“That feels wonderful.”

He took his time massaging the dips and curves of her shape. The lotion he’d smoothed on eased the way as he trailed his fingers over the muscles of her back, in the indentation of her spine, and then down, down, down to the enticing curve where her lower back flared out to her hips.

He took his time, tracing gently over the sensitive skin on the sides of her rib cage and on her bottom, then—

Kaylee reared forward, turning to look at him over her shoulder. “Eli, you accidentally… I mean you almost touched…”

He stared at her, not speaking, then brushed his thumb between the cheeks of her ass in a deliberately slow, dragging caress. Her breath left her lungs in a sudden whoosh. “Oh my.” She collapsed down on her arms, her head hanging loose on her neck.

Eli leaned over her, the skin of her back warm against his chest. “You have no idea what you look like. You’re so beautiful, baby, lying there so trusting while I touch you. Every bit of you is open and ready. You’d let me do anything to you, wouldn’t you?”

He grasped her head gently, turning her so he could look into her eyes. “But you’re not ready for that. Not yet.”

She whimpered at his words, her eyes telling him the truth. Their mouths met in a soft brush of lips. Then he threaded his fingers through her hair, holding her still as their tongues dueled.

He pushed his thigh between her legs and gently turned her over. She was completely at his mercy, her legs forced and held open by his wide stance. He’d never hurt her, would rather cut off his arm than cause her even a moment of fear. Still, the knowledge that he could do anything he wanted to her, that she’d let him do anything, was heady.

“You have no idea what you do to me, do you?”

He slid his middle finger deep and then pulled out to massage around the ring of her opening. Kaylee moaned, a soft, vulnerable sound in the back of her throat as he slid two fingers inside her, teasing her warm, snug flesh until she panted his name.

Then she shuddered as a massive orgasm crashed over her, her core clenching around Eli’s busy fingers. He positioned himself at her opening, no longer able to hold back, and thrust inside, holding still to allow her time to adjust.

She shrieked, first in surprise and then in pleasure, as he pulled out and then thrust forward again. He groaned. She was so wet, so hot.

Then her back bowed and her inner muscles clamped down around him. Her eyes flew open and he saw it, the moment she lost control of herself. The squeeze and pull of her muscles stole what little control he had left and he followed her over the edge.

She let out a soft sigh and wrapped her arms around his neck. He reveled in the feel of holding her so close to him and buried his face in her shoulder, inhaling the warm scent of her skin and letting it drug him into exhaustion. She patted his chest and pushed him over so they lay on their sides with her leg thrown over his hip. She made no move to get up, content to rest there in his arms.

The gesture was so trusting, and he had never wanted or needed a woman to trust him this much before.

Normal people didn’t lock their partners out of their bedrooms, so of course she’d find it odd that they never slept in his room. The only reason she’d waited so long to comment on it was because she trusted him. He was glad she did, because he cared for her too much to hurt her. He wanted only to make her every fantasy and dream come true.

He curled around her, tucking her head right below his chin. Right then and there, he decided that he would clean out his closet the next day. He could get rid of a lot of it and put some in storage. He wouldn’t need it anytime soon, if ever. There was no guarantee that Kay would ever be open to that level of experimentation. He needed her more than he needed control.

He hadn’t been in a normal relationship, well, ever, so it wasn’t surprising that he was already screwing it up. But after what she’d already been through, she needed stability and normalcy. Plus, after everything else he’d told her, she probably thought being locked out of his room meant he was hiding something else.

And she was right.

THE NEXT MORNING, Kay woke to the annoying sound of her alarm. She slapped it off and then sat up in bed, every muscle protesting the motion. Heat climbed to her face. The tight ache between her legs and behind her thighs reminded her of why she was so exhausted. They’d used muscles last night that hadn’t seen a workout in a long time.

She needed coffee. Immediately.

There was still a slight indentation in the pillow on the other side of the bed, so she figured Eli hadn’t been up long. She grabbed her nightshirt from her bag and then her toothbrush before tiptoeing over to the door. There was no sound in the hallway, so she cracked the door slightly and peered out. She ran her hands over her hair and straightened her shirt. Knowing Elliott, he was probably running five miles before breakfast or something equally hardcore. Whereas she just wanted her caffeine injection and something filled with lots of carbohydrates.

After cleaning her teeth and washing her face, she finally felt human again. Today was going to be a different day, Kay decided. It was silly to let anything Carly said get under her skin. She already knew the other woman wanted Eli for herself. Plus, it wasn’t as if Eli didn’t already know that she was inexperienced in the bedroom. He’d made her give him a list of her lovers, after all. Clearly, he’d made his choice and she had no doubt that he was up to the task of teaching her anything she wanted to know in the bedroom.

She walked down the hallway and as soon as she entered the living room, a blaring siren pierced the air.