She held her breath when he bent and put his lips over her nipple. The second she felt the hot suction, she gasped, her fingers moving into his hair again. She couldn’t believe this was happening. All the hot fantasies she’d stored up of her and Gavin together were coming to life.

She’d never believed her dreams could become reality. She might be a little drunk tonight, and she knew he was, too, and this would probably never happen again, so she was committing every moment of it to memory so she’d never forget it. The pull of his lips on the tight bud of her nipple, the sight of his dark head against her pale breast, the scent of him as she inhaled a deep breath, and simply the way she felt—totally consumed by him.

It was her every fantasy to be taken by him. She’d known it was going to be like this.

And she’d never, ever tell him how much it meant to her. She had to keep herself under control, didn’t want him to know how much power he held over her.

Never give a man power over you, or he’ll destroy you.

She lived by those words, and yet right now she was in languorous splendor.

She’d take back control later. Now she gave it up willingly as Gavin dragged the other bra cup aside and lavished attention on her other nipple, using his fingers on the nipple he’d made wet with his mouth. And when he looked up at her, his eyes now filled with a darkness that melted her to the countertop, she waved the white flag in surrender.

He pushed her skirt up over her h*ps and laid the palm of his hand over her sex, smiling up at her in the way she’d always wanted him to—that secret smile he’d always reserved for other women, never her.

“You’ve got some very sexy underwear, Elizabeth. Do you always dress this way, or did you wear these tonight with the intent to seduce someone?”

She fought to find her voice. “I always dress this way.”

“When was the last time you f**ked someone?”

Her eyes narrowed. “None of your business.”

He swept his hand up across her sex, and she gasped. “Answer me.”

“No.”

Pleasure shot through her as his fingers teased her, then stopped. “When was the last time you f**ked a man, Elizabeth?”

She knew better than to give him that kind of control. She’d already given up too much. “When was the last time you f**ked a woman, Gavin?”

He swept his fingers along the side of her panties, and she swore if he got anywhere near her cl*tshe’d come. “You want me to lick your pussy, don’t you? You want me to make you come, don’t you?”

Her sex throbbed; her mind awash with the visuals of his head buried between her legs, his soft tongue lashing her pu**y until she screamed in orgasm. “Yes. Make me come, Gavin.”

“Then answer me. “

“Why do you need to know?”

He shrugged, his fingers lightly teasing the satin material of her panties. It was a breath, a whisper of touch across her sex. Enough for her to feel it, yet . . . not enough. “I want to know. Tell me. How long has it been?”

“Two years.”

He frowned. “Is that the truth?”

“Yes.”

“Damn, Liz. Look at me.”

She dragged her gaze to his. He grabbed the tiny wisps of material at her h*ps and ripped. She gasped; he smiled, then dragged the remnants of her very expensive panties away. Her na**d butt hit the granite counter, and she shivered.

“Cold?”

“A little.”

He swept his hand under her butt and lifted her, then planted his mouth on her sex.

Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. It was so good. She lifted, watching him as he slid his tongue in a wide arc across her clit, then dragged his tongue down her pu**y lips, shoving it inside her.

“Gavin,” she whispered, trembling at the sensations of his tongue rolling along her flesh.

It had been so long since a man had touched her. She didn’t allow it for so many reasons. Sex was so complicated, and often she got so little out of it.

Thoughts fled as she gave up and allowed herself to feel, to experience the magic as he sucked her clit, ran his tongue up and down her pussy, licked her until she fought for every ragged breath.

He grasped her wrists and held her, his fingers digging into her skin, the pain only intensifying the sensations as he took her to the edge of control.

And embarrassingly, she wasn’t going to last. She wanted to because this was the sweetest pleasure she’d ever felt. It was magic, and she was only going to have it once. But the rushing tide of orgasm wouldn’t hold, and she lifted, cried out, and came, her cl**ax a shock wave of sensation that zapped her nerve endings with unbearable pleasure. Gavin tightened his hold on her while he lapped up everything she had to give.

