Chuckling, I kiss up her neck and nibble her earlobe. “Let me in, baby,” I tease, pushing forward a little more. “You know you want to.”

She groans and clenches briefly around me. “Aaahhh… You must… be nearly there…”

“Just another inch…”

“Jesus…”

I plunge my tongue into her mouth and kiss her hungrily. She moans and melts against me, and I finally slide all the way in.

Our hips are now flush. I’m wrapped around her and inside her, and she’s my whole world—she’s all I can feel and taste and smell and think about.

“Baby…” I groan and, one hand in the small of her back, I hold her there as I start to thrust.

She tips her head back, wrapping her leg tightly around my hips and tilting up her pelvis to give me better access. “Oh my God,” she whispers, “that feels so good…”

“You’re doing so well,” I tell her, kissing up her cheek to her ear, and nuzzling behind it. “You feel amazing. Like hot, wet velvet.”

“Mmm.” She scores her nails lightly down my back, making me shiver. “I love how I can feel you all the way up.” Keeping her gaze on mine, she tightens inside, and I groan. “Sorry,” she says innocently, her eyes sparkling.

“I’m trying to stay in control,” I grumble, clenching a hand on her butt, unable to stop my fingers digging into the soft muscle as I fight to go slow.

Her lips brush mine. “What if I don’t want you in control?”

I close my eyes for a moment, still sliding inside her. “Lora…”

“You’re gentle, sweet… You’re so good to me, Linc. Patient. Kind.” She teases my lips with her tongue. “I want to pay you back.”

“You are,” I say gruffly.

She’s moving with me now, rocking her hips against mine, driving me in and out of her, so even though I’m trying to go slow, she’s forcing me to go faster, deeper.

“You’re driving me mad,” I say roughly, turned on by the sound of my erection sliding slickly through her wet flesh.

“I’m ready for another ten percent,” she says, and nips my bottom lip.

“Ow.” That flips my switch. I’m not about to pound into her—I have some self-control left, albeit in single figures—but I slip an arm beneath her knee to lift it higher, then shift position so she’s a little under me, and I’m more able to take charge of the action.

Her eyes are huge and bright blue as I push forward, burying myself deep into her. “So, then,” I say as I start moving with deep, penetrating thrusts, “how’s the study of sexual dimorphism coming along?”

“Pretty good,” she says breathlessly, moving with me. “Mmm… so… do you prefer the spotted hyena, or…” She giggles, and I laugh and kiss her.

“It’s all great,” I reply, stroking up her thigh. “But I have to admit I quite like taking charge.”

“It’s just nature,” she says, shifting a little so she’s lying more on her back.

I move a fraction so I’m more on top of her, still moving with long, slow thrusts. “Pure instinct,” I agree hoarsely, making sure I’m grinding against her.

She groans, so I’m obviously hitting the right spot. “Oh God… I think I’m going to come…”

“Ah, Lora, yeah, go for it, girl.” I kiss her, plunging my tongue into her mouth, muffling her reply. I speed up, wanting to join her at the finish line. I can feel heat building inside me, pleasure starting to ripple through me, but I hold onto the reins while I wait for her to catch up.

It doesn’t take long. Just another thirty seconds, and then she starts to take deep, ragged breaths, her lips parting and a frown appearing on her brow as she concentrates. I lift my head so I can watch her, thrusting hard now, my own muscles tightening, and I can see the moment her orgasm hits. She tightens around me, then starts to pulse, and at the same time I groan, my hips jerking with my own climax. We come together, the wave crashing over us both, and I try to be gentle, I really do, but it’s impossible not to give half a dozen hard thrusts at the end, as the urge to claim her and spill inside her drives every other thought away.

When I finally open my eyes, I look straight into hers.

I shudder, then lower onto my elbows and kiss her. “Sorry I got carried away at the end,” I murmur. “Did I hurt you?”

She shakes her head. Her eyes are wide.