“I’ve never done this before, Pip. You’re goin’ to have to tell me when it’s too much.”

“You’ve never had sex?” I gasp.

He smiles, like a beautiful devil. “No, baby, I’ve never been with a virgin.”

“Oh.”

He strokes my cheek. “Does it help if I say you’re the only woman I’ve been with that I fuckin’ adore?”

That does help.

I smile a little.

He kisses me again.

He pushes in more, farther, and the pain gets more intense. God, it hurts. It’s not pleasurable at all. Does it feel like this every time?

“Tyke,” I gasp. “That hurts. It hurts.”

“Sorry, baby,” he says. “It’s going to hurt this time around, and probably for the next few. It’ll get better after that, though. I swear it.”

I nod and he strokes my hair back as he pushes in deeper.

“Nearly there,” he says, his voice so tight I wonder if it’s hurting him, too.

“Fuck,” he grunts.

I hold my breath, close my eyes and endure the pain as he slides in farther and farther. Then, with one final push, he’s fully inside me. I gasp, he growls, and then we both go still. I feel so full, I can feel him inside my body, inside me. Tyke is making love to me.

“I’m going to move,” he says in a tight voice. “If it hurts, tell me to stop.”

I nod and clutch his arms as he starts rocking. He pulls out a little, then pushes back in. Then he does it again, pulling out a little more each time. It hurts and it’s uncomfortable, but the very idea of having Tyke inside me is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever had happen to me. All the pain in the world couldn’t take away the beauty in my soul right now.

“Oh baby,” Tyke rasps. “Feels so fuckin’ good.”

It does?

My heart swells and flutters. I look into his eyes, feeling the pain get less and less. It doesn’t feel good, exactly, but it doesn’t hurt so much anymore. Tyke is rocking his hips, his eyes are holding mine, and we’re connecting in a way we’ve never connected. His fingers find my chin and he groans, “Watch me come inside you, darlin’. Watch how good you make me feel.”

He thrusts a few more times and then his eyes almost glaze over as a strangled, ragged growl is ripped from his throat and his body stills over mine. His fingers tighten around my chin, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I watch him, relishing in the feeling of his body shaking over mine, and know that I did that to him.

Me.

Just me.

He lowers down, burying his head in my shoulder, and we lie like that for a long, long time.

The buzzing of his phone from the clothes pile on the floor brings reality flooding back. We’re in danger, and Tyke isn’t meant to be here. We’re meant to be with Maddox. Tyke shifts and reaches down, grabbing his phone.

“Got to take this, beautiful,” he murmurs, pulling out of me gently. He sits back and pulls me up, so I’m tucked in his arms. I press my cheek to his chest and listen.

“What, man?” he answers.

I hear someone on the other side of the phone, yelling.

“Yeah, and I’m seein’ my woman. You can fuckin’ wait.”

More yelling.

“I know how fuckin’ serious it is, Maddox. I’m also not goin’ to bend over and let them take my life out of my hands while they fuck me up the ass.”

My brows go up. I’ve never heard Tyke talk like that before.

“Yeah, well, fuck you, man.”

Then he hangs up.

I turn to him and see he’s staring straight ahead, jaw tight. I reach up and tentatively stroke the bruise on his cheek. “You’re hurt, Tyke.”

He turns and looks down at me.

“Don’t worry about me. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“But...Tana said they caught you. Did they hurt you more than what I see?”

He shakes his head. “No, and I’ll tell you all about it another time, but don’t ruin this moment for us. I’m beat up, but I’m okay in every other way. Trust that, okay?”

I nod.

He pushes to his feet and I don’t miss the pained hiss that leaves his lips as he limps down the hallway. He comes back a moment later with a warm washcloth. “Lay back.”

I blink at him. “Pardon?”

He grins. “Lay back. I’m not leaving you sore and unclean. Let me wash you.”

Wash me? There?

My skin prickles with shame.

“No, it’s okay.”

“Pippa, baby, lay down.”

I do as he asks, lying down. He comes over me and gently spreads my legs. I throw my arm over my face in shame as he gently wipes me clean, then he’s gone again. I sit up and pull on my panties and my nighty. He comes back a second later, still buck-naked. My eyes fall to his parts now, and I see it looks very different just falling between his legs, no longer aroused.

“You’ll give me a complex if you keep starin’ at my cock like that, little one.”

I jerk and look away, cheeks burning. Tyke shuffles about and when I look back, he’s got his jeans back on and nothing else. He turns to me, searching my face. “Are you hurting?”

I shrug. “A little. Not really.”

He reaches over and cups my jaw. “I fucked up, Pippa. I made excuses because I was scared. No more. I want you more than my next breath. Let me have that.”