Her muscles quivered, and he helped her sit up, his face wet from her. Her hand shaking, she used her thumb to swipe across his chin. He grabbed her thumb and sucked it, his gaze still dark with unquenched desire. He handed her wineglass to her, and she took a couple long swallows to quench the raw thirst in her throat, but it didn’t quench her thirst for him.

She was afraid it would take a long time for that thirst to be slaked.

He lifted her into his arms and placed her on her feet. All she wore was her skirt and bra, which was off-kilter. He was still completely dressed, his hard c**k visible against his dark slacks.

He grabbed her hand. “Come on.”

He led her down the hall, her bare feet padding along the wood floor toward the master bedroom that was all burgundy and cream and wide windows overlooking the ocean. She wished it was daylight so she could see outside, but there were open French doors leading to the terrace, a soft breeze blowing inside, and a lazy fan circling over the . . .

Oh, my God.

A bed that could sleep at least six people.

Now she understood the appeal of this house for Gavin.

It was the bed. Had to be the bed.

She wondered how many people he’d had in that bed at one time.

“You rent this house before?”

“I own this house, Elizabeth.”

Yes, it definitely made sense.

“Plan many orgies?” she asked as she wandered into the room and stopped at the foot of the massive four-poster.

He frowned. “Huh?”

“That bed is not made for one, or two, people to sleep in.”

He continued to give her a confused look, then glanced at the bed and back at her. “Oh. I sprawl. I like a big bed.”

“Gavin, that goes beyond big bed. That’s the kind of bed a polygamist would covet.”

“I don’t have orgies, Elizabeth.” He grabbed a remote off one of the nightstands, pushed a button and the drapes started to close.

“Oh, please, don’t shut all the night out. I like it open and breezy. It’s not like you have peeping neighbors or anything.”

He clicked the button and reopened them.

“Thank you.”

He tossed the remote to the table. “Undress.”

She put her hands on her hips. “You like giving orders.”

He moved in front of the bed and casually leaned against the footboard. “Don’t make me tell you again.”

She tilted her head back and laughed. “Or, what? You’ll spank me? You want my clothes off, Gavin, get your ass over here and undress me.”

His eyes went dark, and oh, God. There it was. That not-quitethere smile, the one that screamed secrets.

Except his smile fled, and he stared her down, the heat swirling in his eyes. And then he advanced on her.

For a second, she trembled.

And she never trembled.

Whether it was excitement or raw desire she didn’t know, but he was on her in seconds, her bra ripped and tossed to the ground. He grabbed her skirt, and she felt the strength of his hands at her zipper.

“Wait. Fine, I’ll do it.”

He stopped and stepped back, a smirk on his face as she drew the zipper down and let the skirt fall to the floor.

“Asshole,” she said as she stepped out of it. “That underwear cost a fortune.”

He didn’t apologize, instead raked his gaze over her na**d body, and any anger she felt fled in the face of the heated, hungry look on his face.

He unbuttoned his shirt, pulled it off, and tossed it on top of her skirt, then undid the button on his pants and jerked the zipper down. He kicked off his shoes and dropped his pants then his boxer briefs. His erection bobbed up, making her lick her lips and crave the feel of his c**k in her hands and mouth.

He was magnificent and everything she could have imagined. Lean, with muscled abs and thick biceps, tan and sexy, and as he jerked her into his arms, she couldn’t think of any place she’d rather be, even though she knew there were a thousand reasons they shouldn’t be doing this.

And a million reasons why she wanted to.

TWO

ELIZABETH’S BREATH CAUGHT AS GAVIN JERKED HER against him, turned her around so her back pressed against his chest.

Her heart pounded, her body on fire, the need and desire so fierce it nearly drove her to her knees.

“You sure about this? I won’t ask again.”

She was shaking, the tension in the room so thick she felt she could reach out and touch it.

“I’m sure.”

