But the embarra.s.sment and the shame don't come. He bends over me, his hair tumbling across his forehead and brushing mine when he kisses me, his lips full and soft and so incredibly sweet. I say nothing. It's as if all cognitive thought has flown from my brain and my vocabulary is down to nothing. And when he lifts away from me, his brows are furrowed, there's a little line between them, and his beautiful mouth is turned down.

"Are you alive?" He waves his hand in front of my face and then holds it in front of my mouth. "You're breathing. I can feel it. Maybe I just put you into shock with that earth-shattering o.r.g.a.s.m?"

G.o.d. Not only is he gorgeous and s.e.xy and amazingly talented with his mouth and fingers, he's also funny. I try my best to withhold the smile that wants to break free, but it's no use. The minute he sees it, he grins in return and his hands go to my sides, tickling me.

My weakness. I try to roll away from him again but he's not having it. He attacks my belly and my sides with his wriggling fingers, his big body moving to sprawl across me as he puts his face against my neck.

I'm laughing so much it's hard to breathe. It doesn't help that I hadn't caught my breath from that "earth-shattering" o.r.g.a.s.m Caden just gave me, either.

"Rose." His mouth moves against my neck and I go still. So do his hands. "You all right?"

I circle my arms around his neck and drape them across his shoulders. He moves against me, his hands sliding along my sides, and I spread my legs, allowing him to nestle his hips between them. He lifts up, bracing his hands on either side of my head, his scrutinizing gaze meeting mine, and I don't look away.

It's as if I can't look away. I'm ensnared. Caught. My breath stills in my chest when he slowly, very methodically, thrusts his hips against mine, his c.o.c.k brushing against my belly. "I haven't even been inside you yet," he murmurs, his gaze filled with this strange but thrilling wonder that matches my own twisted emotions.

Plunging my hands into the thick softness of his hair, I pull him down so his mouth is just above mine. "I don't know if I can stand it, what with that earth-shattering o.r.g.a.s.m you just gave me."

He smiles, I can feel it form against my lips, and the pure, unadulterated joy rising deep within me threatens to send me flying. "Just wait until the next one. I might need to perform CPR to revive you."

"Ew." I grimace and giggle, and I never giggle. But he doesn't seem to mind. He kisses the tip of my nose, my cheek, my chin, and then my lips.

And it is the best kiss ever. His mouth is pliant, his tongue slick and tangling with mine. I tighten my grip in his hair and he thrusts his c.o.c.k against my belly again, making me moan. Making me want him inside me. He swallows the sound and pulls away, lifting up on his knees so he can grip the base of his c.o.c.k and tease me with it, brushing the head against my c.l.i.t, back and forth, bathing himself in the wetness that's gathered there.

"It would be so easy to sink deep inside you. You're so d.a.m.n wet," he murmurs, his gaze locked on the spot where our bodies touch. His words make me tingle all over, I swear. "I need to grab a condom or I'm gonna blow all over your pretty p.u.s.s.y."

He talks like that and I should tell him to stop but I can't. I love it too much. He's so dirty and so incredibly comfortable with it. "You brought condoms?"

"I have a couple in my wallet." He doesn't look up from his task, his eyes still fixed on where he's teasing me with his c.o.c.k.

Now all I can think about is the many other women he must have had s.e.x with. How many of them did he talk dirty to? How many earth-shattering o.r.g.a.s.ms has he given? Not that I really want to know. I'm sure Whitney has had more than her share.

Just the thought of him being with her, touching her ... moving inside of her ... fills me with an ugly, unfamiliar emotion.

Jealousy.

"Go get them, then," I demand, earning a strange look from him before he crawls off the bed and goes to where he left his jeans on the floor, pulling out and digging through his wallet until he's got two condoms clutched in his hand.

"We might need more," he says as he stands over the bed, watching me. I let my gaze wander, taking inventory of every delicious inch of him.

"More?" I arch a brow, playing it cool, a little frightened at the thought of going at it with this intense man all night long. "I didn't ask you to stay the night."

"You didn't ask me to do much of anything. You just got down on your knees and started playing with my d.i.c.k pretty much the minute we walked through the door." He arches a brow right back, resting his hands on his hips and managing to look indignant despite standing before me naked.

