A man would need a lifetime for it all.

“Are you okay?” he asked her.

She had to try about three times before she could get words out of her throat. “I…I think I’m going to fall apart.”

He tried to warm her with his body without crushing her. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“I don’t know,” she said, through chattering teeth. “It’s an unprecedented thing.”

“Ah. Well. I guess…that’s good,” he offered. “I hope.”

“You’re huge, by the way,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” he said helplessly.

“Don’t apologize.” She slid her hands down his back, dug her fingernails into his ass, pulled him deeper. He couldn’t talk. He was too busy trying not to come as they rocked, looking for their rhythm.

They found it, and were off. Much harder and faster than he’d meant to go, but he felt possessed. She twined around him, hanging on, jarred by every thrust. Wild horses were thundering through his body, but she was with him, holding on. Riding the crest. Not trampled by it.

The orgasm jolted through him, each jolt blasting him deeper, wider, wide open to the stars, the wind. Naked and exposed.

When it subsided, he was the one who felt trampled. Humbled and destroyed. So shy, he didn’t dare look into her face.

The sky had brightened while they’d been busy, and he made out leaves rustling and moving in the pearly blue light outside the window.

Nancy cupped his face with her hand, pulling it around.

He rolled onto his side to face her, and they clasped hands, bodies still joined and slick with sweat and lube. Speechless. Eyes locked.

This time he was the one who couldn’t handle the long, significant silence. He was afraid he’d hurt her, scared her. He got up, got himself a drink of water, gulped it thirstily. He hesitated a moment, and got one for her, too. When he brought it back to the bed, she was sitting up, her slender body curled in a graceful pose like a mermaid on a rock, legs tucked to the side. He handed her the glass, and she held it up to her cheek for a moment. He steeled himself, and asked it. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. A soft smile curved her lips. She didn’t speak. It was driving him crazy. “What?” he demanded. “What the hell is it?”

She laughed, softly. “That’s funny, from you,” she said. “I’m just using your trick.” She saw the bewilderment in his eyes, and explained. “You know. Shutting up, and just looking at you. Feeling it, here.” She put her hand on her heart. “I like the way it feels.”

He squirmed, inwardly. “Oh. That’s not a trick. It’s just the truth.”

She nodded gravely and drank the water, looking over him with a frank approval that brought a blush to his face. His dick responded, too, standing up proudly. Not yet. Ten more orgasms. And they’d see how things went. He took the glass of water, placed it on the lamp table next to the bed, and then grabbed her and tugged her to the edge of the couch. She sensed his intention and grabbed his hair. “Liam—”

“Shhh.” He shoved her thighs wide. Her cunt was beautiful, juicy and plump and soft, adorned with a soft fuzz of ringlets wet with lube. He kissed his way up to the good stuff, and moaned with pleasure when he tasted her juice. Sweet and hot, slick and earthy. Fucking delicious.

Her phone rang. They froze. “Do you usually get calls at this hour?” Liam demanded.

“Unfortunately, yes,” she murmured.

Her machine clicked and whirred. A man’s voice came on the line. “Nance? Pick up, if you’re there. You have to come to the studio and listen to this great new order I came up with for the CD.”

Nancy reached for the phone that still lay by the couch. Liam leaned back. The guy’s voice went on “…try your cell phone next—”

She picked up. “I’m here, Peter.”

“What took you so long to get to the phone?” Peter demanded.

“It’s five in the morning, or haven’t you noticed?” She perched on the edge of the couch. “What do you mean, change the order?”

“I thought of a great new—”

“You’ve done this to me three times! If we don’t get those liner notes to Shepard by nine-thirty, the CD won’t be in the catalog at all!”

“But it makes more sense if I put ‘The Road to You’ at the end!”

“Tell me about it when I get there.” She hung up and looked around as if waking from a dream. “I forgot the liner notes. My mind was wiped.” She shot Liam a guilty look. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get moving. I’ve got a million things to—”

“No,” he said.

She froze, eyes tightening. “Excuse me?”

Rage was bubbling hot inside him. “What would it take to convince you that you can’t go bouncing around, la-di-da, and do your fucking errands like nothing even happened?”

“They are not ‘fucking errands’! This is how I support myself!”

“You can’t support yourself if you’re dead.” The words were a blow, as he’d meant them to be. “You’re coming up to Latham with me.”

She let out an incredulous laugh. “Am I? Thanks so much for discussing this decision with me.”

“You don’t have any grip on reality,” he told her.

“It’s you who needs to get a grip.” Her voice shook. “Don’t think that I don’t appreciate what you did last night. But don’t think that it’s all up to you, now, either, understand? I have a life, and I have to—”

“That’s what I’m trying to help you protect,” he said. “Not your work, Nancy. Not your career. Your life. Do you know the difference?”

“This city is swarming with millions of people—”

“Two of whom came at us with a knife last night.”

“Do not be sarcastic. I’ll be with people the entire day, and I’ll take cabs. I have to be in midtown by nine-thirty sharp, and I—”

“I’ll go with you,” he announced, his voice grim.

She struggled to marshal her arguments. “Liam, I’ll be racing from pillar to post, and I can’t concentrate if you’re watching my every—”

“Deal with it. Or come back with me to Latham.” He could tell already from the look on her face that he’d played his cards all wrong.

“Yes, and do what while my livelihood goes straight to hell?” she demanded. “Spend my days lolling in your bed, with my legs in the air? I’m sure it would be fun, Liam, but it’s not a long-term solution.”

“I never said it was,” he said, but that was the wrong thing to say. Her soft, pink mouth went all pinched and tight.

“I see. Of course. Just a temporary thing,” she said. “Sexual entertainment while you amuse yourself with your bodyguard hobby.”

Shit. “Nancy, that’s not what I meant. I’m just saying you can’t—”

“It’s not up to you.” She stood there, auburn hair tousled out to here, eyes blazing, so beautiful it hurt his eyes. He grabbed his clothes.

“This is the biggest production company I’ve ever done business with. If I flake out on them, they’ll never take me seriously again.”

He finished tying his shoes. “Don’t try to justify yourself to me,” he said, his voice clipped. “Because you can’t.” He shrugged into his jacket. “Get dressed,” he said. “I’ll take you to your recording studio.”

Her chin went up. “I can get a cab.”

Two strides put him right in her face, one hand tilting her head back, the other digging into the soft, smooth swell of her ass cheek.

“Don’t push me any further,” he warned. “Give me this one. You owe me a hell of a lot more. But you will—give—me—this.”

Or else. Her throat bobbed. They both heard the sexual menace in his tone. He had never used his size and strength to intimidate a woman. Never dreamed that he was capable of it. But look at him, actually wondering what he would do if she kept defying him.

His rock-hard, throbbing dick had some very good ideas.

She wrenched her chin away. Started getting ready. He was so relieved, he almost sagged to the ground. He’d bluffed her.

But the predatory beast inside him was as disappointed as hell.