”

Lord released me and stepped back. “Good. Now get back to work. I gotta do some shit in the back. You need me, just holler.” He walked away, leaving me all hot and bothered and frustrated. I watched him. Well, I watched how his worn jeans perfectly cupped his ass. He looked over his shoulder and caught me staring. His wink was just as sexy as the rest of him. I winked right back.