“I believe I said I never fuck on a job, and that’s true. Doesn’t mean I tempt fate. When I travel, protection comes with me.” His head dipped and his mouth brushed over her cheek. “It’s part of the go bag.”

Standard operating procedure in the CIA. Apparently he followed the same rules in his security work. “Not sure if that makes you practical or something else.”

A beat of silence, then another. He didn’t say anything as he stood there. Watching, his breathing growing unsteady as the intensity ratcheted up.

Finally he broke the quiet, but his words only added to the growing tension. “Right now I’ll be whatever you want me to be.”

Right answer. Whatever silent battle he’d been waging inside him appeared to end, taking his denials along with it. “I’m willing to go into the bedroom . . . Why are you shaking your head?”

He pulled her toward the small couch. “Right here.”

The lumpy cushions. The small size. Admittedly her control had reached the snapping point, but they could at least try not to make this into an acrobatics show. “Wouldn’t a bed be easier?”

“I’m looking for hot, not easy.”

For some reason the comment settled her jumping nerves. “So much for your idea of waiting.”

“You blew past my defenses. My rules exploded the minute you mentioned condoms.” And he looked ticked off about that.

She wasn’t. “Good response.”

“And I plan to take you in every square inch of this cabin.” He let the silence play for a few beats. “Eventually.”

On some men the comment would sound like cockiness. On Gabe, the words issued a promise. “Maybe you should try getting through this first time, stud.”

“We’ll start here, where I can see the door.” He glanced from the couch to the front of the cabin. “Just in case.”

“You think you’re going to be in any condition to fire a gun?” She planned to have him as hot and bothered as she was.

“Is that a euphemism?”

Sometimes he said things she did not expect. “I hope you’re as good as you say you are.”

“I’m better.” He sank to the couch and turned her until she stood in front of him, between his legs. “Want me to show you?”

She ran a hand over his hair and down the side of his head. “Was I unclear about that?”

“I want your body to tell me.” With his resistance gone, his movements quickened. He pushed her sweater up past the band of her jeans and started unzipping. No fanfare or hesitating.

She loved the sure way he held his body and commanded a room. And the dirty talk. He could bring that back any time. “Then go faster.”

“Quick isn’t always better.” He proved his point by taking an eternity to draw the zipper down click by click.

By the time he slipped his hand inside her jeans her legs shook. This time he didn’t play around with touching her and waiting. His hand dipped past her underwear to her skin. His finger slipped along her, inside her.

“Your body is already talking.” He whispered the comment and his breath blew over her belly. “So fucking wet.”

He did that to her. The deep rumble of his voice. The intense stare. The mix of talk and touching that had her ready to go at all times. Her need for him was embarrassing, really, but she’d worry about that later. Now she concentrated on the slide of his thumb. The gentle back and forth.

The way he talked about sex she expected to be slammed against the wall and taken without much thought of what her body needed, but no. This guy was no amateur.

“Take my jeans off,” she said, because she’d been dreaming about just that for weeks.

“Everything is coming off.” His thumb kept brushing against her. “I want you naked when I take you the first time.”

A series of images ran through her mind, each one dirtier and more graphic than the one before. “And the next time?”

“We’ll have to see what we’re both in the mood for, but right now I think we know.”

That made one of them. She could barely think at all. “What?”

“For you to ride me.” He dipped his head and pressed a kiss on the front of her underwear.

The words, that mouth, set off a tingling sensation inside her. So did the stripping as he pushed her jeans and underwear down, past her knees to the floor. When he sat up again, she wore only socks from the waist down.

Before she could say anything, he pulled her onto his lap. Her thighs straddled his legs, and the rough material of his jeans rubbed against her skin. She kissed him then, full and deep as her fingers speared through his hair. Her mouth toured his. The firm chin, the forceful lips. She loved his boldness. Loved the feel of him under her.

Sitting back as far as his arms wrapped around her would allow, she skimmed her shirt and sweater up her body and over her head. Before she even lowered her arms, his hands were on her, cupping her breasts, massaging as he ran a thumb across one nipple.

Her breath left in a rush and a sigh hit the tip of her tongue. She bit it all back as he slipped the bra straps down her arms, letting them fall. Then his mouth was on her. His tongue sweeping over one nipple then the other. He sucked and licked, not sparing any inch of skin from his mind-blowing attention.

Her head tipped back as the sensations rippled through her. “God, yes.”

He mumbled something against the underside of her breast and she felt the deep voice rumble against her. She couldn’t make out the words. Didn’t care. Her hands pressed on the back of his head, holding him close as she rubbed her lower body up and down over the bulge in his jeans.

Minutes passed, and his clothes stayed on. But his hands moved. One swept down her body in a lazy trail. He held her hips still as a finger pushed up inside her. In and out, making her grow wet and restless with each pass. His mouth continued its massage. Every inch of her trembled from the touching and tasting.

“Everything off.” He mumbled the words as he unclipped her bra and dropped it to the floor.

Before she could shift or catch a breath, he unbuttoned his jeans. His hand slipped around behind him and he pulled a condom out of his back pocket.

For some reason him being ready both warmed and amused her. “You were carrying it on you?”

“Call me hopeful.”

His beard scratched her neck in the most delicious way. He turned her inside out. Made her feel raw and open, like there wasn’t an inch of her he didn’t intend to conquer. Not selfish. No, this was about mutual satisfaction. He primed her body until her hips bucked and she pushed down harder to feel his finger slide in deeper.

He had her wound up and ready. She plucked the condom out of his hand and ripped off the wrapper. Forget pulling those jeans off or rolling him to the floor. She did want to ride him. Hard and fast until the room shook.

The warm room kept the chill off her body. So did the big man underneath her. His finger shifted, and her breath caught. Then his mouth moved to her neck and he did it again. He touched a part of her that had her insides clenching with the need to release, and she wanted to be wrapped around him when that happened.

Unable to wait another second, she slipped his briefs down and released his impressive cock. Thick and long, just as she guessed from looking at the rest of him. She tightened her hand and slipped it up and down. Swirled her thumb over the tip before plunging her palm to the base again.

This close she could see his breathing tick faster. Feel his heavy breaths against her cheek and hair.

“Now, Nat.”

Something about hearing the nickname on his tongue, so casual and sweet, had her rushing. With the help of his hand on her hips, she lifted up on her knees. He rolled the condom on the second before she sank down. His sigh sounded like a “yes,” but she couldn’t be sure because a haze had fallen over her and clouded her brain.

His tip pressed inside her, stretching her as her inner muscles pulsed. Tension pulled his shoulders tight as his hands gripped her back. A mix of excitement and need pounded off him. She could feel every nerve ending zap to life when she leaned down and kissed him.