Page 49 of Nothing to Win

“It’s your responsibility to make the world believe we’re together for the next five weeks.”

“I’m not doing that?”

“Who are you convincing here?”he asked.

Rising just enough to drape herself against him, chin high, her mouth begged in desperation for his.“We agreed anything sexual was subject to its own quid pro quo.”

“You’re an impressionable young woman.”The drift of his hand up her side didn’t match his resistance.“With limited experience.”

“Is that what this is?You’re being a good guy?”she teased, letting their lips just meet.“I’m a woman, Mister, that’s all that matters.I’m a woman who wants you.”Pressing herself against him, she pushed harder.“Feel me, Mister.Don’t you feel me?”

“You’ve been drinking.”

On an exhale, she relaxed in that position for a second before using his form to climb to her feet.

“You’re not interested, that’s all you had to say.”In a slow turn, she thought of how Roxie walked away from her husband.“For what it’s worth, we were taste testing the baby shower mocktails tonight.No alcohol.”

Slow though she took it, she did end up at the door.He was going to let her walk out.

“Quid.”That deep command stopped her dead.Doing a terrible job of containing her elation, she glanced back over her shoulder thinking sultry.“Spend your night in my bed.”

“Only if I get what I want.”

“I warned you,” he said, “once you give permission, I won’t allow you to take it back.”

“Then you’ll owe me another quo.”

“Name it.”

“Satisfy yourself,” she said.“When we share a bed, satisfy yourself with me.”The grind of his teeth spoke to his failing resistance.And, boy, was that fine with her.“I’ll be waiting.”

Leaving the room, she went left rather than right.His room, his bed.She’d been in the room, daydreamed about being in his bed.This was not the way their deal was supposed to play out.Karma was kind.

Opening his door wide, she made no effort to close it.In fact, she deliberately unzipped to discard her dress on the threshold.He’d demanded she sleep in the nude back when this started, who was she to start breaking the rules?

Her underwear dropped from her foot as she climbed onto his bed.Crawling up the middle, she eased the covers back just enough to slide beneath.In her twist, a figure at the end of the bed startled her.

He was already there, right in her wake, impatient, fixated as he moved to the side of the bed.Her hands shook, was that anticipation or terror?Intent, he grabbed the top edge of the covers to rip them from their neat arrangement and throw them off the end.

Anticipation.Definitely anticipation.Her heart pounded so hard she couldn’t breathe enough.Panting for life, she wanted more when he unbuttoned his shirt.

Together.They were going to be together.It would mean nothing in the morning, nothing in a week or a month, but right now, they were the only two people in this moment.Special didn’t cover it.This man, Brogan Spurn…

He tossed his shirt off one shoulder then the other, and she was on her knees, going to immediately plant her hands on the planes of a chest she’d wanted to admire for so long.He snatched her jaw before her mouth could meet his skin.With an almost growl behind his fierce glare, her lips parted in an eager whimper.Dreaming big apparently manifested what she’d craved.She sank against him, neck craned when he forced his mouth over hers.

This was quid pro quo, it was a trade of pleasure for pleasure.The leather of his belt moved against her, that wasn’t what she wanted to feel.His tightening grip was only the beginning of what she wanted him to need.Belt.She wanted this now.Not in a minute.Not in five.Still mired in the passion of his devouring kiss, she unbuckled his belt, moaning when he tore it right from the loops and threw her down on the bed.

Scrambling to sweep her hair from her face, she caught just a glimpse of him losing his pants before he was on top of her, between her thighs, dragging his lips across hers.

“You give me permission,” he growled, “you won’t get it back until I’m done with you.”

“You have it,” she said on the gasping breath that fought to fill her lungs.“You have my permission.”

And she might have ended with “however long you want it,” but his impatience plunged into her, from head to hilt in one forceful thrust.Another yelp, a groan, a call, her body expelled words and whimpers, desperate to have more.He hammered in fast, pounding her through every climax, every threshold became another.

He wasn’t done, and wouldn’t be done, until he called it.This was Brogan Spurn.Family nemesis?No, her greatest lover.

“Brogan,” she screamed out, burning her throat.“Oh, God, Mister…”