Another moan slipped from her lips, and because I loved that sound, I tipped her head back and kissed her throat so I could hear it loud and clear. Wanted to hear my name on her tongue.

My hands grew wild, trailing down her arms and coming to rest on her hips. She hissed as my fingers slipped under her shirt. Against her neck I grinned, needing to hear more, do more, feel more.

"Wanna see you, sweetheart."

She stiffened. "I..."

Pulling back, I lifted my hands to cup her cheeks. I rubbed my thumbs over her skin, forcing her to keep her eyes locked with mine. "Wanna look at you, feel you against me. I won't touch you anywhere else unless you ask me to. You good with that?"

She held my stare, unwavering, until finally she lowered her fingers to the bottom of her shirt and pulled it slowly up over her head. Cheeks all pink and sexy as fuck, she smiled at me, so shy it hurt to take a breath. Nodding once, she gave me a small nudge backward, urging me to look, to take my fill.

And, holy shit, did I do just that.

"Fucking perfect."

At my words, she wrapped her legs around my hips and pulled me close again. Those hooded brown eyes could make a grown man weep with joy when they looked at you like she was looking at me.

Then the second her gorgeous tits pressed against my chest, I was a goner.

Couldn't kiss her enough. Couldn't hold her tight enough either. Needed to claim her, make her mine, even if doing so meant something I wasn't ready for. I'd deal with the consequences later, but for now, I wanted to make her feel as good as I did.

My towel slipped to the floor, and I rocked my hips against hers. She gasped and pulled away, staring down at my cock. A grin pulled up one side of her mouth. "It would seem as though you lost something," she whispered, pressing her hands against the side of my neck. Her palms were smooth, like the rest of her skin.

"Got no control over what happens down there." I winked.

One of her eyebrows arched. "So, what you're telling me is that you need a leash for that bad boy." Her lips twitched. "Am I right?"

I laughed. "More like a saddle."

"Oh God." Her nose scrunched up, and she leaned forward to press it against my wet neck. Smiling, I stroked the back of her long hair, holding her against me. In the mirror, I could see the smooth skin of her back, and I trailed my hands down her spine, watching her shiver beneath my touch.

"Collin..." My name, all soft on her tongue, had me pulling back and looking into her eyes again.

In her stare, I saw what she couldn't say, what she was too shy to ask for. And even though I hadn't had a woman in well over a year, I knew lust and need when I saw it. Knew exactly how to ease the ache between her hips too.

"You need something?" I grinned, hoping she'd play along.

She studied me for a second longer, but I saw it all the same. She nodded, her acceptance of this, of us, was right there in the movement of her head, even if she didn't verbally say the words.

Knowing what I had to do, I moved her off the edge of the sink and then fell to my knees, bringing her tiny shorts and yellow panties along with me. Never once did I look away from her eyes, too entranced with her parted lips and pink cheeks. Her breath hitched as my fingers trailed over her thighs, and I grinned, watching her eyes go wide as I tossed the scraps of fabric behind me. Slowly, I eased my hands back up, cupping her perfect ass, only to lift her back up on the counter. Not wanting to completely freak her out, I grabbed my towel from the floor and wrapped it back around my waist.

"W-what are you doing?"

I brushed my knuckles along the side of her cheek. "Haven't touched a woman for a long time. Don't want to be distracted by my own needs when all I want to do is fill yours."

"Well, I mean, if you want to..."

"Fuck?"

Her cheeks went redder, but she still whispered, "Yes."

I lowered my forehead to hers, kissing her nose. "Baby, believe me, I want nothing more than to feel you wrapped around my cock, but this thing between us?" I motioned from my chest to hers. "I'm not gonna mess it up by going too fast. You get me?"

Her shoulders fell, and I wasn't sure if relief or disappointment coated her face. But I went with it, trusting my instincts, and fell to my knees. Eager and impatient, I licked my lips, spread her legs apart, and kissed the insides of her thighs. Back and forth I trailed my tongue across her skin, growing closer to her pretty little pussy, only to kiss around it and head over to the other thigh instead.

"Jesus," she gasped, grabbing my hair and urging me forward.

Peering up at her, I blinked, pulled back, and said, "The name's Collin, sweetheart."

Then I gave her exactly what she wanted, latching my lips onto the tiny, wet bud that had her screaming my name instead.

