That was all the invitation that he needed. Without quitting her mouth, they fell into a slow rhythm which was far gentler than anything they’d practiced with each other before this. Climax was achieved together and it took her to epic heights that only climbed deeper into the clouds when he positioned her on her side and took his place in front of her, pulling her hand over his abs to hold them in their usual spoon position, with him facing out into the cell and her protected behind him.

‘You’re staying?’ she asked, having expected him to abandon her when he was done.

‘For as long as I can,’ he said, kissing her palm then flattening it over his heart. ‘I’ll have to go up in the morning. I want to kick all of those bastards out before I bring you upstairs. But we’ll spend the day in our bedroom, all day, no Bruno, I promise.’

‘That’s ok. I’m getting used to him now.’

‘I hope you’re not attached to him molesting you because it’s over. It will never happen again.’

Whatever had caused this transformative breakthrough, she was glad of it. It could have come sooner, but she’d rather have it now than never.

‘Does this mean that I can come and watch you fight now?’

‘You’re that determined to watch someone kick the shit out of me?’

A laugh met his spine, but she followed it with her lips. ‘No one stands a chance against my tough guy.’

‘Thanks for the vote of confidence.’

Her eyes were growing tired; the hard work and lack of sleep were catching up with her. ‘Just imagine that you saw your opponent with his hand up my skirt before the fight.’

‘That wouldn’t work.’

His contradiction stung a little, she thought they were making headway with their intimacy. ‘Why not?’

‘Too many witnesses when I murder the guy. You’ve got to be smart about stuff like that, babygirl, and think ahead.’

‘Silly me, but what do I know about those kind of things?’

‘All you’ll ever have to,’ he said. ‘I’ll be taking care of business from here on in.’

‘My business or yours?’

‘Both,’ he said, but followed it up with a mumble. ‘I’ll just have to figure out how I’m gonna do it.’

‘Dax,’ she yawned, and curled in closer when she shut her eyes.

‘Yeah?’

‘Does this mean that we’re done with the bullshit? That we’re being honest with each other now?’

‘Yeah, honest, but you’ve got to trust me. It’s not gonna be easy to manoeuvre our way out of this mess.’

Other than being held captive by the man she now held, Ivy was unaware of what other mess they were in. But Dax seemed to have made a choice tonight and for now that choice was her. Whatever was to come he was smart enough and tough enough to figure it out. So relaxed, reassured, and sated, she let herself sleep in the safety of his shielding form.

‘Dax,’ she said later, interrupting his subdued snore. They’d fallen asleep in their usual position after he’d awoken her for a second bout of sex. He kind of snorted, but didn’t react further, so she gave him a nudge, he mumbled and loosened his grip on her hand.

He probably thought that she wanted her freedom to use the restroom, forgetting in his slumber that they were nowhere near their room, or internal plumbing. His sleep was deep and usually undisturbed, probably because a man of his skill didn’t need to worry about anyone getting the drop on him. Even if someone did get the first punch in, or the first few, Dax would still triumph in a fist fight – of that she was sure.

But it wasn’t the bathroom she wanted now, it was his safety. Picking up his arm, she read the hands on the heavy back metallic watch on his wrist and was shocked to read that it was after nine AM. The music was no longer playing upstairs, in fact she couldn’t hear anything except the breathing of her snoozing lover.

‘Baby,’ she said, returning his arm to his torso. Even with another nudge and some kissing of his shoulder blades he still didn’t waken.

So slipping her fingers over the corrugation of his abs to the line of dark hair that descended to the invader that so frequently plundered her, she decided to take things to a more intimate level in hope of rousing him. In almost the same second that she made contact with his flaccid appendage it sprang to attention with impressive speed.

The cadence of his snore became more of a purr. Tightening her grip, she pumped her hold, adjusting the angle of her thumb to swipe the breadth of his head when she reached his summit.

If he came fully awake before he ejaculated then he’d want to fuck her; but there wasn’t time for that. So in a burst of abrupt energy she climbed over and down him, and closing her lips around his cock she inhaled with all of her strength, quickening her fist.

‘Fucking hell!’

Dax came awake, but his salty load was already draining into her. Her siphoning force emptied his sap into her throat in a series of delighted, sporadic injections. Tasting him out of his sleep and into consciousness was satisfying and the power it proved that she had over him was flattering. Drinking every drop that he spoiled her with, she cleaned up the drips budding from him before she slithered up his body.  In passing, she gave the length of him a cleansing wipe in her cleavage to rid him of the remnants of her oral lubrication.

‘That was a helluva good morning,’ he said, still not fully recovered or awake.

‘You have to leave,’ she said, rubbing her jaw on his stimulating stubble.

‘Not just yet,’ he said, taking hold of her to insinuate her between him and the mattress.

Though the sensations of his exploring mouth stimulated her into considering what his roaming hands were suggesting, she knew that it was too dangerous to take the risk of further intimacy. The last thing that she wanted was for Dax to get into any difficulty, or rather trouble, for spending this time with her.

‘Yes, yet,’ she said. Extricating his hands from her body by linking their fingers, she brought them up to the sides of her face. ‘You have to go upstairs. Bruno will be looking for you.’

‘If he was then he would’ve found me,’ he said, straining the muscles in his arms to push up in a push up.

Drawing her lower lip between her teeth, she loved how his taut body could expend energy in such a casual way. Maybe he recognised her burgeoning arousal because he did another push up, and another, his fingers still linked in hers against the mattress.

The man wasn’t even breaking a sweat, he could probably do this all day. The knowing slant of his lips displayed his amusement at her response to what he considered a mundane action. He was stretching stiff, tired muscles, in his own way, and because she’d had a hold of his hands he couldn’t do it in a conventional manner; so he did the next best thing as far as she was concerned.

The guile of his expression grew and he took one pair of their twined fingers around to his back, and began to push up again, this time with one hand.

‘You’re showing off,’ she said, bobbing up to kiss him on his next descent.

‘If you just open your legs a bit wider and arch your hips.’ He winked and clicked his cheek.

She laughed because she had to give him points for trying; the man certainly did have talents. ‘You can plank on me later,’ she said. Bringing their arms around from his back to hold his wrist between their faces, she showed him the time on his watch. ‘Look at the time.’

‘Right,’ he said, clearing his throat then springing off the bed and onto his feet in a crouched stance. It was a practised manoeuvre so expert that she had to blink.

‘You have mad skills, tough guy,’ she said. Getting onto her knees to take his face in both of her hands, she kissed him, being careful not to send mixed signals about her intention to take things further. The thrust of his tongue begged for more, so she separated their lips by an inch. ‘What would you do if I punched you in the face right now?’