Well. He definitely doesn't back down from a fight. In fact, when it comes to this man, I'm sure I'm in way over my head.

"You're so crude," I tell him, immediately feeling silly for saying it.

His eyes darken and he deposits the condoms on the bedside table. "I thought you liked it."

I look away from him, wrapping my arms around myself, covering my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Maybe I don't." More like maybe I shouldn't. I shouldn't have fallen to my knees like that. Shouldn't have given in so easily. He probably thinks I'm a total s.l.u.t. Every one of our encounters was trashy. Naked in a pool. Fingering me in a bathroom. f.u.c.king around in a hotel room.

What in the world am I doing? And what must Caden think of me?

"Hey." His voice is soft, like his touch when he gently places his fingers on my chin and turns my head so I have no choice but to look up at him. "If you want me to go, I'll go."

I study him, see the earnest look in his eyes, the concern there, too. That glimpse of humanity rea.s.sures me and I slowly shake my head. "I don't want you to go," I admit in a voice so soft I can barely hear it.

He caresses the side of my face and my eyelids waver. I love how sweetly he touches me. It's a contradiction to his baser side, a contradiction I am desperately drawn to, despite my misgivings. "What do you want me to do?"

"Can we maybe just ... lie together for a while? I need to, I don't know, gather myself."

His hand drops away from my face and I climb off the bed, bending over to pull the comforter and sheets back. Caden steps in close, his body heat warming me, his hand going to my b.u.t.t so he can stroke me there. "You all right?"

I glance back at him. That's the second time he's asked me that and I can't help but appreciate it. "I'm okay," I tell him as I climb into bed.

Caden joins me, pulling me into his arms, and I don't protest. I don't usually like to cuddle but it feels nice, lying here in his arms, my arm slung over his flat stomach, my head pressed against his chest. I can hear the beating of his heart, feel it thump-thump-thumping against my ear, and I close my eyes. Lose myself to the sound of his breathing, the gentle rocking of his chest, the beat of his heart. He strokes my arm, up and down, his fingers as light as a b.u.t.terfly's wings, and I shiver. Move my head so my mouth is pressed against his chest and I kiss him there. Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Until I'm climbing on top of him without thought, straddling his hips, my legs draped over his thighs and my still aching s.e.x pressed up against his c.o.c.k. His big hands settle on my a.s.s and he's rubbing me there, holding me close. I prop my hands on his firm chest and our gazes clash, his full of longing and confusion.

"I thought you said ..." he starts but I rest my fingers on his mouth, stopping him.

"No thinking allowed," I murmur, removing my hand from his lips to reach toward the bedside table and grab one of the condoms. I don't look away as I tear open the wrapper and remove the condom from within. I still don't look away as he reaches for me, his hand going for my breast, his fingers stroking my nipple.

Lifting up, I smooth the condom on his c.o.c.k, his hand still working my nipple, my hand working his erection. I slide against him, not allowing him to enter me yet, enjoying the antic.i.p.ation for just a little bit longer.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" he whispers, his hands going from my hips to my a.s.s and back to my hips again. "Playing with my c.o.c.k?"

Ah, there are those dirty words again. They're like an aphrodisiac. Everything within me goes molten and I lean forward, working my hips against his c.o.c.k as I press my mouth to his.

The kiss is decadent. Probably bordering on obscene. Nothing but open mouths and tongue and long, tortured moans. His hand drops from my a.s.s to grip the base of his c.o.c.k and then he's entering me. Just the head at first, the perfect tease to make me tense up, hold my breath, and wait for more.

"Relax," he urges, his fingers drifting up along my spine, higher, almost to my shoulders before they fall back down. He is so attuned to my body already, knowing just how to work it, how to make me respond. I feel myself loosen up at his touch, at his words, and I close my eyes when he lifts his hips, sending his c.o.c.k a fraction deeper. "f.u.c.k, you're tight."

It's been a long time since I've had a man inside my body. That might be why I'm so tight. Or maybe I'm just naturally tight. I don't know. I'm not like Lily with her endless revolving door of men, though who really knows exactly how many of them she's had s.e.x with.

