“That’s my girl,” he said. “Take what you need.”

A moment later, she shuddered a breath, her body succumbing to the pleasure with a hot flow of release. As she came for him, he licked every last drop of her sweetness. When she stopped trembling, he went back on his heels, and in a voice that wasn’t quite steady, he said, “I need you, baby. I need you so goddamn much.”

“Please,” she begged.

Taking her by surprise, he flipped her over. When a gasp sounded in her throat, he slid a hand down her back until he reached her crevice. He stroked her lightly, and with the need to mark her—everywhere—his voice came out fractured and broken when he said, “Tonight, I need to be inside you here, sweetheart.” He tore off the rest of his clothes and tucked them under her hips to raise her beautiful ass in the air.

He ran his hands over her soft cheeks. “I’ve never…” Her voice came out so low, so soft, he had to strain to hear her.

He loved how honest and open they could be with each other. “But you want to, don’t you, darlin’?” When a whimper caught in her throat, he said, “It’s part of your fantasy, isn’t it?” He guessed at that last part, but he had a feeling he knew her better than she did herself.

Nervous excitement laced her voice, filling him with a new kind of need when she nodded and said quietly, “Yes.”

He reached into his backpack and pulled out a tube of lubricant, wanting to prepare her properly as he claimed her and marked her in a way she’d never been marked by another. He squirted a generous amount onto her back, and watched it trickle over her curves and between her ass cheeks.

She wiggled, and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be here with her, how blessed he was that this beautiful, sweet, kind, and compassionate woman was gifting him with her body in such an intimate way.

He ran the lubricant over her and gently pushed a finger inside, determined to take it slow and make this new experience good for her. Offering her only an inch at a time and letting her get used to the fullness, he spent a long time stretching her, playing with her back passage until she began moving, rocking her hips in an urgent manner.

“You’re not ready yet, sweetheart,” he growled, barely able to keep it together himself.

Tension built inside him, but he forced himself to stay calm, even going so far as to practice a few of those breathing exercises she taught him. He spent a few more moments introducing his fingers to her crevice, and when she pushed backward, demanding more, he gripped his cock and stroked it over her soft slit.

With her passion flaring hot, he quickly sheathed himself, lubed up, and positioned himself at her entrance. He took his time entering her, and when her fingers curled in the blanket, he stilled.

“Am I hurting you?”

“A little,” she said honestly. “But I want this, Mac. I want you inside me like this.”

He slipped a finger around her body and brushed her clit. When she starting moaning in pleasure, he pushed his cock in another inch, a gentle thrust that drove him past her opening. She groaned and moved against him. When her body finally relaxed and fully opened for him, he slipped all the way inside her.

“Jesus,” he moaned.

She began rocking, moving against him. He gripped her hips and held her tight, unable to get enough of her as they joined together in a new and beautiful way.

His heart squeezed, and he closed his eyes in distress, his breathing changing, as she met and welcomed each and every push. He bit back a growl, knowing he wasn’t going to last long. She continued to move against him, and he dug his fingers into her hips, following the motion of her beautiful body.

When she began to tremble, he reached around her and stroked her clit. Once, twice, and then he felt a shudder move through her. Their moans of pleasure mingled, and blood flowed hot and heavy in his veins when she let go. As she gave herself over to him completely, the world around him seemed to disappear.

He drove deep and stilled, his own orgasm hitting so fast and hard it was all he could do to drag in air. Blinding pleasure swamped him, and he stayed deep inside her until he depleted himself completely.

He fell over her back, his cock still buried inside her as they both worked to get their breathing under control. After a moment, he eased out of her and rolled and cleaned them both off with some wipes he’d brought. Then he drew her close, every feeling he had for her so close to the surface.

“Are you okay, baby?”

She snuggled closer, tucking her head into the curve of his neck. “I’m fine. That was…I mean. Wow.”

“Yeah, ‘wow’ pretty much sums it up.” He tucked her in tighter and glanced at the girl he’d spent half his life in love with.

She smiled, a bevy of emotions in her eyes as she shifted closer. She ran her hands along his chest, and there was a peculiar hitch in her voice when she murmured, “I could really get used to this.”

Mac’s heart pounded in his chest, the uncertainly in her voice triggering alarm bells. Sure, they’d been having fun. This hedonistic week was about letting go and exploring each other. But when it was over, what if she no longer wanted him in her life? What if, to her, this sexual adventure was simply that…a sexual adventure?

That wouldn’t do. That wouldn’t do at all. He hadn’t lied. She was his. They hadn’t been together long, but she’d already wrapped herself around his heart.

Chapter Nine

For the next three days, Jess spent every waking hour with Mac, and every sleeping hour, too. He loved how she’d finally opened up to him, even telling him about her failing business. Mac wanted to help her revive her yoga studio the same way he helped everyone he cared about, but he knew she wasn’t asking for a handout from his company—which made him want to help her all the more.

Sitting in his room, he dialed his assistant and thought about all the things they’d done, from hiking, karaoke, and swimming, to making love every chance they had. Soon enough she’d be boarding a plane, and he hoped she was willing to give him a chance when they returned to the real world, hoped that she believed in him, believed that he was a one-woman kind of guy who was serious about playing for keeps. As he thought of the alternative, his heart tightened, because now that he had a taste of life with her in it, he couldn’t imagine his future without her.

He stole a glance at his watch. Damn, he was running late. He was supposed to meet Jess in her room after he finished up with his ranch chores—but he had one very important matter to take care of before he took her in his arms again.

After another glorious night with Mac, Jess stretched out on the mattress. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t fight her growing attraction to him. Even though this was supposed to be a brief affair where her emotions weren’t involved, she genuinely liked everything about him, and she found herself opening up to him on all levels.

As she stirred awake, another thought hit. It was true that Mac had grown up, changed since their youth, which made her wonder if he really was interested in playing for keeps. But could he be the kind of guy who learned to unplug, like he said, or like her father, would he promise things and not deliver?

She reached for the man who’d come to mean so much to her. When her hand found air, she rolled over, only to find his side of the bed empty. Apprehension coiled in her stomach, because not only was the bed empty, the sheets were cold, a clear sign that he’d been gone for a long time.

Grabbing a sheet to cover herself, she climbed from the bed and checked the bathroom only to find that vacant, too. Wondering where he’d gone off to, she walked to her window. With the morning sun cresting the horizon, she pulled open her curtains, and her heart lodged somewhere in her throat when she caught a shirtless Mac coming out of the barn.