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“You might not want to fuck me, Hunter, but I do want you. And having you in bed—not the best plan.”

Hunter was highly conscious of each heartbeat. Of the drumming of blood in his ears. “I want to fuck you more than anything.” Had he not been clear enough on that part? “But if I toss you onto that bed right now, I can’t be some gentle lover. I can’t be tender and soft.”

“Who said I needed that?”

Who—he—she⁠—

She eased closer toward him. Her hand came right back to his chest. She placed it over his racing heart. “Glass doesn’t always break,” she told him. “When it gets hot, it becomes something beautiful.”

He had tendrils of his control left. “Shelby…” This was a bad idea. He would scare her. He would lose his shot with her. He didn’t want to be a one-night memory in her life.

“I keep seeing her in my head,” she breathed. “I keep seeing the blood. I keep feeling like I am walking around and I could be next and I just…I want something more. I need more. I need you.” Then she sealed her fate. She eliminated the last bit of distance between them. Her hands curled around his shoulders. She pulled him down to her.

Her lips pressed to his.

Lust exploded. Desire that would not be contained any longer. He’d tried, really, he had. He’d warned her that his control would not last. That he would be too wild. Too demanding. Too…

Everything.

But she was kissing him. He was kissing her, and his tongue dipped into her mouth, greedily tasting and taking all of her sweetness.

No turning back. He’d gone too far already.

His hands rose and clamped around her hips. He dragged her tightly to him, and his fingers dug into the fabric of the terry-cloth robe. He wanted to touch her skin. To rip the robe out of the way.

So he did.

One moment, he was holding greedily to her hips, and in the next, his hands were flying. He unknotted the belt at her waist, then shoved the robe off her shoulders. His mouth didn’t leave hers. He couldn’t. Her taste addicted him. He had to keep kissing her. Tasting her.

She moaned into his mouth.

Fuck, yes.

His hands lingered on her shoulders. Smooth skin. Except…except for the raised scar from a long ago stab wound.

For a moment, Hunter tensed. But she pushed closer to him, and the hard tips of her tight nipples pressed into his chest.

He was a goner.

A growl broke from him. Lightning fast, he lifted her up and tossed her onto the bed.

Use care.

Be tender.

This is her. She is important.

She. Is. Everything.

But she was spread out. Naked. With her thighs parted. With her breasts thrusting toward him, and he climbed on top of her. He had to take a nipple into his mouth. Had to latch his lips around it. Suck hard and deep. Lick. Lave. Worship.

He kissed his way to her other nipple. Sucked hard and deep with the same focused attention even as his fingers trailed down her body. His questing fingers went right between her legs.

Oh, just where he wanted to be.

Her hands fluttered over his shoulders. Her breath came faster. Harder. “Hunter!”

His lips feathered over her abdomen as he made his way to his goal.