“I love him,” Judy said hours later when she and Rick retired for the night. “But I want to strangle him.” She flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

“I’m not sure that’s the way to win him over.”

Judy growled.

“Look on the bright side,” Rick said. “My parents haven’t shown up.”

Judy glanced at Rick as he kicked off his shoes. “Have they even called?”

“My dad did.”

She rolled on her side and leaned on an elbow. “What did he say?”

“Asked if I was guilty.”

“Oh no.”

Rick didn’t seem fazed. “My parents think I’m crazy. Can’t blame them. I ran to the Marines and got out nearly as quickly. I end up in jail, in the news.”

“But if your dad thinks you’re capable of killing anyone . . .”

Rick paused and removed his sport jacket. Concealed in a holster was one of the guns he carried. “I saw active combat, Judy. I’m capable of killing.”

She shivered. “I never thought of it like that.”

He slid out of the holster and laid it on the dresser before stepping toward the bed. He crawled on top of the comforter with her, leaned his head next to hers. “I wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone hurting you.”

“That scares me.”

“I would never hurt you.”

His green eyes pierced her. “I know.”

He reached for her, pulled her close, and kissed the tip of her nose.

She placed a hand on the side of his cheek. “Do you realize we haven’t consummated our marriage yet?”

Those dimples doubled and his lips met hers. Soft kisses coaxed her open and onto her back. They’d had so many distractions, so many obstacles, they hadn’t spent nearly enough time in each other’s arms.

Rick wasted little time reminding her of how talented he was with his tongue, keeping her pinned to the bed without really holding her down. She felt safe with him close. His presence was a crutch, she knew, but as vices went, Rick was worth any hangover he might induce. The tips of his fingers ran inside the edge of her pants and she moaned.

He silenced her with a kiss, robbed her of breath. When stars started rolling in her head, she pulled away. “Oh, Rick.”

“Shh . . .” He kissed her neck, pulling another moan from her. “Much as I love the noise you make in bed, babe . . . making love within feet of your disapproving father would be better without the threat of him attempting to walk in on us.”

She froze and squeezed her eyes shut. “You did not just say that.”

He laughed as he unbuttoned her shirt and pressed his lips to her breast. “You like adventure.”

Her hands were on his shoulders, ready to push him away. “But my dad . . .”

Apparently, her father wasn’t a threat for him. He found the pert end of her breast and moved in to taste while his knee slipped between hers. “Oh!”

Rick laughed over her breast while he worked the clasp until she was free of both her shirt and her bra. His five o’clock shadow rubbed below her breast as he paid equal attention to both sides of her body.

Thoughts of her father fled and she sought Rick’s touch everywhere. The scent, the feel of his skin on hers doubled when he removed his shirt and sent it to the floor. Would she ever tire of the thick dips and curves of his amazing body?

“So soft,” he said as he nuzzled her hip once she was free of her pants. Hot breath moved in waves over her core. His intentions of tasting all of her smoldered in his eyes.

She shook her head on the bed, tried to control the tone in her voice. “I’ll scream,” she warned him. Keeping silent with a tongue-induced orgasm wasn’t in her.

He pushed aside her panties, left one side dangling from her ankle, and kissed up the planes of her naked body. “No. You’ll feel everything and keep quiet.”

His words brought moisture everywhere.

“I can’t.”

“Shh.” He leaned in, licked her inner thigh.

The need to moan tickled her throat, but she held it back.

“There you go.”

Rick moved one of her legs over his shoulder and nibbled his way around her, each taste a little closer than the last. She couldn’t hold still, the need for him to find her was so keen she nearly grasped his head to help him focus. Then he was there and Judy brought a fist to her mouth to keep from crying out. He was merciless, holding no prisoners and keeping nothing back as he teased and prodded. With her orgasm close, she pushed against him with an intensity she couldn’t ever remember being so powerful before this . . . before Rick. Before coming in silence as she writhed on the bed.

He was laughing at her as he crawled up her frame, shedding the remainder of his clothes en route.

“I’ll get you for that,” she promised with a smile.

“Promises, promises.”

Yet before she could make good on her words, Rick anchored himself between her lax legs and pushed himself home. So warm, so perfect. She wrapped her legs around him and took all he had to give.

She tasted herself on his lips. His kiss mimicked his hips.

He hesitated and looked down at her with concern. “Condom,” he said. “I didn’t—”

When he started to pull away, she held him tighter. “I’m on the pill. Last checkup was all good.”

“I’m good, but are you sure?”

She answered by pushing her hips closer. Sex without condoms wasn’t something she ever did. But making love to Rick without one . . . that felt perfectly right. “Too much talking,” she whispered. “Not enough moving.”

He laughed, rolled her around on the bed until she straddled him. When the bed squeaked they both froze and stared at the door.

She giggled and Rick moved her back under him, sealed his lips to hers and made love to her so slowly, so silently, and so completely, she heard angels sing.

Judy rolled over to find Rick missing from her bed. The clock at the bedside blinked five in the morning. With a smile on her face, she slipped into a bathrobe and found Rick huddled over her tablet with a cup of coffee in his hand. “Hey.”

She slid her arm around his shoulders, loved how easily they fit together. His morning kiss brought a blush to her cheeks. “Good morning.” He nodded toward the steaming coffeepot. “I made coffee.”

“Good in the bedroom and in the kitchen. How did I get so lucky?”

“Don’t ask me to actually cook anything.”