Looking her over, Reese badly wanted to strip away the towel that kept her slender body hidden from his view.

Instead, he made himself sit there, the epitome of patience.

Movements measured for effect, Alice finished freeing her hair so that it tumbled down around her shoulders.

"That was fast."

"You thought I'd linger?"

In a small, telltale sign, the hand holding the towel clenched, and her breathing deepened. "I'm glad you didn't."

She stood there a moment longer, maybe working up her courage-or figuring out how to proceed. As sexual as they'd been, as open and honest as she was in bed, this was new for her.

She dropped the towel.

Just like that, with no warning. Reese sucked in a breath, soaking up the sight of her. It didn't matter how many times he'd already seen her, this was a new attitude for her, and it fired his blood.

His gaze moved to her tight nipples, the damp curls between her legs, her soft, pale skin now rosy all over.

He did his own heavy breathing.

Beautifully bare, she turned and closed the bedroom door. He heard the quiet click like a blast of thunder.

"Damn, you have me tightly strung."

Her ass was a special source of lust for him, and she knew it. "Come here."

Facing him, she murmured, "I'd like to get your clothes off, okay?"

"Great. Clothes off." He reached for her, but she shook her head.

"Raise up your arms so I can take off your shirt."

Reese started to strip it off himself, but she stepped between his thighs, and the sweet scent of her body filled his head.

Catching his shirt, she tugged it from his hands. "Arms up, please."

Jesus. Unable to recall the last time he'd been this frantic for sex, he lifted his arms.

Alice worked the shirt up, slowly, over his chest and arms until it cleared his head. After tossing it toward her discarded towel, she stepped closer still. Her plump pink nipples were right there, close enough to kiss. The spicy scent of her arousal mixed with the scent of her soap, the scent of his need.

She touched his shoulders with both hands, gliding her delicate fingertips over his skin, around to his nape, up and into his hair-which brought her closer, so close he couldn't resist.

He ducked his head to move his tongue over her left nipple.

Her fingers knotted in his hair. "Lay back."

Tension coiled tight.

"This time," she told him, "I want to touch your big, gorgeous body."

He met her gaze.

And she whispered, "Without you taking over."

CHAPTER TWENTY-.

ONE.

REESE FELT RIGID enough to break as he tried to recline. Now he knew what she had planned, and it ratcheted up his temperature and his need until he couldn't get enough oxygen into his lungs.

"Relax."

With every second that passed, Alice gained new confidence. He wanted her to have that confidence. With him.

Only him.

Letting out a long breath and concentrating on unkinking his muscles, Reese put his hands behind his head.

Until she stroked him through the athletic pants.

Every muscle knotted again in expectation of more to come.

She cupped his balls, cuddling until he clenched his teeth. "I love how you feel."

"I love when you feel me." Speaking wasn't easy, but Reese hoped some errant humor might lighten the mood before he totally lost his grip.

She obliterated that plan when she stroked up along his erection, squeezing him through the material, then kept on stroking up his body until she sprawled out over him.

She kissed the bruised skin under his eye, then again near the cut on the bridge of his nose. "Even battered, you are the most gorgeous man I've ever seen."

The way she rested on him, her breasts to his chest, one slender leg between his, the other outside his thigh, drove him nuts. "You said something about getting me naked?" And using that pretty mouth on me...

Her eyes looked darker, deeper. Full of secrets.

Secrets that, this time, he might enjoy.

Sitting up beside him, Alice touched his chest again, used her thumb to explore his nipple-almost making him leap off the bed-then moving down to his abs. "You stay in such incredible shape. I can't imagine any woman not wanting you."

Looking for reassurance? "Right now I only care about you wanting me."

"Of course I do." She bent to kiss his other nipple, and Reese bit off a groan.

Down to his sternum. Such a hot little tongue...

Over his abs. He locked his hands together behind his head.

She lightly bit his shaft through the material of the loose pants and his snug boxers, and before he could catch his breath again, she moved off the end of the bed and grabbed the waistbands of both. "Lift your hips for me."