Over and over, I sucked and licked, holding her legs apart by the knees. She bucked up against my mouth, fighting and more than likely losing against the oncoming explosion inside her. Head tipped back, long hair hanging down, she was a sexual goddess bringing me to my knees in all ways.

I licked from the bottom to the top, loving how she tasted, how warm she was. Thinking of how good it'd feel to someday be buried inside her.

"Collin, please, I'm gonna..."

My stomach tightened. Just hearing her little noises made me wanna come.

Jesus, did I want this woman.

She gasped, going stiff, her hand in my hair, whimpering her soft words of surrender. But I wasn't gonna stop 'til she pushed me away, couldn't let this moment end, because if I did, I'd want more, and I'd want it now.

When she finally pushed her knees together, forcing my hands back, I looked up at her face and saw a light in her eyes. Something that wasn't there before. Something close to adoration and peace. And I couldn't help but wonder if she saw the same thing in my gaze. Because I did adore this woman. Not just her looks and the sounds she made when she came. But the way she was as a whole. A good person who loved my daughter, who loved my friends.

Question was though: Was it enough to feel this way?

Chapter 23.

Addison I cringed as I watched the twenty-plus bodies out on the green field smash against one another. Their moves were fluid and fast, but rough at the same time. Rugby wasn't something I was all too keen on watching, especially when I could see how dangerous it was from the sidelines. But it was funny how no one around me seemed to mind it, including Lia, who sat beside me, screaming her brother's name.

"You see, the games are ten times more vicious than the practices, but that's the fun of it." She jabbed her finger in the air after Collin scored what was called a "try."

Chloe sat on the blanket in between us, flipping through her books and squealing whenever she saw the dog pictures. I think I liked her baby world much more than this one.

"I don't see the fun in this." I frowned as a grunt sounded from the middle of their huge, mashed-together circle.

Leaning back on her hands with her legs stretched in front of her, Lia sighed and said, "I don't really think it's about the game as much as the bonding itself. Colly needs an outlet, ya know? Besides Chloe, Max and Gavin are his life."

I didn't know that. But I'd be happy to try to understand it. I found myself wanting to know everything about Collin, even the little details.

"Tell me how the three of them got to where they are now. Because whenever they're together in the house, it's like I'm sidelined and watching an X-rated version of Full House with all of their bro hugs and penis talk."

"If there's one thing I don't miss, it's their penis talk." Lia snickered, rolling over onto her stomach.

"Max is the worst of all of them. He's like a junkie when it comes to sex."

Lia frowned. "This I know." I didn't miss her sarcasm one bit. "The guy's been that way since the first time I met him a few years back. But he's also a total southern boy with all the charm, and the devoted mama to go along with it."

"And Gavin?"

"He's a different story altogether. Both of his parents died when he was really young, and he got flung from foster home to foster home for several years. He did earn a scholarship for his smarts, I guess, but that's about all I know."

As if he knew we were talking about him, Gavin looked our way from the middle of the field and waved shyly, a happy, unfamiliar grin on his face. The look betrayed his normally grumpy moods, but with Gavin, nothing was a shock anymore. If anything, he and Collin seemed to be bred from the same team of sperm, only Gavin was more about control while Collin seemed to lose his control easier.

"Anyway, they all wound up at the same boot camp, and the three of them somehow got lucky enough to stay together when they were shipped out."

"And Collin? I mean, he told me why he enlisted. But if he was really and truly in love with Chloe's mom, I don't understand what happened."

"Not my story to tell." She made a motion over her lips, zipping them.

When I didn't say anything else, Lia sat up and moved to sit next to me again.

"Look, my brother's been through a lot. More than any person should have to go through. But the one thing he doesn't do is keep secrets." She leaned over and kissed the top of Chloe's head. Chloe yawned, obviously needing her afternoon nap.

"He's told me about Amy, about what happened between them."

"See? He wouldn't share something like that if he didn't intend to keep you around for a while." Her lips curled up on one side, a teasing expression that most definitely ran in the family.

"Well, I love Chloe, so I do plan on being around for as long as possible. I know this isn't, like, a forever job of course, but it'll help me get back on my feet."

