“Why do you care?” Anger sizzled in those liquid silver eyes. “You’re too dangerous for me, remember? And I’m too flighty and irresponsible for you. Therefore, if I want to find my pleasure elsewhere, I will.”

Oh, hell, no. He managed to grit out, “I never said you were flighty and irresponsible.”

“Whatever. You thought it. You’re all the same, after all. You think the same, act the same.”

“Who, men? Did Corban call you those things?” He braced himself against the counter, suspecting he might need the support. Something was wrong with her. Yesterday, before Corban’s arrival, she’d been in a decent mood. Had even teased Hector about staring at her breasts. Now she was easily pricked, defensive and snappy. “You can tell me. Whatever happened, I can help you.” And kill him.

“Why would you help me?” she said, incredulous. “You and I aren’t dating.”

Damn it. He hadn’t seen her this worked up, since … ever. “Stop throwing questions at me, and give it to me straight. What happened last night?”

“None of your goddamn business. How’s that for a straight answer?”

“I want it to be my business!” The words exploded from him before he could consider the consequences, the thought of her with someone else destroying him. “I like you. I admire you. I fucking want you, all the damn time. So let me help you with this, Noelle.”

Her breathing picked up and her cheeks flushed, but other than that she gave him no other sign that she cared. “Hector, you like, admire, and want me, as you’ve told me before, but you don’t have any sticking power. We both know this. And I’m not going to be pushed aside again.”

“Noelle, listen to—”

“No! You listen. I’m done with you, okay? We’re done. You and Dallas can show yourselves out.” She walked away from him. Not once did she glance back.

He stood there a moment, his anger rising. Thoughts flashed through his mind like bullet points.

He was no good for her.

He hadn’t yet tried the mind-over-matter thing.

He’d pushed her away time and time again, and probably would again.

He’d rejected her after they’d pleasured each other. He hadn’t hurt her physically, but he’d hurt her mentally, emotionally.

She hadn’t given him any true encouragement since.

He shouldn’t have come here, and he shouldn’t have asked her about her nocturnal activities.

He shouldn’t climb those stairs and enter her bedroom, either. But after making sure Dallas was still okay with Hector bedding her, then getting rid of the guy, then resealing her broken door, that’s exactly what he did.

No sticking power? Fuck that. Today he’d be on her like goddamn glue.

Steam drifted from a crack in the bathroom door, and he pushed his way in. There were two stalls, one for enzyme and one for water. Both had clear glass walls. Noelle occupied the one with water—and she was facing him. Sweet mercy.

The sight of her utterly undid him.

He’d drunk water, of course, had even washed his hands in it a few times, but never had he seen the expensive substance splattered over someone’s naked body. His cock hardened instantly.

Wet hair was plastered to her neck and shoulders. Water droplets poured over her lush curves, curling around her hard pink nipples, sliding down her flushed skin, then catching in the dark triangle between her legs.

“What are you doing?” she snapped. No hiding behind a towel or her own hands. She stood straight and tall and glorious.

He’d come up here to yell at her, to goad her into yelling at him. Seeing her naked and wet, he lost every thought but one: getting inside her.

Hector whipped his shirt over his head, and she gasped, her gaze falling to his chest, where his pectorals jumped at the thought of her touch. “You want sticking power, I’ll give you fucking sticking power. But here’s how it’s going to work. You do what I say, when I say.”

“Just … get out of here, Hector.” The tremor in her voice sucked any heat from her tone.

“You wanted me before I pushed you away and you want me now. Admit it.” He tore off his boots, then unsnapped his pants and shoved the material to the floor, satisfied to note they now rested beside her discarded dress.

The water continued to cascade over her as she glared at him, those eyes silver with fury and arousal. “So? I want you. Big deal. Being with you now won’t change anything. You’ll still consider yourself too dangerous for me.”

Maybe, maybe not. “Not being with you has been torture. The last few days, my arms have been acting up whether we’re together or parted. That makes me dangerous to everyone, not just you. Coming calms me down. Maybe coming inside you will calm me down for good.”

