Who was to say he wasn’t even better?

Tears of frustration bit at her eyelids. She’d expended more emotion in the last days than she had in years. She’d always been careful to keep herself firmly in check. Calm. Measured. She didn’t like feeling distraught and out of control.

She understood—or at least thought she understood—Lucas’s decision now. He wanted her to face her past. He wanted her to deal with the issue of Cole before she could move forward. With Lucas.

It was either that or he’d seized the opportunity to make sure Ren was cared for before moving on as he had in so many other relationships.

She wasn’t sure what about Lucas made it impossible for him to commit to a longstanding relationship. He’d been up front with her from the beginning that their arrangement wasn’t permanent, that it couldn’t be.

But as time went on and he seemed content, she put it out of her mind that it was a temporary arrangement.

She’d let her guard down. She’d allowed herself to fall for a man she couldn’t have.

Stupid.

She turned slightly to stare at the back of Cole’s head as pale light softened the room through the curtains. Cole wanted her. She couldn’t lie to herself that she didn’t still have strong feelings for him. She did.

He’d laid it out plainly for her. He wanted her. He would fight for her. He’d never give her to another man as Lucas had.

He’d also offer her the kind of relationship she wanted and needed. Wouldn’t he?

She had two weeks to find out. Two weeks in which to explore a relationship with Cole and to determine whether or not Lucas would come back for her.

And yeah, then she’d have a decision to make. A decision that already sent pain through her heart.

She felt him leave the bed. He was quiet so as not to awaken her, but then she still hadn’t slept. Her back was to him and she briefly closed her eyes, not yet wanting him to know she was awake. When she heard him go into the bathroom she opened her eyes and took in a deep breath.

For the next two weeks she would be his. There would be no half measures. Not sorta kinda or in between. That kind of relationship or agreement would never fulfill her. She needed—she craved—full possession. The safety and security of a completely dominant lover.

She needed the structure and rigidity but she also needed a man who knew when not to push too hard. Lucas had been that man. But so had Cole.

She pushed herself up and slipped out of bed, her feet flexing when they hit the wood floor. There wasn’t a rug or any carpet to soften her kneeling position, but it didn’t matter. Her discomfort wasn’t important. The message she would send to Cole was.

Complete obedience. Complete submission.

For two weeks, she was his to command.

After? She couldn’t bear to think that far ahead. There was too much she didn’t know, and she was afraid to speculate on the potential outcome.

She walked naked around to the foot of the bed and then faced the door to the bathroom. She sank gracefully to her knees, rested her hands palms up on the tops of her legs and settled her gaze forward, waiting for Cole to return.

He couldn’t possibly misunderstand the significance of the gesture.

Several long minutes later, she nearly closed her eyes when she heard the door open. Butterflies danced in her belly, but she forced her chin up so she could meet his gaze the moment he saw her.

He frowned.

Not exactly what she’d expected.

“Jesus, Ren. Your knees. How long have you been kneeling like this?”

He strode forward, reached down and gently pulled her to her feet. She wobbled a little unsteadily, taken aback by his reaction.

He guided her back to the bed and eased her down on the edge. He had a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair was still damp from his shower. A single bead of water trailed down his side and she had the insane urge to run her tongue over it.

To her further shock, he went to one knee in front of her so they were on eye level. Every part of her rejected the sight of him kneeling in front of her. She stared at him with no idea of what to say or how to react.

He touched her cheek and sighed. “I appreciate the sentiment. I understand it. I’m relieved as hell. Don’t get me wrong, the sight of you on your knees blows me away. But I don’t want you in pain, Ren. I have hardwood floors in the bedroom. It can’t be comfortable for you.”

“I wanted you to know,” she began quietly.

He nodded. “I know you did. It’s me, remember? I think I went a little weak in the knees when I opened the door and there you were. It took me back to a much better time. When we were young and together, testing something new and powerful. I was so damn grateful that you didn’t get up and walk out while I was in the shower. Do you know how hard it was for me not to run out to see if you were still there? To calmly go through the motions of a shower and shaving all the while my gut was in a knot because I was afraid you wouldn’t stay?”

“I’ll stay. I’m yours.”

He cupped her cheek then leaned forward, brushing his lips across hers. First just a tender brush. Then he came back, fusing his mouth to hers. Her lips parted on a sigh and he slid his tongue over hers until she tasted the mint of his toothpaste.

As he pulled away, he murmured, “Oh yes, Ren. You’re mine. You’ll never doubt that for a moment.”

Then he rose and discarded the towel around his waist. He was such a beautiful man. He’d lost the lean softness of youth and in its stead was a muscled, rougher man that made her mouth water.

His cock was rigid, flared up toward his navel from a nest of lighter brown hair, almost blond like the rest of him.

“Go get a condom from the nightstand and put it on me,” he said in a terse, barely restrained voice.

She scooted off the bed and hurried to do his bidding. She wanted him inside her again. Last night had felt …practiced. Almost as if they had been putting on a show for Lucas’s benefit, and maybe Cole had.

Today, there was no one but Cole and Ren. No Lucas. No pretenses or awkwardness.

She tore open a condom and returned to sit in front of Cole. His erection was on level with her mouth, but he didn’t appear to have any intention of having her pleasure him with her lips and tongue.

With shaking fingers, she rolled the latex over his rigid length. Automatically her gaze found his as she awaited his next directive.

“Lay back, spread your thighs and bend your knees so the bottoms of your feet are flat on the mattress. Then spread yourself and hold on to your knees.”

She leaned back, clutching at her knees as her soles dug into the mattress. The position opened herself completely to him. She was vulnerable but so very excited.

He ran the tip of his finger from her clitoris to her opening and then slid it inside to the knuckle. She shuddered violently, her hips arching off the mattress in response.

“Keep yourself open,” he bit out when her hold on her knees loosened.

She reasserted her hold and then sucked in her breath when he lowered his head between her splayed thighs. Oh God.

He pressed the most tender of kisses to her opening and then lazily slid his tongue upward until it rolled over her clitoris.

Her fingers dug into her knees and it was a battle to maintain her position when her entire body was screaming in pleasure.

He licked her again, making long, sensual swipes with his tongue. The roughness over such tender and sensitive skin drove her to madness. She twitched from head to toe and was one breath way from coming completely unglued.

But he was in no hurry and he seemed content to stroke her with his tongue and suck lazily at her quivering flesh. He rimmed her entrance and then slid his tongue in, tasting her from the inside out.