I watched as he took his boots off the coffee table, put them to the floor and leaned toward me, elbows to knees, his face turning from serious to “right now, pay some major f**king attention to me” serious.

“As I said,” he started quietly, “I get you can take care of yourself. When I said that five seconds ago and explained, you didn’t get me. So I’ll make it clear this time. I get you can take care of yourself, Sylvie. What you need to come to terms with is, no matter how badass you are, I’m gonna take care of you, too. You can spout a bunch of bullshit about your experience, your skills, your fearlessness but that will not mean shit to me. You’re not only my woman, you’re Sylvie. When I say I have your back, I don’t mean it in the way you’re used to with the guys you work with. I mean I have your back as your man, I look out for you in all ways I can do that, including emotionally. So, you liked Chelle. This is not a surprise. She’s likeable. But I control that f**kin’ situation so I can control any hurt or upset that might come to you and I mean control it as in stop it. Now are you with me?”

I held his eyes and realized I had a choice. I could hold onto my badass and make an issue of this or I could let Creed do what Creed felt he needed to do.

I knew I could take care of myself and his protection was unnecessary. He just told me he knew it but he needed to make his position clear anyway.

It meant more to him to take care of me as my man than it meant to me to retain my status of badass. I’d weathered a six year hurricane and didn’t come out unscathed. Through that, Creed had not been there to take care of me. For him, that struck deep. Further, I was his Sylvie as I was now and still the Sylvie I was to him way back then.

He needed this. I didn’t need to make a point that might be valid but, considering his emotion, however valid, it was unnecessary.

Not to mention, it felt seriously f**king good to have that part of Creed back too, the one who looked out for me, protected me. I’d proved I could carry the burden but that didn’t mean it didn’t feel great to share the load and be back in the position to return the favor.

So I made my choice and answered, “I get you. I also love you, Creed.”

His face relaxed before he replied, “Right back at ‘cha, beautiful.”

I closed my eyes, hearing those words, feeling them warm my skin, loving every syllable.

It was a mistake. I barely had them closed before Gun suddenly scattered. This was because I felt a shoulder in my belly and I was up in the air. I rallied quickly but not quickly enough before I was falling backward toward the floor, Creed coming with me and automatically my arms circled him. One of his hands cupped the back of my head before I hit floor then both of his hands went to my shoulders. As his body held the rest of mine down, his hands put on pressure, pinning my shoulders to the floor.

“Pinned,” he whispered and I felt my eyes narrow as his lips smiled. “I win.”

“I wasn’t ready,” I pointed out the obvious.

“I told you we’d play out the challenge tonight. You had fair warning but doesn’t matter, you should always be ready.”

He was not wrong and that sucked.

I scowled up into his face as his eyes roamed mine then he rolled so I was on top.

He lifted a hand and pulled the hair away from one side of my face as he said, “You’re not ready, baby, we’ll do something else.”

“Can I tie you to the bed and do whatever I want to you?” I tried.

He grinned and my ni**les tingled but he answered, “No. You gotta win that.”

Shit.

His other hand came up to pull back the hair on the other side of my face and he repeated, “If you’re not ready, we won’t do it.”

I wasn’t a squelcher but I didn’t know if that sucked or if I was in for the experience of a lifetime. What I did know was that I trusted Creed either to make it not only good, but phenomenal or to back off if it wasn’t working.

To communicate all this, I stated, “I don’t renege on a deal.”

His head tilted slightly to the side and he asked softly, “You ready?”

“You gonna make me ready?” I asked back and got another grin, this one way different.

“Oh yeah.”

That got another nipple tingle but this one didn’t stop at my ni**les. It traveled south.

Therefore my, “Then… yeah. I’m ready,” came out breathy.

His hands fisted in my hair, his face hardened with something that was seriously hot and his lips ordered, “Then up, get to the living room and get naked.”

I was right.

Seriously hot.

“The living room?” I asked.

“Baby, what’d I say?” Creed asked in return.

I stared down at him still feeling the tingle.

Then I did as Creed said.

* * * * *

I was na**d on my knees on the back of the couch. Creed was standing in front of me wearing nothing but jeans. I had my legs spread and Creed had his hand between them, toying with my clit. I had my hand flat against his hard crotch and I was rubbing. Through this, we were kissing hard, wet and hot as we had been for a good long time.

He was toying, taking his time, giving me nothing, hints, whispered caresses, making me go for it and taking it away, which made me happy for the scraps he was giving me at the same time desperate to have everything. He’d been doing this for a long time, too.

Needless to say, I was primed. I had his tongue in my mouth and his hand between my legs but I wanted his fingers or other parts of his anatomy inside me and I was at a point where I didn’t care where he put them.

Before I could tear my mouth from his and inform him of this fact, he tore his from mine and suddenly I wasn’t on my knees facing him. I was turned, my knees at the back edge of the couch and I had Creed’s hand between my shoulder blades, pushing down until I was face to the cushions, ass in the air. It was not a position I’d ever been in but, albeit somewhat acrobatic, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

“Stay that way, baby. Do not move. I’ll be back,” his rough growl came at me and I did a full body shiver.

I didn’t like bossy. I didn’t like to be ordered around. I didn’t like to be controlled.

That was to say, I didn’t like it from anyone, not anyone, but Creed.

So this was hot. Phoenix hot. Remember for the rest of your life that time you did it in the living room hot.

I did as he said and felt Creed leave the room then I felt him come back and position behind me. A second later I heard a soft “funf” of something hitting the couch then his hands were on me, oiled, slippery, warm, amazing.