“Baby,” he said into her neck, inhaling her scent and seeming to relax into her. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”

Dread kicked her in the gut. “What?”

“I went to see you parents. It’s all good. We have their blessing.”

Seizing him by the shoulders, she wrenched herself back and stared incredulously at his face. Did she even dare to hope…? “What?”

“I saw them before I came here. I can’t say they were overjoyed, but they said whatever you decided, they would support. If that means what I think it means, they’re okay with us now.” He chuckled, and she knew it had to be because of whatever look was on her face. “Brian helped me,” he went on, “so unfortunately, you might owe him big-time.”

“I love that little shit.”

Laughing, he drew her back into his arms. “So we’re okay. For now I might go back to work for Marco, but I want to do more. I will. I promised your folks.”

“Ian, I don’t care. If you love what you do, then please stick with it. We’ll be all right. That’s their hang-up, not mine.”

“To me, it’s only a job like any other. It’s not my life’s ambition like it is for Brian or those other guys. Actually, you’re my ambition.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb, and the way he looked at her lips then, like he wanted them, made her blood surge.

“I do have an idea for you, though.”

“Yeah? I’m all ears.”

She grinned. “What we talked about before. Massage therapy. You can start with me.”

He kissed her—at last!—and the hunger that consumed her was almost frightening in its intensity. She’d have been more than happy to do it on the floor, but yeah—her door still stood wide open. Any observant neighbors might have thought she was insane, kissing one man and then making out wildly on the floor with another. The former wasn’t one of her prouder moments, especially knowing Ian had seen, but whatever. Hopefully she was done suffering indignities for a long, long time.

They broke apart, and Ian got up to close the door when she laughingly pointed it out. Then he helped her to her feet, where she promptly kicked her heels off and pulled his head down to her again. So good, so sweet to feel his mouth on hers again, his tongue invading in its teasing way.

Groaning against him, she pressed her body closer, fitting every inch of herself to every inch of him that she could. His hands roamed down her back and cupped her ass, grinding her against him. Heat pooled in her belly, flowed languidly out to all her limbs, weakening her while strengthening her need. She slid one leg up, hooking it around his hip, and his hand followed the long, lean muscle of her thigh. Her bare skin tingled under the warmth of his touch. Other places tingled in the anticipation of it.

“I missed you,” he murmured. She couldn’t even explain how much she’d missed him. Like a part of her was gone. Or rather, the piece of himself that he’d left with her was crying out for him.

“I don’t even want to remember how much I missed you,” she said. “Just be with me now. Make it all go away.”

Heat flared in his gaze. His kiss blazed through her senses again, and all at once his hands were everywhere. Squeezing her ass, then stroking her br**sts, and everywhere in between. Finally in her hair, pulling it down, sending pins flying, and she almost laughed against his mouth as the silky strands tumbled around her shoulders.

Finally. Finally, she had a guy who would demolish her updo. As ridiculous as it seemed, that moment somehow confirmed everything she already knew. This was right. This was perfection.

They somehow made it to her bedroom, flinging clothes in every direction until she landed on the mattress, his hard half-naked body between her legs. Besides his jeans, only her panties remained between them, and she wrestled with the button on his jeans, trying to eliminate one of those barriers. When he slipped from her hands to slide down her body, she whimpered in frustration.

But his kisses slid down with him, teasing along her br**sts, then lower. His hand spread over her stomach, the pressure of it warm and gentle. It was too early to feel any movement within, but she liked to think the life inside her surged with happiness at his nearness. “You’re starting to show,” he said, his voice tinged with wonder.

“I think so,” she whispered. He moved his hand to sprinkle more warm kisses around her belly button, which tickled as much as they enticed. She giggled, wriggling under him, stroking her fingers through his hair. It had grown. She liked that. Something to grab on to—and the thought of that first inexorable thrust had her licking her lips. “Ian, please…don’t make me wait.”

He did, though, taking his time pulling down her panties, lightly kissing and licking places that were craving a much more substantial touch. She loved the sight of his big hand dragging the scrap of lace down her thighs, his mouth smearing erotically over the places he revealed.

“God!” she cried in frustration, nearly wrenched in two by her need. Her pu**y clenched, heat and pressure building to unbearable proportions. His head dipped lower and his tongue flicked lightly over her clit. Her hips came off the bed, seeking that wet touch again, but he evaded her. The sound that burst from her throat was nearly a growl.

He only grinned, getting up on his knees and pulling her legs straight up in the air to slip her panties all the way off and cast them aside. Seeing him like that…shirtless, inked, pierced, jeans undone and hanging low on the V of his hips…fuck. She was going to attack him if he didn’t get inside her soon. But he only took that opportunity to run his mouth down her calf, the side of her knee, then parted her legs and licked a trail up her inner thigh. Sighing, she let her legs drop on either side of him. He settled between them and put his mouth, that mouth, that wonderful, wet, hot mouth, right on her clit. She slid her fingers through his hair, sighing her absolute bliss.

He sucked her, licked her, devoured her. Whispering how he loved the way she smelled, the way she tasted, how he’d never get enough of her. She prayed it was true—she’d damn sure never get enough of him.

When he’d gotten her so hot and wet and wild for him that climax was imminent, he moved up her undulating body, trailing more kisses, stopping to suck each of her ni**les in turn deep into his mouth. She clawed at his back, begging, wrapping both legs around his waist, overjoyed when she felt him push his jeans down enough to free his hard cock.

“Did you ever get tested?” she asked in a breathless rush.

“I did. I’m clean.”

“Me too.” She wanted nothing more than to feel him sink inside her with nothing between them, flesh to burning flesh. Reaching down to take him in her hand, she guided him to her entrance. “Give it to me,” she pleaded, rubbing the blunt, thick tip along her crease, and he lifted his mouth to hers.

“Yeah? You want it?” He kissed her furiously.

“Oh God, yes. Now, now, now…”

She expected him to draw it out, torture her some more. But he was as tired of waiting as she was. With one long thrust, he took her, their mutual groans lingering in the air between their lips as he stared into her eyes. Nothing in the world had ever felt better. So thick, filling her so perfectly, and he barely gave her time to adjust before he began to move with gentle thrusts.