In actuality, she was sure of nothing. Never give up control, Elizabeth.

She blinked several times, blocking out the warning.

His warm breath billowed against her neck, making her shiver. He reached for her hair, pulled out the barrette and the carefully crafted pins holding it in place, then tangled his fingers in it, smoothing it out over her shoulders.

“Your hair is beautiful.” He pressed his nose against the strands. “Smells so good. You always wear it up. You should wear it down more often.”

He smoothed his hands over her shoulders, down her arms, and back up again. Goose bumps pricked her skin, but she wasn’t cold. She was so heated internally now she was on fire.

“Turn around, Elizabeth.”

She pivoted, and the heat in his eyes was a blast furnace of need. She’d never been looked at the way Gavin looked at her now, as if he were so hungry for her he couldn’t wait to have her.

It was raw, primal, and made her shiver with anticipation.

He grazed his knuckles across her cheek, the action so tender it made her knees weak. He laid his palm on her neck, then let his hand slide down her collarbone and over her breasts, cupping one in his hand.

“Your body is perfect. Soft.” He swept his thumb over her nipple, and she gasped. “Made to be touched. Why haven’t you let anyone touch you in so long?”

He rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, the sensations shooting to her pussy, making her come alive with need and desire. She reached out and grasped his arms. Her legs shook, and she was afraid she was going to drop. But Gavin reached around her back to hold her and bent his lips to her breast, taking a nipple between his lips to suck.

“Oh, God, yes,” she cried, needing that pain to satisfy her pleasure. She tangled her fingers in his hair, the desire to touch him only amplified by the sensation of his lips and teeth on her. He grazed her breast, sucking the skin.

When he let go of her, she was panting and dizzy with need.

He lifted her and carried her to that gigantic bed and laid her on the edge, her legs dangling over. He reached into the drawer and pulled out a condom, put it on and leaned over her.

“Look at me, Elizabeth.”

She did, and he was everything she could imagine: his body tan and all lean muscle, his biceps bulging as he held her lower body suspended in his arms.

“I’m going to f**k you, hard. I’m going to use your body until I come inside you. And then we’re going to play. All night long.”

She waited, her pu**y wet with need.

He positioned his c**k at the entrance to her pu**y and eased inside her.

She’d expected him to use her, to shove inside her. She hadn’t expected this tenderness from him, and it was almost more than she could bear.

He laid his palms on either side of her and took it slow until he was fully seated inside her and then he held, waiting for her body to accommodate him. It had been so long since she’d had a man inside her, since she’d felt this kind of heat and thickness swelling in her.

His eyes briefly closed, and she saw the tension in the furrowing of his brow as her pu**y quivered and tightened around his cock. She slid her hands along his muscled forearms, felt the sheen of sweat gathering there.

Then he began moving slow and easy, withdrawing partway out, and sliding in again. She raised her legs and planted her feet flat on the bed, lifting to pull him deeper inside her.

He lifted, watching her pu**y as he f**ked her. “You have a nice, tight, hot pussy, Elizabeth,” he said. “I like f**king you. I’ve thought a lot about f**king you over the years. I didn’t want to, but I did.”

The way he looked at her tore away the veil of secrets she tried so hard to hide from him.

“Did you ever think about f**king me?”

“Yes. A lot.”

He smiled, watching where their bodies were connected.

“I never knew it would be this good.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “And now you’re mine. Do you understand that? You don’t give this pu**y to anyone else while we’re playing. You’re mine.”

Oh, God. He was driving inside her, telling her she belonged to him, that she couldn’t f**k anyone else. If any other man said that to her, she’d tell him to go f**k himself.

But she wanted Gavin. She’d always wanted Gavin. She’d never wanted anyone but him. His dark and delicious words thrilled her.

And she was so close to coming she had to grit her teeth and pull back to keep it from happening. Watching the way he f**ked her was like a slice of magic, a fantasy come true. And to know he’d taken possession of her like this was something she could have never imagined.