"Honey"-she tsked-"I hate to break it to you, but my brother doesn't look at you like an employee." My face heated as I turned to find him out on the field. Fast and hard he ran, tossing the ball behind him to someone else. God, he was gorgeous. Long, muscled legs, black hair, perfect face... "He keeps you around because he wants you, wants you-if you get my drift."

"Oh God." I lowered my face into my hands, forever embarrassed.

She laughed and stood. "Be patient with him though. And please don't...lead him on, okay?" Her voice grew lower, more serious.

I uncovered my face and squinted against the sun as I stared up at her and Chloe, now in her arms. "It's not him I'm worried about." In a moment-a single blink of an eye-Collin could easily crush me if he wanted to.

"No doubt you're scared. And if I were you, I'd be too." A sad looked passed through her eyes.

"Not very reassuring."

"Not meant to be." She tossed Chloe up into the air. "My brother harbors a lot of guilt over what happened with this beautiful girl's mama. Thinks he owes her a life of celibacy or something, though I don't think he ever truly loved her like a man should love a woman."

I coughed, trying to keep my game face on. So...maybe this supposed celibacy only counted toward his own orgasms then?

After a while, both of us grew quiet, the unspoken words hanging in the air like a deep, thick fog. I didn't want to travel through it, not when everything I was feeling was so fresh and real and amazing. Yet at the same time, I knew it was an inevitable journey I'd be forced to take if I really and truly felt something for Collin.

"Are you going to the party tonight?"

"Party?"

Lia nodded, now rocking Chloe gently back and forth in her arms. Today's outfit consisted of a black sweater with holey sleeves and a hole for her thumb at the base of each one. Her pants were plaid, red and black, and the epitome of schoolgirl rock chic. She looked sexy and sophisticated, not to mention edgy. My envy level grew every time I saw her, yet I'd never have the guts to wear half the stuff she did.

"Yup. It's the season-end party. Other than the big tournament in Chicago coming up, today was their last game until the spring."

"I'm guessing Collin will ask me to watch Chloe. I mean, he hasn't mentioned me picking up any extra hours, but as far as I know, he doesn't have anyone to babysit, so I figure if he's got a party to go to, he'll need a sitter." I bit down on my lower lip before continuing. "But what do I know? I mean, I don't know what goes on in his head. And besides, I need to stay home and do some cleaning, maybe catch up on my DVR recordings, and then-"

"Christ, honey. You talk a mile a minute, and I have no damn clue what you're saying."

"Um..." My lips flattened into a hard line, and I scratched my neck.

"Anyway, you don't have to worry about babysitting tonight. Our parents are back in town visiting. They've already claimed Beaner duty for the night and have her staying with them at their house." She nudged me with her knee, a sly grin on her face as she said, "So...I'll swing by your house and pick you up. Got this sexy outfit for you to wear. My boobs aren't nearly the size to fill it out like yours, so no doubt you'll look like a rock star in it."

Chin jerked back, I stared up at her, watching as she snuggled now-sleeping Chloe against her chest. The girl was like clockwork when it came to taking naps.

"Did you not just hear what I said?" I lowered my voice, not wanting to wake the baby, but several loud hoorahs sounded out in the field, each of them not touching her little ears. Guess she'd had to learn to sleep like a rock living with three men.

"I heard you."

"And what part did you not understand?"

"I understood it all, and I still don't care." She winked. "You're going with me to this party."

With tender eyes and her mouth shaped in a tiny O, Lia settled Chloe into her stroller with the sort of ease normally only a mother could attain. Truly, the girl had a gift with kids, making her a hard act to follow-even for someone with my experience.

Standing too, I stretched my hands upward, moving side to side.

Lia motioned her head toward the field. "If he wants you, he'll get you, ya know. And once he's got you, he'll never want to let you go."

"Huh?"

"Food for thought." She smiled widely.

My throat grew tight. As much as I wanted to play dumb and pretend I didn't know what she meant, I knew I couldn't. Collin was like a hurricane. When he hit, it was a take-no-prisoners, all-in sort of thing. I wasn't ready to hash out the details when it came to him and me, mainly because this thing between us was still so new-not even something we could put a label on. But someday, when the time came, I was determined to give what I could.

My only hope was that I could be enough.

Chapter 24.

Collin "You guys realize this is the first November we've spent together not in a desert?"