Hope in her eyes, quickly dashed. “Or maybe it won’t.”

Dallas’s vision might not have shown Hector actually pumping inside Noelle, but it had shown him naked with her. “Well, we’re going to find out. So move over, sweetheart. You wanted me, now you’re gonna get me.”

Thirty-one

A VERY NAKED, VERY ON edge Hector climbed into the stall, and Noelle could only gape. This was … this was … a dream, surely. She’d spent one hour with Corban. Just one, and he’d undone years of hard-won confidence.

Do you think about anything before you act? No, because you’re too flighty. How could you drag me into this? Because you’re irresponsible.

After the way he’d smiled at her inside Hector’s office, she’d thought he was amused by the whole situation. But just as before, he’d reeled her in then struck. Emotionally whipped, she’d wanted only to go home and crawl into bed. On the way, she’d gotten the alert about Hector. Seeing him, wanting him, and being rejected by him for the thousandth time had held no appeal, so she’d done the unthinkable. She’d gone to her mother’s to receive a mental shredding she would actually survive.

Fast forward to Hector in her kitchen, looking sexy and savage and acting jealous. As raw as she’d felt, she hadn’t wanted to see-saw with him. I want you, but I can’t have you. I want you, but we can’t be together. Crap she just couldn’t deal with anymore. So she’d bailed. Shockingly enough, he’d followed her.

Now he was going to take her. That thrilled her to her soul, delighted her, excited her, telling her without words that he was in this, willing to risk anything to be with her, but, oh, was he furious that he’d been pushed to his point. That didn’t thrill her.

His nostrils were flaring with the force of his breathing as he backed her into the cool tile. Golden eyes glittered with menace, making his harsh features predator-rough. So beautiful, her Hector. Bronzed skin, dark little nipples, a washboard stomach. Those tattooed arms, so deadly and strong. A huge cock, pointed straight at her, pre-come already seeping from the tip. His testicles were drawn up tight, his legs thick and corded.

Any thoughts of denying him drained. Despite his fury, he was taking a chance. Did she fear his arms? Yes. Already intense heat wafted from him. Would he end all association if he accidentally harmed her? Yes. But whatever happened, she would deal. They’d been building to this moment for a year. Finally, she would have him. All of him.

“Say you want me, damn it,” he snarled.

Arousal slid down her spine and pooled between her legs. This forceful side of him electrified her. “I want you, damn it.”

His pupils expanded, the air around him becoming charged. “I’ll keep my hands behind my back. You will not forget where they are and reach around me. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Now kiss me, Hector, please.” She cupped his cheeks, drawing his lips to hers, but he’d already been headed in that direction.

Their mouths slammed together with a desire so potent, she could only groan in surrender. He kissed her as if he was dying, and only she held the cure. His tongue thrust against hers, rolled, then thrust again.

Mindful of his shoulders, she tangled her hands in his hair, loving the silky texture. The water continued to fall, crashing into the porcelain and creating a sultry background music.

With a groan, Hector jerked from the kiss. Panting, he peered around the stall. When he spotted the large bench at the other end, stretching from one side to the other, he backtracked and sat down, his arms still locked behind him. That luscious blue glow rose from them, as seemingly delicate as angel wings. Dimly she noted that the water hadn’t cooled him down in the slightest.

His expression was one of pain and pleasure, and she knew he balanced at the razor’s edge of each. His erection stretched between his legs, long and thick and wide. “Come here.”

Her legs nearly buckled as she obeyed.

“Straddle me, knees at my hips.”

“Yes.” Again she obeyed. His rock-solid length rubbed against her clitoris, and she moaned at the pleasure.

“Don’t put me inside you yet.”

A whimper. “Hector.”

“Birth control?” he gritted out.

“I’m clean. Can’t get pregnant. Annual injection.”

He absorbed her spout of information and nodded. “I want to suck your nipples now. Let me have them.”

