Page 104 of King of Temptation

Her words froze him in place. Buried deep inside her, he met her golden eyes, dancing with amusement and mischief. “You love me.”

“I do. I’m sorry I didn’t say it last night, I was just⁠—”

“No.” Ducking his head, he captured her lips again, flexing his hips at the same time so she cried out into his mouth. “This is perfect. Say it again.”

“I love you. I love you so fucking much, but I might have to kill you if you don’t fuck me right now.”

Laughing, delighted by her, he gave her everything she asked for and then some, the kitchen filling with her gasps and whimpers of ecstasy until she tightened around him, her head falling back against the cabinets as she sighed with pleasure. He followed her over not long after, emptying himself into her.

Which was exactly how he felt when it was done. Empty, but in the best possible way. As if she’d reached inside him and scooped out the grief and the anger and the unbearable sadness, replacing it all with her. Her light, her love.

Her everything.

Lifting her head again, she grinned lazily up at him. “That might be even better than coffee.”

“There’s an idea. Orgasms instead of caffeine.”

“Orgasms and caffeine. Try taking my coffee away and see what happens, O’Rourke.”

Sliding from the counter, she grabbed her underwear from where he’d dropped them on the floor and pulled them back on, glaring at him the entire time. Delighted by her as he so often was, he pulled his own sweatpants back up and flashed her a grin. “You’re going to have to find something else to call me when you’re pissed after we get married. Can’t use O’Rourke as an insult if it’s your last name too.”

“Watch me.” Nose in the air, she nudged him aside to pour her coffee. “And who says I’m taking your name?”

“I do. I don’t care if it makes me a caveman, I want my woman wearing my ring to have my name. You can keep Quinn for your books, but outside of that world, you’re⁠—”

“Oh, fuck!” Setting her coffee down sharply enough for the contents to spill over the side onto his previously clean counter, Goldie whipped her head around, her expression frantic. “Where’s my phone? I need to check my phone.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

Snatching her phone from the counter where she’d set it down at some point, she swiped at the screen, and his heart twisted with fear at the look of pure devastation on her face. “Goldie? Baby, what’s wrong?”

“I have a signing. In two days. Fuck my life, I completely forgot about it with everything else that’s been going on. I need to call Zoe, and the bookstore, and⁠—”

Sensing a meltdown on the horizon, he gripped her shoulders, holding her in place. Beneath his palms, she all but vibrated with nervous energy.

“Eyes on me, menace.”

Her gaze snapped to his, panic whirling in the golden brown, and he deliberately dragged in a deep breath through his nose, pleased when she instinctively followed suit.

“Good girl. Just breathe.”

“I don’t have time to breathe, Brody. I have⁠—”

Sliding his hand up around her throat, he held her. Not hard enough to cut off her oxygen, as that would defeat the purpose of the breathing exercises. But just enough for her to remember who he was.

“Your Daddy is telling you to take a breath, little girl. What do you think you should be doing?”

Pupils widening, she inhaled sharply. “T-Taking a breath.”

“That’s exactly right. Because my good girl listens to her Daddy. Isn’t that right, menace?”

“Sometimes.”

God, he loved that bratty streak of hers. “Let this be one of those times. Deep breath in for me.”

Beneath his palm, he felt her throat expand as she obeyed. “Such a good girl,” he murmured, brushing his thumb over her thundering pulse. “Hold it there for a bit. Now breathe out, nice and slow.”

She obeyed again, over and over until the panicked look faded from her eyes. “Sorry. I’m better now.”