Thea whipped around again. “What the hell does that have to do with anything?”

“It means he’s a natural competitor, and you are nothing but a game to him.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Liv pointed a finger for emphasis. “Do not let him win.”

Alexis stepped between them like a referee. “OK, how about I break open a bottle of wine and we can talk about this like sisters and friends—”

“I am not going to stand by and let him hurt you again,” Liv interrupted.

Thea felt cold and hot and furious all at once. “Liv, I love you, but you seem to have a really low opinion of my ability to decide for myself what is best for me.”

“Your track record isn’t great.”

Alexis spoke quietly. “Liv, I say this as one of your best friends. You are not being very fair to your sister right now. Things get complicated in relationships. Things can change when you least expect it. Can’t you support her during this?”

Liv’s face fell with a betrayal that hit Thea straight in the heart. “No. I can’t.” Liv grabbed her coat from the chair where she’d tossed it earlier. “Maybe Mom will support you. You are officially her daughter.”

* * *

• • •

Irena and Benedict were getting. It. On.

Gavin decided to catch up on some reading after putting the girls to bed, but holy shit. He had no idea a major sex scene was coming up. And not just any sex scene. This was fucking filthy. Did people actually do that shit back then?

Of course, we did, Lord Jelly Finger responded. Do you really think white, Western civilization invented cunnilingus in the twentieth century?

Whatever. All Gavin knew was that it finally happened.

He got a goddamned Book Boner.

He shifted uncomfortably on the couch and reread the scene. Benedict had his face up her skirts. Irena was panting. Moaning. Benedict worked two fingers inside her. In and out. In time with his tongue.

Sweet Jesus . . . he was definitely going to do that to Thea if he ever got the chance, and damn. The instant he replaced the image of Irena with the image of Thea, it was too much.

“Listen to me, my love,” Benedict whispered in her ear. “When we’re together like this, you are in charge. When we are together like this, I surrender to your pleasure alone.”

Gavin gave in and rubbed his hand down the front of his throbbing—

The front door suddenly flew open. Gavin jumped like a teenage boy caught looking at porn on his laptop. The book tumbled in the air, and he managed to grab it and shove it behind the couch cushion just before Thea rushed in.

“Hi,” he squeaked. “Whoa, what the . . .”

Thea whipped off her T-shirt, straddled his lap, and kissed him like there was buried treasure in his throat. He held on and enjoyed the attack until he almost suffocated. “Honey,” he panted, pulling back. “Not that I am in any w-w-way opposed to this, but w-w-what’s happening?”

Thea stood up. “Lie on your back.”

Gavin fell flat on the couch, his legs hanging at an angle toward the floor. Thea stood before him and undid her bra. His eyes followed as she flung it across the room before he brought his gaze back to her breasts. But he was quickly distracted by the sight of her paint-spattered fingers on her button, then lowering her zipper. He forgot to breathe as she slipped pants and underwear down her hips. At the sight of her nakedness, he moaned and prayed to whatever gods were listening that this wasn’t a dream or some kind of Book Boner psychosis. It could be a thing. He’d have to ask the guys.

But this was no dream. Thea, naked now, bent forward and yanked at the button of his jeans. He stopped her. “Wh-what are we doing, Thea?”

“I thought it was obvious.”

“I need you to say the w-words.”

“What words?” She licked a rim around his belly button. His hips bucked instinctively.

“Tell me you want this,” he somehow managed to say. “Tell me you’re ready for this.”

Thea reached inside his jeans and wrapped her fingers around his cock. “I’m ready, Gavin.”

His voice nearly broke. “Thank God.”

He’d never undressed so fast in his life. Thea once again pushed his chest and told him to lie down. He did, reaching for her at the same time.

Thea straddled his lap and slid back and forth until he thought he’d lose his mind with need. Finally, sweet God, finally, she lifted her torso, reached between them, and guided him to her slick entrance. And then, inch by aching inch, she sank down on him.

Ah, fuck. Fuck. Gavin’s head rolled back against the cushion. Their groans mingled and blended as he stretched her, filled her. He looked up at her to find her head tipped back, eyes closed.

“Look at me,” he said.

She opened her eyes and gazed down at him.

