“Dammit,” she muttered and closed the door. This must be her punishment for trying to get hammered. It wasn’t even something she usually partook in. But of course he’d use that against her. The bastard.

Instead of taking a seat she stood a good fifteen feet away from him. She’d prefer more distance but her place wasn’t that big.

“What do you want?”

He sighed and ran a hand over the back of his neck. He really did look like hell. Dark circles formed shadows under his eyes and he looked haggard from his messy hair to his wrinkled clothes.

“I can’t sleep. Hell, I feel like I can’t even think straight anymore.”

With a sigh, Jackie took a seat on the sofa furthest from him. “Why’s that?”

He pinned her with a glare. His eyes were dark but vibrant. “Because of you.”

“I can’t fall asleep,” she heard him saying. “And when I do I just dream. Dream, dream, dream. They’re so vivid, so acute that I don’t know if I want to stay asleep or wake up.” He sounded so pained; Jackie had to resist the urge to go to him.

“Are you having nightmares?”

He threw back his head and laughed. Frowning, she didn’t think any of this was funny at all. He looked back at her with a sad smile.

“I dream of you, Jackie.”

Now it was her turn to laugh though hers held an edge of hysteria to it. She blinked at him, words failing her. She’d never had a man lose sleep over her in her entire life. She’d laugh at the thought that Thane lost sleep over her but deep down she knew...and he knew. The word mate bounced around in her head.

“Of course, why didn’t I think of that,” she said dryly.

He ignored her barb. “I’ve dreamt of you for years.”

Jackie’s eyes shot wide. Her heart fluttered in her chest, started pounding wildly.

“I used to have these dreams on occasion. Maybe a few times a month. About a redheaded woman coming to me, making love to me. I never really saw her face but it didn’t matter.”

Jackie snorted and he leveled his piercing gaze on her. It cut her snort short. Jackie wouldn’t know until later that when she lashed out it wasn’t because she was mad, but afraid to see the truth.

“You only never saw her face because it was unnecessary, Thane. Just another woman in your bed.”

Anger flared in his eyes, his jaw tightened and it was enough that she looked away from him. In a flash of movement, he was in front of her. He snagged the front of her robe and pulled her up against him. She didn’t struggle, too surprised by his actions.

“It wasn’t just another woman and you know it. It was you. It’s always been you.”

She met his hard stare with one of her own. “Liar.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously, the brown irises darkening to near black. “Don’t push me tonight, Jacquelyn. Don’t make me break my promise.”

Her stomach tightened with delight—the opposite reaction she wanted to have around him.

“I didn’t come to you, Thane,” she whispered.

His hands slid down over her robe, reaching around her back to arch her into him.

He leaned down and she jerked her head away, her heart racing with fear that he’d kiss her. If he kissed her and then she wouldn’t be able to let him stop. Her resistance had been steadily falling every day. Each touch, each kiss tore at that resistance with the power of a sledgehammer wielded by a giant.

He didn’t kiss her. His lips touched her ear and said in a voice that brought shivers over her body, “You did in my dream tonight.”

The heat of his hands warmed her through her thick cotton robe. His caresses were subtle, massaging circles that aroused her better than her own nighttime fantasies.

“Give us a chance,” he said in that haunting voice that beckoned her to follow him. That said everything would be okay.

She didn’t try to stop it as her hands ran up the hard expanse of his chest to curl around his hard shoulders. She had to touch him. Had to feel him before she lost all train of thought.

“I will take care of you. I will love you,” he whispered. He kissed her neck in soft, teasing bites that made her breasts feel heavy and full.

“It’s not fair.”

His hands tightened around her, sweeping up and down her back in long comforting motions.

“I know, baby. I wish I could take things back. I wish I would have been strong enough to chase after you a long, long time ago.”

Jackie blinked slowly as her mind cleared just a tad from the hazy fog around them.

“What are you talking about?”

He nuzzled her shoulder before answering. She hadn’t even realized he’d swept the robe off one shoulder until he did it. He placed a hot, open-mouthed kiss there.

“You always scared the hell out of me,” he said with a soft chuckle.

She tried to think. She knew what he was saying was important but his touch kept making her eyes close and her body go lax. Thinking fast, she wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling her in closer to the amazing warmth of his body. She clenched tight to keep her mind focused.

“What do you mean?”

Sighing, he trailed his lips across her collarbone to the other side of her neck to give her more of those soft kisses.

“Strong, confident Jackie. She’d laugh at me if I asked her out. She’d shun me with her eyes before the ‘no’ ever formed from her pretty little lips.”

Jackie’s heart took a staggering step in her chest. He’d been interested in her this whole time? Her stubbornness was the reason he never...? She quickly tried to deny it, but she couldn’t form the words. They stopped in her throat and a horrible feeling came over her like a dark cloud.

He was right.

She wouldn’t have said yes. She’d been too scared...just like she was now.

Hands tightening in his long, shaggy hair she whispered her fear to him. He squeezed her tight against him with a bone-deep sigh.

“I know, baby. I know.”

Then he kissed her, and she didn’t plan on stopping him ever again.

His mouth took hers with a passion that swept her up and warmed her body down to her toes. Any lingering doubts and fears evaporated like hot water in a snowstorm. She kissed him back just as fiercely. With tongue and lips, they met each other match for match, stroke for stroke. Years of passionate glances, nighttime dreams, and yearning all collided together until they were frantically pulling at each other’s clothes.

Jackie laughed. They were like two lovers in a race to see who could take off the other’s clothes first. He won. Though, not fair, considering she only wore a robe.

His hands touched her everywhere, leaving no inch untouched as he molded her to him with husky, satisfied groans.

“I accept you,” she said.

His roaming hands stilled against her. His mouth lifted from her breast; he watched her with a mask of disbelief.

“You do?” he said in disbelief.

She nodded and rushed on before she lost all her courage. “You were right. I was always so scared but...I don’t want to be that person anymore, running, hiding from what she wants.”

Unease flashed across his face. “Even if that means seeing faces of women I...” He stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

Jackie’s heart seized up at the reminder, but then she relaxed. He was in her home; she was in his arms, and he was her mate. No one could break that bond.

“Even if,” she said with a small smile. “For someone who prides herself on being strong, I’ve been such a coward.”

As if unable to help himself, his hands reached down to cup her bare bottom and arch her against him. She had trouble opening her eyes as she grew wet between her legs.

“Thane, take me. As a mate,” she said huskily.

He didn’t need any more words.

Their mouths came together in a passionate mating. Wet lips fused together then swept open for dueling tongues. She pulled down the zipper of his pants and the soft rustling of fabric as they fell was music to her ears.