He kissed her delicious mouth while his fingers rimmed her entrance. Wet. So wet for him.

She parted her legs, and he settled himself between them. He rubbed the tip of his cock around and around her opening, then pressed inside.

Her muscles gripped him, and he groaned at the sensation. He pulled out then forged back in until he was all the way. Anna trembled beneath him.

Was he hurting her? “Anna?” He held himself immobile above her, every muscle tense as he fought the need to fuck her.

“Zar, for God’s sake,” she said, panting. “Move before I lose my mind.”

“Mon Dieu.” He loosed the reins and surged into her, setting a steadily faster pace until she gasped and clutched at him.

His orgasm approached, coming at a rate he knew he couldn’t hold at bay, so he bent his head and nibbled and sucked on her earlobe.

She came on a surprised cry of his name, her muscles rippling around him, her eyes glazed with pleasure.

He followed her into bliss.

A minute or two later, he eased himself to one side, gathered her up in his arms, and rolled so she was pillowed on his chest again.

Anna pressed a kiss on his sternum, let out a sigh, and relaxed.

Neither said anything for several minutes. Then Anna’s stomach rumbled, loud and long.

“Excuse me,” she said, laughing.

He found himself laughing, too. “Let’s find some breakfast before someone accuses me of starving you.”

She sat up, looked at the clock on the side table, and pointed at it. “I think you mean lunch.”

It read 11:48 a.m.

He shook his head and smiled at her. “What is the saying? Time flies when you’re having fun?”

“You got that right.” She kissed his cheek and got out of bed. “I’m going to shower.”

“I’ll do the same in one of the other bathrooms,” he said.

She picked up her backpack then hesitated. “Are we...going out?” She lifted her bag. “I packed for comfort, not fancy restaurants, and most of my stuff smells a little like smoke.”

“Good point. Let’s order room service. Then, I suspect you will want to call the hospital to inquire after your patient. I also need to be updated on the progress of the investigation of the bombing. We can deal with more after that.”

Relief spread a smile across her face. “Oh, good idea.”

“A working lunch, yes?”

Her smile widened. “Yes.”

***

Anna stepped out ofthe shower, toweled off, and considered the clothing she had in her pack. Yes, it all carried the scent of smoke, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. It was wearable anyway.

She put on a pair of gray pants designed for hiking but looked slightly nicer than jeans. She paired them with a light pink top, a color her mother always said brought out her eyes.

She collected her toiletries, repacked her backpack, and strode out into the bedroom. It was empty, and the door was closed. Given the state of the bed, she was grateful to Zar for his discretion. His friends probably knew what they’d been up to, but giving them confirmation wasn’t necessary.

She opened the door and quietly closed it behind herself. Zar was on the phone, standing a few feet from a table set for six while a hotel employee placed dome-covered plates at each setting. In the middle of the table sat two carafes of what she prayed was coffee, along with plates of muffins, croissants, and a plethora of condiments.

Jean Paul was seated at the sofa, speaking to someone on his cell phone while typing on a laptop at the same time. Marc was scrolling through something on his phone with a frown on his face.