What's your problem, Jared? Christ. Had he ever second-guessed a fast-and-furious? No. This couldn't get any hotter, and he couldn't want the woman any more.

Jared flipped them over, positioning himself between her legs. A groan purred from her lips.

"Please," she begged him, breathy and moaning. She writhed under his weight. "I need this. You."

His hips flexed, meeting heated flesh. Her eyes shut, a moan escaped her, and he kissed her, to catch it vibrating against his lips.

"Goddamn, Sugar." As he inched into her, she met his cadence, and they moved in sync. Perfect fuckin' precision.

She pulled her knees back, wrapping her ankles around his back. He had the all-clear to drive them both to heaven. With each thrust, she wound tighter on his cock. More wild. More in control of her fate. Her breaths went erratic, mirroring the one-two punch in his lungs.

Sugar called out his name as she climaxed, loud and guttural, stroking his stud gene and making him feel invincible. Her muscles pulsed, and she used him. God, how she used him, milking her explosion. He loved it. Use me, baby. Any and every way possible.

Her deep-blue eyes opened, churning like rough seas. The body that was always stronger than it looked made a move, righting herself on top. Her crazy brown hair was tousled. He looked down at her creamy, pink skin and rosy-tipped, full breasts that he could palm. He clasped her waist and slid his hands to the solid weight of her breasts.

She rocked her hips, smiling as she watched him thumb her nipples. Her hands snaked over his, up her neck, and into her hair. Sugar was on display. The view was magnificent.

Jared met her pace. Her devilish grin dared him to more. It was their battle of dominance, and damn if she didn't try to win. Not going to happen.

She dropped her head back. Moans told Jared another pleasure bomb loomed, that she would climax again with each thrust and sway. He pushed her toward it, needing to see her release astride him. His hands caught around her waist, moving her and rewarding himself.

"Jared."

She called out his name again, then called out to God. Her body bucked and arched. He held her in place, dragging it out, making her cry out all over again. She opened her eyes. Unexpected innocence, desire, and emotion catapulted him to release. Every muscle tightened. Everything he didn't understand between them culminated then. All his energy and want poured into her.

His name fell from her lips as she bent over and kissed him deeply. Muscles going lax, his mind going empty, he could do nothing but feel her draped over him.

The kiss ended. Their cheeks and chests clung together. Sugar slid off him, and he wrapped an arm around her, giving her a pillow. They lay in silence, letting their breathing regulate.

He turned to her, unsure of the words after their intensity. Chalk one up to Sugar. She knew how to make his insides explode.

She sat up and snagged her towel. "That was fun. Glad we got it over with."

What? He choked back, What just happened? Her words reverberated in his brain. He'd heard what she said, but... Yeah, no. He propped himself on his elbows. "Got it over with?"

As she stood up and wrapped her towel around herself, Jared stared at the transformation.

She pulled her hair away from her shoulders. "I'll see you around," she said and spun on a bare heel.

"Are you serious?" He jumped up and spun her back to him.

She raked a gaze over him. "You're still naked."

"'Cause we fucked thirty seconds ago."

"So pull your pants up, big boy." She gave him a fake smile and turned around again. "You should take that as a compliment, by the way."

"Sugar."

She stopped, looked over her shoulder, and shook her head. "I get it. Used to throwing women out, maybe they beg for a little cuddle time? Not me. Don't worry."

Jared pitched the condom in the trash, walked over, and kicked his pants and briefs into his hand. He laughed, shaking his head, then slid into his pants. Socks and boots went on next. He left the shirt off, tossing it over his shoulder.

He walked past her and went to the sink to wash his hands and throw water on his face. He rubbed a hand through his buzz cut and turned back to her.

Even in a towel, she could exude her typical badassery. He dawdled a minute more to piss her off, then said, "You're kicking me out. Classic."

"I'm not saying, 'Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Jared.' I'm saying, 'Glad we did that.' Maybe now we can work together and not vibe. All that sexual tension, we had to knock it out of our systems."

"Ah, so you did me a favor. Let me guess. You've decided one-and-done. Maybe it's even your motto."

Her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"We should talk about this later." Pulling his wallet from his pocket, he extracted the folded e-mail and tossed it to her, then turned his back and made his way toward the door. He heard her unfold the paper, followed by a sharp gasp.

"Fuck you, Jared."

"Too late. You already did."

The hotel room door closed behind him, sounding finite, even though he could pull a key card out and open it again.

He stood in the hallway, pissed off... and tense. He had no idea why he was so angry. Screw that 'it was fun, see ya later' bullshit.

He took a deep breath and turned to the door, having no clue what his next move should be. Screwing Sugar had messed it all up. He had known it would. Every damn thing would go bad. The last hour of his life needed to be deep-sixed. Turning away from the door, he pulled on the shirt and punched the elevator call button.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

Back in the tub, Sugar propped her head on a pillow of towels and stared at the creased copy of her e-mail. Jared had known her feelings the entire time. She wished they would just go away-the feelings and the man. Her on-the-fly plan to screw away her interest was a big fat fail.

Should have stuck with your avoid-Jared-Westin plan.

When she closed her eyes, the shock on his face played over and over again. I'll bet that man has never been thrown out of a bedroom, certainly not after showing off his moves. His muscles had muscles. His scruff. His chest hair. His hands. She shook her head, but the images kept coming. Jared was... substantial, in every conceivable way.

Her X-rated thoughts were knocked clear across the bathroom by another round of aches in her chest. And she had a substantial thing for him. No one else should touch him, kiss him, or do him. She'd just found out that she didn't have one jealous bone in her body, but rather, her entire skeletal system simmered with jealousy.

Jared wasn't a one-girl guy, and she didn't desire to be that pathetic lady trying to change a man.

