The women looked at Tex.

Tex’s mouth snapped shut.

Finally.

Still behind the counter, Jet moved toward the group of women, introducing herself with, “Hi, I’m Jet.”

One woman breathed, “Jet.”

The other four lifted their cameras and started taking pictures. Jet looked startled a moment, then she smiled her killer smile that took your breath away and more flashes lit the scene.

I felt Annette get close and I looked at her.

“Can you call one of the Hot Bunch and ask them to drop by?” she asked, might I add, insanely. “They don’t have to say anything. Just stand there so the girls can take their picture.”

“Do you want to survive until tomorrow?” I asked back.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Then no. I can’t call one of the Hot Bunch so he’ll drop by and pose for pictures.”

“Bummer,” she muttered.

“And just a reminder,” I started. “The place is bugged. This means Lee probably already knows this is happening. And the rest of the Hot Bunch. And that means I’ll say good-bye now because you’re probably gonna disappear in the night and never be seen again.”

“That. Would be. The bomb!” she exclaimed. “Tell your brother, if he sends someone to kidnap me, I pick Luke. But if he’s busy, Vance. No, wait!” she yelled. “Hector!”

“Hector?” one of the women called from her place at the coffee counter, but her eyes were scanning the space. “Where’s Hector?”

I couldn’t help it because, seriously, it was totally whacked, but I’d lived whacked for two years. It was also all kinds of funny.

So I burst out laughing.

And as I did so, I saw the camera flashes against my closed eyes.

* * * * *

“Baby.”

At Ren’s call, I whirled the tip of my tongue around the tip of his cock. I wrapped the hand I’d been using to stroke him tight and looked up his molded abs, his wide chest, to his face.

He was sitting up, back to the headboard, and I got a tingle in my happy place from the hot, dark look on his face as well as the knowledge he’d been watching my activities.

I no sooner caught his eyes when he curled toward me, grasped me under my arms and hauled me up his body.

His hand in my hair cupping my head, he slammed my mouth down on his and kissed me hard and wet while shifting and rolling so we were down the bed. We ended with me on my back, Ren on top of me.

No sooner had he got me there than he slid off and curled an arm around me, making me do a partial roll so my back was to his front. I felt my panties dragged over my ass and I held my breath as my happy place convulsed.

“Give me that,” he growled into my neck.

I gave it to him. I so did.

Tipping my booty so he could have access, he didn’t delay. One of his hands slid between my legs, his middle finger hitting me right where I needed it. His other hand slid up my chest so he could wrap his fingers around the underside of my jaw, holding firm, keeping me where he wanted me.

And last, he drove into me.

I’d forgotten about spooning, and right then that was top of my list of positions with Ren.

And serious to God, I loved this. Held captive by him, powerless to do anything but take what he gave me, but knowing he’d work to give me what I needed to take me there so I got it first before he took what he needed to get him there.

Amazing.

So amazing, I held still, whimpering and moaning, until it started to burn through me.

Then my neck arched back. I felt his lips at the side and I breathed, “Ren,” right before it blistered through me.

He thrust hard, fast, deep, and his hand between my legs continued working me, taking, even as I came down. He kept going until I felt his mouth open on the skin of my neck and he sucked deep. A tremor ran through me and I felt and listened as he got what he needed.

As it left him, he settled, still buried inside me. His hand between my legs moved so he could wrap his arm around my belly. His hand at my jaw gentled and his fingers started stroking.

His mouth still at my neck, he whispered there, “Love you, Ally.”

“Love you too, honey,” I whispered back.

He kissed the side of my neck, shifted, kissed the back of my neck and we lay there connected for several long, happy, silent minutes until he pulled out and rolled to his back. He took me with him, positioning me tucked to his side with my forehead in his neck and his hand cupping my ass.

“Shimmy outta your panties, baby,” he murmured.

Using just my legs, I shimmied out of them, caught them with my toe and used my foot to toss them over Ren to land at the side of the bed.

When I settled in, he drew random patterns on my ass as he said, still murmuring, “Not done with you tonight.”

Ren was feeling energetic.

Right on.

I smiled against his skin.

It was after work at Fortnum’s where, fortunately, nothing else happened, except Roxie, Tod and Stevie showing with about five hundred bags from various stores at Park Meadows Mall (okay, maybe four hundred). It was also after Ren got home late from work, but he still made me chicken parmesan.

But the dishes were still on the dining room table. The pots in the sink.

This was because, once I’d taken my last bite, Ren said to me, “Thinkin’ about it all day, couldn’t get my mind off it, so now I want your mouth on me.”

I hadn’t been thinking about it all day, but I was thinking about it right then. And what I thought about it was that it was a fantastic idea.

Therefore I immediately got up, sashayed to and up the stairs and into his bedroom.

He followed me, hitting the room, eyes hot but lips quirking.

I’d then commenced in obliging.

You know the rest.

That brought us to now.

I lifted my head and looked down at him. I felt my insides warm at the contentment in his expression, and asked, “Do I have to turn Catholic?”

His face blanked, his hand at my ass stilled, and he did a slow blink.

Then he demanded, “Say that again.”

I didn’t say it again.

Instead, I explained, “You’re Catholic. I’m not. And you’re Italian. And seeing as the Pope lives in a sovereign city-state in your homeland, I’m thinking that’s important. And since we’re committed and you’ve promised we won’t be about meatloaf and missionary, I’ve gotta have some detail about what else the future has in store for me.”

His hand not at my ass lifted to cup my jaw before he said quietly, “That’s not something you tick off a to-do list, honey.”