Tears fall down my cheeks as I force my mouth to open. Usually, this isn't a problem, not even when I have an attack, but sometimes my body goes into lockdown. I hate that this is one of those times.

He slides the inhaler into place and squeezes once. I attempt to take in air but all I manage is a pathetic gasp.

"Try again." Another puff of meds invades my mouth and I gasp again. Time seems to stand still as Jase repeatedly gives me meds and counts to ten.

"If it doesn't work this time, I'm calling 9-1-1."

I nod weakly, internally screaming at my body to relax, to just let the medicine do its work. After a beat, my body seems to open, my lungs fill properly, and I let out a strangled gasp of his name.

Jase crushes me to him, then loosens his grip a little. "You scared me."

"Scared me, too."

He leans back to look at me, a frown on his sexy lips. "Ever been this bad before?"

"Actually, it's been worse."

His frown grows deeper. "You're not trying to let me off the hook, are you?"

"No lying, remember?" I remind him, then lay my head on his chest. My hands are sticky and so is he, but neither of us cares. Or at least I don't care. "It's not your fault."

He grunts noncommittally, then says, "Before things go any further between us- sexually-we need to go to the doctor together." He kisses my forehead. "I need to know how to help prevent another attack like that, and...we need to talk about other stuff, too."

"Like what?"

"My history and-are you on the pill?"

I got on it a week after he was paroled. "For a while now."

"Good. That's good, but...I'm clean, you should know that-my parole officer demands I get tested for every damn thing under the sun at least once a month, but still...it wasn't that long ago I was with other women. I used protection, but..." He caresses the side of my face. "I want to be sure. Hell, I shouldn't have gone down on you or let you do anything to me."

Jealousy rears her ugly head. "How long ago?"

"Last month." He blushes at that, his gaze not meeting mine. "Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

He exhales. "Because I have a lot of baggage."

"I'll help you carry it." Turning my head slightly, I kiss his chest, right above his heart.

"I don't know what I did in my last life to deserve you, but I'm not going to question it."

"Maybe God decided it was time for us to be together."

"Maybe we decided it was time for us to be together," he counters, then grabs the sheets and wipes us down. "I promise to wash this for you."

"Can you promise to also wash me?" I ask hopefully. "In the shower, not the washer." Omigosh, I can't believe I said that. Not only am I a virgin. I'm a dork. Men like Jase really go for that.

"Never done that before?" he asks, already maneuvering us off the bed and into his arms.

I shake my head. "Virgin in lots of things."

"Then I'll wash you in the shower-all proper-like." He gives me a hot kiss that almost makes me forget about the shower. "You are adorable, you know that?"

Well, maybe men like Jase do go for that.

Instead of carrying me to the bathroom in the hallway, he walks straight to his room.

"You missed the bathroom," I point out.

"Your room isn't the only one with hidden passageways," he says cryptically, before pulling on a sconce near his dresser. A wall of shelves swings out.

"What's in there?"

"I'll show you." He steps inside and turns on the lights.

I'm amazed by what I see. It's a sitting room of sorts with large, comfortable-looking furniture, a huge flat-screen television, hardwood flooring, wood paneling on the walls, and ornate light fixtures. Off to the right, through a decorative arch, is a marble bathroom with a claw-foot tub and a large shower. Light filters through windows I can't see, giving it a spa look.

He turns me to face him, the concern in his eyes making my heart flutter, but that's not all I see. There's vulnerability there, too. "I've never had another woman in here. That might sound weird, but this is my sanctuary."

Jase

It's all I can do not to ask her what she thinks. Hell, she probably thinks I'm weird. But it's the truth; I've never had another woman in here. The only other person, or rather, people, I had in here were the contractors who renovated this part of the house.

"It's beautiful. How did you find it?"

"My mom used it as a nursery for Rowan." I run my hand through my hair. "When I came home the house was starting to go into disrepair. My...dad had set aside money for repairs and shit, so I finally used some of it."

Her hazel eyes blink at me. "As in yours and Rowan's dad?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

She doesn't ask any more questions about him and for that I'm grateful. I do not want to talk about him, especially while she's wearing nothing but a sheet. I wrap my arms around her, bringing her petite, curvy body into my embrace.

"You looked beautiful when you came," I say, enjoying the way her cheeks get all pink as her gaze skitters away. "Hey, don't get all shy on me now."

"I can't help it. Before...I was too-" She shakes her head. "You know how you go on a roller coaster for the first time and you're nervous, but you do it anyway and it's so exciting and thrilling that you forget to be nervous or scared?"

I nod, wondering where in the hell she's going with this.

"That was me before my asthma attack. I was too excited to be self-conscious. You made me forget myself and just let go."

I tug at the sheet, and it falls in a puddle around her cute feet. Her pink nipples harden in the cool air while goosebumps dot the landscape of her skin. "I think I can make you forget all about yourself again." I know I want to forget about her asthma attack. I've never been so fucking terrified in my life, and that's saying something considering I went to prison at only nineteen years old.