“Yes.” Putting her weight on her knees, she lifted until one of her nipples was poised at his mouth. Like a ravenous beast, he feasted on the tiny pink bud. The moment of contact, she cried out. Such an exquisite sensation, the heat of him decadent.

He sucked and he bit and then he licked away the sting, his mouth growing hotter by the second and all the more arousing because of that. With him, she felt. His intensity, his warmth, they were so all-consuming her long dead nerve endings woke up and took notice.

“Other one,” she gasped out, kneading the plump flesh so desperate for his attention. “Please.”

A popping sound echoed as he released the nipple and switched his focus to the other, laving and nibbling. She reached down, wrapped her fingers around his cock, and stroked.

He released a hoarse, broken moan, his breath coming harder, faster. “Don’t. Baby, don’t. Let go.”

Baby rather than sweetheart, a prayer rather than a curse. He’d done that once before, when their hormones were getting the better of them. Love that. Made this particular term more than special. Made it sexual. “But I want—”

“I’ll blow, and I want to be inside you when that happens.”

His first time, she remembered. As if she could ever forget. This proud, beautiful man was a virgin, and he was gifting that virginity to her. Reluctantly she pried her fingers loose. She couldn’t help but trace a fingertip up the shaft, then swirl around the slit, capturing his taste and bringing it to her mouth, sucking as she would a favorite lollipop.

Her eyes closed and she gave another moan. “So good.”

A growl. “You are going to be the death of me.”

I want to be the life of you, she thought, astounding herself. She wanted more than a sexual relationship with him. She wanted everything he had to give. Now … and for a long time to come.

“Finger yourself, baby. Pretend its me doing you right.”

Her eyelids cracked open to half-mast, and she watched his face as she glided her finger between her breasts, down her stomach, stopping to dabble at her navel, then swirl at her pubic bone.

“Now,” he commanded on a rough, ragged breath.

His eyes were fever bright, his cheeks flushed. His lips were swollen, red from sucking her so forcefully. Knowing he was tortured, she at last slid a finger deep inside herself. Warm wet walls closed around her, and she arched her back to go even deeper.

“Yes,” he hissed. “Fuck yes. That’s the way.”

That azure glow intensified, but she was too lost in the pleasure to care. In and out, in and out, the palm of her hand rubbing at her clit.

“Add another finger.”

She added a second, stretching herself.

“God, baby. You’re so beautiful. Nipples puffed up and pink, belly quivering with desire. I want to be in you so bad.”

“Yes. Please.”

“Need to see you come first. Add another finger.”

The third was a tight fit, but she did it, grinding down on herself. The air surrounding her was slick with moisture, a caress against her skin. Up, down, in and out, the pressure building. Her nipples rasped against his chest in that way she adored, the friction cranking her higher … higher …

Higher still …

Until she erupted, crying out with the force of her release. Her inner walls clutched at her fingers, but she kept pumping, riding the waves crashing through her. And yet, even with the climax, she wasn’t quite satisfied. Her arousal remained, a sickness in her blood, driving her, making her ache.

“Goddamn, you’re hot.”

“Want you, Hector.”

“Put me in you,” he demanded.

Yes, yes, that’s what she needed. Hector. Deep, so deep. She slid her fingers free and once again wrapped them around Hector’s cock. The tip found her drenched entrance, but she didn’t press down. Not yet.

“Ready?” she whispered.

The glow pulsed now, causing beads of sweat to form over her flesh. Maybe he needed a moment to calm down, to get control of—

“Do it!”

Thank God. She pressed, sliding down … down … taking him all the way to the root, impaling herself. Then his hips jerked in reflex, sending him even deeper.

A spew of dark curses left him, followed by a stream of praise. “Fuck, yeah. So good, so damn good, baby, never felt anything better.”

“Mmm. I’ve never felt anything better, either.” He was so big, he stretched her far more than her fingers, but the burn revved her right back up.