“You are in charge,” he said. Sweet heaven, he had no idea he’d be able to use those words so soon after reading them. “When we are together like this, I-I’m surrendered, I surrender to your pleasure.”

Her eyes blinked rapidly. “What?”

“All you have to do is tell me where to touch you. How to touch you.”

Thea guided his hand to their joined bodies. “I need . . .”

“What? Tell me what you need.”

“I need you to touch me here when you’re inside me.”

Gavin pressed the pad of his thumb against her swollen clit. He could do this. He’d learned a few things in the past few minutes from Lord Licks-A-Lot. “Like this?”

Thea nodded, panting too hard to speak. She gripped his shoulders, fingers digging into him to the point of pain. She rocked her hips, rode him. He circled her with his thumb while his other hand dug into her hip.

She moved faster. He thrust up into her. She whimpered and moaned.

Holy shit. Was this really going to happen?

“Gavin,” she panted. “God, yes . . .”

“That’s it, baby. Come on.”

“Oh my God . . .”

“That’s right, Thea. You can do this.”

She tossed her head back and grabbed her own breasts, and holy shit, he was going to ruin this if he didn’t slow his own desire.

“You can do it, baby—”

She smacked a hand over his mouth. “Will you stop cheering me on like we’re at batting practice?”

“Sorry,” he mumbled. Her hand slipped to his shoulder again. “Sorry, baby. I just want to encourage you. God, you’re so fucking hot.”

“Stop talking.” Thea threw her head back again. She returned to her rhythm, fast and hard. But something was different. Thea planted her hands on Gavin’s shoulders.

“Honey . . .”

“Maybe . . . maybe we should change position.”

In that instant, Gavin realized the best perk about being a professional athlete was having the brute strength to seamlessly roll his wife onto her back without once breaking their stride. She hooked her legs around his waist. He thrusted into her until sweat soaked his brow, his back.

“Gavin,” she said, her hands falling to her sides. Her voice had a resigned defeat to it.

No. No, no, no. Gavin hunched to capture one of her nipples in his mouth.

“Gavin, stop. It’s not . . . it’s not going to happen.”

Gavin stalled, still inside her. “Baby, you were so close. Tell me what to do.”

“I’m sorry.”

The tremor in her voice brought him up on his arms. Tears glistened in her eyes, and everything inside him froze. “I’m sorry, Gavin. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“Baby, don’t. It’s OK.” Gavin withdrew from her body with a grunt. God, that hurt. “We w-went too fast. That’s all. We should have taken things more slowly.”

“We’ve been taking things slowly all week!” Thea pushed away from him and stood up.

Gavin dry washed his face and silently recited every curse word Lord Dirty Mouth could think of. Qualling shard-borne canker blossom!

He forced his voice to remain calm. “Just talk to me, Thea. Tell me what I’m doing wrong.”

“I don’t know.” Thea yanked her shirt over her head and searched for her jeans.

“Just talk to me.”

Thea pulled her jeans on. “I don’t know what to say! I don’t know what’s wrong! You can’t just snap your fingers and say, Come, baby, and make it happen. God, what is it with men? You think that just because you have a hard-on, we women are supposed to just roll over and start moaning like a porn star for you.”

Steady, mate. Don’t say something you cannot take back.

The beastly, humiliated side of Gavin punched Lord Magic Dick in the face. Gavin shot to his feet. “Except that you did, Thea. Every time. I thought I was the king of the fucking sheets thanks to your acting skills.” He dragged his hands over his hair. “God, Thea. Was it just with me? Am I the only man you’ve never been able to orgasm with?”

“How dare you bring up other men! I had exactly two boyfriends before you, and for your information—not that it is any of your business—yes, I did sometimes orgasm with them.”

Her admission seemed to steel his breath. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“Why didn’t you know?”

“Because I’m not a mind reader. W-we have to talk openly and honestly about these things.”

“We haven’t talked openly and honestly about anything in a long time, Gavin.”

Gavin searched for his clothes and yanked them on. “You make it sound like things were horrible between us, Thea. They weren’t.”

“Is that the highest standard you aim for? Not horrible? Would you really prefer to go back to the way we were before that night?”

“I’d rather that than this.”

Her face fell. “That’s what scares me, Gavin. There are a lot of ways to fake it. I’m just the only one willing to own up to it.”