"What are you waiting for?" she asks, walking to the bathroom.

At the sight of her ass jiggling in all the right places, my dick hardens. Yeah, I'm going to make both of us forget, but this time I'll just use my hands. Except...shit, her asthma. I can't risk it. She's more important than orgasms.

"Jase?" She casts a look over her shoulder at me. "I'm okay now. My meds will prevent another attack for at least four to six hours."

I take a step toward her, then stop. "I want you again. I'm ready as fuck for you again, but I'm trying to be good when all I've done my entire life is be bad."

Her gaze drops to my cock and her eyes widen appreciatively. "You're already hard?" she asks with no small amount of awe in her voice. It doesn't escape my notice that she ignores my trying-to-be-good comment. "That soon?"

Maybe I should stop trying to be good for Piper and be myself instead. I smile slowly. "All your doing." Then I walk over to her, drop to my knees, and proceed to make her come again. And again.

Chapter 7.

Jase

Piper gazes up at me with a dreamy look on her face. It's only eleven a.m., but we've been up since six, so there's been plenty of time to play and talk...I've never talked so much in my life.

But with her, it's easy. She's easy to talk to, laugh with...she's entirely lovable. My gut twists up at the thought of falling in love with her. I'm not entirely sure I'm capable of loving another person besides my sister.

"Do you remember that time you took Rowan and me to the water park?" she asks.

"Yeah, you refused to take off your T-shirt, and then it got caught on the slide at the bottom."

She blushes even as she rolls her eyes at the memory. "You had to rescue me."

"Of course I did." The lifeguard kept trying to feel her up instead of helping. Once Rowan and Piper were safely in my car, my fists and I had a little talk with that punk.

"I think that's when my crush on you went...to more...fantastical things."

Piper's always had a thing for fairy tales. Rowan confided in me often enough about what they talked about. She wasn't making fun of her best friend-she was actually worried that her crush on me would prevent Piper from attempting to date anyone else.

I cup the side of her face, kissing her bee-stung lips. "How fantastical?"

"I don't want to say right now. I'll tell you one day, when I'm ready."

Resisting the urge to seduce it out of her, I say, "When you're ready, I'll be here."

She stares at me for a moment, her dark gaze assessing. All at once, deep-seated insecurities force their way to the surface. What could she possibly see in someone like me? I'll never be like the men her family associates with. I'll never have a traditional job at a bank or insurance agency. What Fortune 500 company in Charlotte would hire a man with a criminal record and tattoos on his knuckles?

Her cool fingers tiptoe up the length of my dick, but I grab her wrist and bring it to my mouth. Kissing the sensitive skin, I breathe her in-my shampoo and body wash smell good on her.

"Jase." She sighs my name and just like that I'm ready for another round with her, but I can't bring myself to do it. Yes, she turns me on, but for me-in my headspace right now-I will only use her to forget about my insecurities.

My goal will not be to bring her to orgasm; my goal will be to manipulate her with my body. To show her that while I might not have money or power in the world she's used to, I do know how to give a woman what she needs. I know how to make her crave every part of me until she's begging for more and stalking my ass because I am that good in the sack.

But that's not Piper.

And that's not what I want for her...or for us.

"Gotta get dressed, beautiful. I have an appointment with Officer Butthurt."

She giggles at the nickname. "Is that Smithson or Walters?"

"Jeffries."

"Oh, is he new?"

"Shouldn't you know?" Giving her a hard kiss, I force myself out of her bed and begin to dress in the clothes I'd brought in here earlier.

She rises up on her elbows, her more-than-a-handful tits bouncing with the movement. Her pink nipples are rosy and slightly reddened from my attentions. There is a hickey above her left areola. Silky dark hair covers one shoulder, the curling tips teasing the uppermost swells of her breasts.

So not helping my determination to be good.

"No. Mother and Father say that the police station is no place for a lady." She winces. "That sounds terribly snobby, doesn't it?"

Yeah, it does, but then again, I wouldn't want my daughter there, either. I pull my shirt over my head. "They're keeping you safe from guys like me." I wink at her.

"Doubtful." She sighs. "And you shouldn't say things like that."

Her comment stops me short. "It's the truth. I am a criminal, Piper. I went to jail for attempted murder."

Her gaze drops from mine. "You don't have to remind me of what I already know," she murmurs.

Moving to the bed, I place a finger under her chin and lift it. She has to be reminded-I know her too well. I am not anyone's hero.

"Actually, I do because when we go public...shit will go down. I'm dating the daughter of a cop, kitten, and not just any cop, but the same one who arrested me and later got promoted to chief of police. Ever think what that will do to my reputation?"

Her brow furrows. "No."

"I have. You only think in terms of you and how your family will react, but around here, cops aren't the saviors the other side of the tracks make them out to be."