Me? The number is embarra.s.singly small. Like I-can-count-them-all-on-one-hand small. I was always just so serious, so determined. Determined to get through high school, through college, through life. I didn't let a thing like boys get in the way.

Caden has gone still beneath me, his hands locked on my hips, his head pressing deep into the pillow. His jaw is strained, as is his neck, and I realize he's doing everything he can to take this slow, for my sake. Again, he's paying attention to me and my heart melts.

Lifting up, I send him deeper, earning a groan from him for my efforts. I grind my hips, flex them back and forth, testing his fullness, the way he stretches me so deliciously it almost hurts. It's a sweet sting, though, one that fills my blood as I begin to move, as he helps me along by lifting me, his gaze zeroed in on the spot where he can watch his c.o.c.k slide in and out of my body.

I close my eyes, little white sparks lighting off behind my lids at the way he's working me on his c.o.c.k, lifting me as if I weigh nothing. I lean my head back, lost in the sensation, the rhythm of our bodies working together, his fingers finding my c.l.i.t and stroking the little bundle of nerves, sending more of those hot sparks through my veins, across my skin. I feel like I'm chasing after my o.r.g.a.s.m as I begin to move faster, riding him harder, sending him deeper.

He grabs hold of me and rolls over as if he can't stand it any longer. I'm pinned to the mattress, imprisoned by his body as he powers his c.o.c.k inside of me, again and again, and I can do nothing but take it. Enjoy it. Lying there helpless, I wrap my legs around his hips, anchoring myself to him as he reaches between us and strokes me, the creamy sound of my p.u.s.s.y making us both moan.

"I couldn't wait." He presses his face to my cheek, his mouth at my ear as he begins to f.u.c.k me hard. "I had to get you beneath me so I could f.u.c.k you properly."

Caden can f.u.c.k me any way he wants as long as I'm coming. And it's close. So close. I arch against him, closing my eyes, everything within me going perfectly still, perfectly quiet, as I reach and reach and finally claim my prize.

The o.r.g.a.s.m steals over me, robbing me of my breath, of my thoughts, of everything and anything until he's the only thing I can focus on. I open my eyes to find him watching me, his gaze hungry as he leans in and kisses me, his mouth opening on a groan as his own o.r.g.a.s.m takes over his body, leaving him a shuddering, gasping ma.s.s of flesh before he collapses on top of me, pressing me even deeper into the mattress.

I hold him close, clinging to him, our sweaty bodies sticking to each other. I'm thrilled at what we just shared. And horrified.

Definitely horrified.

Chapter Ten.

Caden

I'm still on an o.r.g.a.s.mic high, just about to drift off into sleep, when I hear Rose say something. I decide to ignore her since I really didn't hear her anyway, squeezing her shoulders with my arm, pulling her closer to my chest. We're lying next to each other in postcoital bliss, the sheets kicked off and in a pile on the floor, the cool air bathing our heated skin. I feel good. I feel on top of the motherf.u.c.kin' world and nothing is going to get me down. At least not for the next few hours.

"Hey." Rose pokes my side, making me yelp. d.a.m.n, her finger's sharp. p.r.i.c.king my good vibe like a pin pops a balloon. "Shouldn't you, um ... be on your way?"

I crack open my eyes and stare at her in disbelief. "Are you kicking me out?"

She makes a face, one that says, I'm so sorry, but yeah. You gotta go.

Right. She's definitely kicking me out.

"Well, this is awkward," I say as I let go of her and slide out of bed. She scrambles into a sitting position, yanking the sheet up so it covers her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and I almost want to laugh. I've seen every inch of her. Explored every inch of her, too, with my fingers and mouth and tongue. She has no reason to hide from me.

"It's just ... it's getting late and I don't know what's going on and ..." Her voice trails off and she shrugs those pretty, slim shoulders, her hair spilling everywhere, sliding against her skin, tempting me to touch her there.

But I resist because what the f.u.c.k, she's kicking me out. No woman kicks me out. They're always begging me to stay and I'm the one shoving them off, desperate to escape.

