"We clear?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now there will be more things that occur to me, and we'll discuss them, just as long as you understand some of the no thanks, I don't need your help no thanks, I don't need your help bulls.h.i.t is gonna stop." bulls.h.i.t is gonna stop."

"Does it really mean that much to you?"

"Ree. It means everything to me. I'm tired of waiting for your permission to let me be the man you need. Accept that if we're together things are going to change."

Gavin was so close his body-heat-warmed cologne drifted into her nose until her entire being filled with his scent. She wanted him. No niceties. No foreplay. Just thinking about him yanking her jeans down and driving into her made her wet. Wet and achy. Wet and achy and wanting.

"Rielle."

He'd drawn out her name to three syllables. Her gaze snapped to his. "What."

Those blue eyes glittered. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what? You said you wanted to do things for me."

His focus dropped to her mouth as she licked her lips.

"Prove it. There's something you can do for me right now."

"Name it."

She turned her head and sank her teeth into his bicep. Then she rubbed her face against that smooth, hard flesh. Her tongue traced the crease in the crook of his arm. "f.u.c.k me."

That was all it took.

Gavin used one hand to lock the door and the other to pull her mouth to his in a ravenous kiss.

Her head spun and her blood coursed faster, pooling like liquid fire in her p.u.s.s.y and throbbing in her nipples. She thought he'd shove her against the door, but he brought them to the floor, his mouth hungry on hers as he tried to unzip her jeans. And his jeans. At the same time.

She broke the kiss. "You do yours, I'll do mine."

Then they were naked from the waist down and neither bothered with the top half.

Levering himself over her, he kneed apart her thighs. He rolled his pelvis, rubbing his shaft over her mound. Then he canted his hips and plunged inside her fully. He groaned, "Jesus you're wet," against her throat.

"I know. Get busy and f.u.c.k me."

"Repeat that last part again."

"f.u.c.k me."

"I love to hear you say that." He held her hands above her head and rammed into her over and over. His eyes locked to hers. Leaning closer to bestow a kiss that made her thoughts sweetly muzzy, even as he pounded into her flesh like a pile driver.

The quietness between them heightened the intensity. Heat and breath and bodies in motion. Each thrust drove them closer to the top. Each kiss brought them closer to each other.

When Rielle couldn't take any more, when she felt the tingling zip in her tailbone and her v.a.g.i.n.al muscles tightening around his c.o.c.k, she arched, coming hard with a gasp she couldn't contain.

Then Gavin's lips were on hers, absorbing the sound. He pumped into her faster; his deep groan rumbled in her mouth as he followed her over the edge.

Sometime later-several minutes at least-sprawled on her body, he murmured, "I never want to move," and started kissing her neck in that distracting way.

"You have to so I can breathe. You are one solid man."

"And you're such a delicate flower." He pushed up and his perfect lips were curled into a very s.e.xy, very satisfied male grin. "I'm starved."

"Good thing I brought you a snack. But I'll bet your tea is cold."

"Hot woman or hot tea. I'll take the hot woman every time."

Chapter Twenty-Four

Just to prove his point, Gavin made supper and didn't allow Rielle to help. He forced her to sit at the breakfast bar with a whiskey c.o.ke, and the stack of catalogues she'd been stockpiling but hadn't made time to read.

After he'd thrown the sliced potatoes, kielbasa and onions in the pan, he poured himself a drink and sat beside her. She was idly flipping through a beekeeper's supply catalogue.

"See anything you can't live without?"

"Not so far. It's crazy how much the prices have increased since last year. Since there isn't a local supplier, I'm stuck paying premium prices and shipping."

"I admit, I find beekeeping a lot more fascinating than I used to."

Rielle batted her eyelashes. "Because I explained it so well or because I look so completely s.e.xy covered up in the beekeeper suit holding a smoker?"

"Must be the latter." He s.n.a.t.c.hed her hand and kissed her knuckles. "So honey, we need to talk."

She rotated on her barstool. "Is this about how hot it was when you threw me on the floor and f.u.c.ked me senseless in your office?"

"No." He allowed a wolfish smile. "But it was f.u.c.king amazing."

"What's amazing to me is I finally know what heart-pounding pa.s.sion feels like. It's a first. You say that I don't let you do things for me. Without sounding mushy, what you give me when we're alone together is something I've never had before." She kissed the back of his hand. "So thank you."

Maybe the booze had loosened her tongue, but he was grateful she was finally opening up to him. "You're welcome. You do know it's the same for me, right?" His eyes searched hers. "I've never had this with anyone else. I don't want to go too fast or push too hard because I'm used to getting things my way, on my timeframe."

"No," she said with sarcasm. "Really? I never noticed that about you, tyc.o.o.n."

"Such a smart mouth. But I am serious, Ree. I don't want to screw this up."

"You won't. I won't let you. Because I'm right there with you in trying to figure this out."