"I hate you, Jared Westin," she said to the empty bathroom. Shut up. Playing pretend all alone was a bad habit. The only time she'd ever felt like this was when she'd almost lost GUNS. Other than her sister, that gun range was the closest thing she had to a significant relationship. It'd been there her whole life. Her dad had lost it in a poker game, the thieving bastard. And her lying mother had never been strong enough, or around enough, to tell him to get his ass in line.

It was a miracle Sugar had rescued GUNS. Really, it was a miracle neither she nor Jenny had morphed into their mother.

So GUNS was her home-life substitute. Her safety and security. After she used Titan to help her exact revenge on Kip, she would go back to her comfort zone.

The bath water had cooled. Sugar got out, dried off for the second time that day, and slipped on designer pajamas. The pink, silky fabric was freshly laundered and smelled like flowers. She made another mental note to thank Nicola.

Her doorbell rang. Hotel rooms have doorbells? Only in Titan land.

Sugar padded to the door and checked the peephole. Nicola. She threw the door open. "Asal!"

The little girl jumped into her arms.

Nicola smiled. "Hey, girl."

Asal planted a wet kiss on Sugar's cheek and wrapped her arms around her neck.

"Hey, Nic." She hugged Asal back. "Hi, you. I missed ya."

Nicola walked into the foyer. "This little girl's had a lot to say. Some things about the hellhole you guys pulled her out of, but mostly about you. Think she thinks you're some kind of angel."

Sugar laughed. "Hardly."

"Yup, that's what I said. She keeps insisting, though. The UN attache might think you're a hallucination or an imaginary friend."

Sugar set her down, then patted her head.

Asal said something to Nicola, who nodded. "Asal's English is pretty good, considering. But she's been working on this for you."

The little girl beamed. "Thank you, Sugar. You saved me."

"Of course, sweetheart." Sugar knelt, smoothing Asal's combed hair and tucking it behind her ears. The little girl beamed, and Sugar's heart exploded with pride and hope. Then she stood and focused on Nicola. "Were you able to find out anything about the husband?"

Nodding, Nic said, "Hadn't touched. Actually, never met her. Her brothers had died in an explosion, mother in childbirth, father in the field. An uncle shouldered the responsibility of raising her, but wanted her gone. Traded her, like a dowry, for some grain and a goat." She looked at Asal. "Earmuffs."

Asal wrapped her hands over her ears.

"I figured being around Titan, we needed to watch out for what she hears." Nicola scrunched her shoulders. "Anyway, I want to kill the motherfucker. A goat?"

A quick gesture, and the earmuffs were dismissed. They walked into the living room. Asal babbled in another language, and Sugar loved the sound. Letters and words, soft and lyrical, twirled through the air.

Nicola coughed, suppressing a giggle, and nonchalantly tossed her head the direction of the floor.

Goddamn condom wrapper. Sugar's cheeks flushed, and if Asal weren't nearby, she would've cursed Jared's name.

"I see Jared's stopped by."

Sugar saw no point in lying. The ride from Afghanistan had more than clued her in to the topic du jour. Everyone thought they were knocking boots. Why deny it now that they had?

Nicola said something Sugar didn't understand, followed by a slow English version, complete with hand motions. "Wash your hands. We will eat soon." Asal ran down the hall, and Nicola pierced Sugar with a stare. "I knew it. And I so want the details."

"Nothing to say." Sugar picked at a cuticle.

"Bull-flippin'-shit." Nicola snorted, her hands on her hips. "There's a condom-in your living room."

Sugar stepped over the metallic wrapper, as if hiding it with her foot would make the conversation disappear, as well.

"Spill, Sugar."

She rubbed her temples. Jared was her headache even when he wasn't the problem. The foil scratched the sole of her foot. If he hadn't left that there, the conversation would be a non-starter. It was his fault. She rubbed her temples again. "First and last time. Fun and done. Nothing to say other than that."

"First time..." Nicola's nose wrinkled in thought. "On the floor of your living room?"

"We weren't going for the most romantic of moments."

"I'd say." Nicola did a piss-poor job at hiding her grin.

Sugar bent over, grabbed the wrapper, and pitched it. "Thanks for the clothes. They're-"

"Oh no, no. You're not getting out of this convo that easy."

She shrugged, feigning a bored expression. "Seriously, nothing to spill."

"Details. Give me at least one juicy detail. Don't make me beg." She steepled her hands in prayer.

Shit. Shit. Shit. "I don't know."

Nicola wasn't letting it go, and she prompted, "The man who considers himself the master of everything was... Work with me here, Sugar. I'm dying."

"Master of everything?" Sugar rolled her eyes. "Of course he does."

"And does he live up to the self-titled moniker? He's..." She rolled her hands, urging Sugar to continue.

Before she could stop, her cheeks flushed again. "He's impressive. I'll leave it at that. Good enough?"

"Hell no." Nicola pouted.

"What do you want?"

"A onetime afternoon romp? That's it? What did he say? What'd you do?"

Sugar chewed on her lip, wondering how she could put it. "I politely said thanks and asked him to leave."

Nicola's jaw hung open. Her eyes didn't blink. She didn't make a sound.

Sugar tugged at the hem of her pajama shirt. "Come on, Nicola. Don't be so shocked."

Her jaw closed, then dropped again. With a shake of the head, she clasped a hand over her mouth. "You kicked him out. Oh my God. I want every last detail."

"That sounds harsh, and don't you think this is a little personal?"

"Are you kidding me? You've slept with Cash. We're beyond that."

"Nic! That's not fair. We ended before he knew you. Met you again. Whatever. Cheap shot, Nicola, cheap shot."