“You want a list, Llewellyn?”

He became thoughtful, truly wondering what the answer to his next question would be. “Do you trust me, Dez?”

He dropped her bra to the floor as Dez closed her eyes and, for a moment, Mace thought she might be in pain or trying to remember all the exits out of the room. Then he heard it. A soft whisper. Almost a sigh.

“Yeah, Mace. I trust you.”

That was definitely the answer he had been hoping for, he just never expected to get it.

“Of course,” she continued, “I’ve been told on occasion that I’m an idiot.”

Mace slid his hand behind the back of her neck, pulling her toward him. “Since that still works in my favor, I’m okay with that.”

He kissed her again, allowing himself the chance to explore her mouth. Enjoy her taste.

She trusted him. He wanted to roar it from the roof. Because to Mace that meant Dez MacDermot was all his.

Why did she suddenly feel like the weakest gazelle of the herd? With Mace kissing her, claiming her again. And she had a feeling this would only be the beginning. Whether she meant to or not, she’d given him what he wanted. Not sex because, let’s face it, he could have had that anytime in the last eight hours. No, she’d given him what she hadn’t given any other man besides her father. She’d given him her trust. The fact that this revelation seemed to move him to a new level of passion warmed her. Made her feel like the most important person in the universe.

But Mace always made her feel that way. That too-smart-for-his-own-good, scrawny kid acted like she was the queen of his universe then. She didn’t realize until she’d gone to a new school, she used that feeling as her life raft. When things got too harsh at the Cathedral School, she knew she only had to go to two o’clock biology class. One look at Mace’s funny, but so cute, little face would lift her day and make her feel like she could handle the hell until she escaped for good.

Of course, that little kid no longer existed. In his place was this man making her tremble simply by kissing her. His kisses, like his smiles, held such promise.

He stepped away from her and walked to the bed, gently pulling her along with him. He positioned her beside it, then kneeled down. He tugged her hand until she followed, kneeling in front of him. She had no idea where this was going, but he had her intrigued.

Mace kissed her neck, licking that sensitive spot right under her ear. Her breathing grew labored as he took both her arms and gently pinned them behind her back with his own. With that one move, her back arched and he lowered his head to capture a nipple between his lips. She jumped. Practically out of her skin.

“Hold it.” He paused, his gold eyes watching her closely. She cleared her throat. “My nipples are really sensitive.”

“Am I hurting you?” he asked around her nipple.

“No. No. Not atall. It’s just—” She stopped. She saw the wicked intent in his eyes. The lust that said he wanted her screaming and coming until he was satisfied she’d had enough. “Jesus Christ, that’s what you want.”

He grinned.

She tried to pull her arms away. “Mace Llewellyn, you let me go!”

“Really, baby? You sure that’s what you want?” He sucked on her nipple and her back arched again, practically throwing him off. She gasped, her head resting on the bed behind her. He put her in a position where she wouldn’t be uncomfortable but where he had complete control.

Tricky son of a bitch cat!

“Mace…” She growled it. Her warning growl. But he only laughed.

“When you’re ready to beg for my cock, baby, you let me know.”

“Beg? I don’t beg.”

“Good.” He released her breast long enough to grin at her. “Then when you do, you’ll really mean it.”

His mouth returned to her breast and she couldn’t speak. It felt too wonderful. Too extraordinary. Too everything.

He only focused on her breasts. He teased. He licked. He sucked. He did practically everything but marry one. It didn’t take long before her climax started sneaking up on her. That never happened before. She usually always needed to have a finger, tongue, or dick involved with her clit to even have the hope of getting off.

But as she sped within seconds of climaxing the bastard stopped. He pulled away and blew on her nipple or nuzzled her breasts. He did it over and over again. Constantly bringing her to the brink of an orgasm guaranteed to permanently blind her and then backing off. He kept it up for so long she was close to crying. Her entire body hummed like a tuning fork. Her hips wouldn’t stop rubbing against him. Eventually, she told her ego to fuck off.

“God, Mace. Please.”

“Please what, baby?”

“You know what, you asshole.”

“Is that your idea of begging? Because it’s sorely lacking.” She glared at him as she tried to get her arms loose so she could strangle the fucker.

He licked both her nipples again, and she thought she might really start crying.

“Any condoms?” he finally asked.

Oh thank God! “Top drawer of my nightstand. By the Luger.”

“My, you’re awfully prepared. Expecting someone else, were we?”

“Mace Llewellyn.” She really hoped he could hear the warning in her voice, because she was very close to losing it.

“You know, I can wait all day. So if you want to be bitchy…”

He lowered his mouth to her nipple and she bucked under him. “Okay. Okay,” she sputtered desperately. “I got it as a gag gift from some of the other female detectives. For my birthday.”