"Good. Now onto the other thing we need to discuss. Christmas. Or more accurately Christmas vacation."

She didn't pull back.

Encouraged, he laid it all out there. "The Paris trip is off. For a number of reasons; the biggest one was that Sierra didn't want to go. There's no way I'll force my daughter into a situation she doesn't want to be in. But she also needed to understand her mother has every right to spend time with her. So we arrived at a compromise."

"Which is?"

"We'll spend Christmas here as planned. Then three days after Christmas, Sierra and I will fly to Arizona. Ellen will fly over from France and she and Sierra will spend two weeks together in Scottsdale."

"That's a great compromise, although I'd bet you're paying for Ellen's plane ticket."

Of course Rielle would pick up on that. "That's a much cheaper solution than us going to Paris."

"True." Rielle looked at him thoughtfully. "What else?"

"I want you to come to Arizona with me. Not for the full two weeks, but just a week. Rory will only be here for a few days over the holiday, so it's not like you'd have to sacrifice time with her to be with me."

"I want to point out that this is me listening to you, not immediately saying no."

"She can be taught." He grinned. "Ellen has made it clear that her time with Sierra does not include me. I need to go to Phoenix, not only to make sure Ellen actually shows up, but to handle year-end business. I own a piece of property we can stay in, meaning no hotel costs. I have a company car to use, meaning no rental car costs. So the only upfront, out-of-pocket expense is the airfare."

Rielle broke eye contact and sipped her drink.

"I'd prefer to pay your way, since this is my idea, but I know how...independent you are, so I'd agree to you buying your own plane ticket."

"If I let you pay for everything else."

"Yes. But what's left to pay for? Food? Gas? s.e.x toys?"

She laughed. "Such a naughty side to you."

Gavin curled his hands around her face, forcing her to look at him. "Please. Say yes. I want this time with you."

Indecision warred on her face. She closed her eyes and inhaled a long, deep slow breath. Then she opened her eyes. "Okay. Yes. I'll come to Arizona with you."

He kissed her, a little too enthusiastically because his d.i.c.k immediately got onboard. But he couldn't help it. He was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning.

"I can't believe I'm actually getting on an airplane."

"I'll hold your hand the entire time. I promise." Gavin brushed his mouth over hers. "Thank you, Ree. You have no idea what this means to me."

"I'm starting to understand that," she murmured. Then she pulled on his wrists until he released her. "Do you smell something burning?"

Gavin bailed off the stool and checked the pan. The potato pieces on the bottom had built a dark crust, but it wasn't ruined, thank G.o.d, because he'd never hear the end of it.

Sierra wandered in and wrinkled her nose. "Dad, are you burning supper?"

"No."

Her gaze moved between him and Rielle. "So what's going on?"

"Ree and I were just discussing the Arizona trip."

"You're not yelling at each other so I a.s.sume everything is worked out?"

"Yes. Rielle is coming with us."

Sierra grinned. "That's awesome. Two whole weeks in the desert?"

He shook his head. "Just one week. You'll fly back the following week. No way to get around you missing a couple of days of school."

"Darn." She paused. "Wait. You're letting me fly back from Phoenix by myself?"

"It's a direct flight."

She pumped her fist. "Now I can put that fake ID to good use and get snockered on the plane."

Rielle laughed. "Snockered? Since when do teens use that term for being drunk?"

"Since my dad doesn't like the term s.h.i.tfaced s.h.i.tfaced."

"What word would he prefer?" Rielle asked.

"Illegal underage drinking," he and Sierra finished simultaneously.

Sierra snagged the barstool next to Rielle and sifted through the pile of catalogues. "Cool. Are you choosing things for your Christmas wish list?"

"I don't have a Christmas wish list."

Sierra gasped dramatically. "Seriously? Why not?"

Rielle shrugged. "It's only been Rory and me, except for when my parents were alive but they didn't celebrate Christmas, so there's been no need for a list. I knew what Rory wanted and I was happy with whatever she gave me."

"Well, it's different now, because we're here. I'm giving you a gift so I'll need ideas. And I know Dad will buy you something, so you'd better give him some guidelines or you'll find a new pickup or something in the driveway on Christmas morning."

Rielle aimed a laser-sharp gaze at him. "You wouldn't dare."

Gavin leaned across the counter and flashed his teeth at her. "Try me."

When her eyes widened he knew she'd remembered their earlier conversation.

Oh, Little Miss I-Make-My-Own-Way wanted to argue. She'd point out that Christmas wasn't about the presents, blah blah blah blah blah blah. Bull c.r.a.p. This was the only time of year he could buy her anything he wanted and she'd have no choice but to suck it up and accept it with a smile.

"Stop smirking at me, Gavin Daniels. I'll make a d.a.m.n list. But you get to pick one one thing from it, understand?" thing from it, understand?"