“Mick, you’re going to kiss me. And touch me. And we’re going to have sex.”

“Okay . . .”

“And we’re going to find a way to reconnect. Because I can’t figure out any other way at the moment, and I can’t stand how distant things are between us right now.”

He had the grace to look a bit sheepish, but only for a moment.

“You know I prefer to be the one calling the shots. Usually I demand it.”

“Believe me, I know. But tonight I don’t want any bondage or pain play. I think it just needs to be . . . us. Just us here, without all the fancy window dressing, you know?”

He was quiet a few moments, simply looking up at her. She didn’t have a clue what was going through his mind, and it was making her uncomfortable as hell. She was sitting on his lap, and he still hadn’t put his hands on her.

“Mick,” she whispered as she leaned forward, bringing her mouth within inches of his. “I need you to kiss me. I need you to touch me. Don’t argue it. Just do it.”

“Bossy girl.”

“Yes. Just . . . for now. Just for now, stop talking and kiss me. Kiss me hard. Make me remember it.”

He blinked up at her, then his shadowed eyes lost their darkness and began to gleam, a pure, crystalline gray.

“I need to remember, too,” he said quietly.

The energy between them shifted and so did he, grasping her hips and bringing her pelvis in until it was seated hard up against his. Then he grabbed her face and kissed her. He pressed his lips to hers, hard, harder. Just the urgent press of his lips until she could barely breathe, his hands loosening their tight hold on her cheeks, going gentle. Then his mouth gentled, too, and it was a pure, sensual fire between them, his tongue sliding into her mouth, so sweet and soft she wanted to cry for everything she felt in his kiss.

It was too much—too much to feel. She took his face in her hands and deepened the kiss, pressed her pelvis into his. Everything changed in an instant. He kissed her harder, taking her mouth. His kiss was primal, wild, taking command. He always would, one way or another, and she was fine with that. More than fine—she loved it. Her body was coming alive, every nerve ending on fire. She ground her hips against him, felt the solid ridge of his erection through his jeans and hers. Wanted—needed—more.

She broke from the kiss long enough to strip her tank top over her head. As she started on his he helped her, then he bent to kiss her breasts roughly. She let her head fall back as he gathered her breasts in his hands and pushed them together, used his thumbs to work his way over the still-dark bite marks, past the lacy edge of her bra to find her nipples. They were already hard. His circling thumbs only made them harder.

Pleasure suffused her, washing the worry away. This was exactly what she needed—to lose herself in body to body, lips to lips, pleasure to pleasure.

Mick unsnapped her bra and tore it off, then he started to unbutton her jeans. She went for his at the same time—and was rewarded by the hard, golden head of his bare cock as she pulled his jeans open. She stroked him, her fingers curling around the tip, and he groaned.

“Ah, Allie.”

“Come on, Mick.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice, baby.”

He stood and set her on her feet, stripped her out of her jeans and panties in mere seconds, then tore his jeans off.

“Damn it. Condom. Hang on.”

She watched his finely molded ass as he strode toward his bedroom, noticed that he was limping a little. The trip must have been hard on him. Seconds later he was coming at her, a string of condom packets in his hand, his beautifully erect cock leading the way.

God, the man was really something.

He sat back down on the sofa, wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her on top of him, seating her against him the way he had earlier, with her straddling his lap—only this time, naked. His cock was pressed against her mound, the ridge of it hitting her swollen clit. Immediately she grabbed the back of the sofa to steady herself and began a slow, sinuous grind against him.

“Christ,” he groaned. “You’re gonna kill me with that thing, Allie girl.”

“Oh, I intend to,” she said, sliding her wet pussy up and down the length of him, every stroke sending desire shivering into her system.

She moved faster, the slip and slide of their bodies hitting her in all the right places, and pleasure rose higher, built like a tight knot deep in her sex.

“Ahhhh,” Mick groaned, driving her on.

She arched her hips, really grinding into him, wanting release, needing it now.

“Allie, slow down, baby.”

“No,” she growled.

She let go of the sofa cushions and grabbed his shoulders, dug her nails into the heavy muscle there. He moaned, arched up against her.

“Oh, yes . . .”

He buried his face between her breasts, kissing and licking at the skin there. “Need to fuck you,” he murmured. “Need to fuck you so hard.”

“Not yet.”

“You are . . . fucking sexy when . . . you’re toppy,” Mick told her between gasping breaths.

She sighed as she slid along the length of his shaft, up, then down, making the pressure just right. He grabbed her ass and helped her move her arching hips, holding her tight against him, making his cock press harder against her. Pleasure spiraled, crested, and finally erupted like a burst of thunder deep in her body.

“Oh! Oh . . .”

She was coming so hard she was shaking. Mick held on to her, held her tight, kissing her bruised breasts as she came. She kept thrusting her hips, sliding her clenching pussy up and down his hard shaft, her climax still skittering over her skin.

Before she was certain she was done, Mick flipped her on her back on the coffee table so fast she never saw it coming—the wood was hard and cool against her back—and in moments he’d rolled a condom over his cock. He held himself over her, and as she wrapped her legs around his waist he thrust into her.

“Mick!”

His cock was big, but she was wet enough to take him all at once. He surged into her, slid out, every motion driving pleasure deep and hard. He was kissing her breasts again, using lips and tongue, punctuated with small, nipping bites that only drove her pleasure higher.

He paused, gasping. “Allie . . . I’m going to come.”

“Yes. Do it. But kiss me, Mick. Just fucking kiss me.”

He lowered his head and crushed his lips to hers as he rammed into her. She held his face in her hands, needing to feel him, to feel connected in some way, even if it was just their two bodies, their hot, wet mouths, joined together.

He pulled back with a sharp groan, and she looked into his eyes as he started to come, hips jerking, gaze locked on hers. Something in his eyes looked lost in wonderment, making her heart twist in her chest. At that moment, she knew he was right there with her.

Right there.

He shivered all over, shook in her arms, that intense, wide gaze never leaving hers. Then he buried his face between her breasts once more as he caught his panting breath, his hands tangling in her hair.

They stayed there for several minutes before he pulled away, helped her sit up on the edge of the table.

“Bed?” he asked, still not quite all there after his orgasm.

She nodded. He drew her to her feet, and she followed him into the bedroom, where he helped tuck her in beneath the covers. He climbed in beside her, lying on his back. When she nudged his arm he opened it and invited her in. She laid her head on his chest and listened to him breathe. Waited for him to really wrap her in his arms. To kiss her again. But all he did was lie perfectly still in the darkened room. There was just enough light coming from the living room for her to see the silhouette of his eyelashes. His eyes were open—he wasn’t sleeping. But he was silent. Unmoving. As if she weren’t even there.