I didn't even get a chance to search her suite for the necklace. I'm failing on all sides here. I need to play this off and see if I can get back in her good graces.

Were you ever in her good graces?

That's probably a no.

"You're cute when you're fl.u.s.tered," I tell her, pleased when I see her cheeks turn pink. "And that you can blush after everything that's happened between us ..."

"Yeah, that." She points her finger at me, the sheet dropping to reveal her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. My gaze falls there, staring at them, the rosy nipples that match her name. Everything about her is pink and rose, creamy and sweet and so f.u.c.king tempting. "Your mouth makes me crazy."

"In a good way or a bad way?" I thought she liked my mouth. She definitely didn't protest when I had it between her legs. Or pressed to her lush lips. Or wrapped around her nipples.

"In a bad way." She glances down at herself and pulls the sheet up again, ruining my view. "Besides, we've run out of condoms."

Like that would stop me. "I bet if I called the concierge he'd get us more." I stride toward the phone sitting on the bedside table, reaching for the receiver, but she slaps her hand over it first, stopping my progress.

"You will absolutely not call them," she says, her voice low, the sheet forgotten again, much to my pleasure.

"Why not?"

"Then they'll know what we're doing." Her cheeks turn even brighter pink and I chuckle, curling my hand upward into hers so our fingers interlock.

"We're consenting adults, Ro. If we want to get naked and f.u.c.k for hours in a hotel room on a Sat.u.r.day afternoon, then that's our G.o.d-given right."

"Ro? No one's called me that before." She disentangles her fingers from mine, scooting away from me until she's sitting in the middle of the bed, the sheet still puddled around her lap, offering me that stellar view. I could stare at her chest all day. Now I get why artists are compelled to paint nudes of beautiful women. I've never painted in my life, but I'd love to capture Rose in this exact moment on canvas. "And please don't bring G.o.d into this conversation," she says weakly.

I sit on the edge of the mattress, not about to give up. I need to get closer to her and eventually get closer to that d.a.m.n necklace she wore. Dexter wants it. He's been hounding my a.s.s for it. And I'll get it.

Eventually.

I'd rather focus on her first. Earn her trust. So I'm not casing out her hotel room. I'm not looking for any stray jewelry lying around.

h.e.l.l, I'm in too deep now.

I'm here with Rose because I want to be, not because I want to steal something from her.

Yet. Don't forget the "yet" part at the end of that last thought.

Yeah. Who wants to focus on trying to steal a necklace when I could be sliding back into bed with her? I want to feel the hot, tight clasp of her p.u.s.s.y milking my c.o.c.k again. I want to feel her touch me, feel her lips on my skin, hear her moan when I hit a spot that feels particularly good. I want to learn all of those spots, memorize them for later. Because there will be a later for Rose and me. I plan on that. And she'd better plan on it too, no matter how much in denial she is.

"Rose." She turns to look at me, her expression wary. Guarded. I know the feeling. More than anything, I know that look. I've been wearing the same guarded expression pretty much all my life. I trust no one. They're all out to screw me over; it doesn't matter who they are. I've become so good at playing the part, of being whoever I need to be at any given moment, I have no idea who the real me is anymore.

Being with Rose is the closest I've felt to myself since I don't know when. I want to explore this. Explore what we share, what she makes me feel, what we are when we're together.

She's ready to kick me out and I'm ready to cling. Talk about a total role reversal. I need to get my head back on straight and focus.

"Caden." She matches my tone, watching me expectantly. When I don't say anything she rolls her eyes. "Do you realize I don't even know your last name? What does that say about me, that I'd let you into my room and-fool around with you for hours and I don't know your last name? It's appalling behavior."

"Appalling behavior? You sound like a crabby old school-teacher." I want to laugh but I don't. She's dead serious. I think she's just shocked herself with what we've done.

I've shocked myself too, but in a good way. While she acts like we've committed the ultimate sin.

"You wouldn't understand." She averts her head as if it pains her to look at me and I move closer to her, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's Kingsley," I murmur, wishing I could kiss her. Comfort her. But that's not happening, not yet. I've got to take it slow.

She turns, a little gasp escaping her when she discovers how close I am. "What?"