No problem. Anxious to be rid of clothes, Reese lifted up so she could strip them down his thighs. She got everything as far as his knees-and zoned in on his dick.

He tried to finish kicking off the pants, but Alice lay down crosswise in the bed, giving him a good profile view of her body, and he stilled.

He could feel her breath.

Taking him in both hands, her hold firm, she shattered all thought. The way she watched him so intently kept him on a precipice of suspense.

She nuzzled against him, breathing deep, making a small purring sound of pleasure. "I love how you smell."

Ah...fuck. Reese squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on keeping it together.

There was no prelude, no teasing kiss or tentative lick. One second Alice held him-and in the next she slid her soft, moist mouth down around him.

A groan ripped from his chest. Without even realizing it, he pulled his hands out from behind his head and tangled his fingers in her hair. He'd had blowjobs before. Always enjoyable, absolutely.

But this was Alice. And that meant it went beyond the sexuality of the act. It was Alice's scent, the way she looked while doing it, the soft sounds she made -how she meant so much more to him than any woman he'd ever known.

The emotional connection made everything different, more severe, sweeter and... hotter.

He couldn't keep from growling, from urging her to take more of him.

Keeping her lips firm around him, she moved her tongue, teasing around the head.

She pulled back with a long, leisurely lick. "Good?" she asked with innocent curiosity.

His heart pounded. "Fucking great."

"Mmm." Pleased by that, she went back to work on him.

Not wanting to miss a thing, Reese rose to his elbows. He was draped across the bed. Alice rested on her belly perpendicular to him, legs bent at the knees, her pretty feet in the air, crossed at the ankles.

She could have been a posed centerfold model, she looked so enticing.

The fact that she had his dick in her mouth only enhanced the image.

Cupping his fingers around her nape, his thumb in the hollow of her cheek, he guided her, watching as her lips moved over him, as her fawn-colored hair fell onto the paler skin of his pelvis.

So fucking erotic.

Her narrow shoulders flexed each time she drew back, and her toes curled each time she took him deep again.

Two more strokes and he'd be in oblivion. And much as he liked the idea of her finishing him off with her mouth, he wanted her to come with him.

He tightened his hand in her hair. "You have to stop now, Alice, or I'm a goner."

She did, pulling away with another hot lick that damn near did him in.

Sitting up in a rush, she said, "Don't move." She finished yanking his pants and boxers off. "I'm going to grab a condom."

Gaze molten, Reese watched as she left the bed and rummaged in the nightstand. Seconds later, she crawled back atop him.

What a sight. Alice naked on her knees, her hair loose, her breasts free, her expression lustful...

She settled on him with her legs open around his thighs. "Lie back."

"Let me touch you first." All over, with my hands and my mouth. "You need to catch up."

She caught his wrist before he could reach her breast. "On your back, Reese."

Damn. Their gazes clashed.

Putting both hands to his chest, Alice whispered, "Please?"

As if in slow motion, fascinated with this new take-charge mood of hers, Reese stretched out again.

"Tell me if I do this wrong."

Not possible, because anything she did at this point would only add to the growing sexual tension. But he nodded.

She worked the rubber onto him-and, yes, that tormented him in wonderful ways. As soon as she had that done, she straddled his hips. "Reese?"

God, she looked amazing poised over him like that. Urgent breaths lifted her breasts and left her nipples darkly flushed and puckered tight. Excitement pulled her belly taut. She bit her bottom lip as she searched his face.

"What is it, sweetheart? Tell me what you want."

Instead, she took his hand and carried it to her body-right between her legs.

Her head tipped back the second his fingers brushed over her damp curls, then lower, where he found her hot and slippery.

Ready-but not quite enough.

He pressed his middle finger barely into her, testing her, teasing the slick, swollen lips, then used her own wetness to glide that fingertip over her clitoris.

Whimpering, she clenched her legs around his.

With his other hand, Reese stroked her breasts. "You are so damn beautiful, Alice."