“Good morning, Vita Mia. You look beautiful, as usual.”

She turned at the sound of Jeter’s voice, knowing her entire body had to be as red as a firecracker. Dammit, why the hell hadn’t she heard him come in? “Hey,” she croaked, letting the shirt fall back into place. “I was trying to figure out whose stuff this was.”

The explanation sounded lame to her ears.

His eyes pinned her where she stood with their hungry look as he strolled into the enclosed space. “I keep a closet of clotheshere and at my mother’s house. Of course, this is where I stay when I come to town since Kendrick’s place is more...open.”

Her mind raced to think up a witty reply. Nothing came to mind that wouldn’t make her sound like a jealous bitch.

“Have you found out anything about yesterday or from the shooting?” Keeping her focus on the issues would help her control the raging hormones Jeter set free.

Jeter didn’t answer right away. His laser focus zeroed in on her face like he could see into her soul. Tori didn’t think she could get any more embarrassed than getting caught with her hand literally caressing the man’s clothing like some stalker. Yet, she hoped she wasn’t as transparent as she felt.

He bent his head, holding her stare, and captured her lips while keeping his eyes open. The kiss fueled desire that only Jeter pulled from her. For the longest time, Tori thought she was broken or maybe not a sexual person. With him, she became a woman willing to give herself to a man with total control and abandon. Not any man, one man. Jeter.

“You make me forget all sense and reason the second I lay eyes on you, Vita Mia,” he breathed against her lips, pulling back.

Her hands held his shirt in tight fists as she stared at him. “That’s good since I seem to lose every ounce of self-control around you.”

With her words, he finally pulled his hands out of his pockets and wrapped one arm around her. “Your trust and surrender gives us balance, baby. From the moment I laid eyes on you standing behind that bar, there was an undeniable connection that drew me to you. There is no doubt in my mind what I feel, what we have, is rare, pure, and a hundred percent solid. Tell me you feel it, too.”

Her eyes burned with unshed tears. His heartfelt declaration confirmed exactly how she felt. “Yes. All that is exactly what is inmy heart. Only you said it so much more eloquently than I ever could.”

“Don’t repeat that to my brothers, or they’ll think I’ve gone soft.” He smiled down at her.

She stood up on her tiptoes. “Your secret is safe with me, Tesoro.”

He lifted her, locking his arms around her ass as he swung them around and sat on the bench in the center of the closet. She straddled his thighs, tilting her head to the side to deepen the kiss, her tongue dueling with his inside her mouth.

“I need you,” he growled.

She pulled back. The same desire written on his face licked throughout her body. “Take me.”

FUCK. ME. ALL TO HELL.She was going to kill him. Jeter lifted Tori slightly so he could open his jeans, shoving them down his thighs. As his cock sprang free, his breath whooshed out of him like he’d been holding it for minutes. He worked to implement his military training, needing to gather control, or knew he’d end up shoving his dick straight up to his own personal paradise—deep inside Tori. Jeter would kick his own ass if her readiness and pleasure didn’t come first.

Taking a deep inhale for four seconds, followed by an exhale of four seconds, repeated several times, allowed him the ability to calm down. Within a minute, the urge to rip her panties off and bury himself in one stroke subsided. Thank you, Uncle Sam, for teaching him such an extremely simple yet effective technique. They called it the four-by-four breathing method. Usually, they do it for a minute to calm nerves and anxiety during water training and other exercises. He’d implementedthe breathing steps many times after he’d left his team and returned to the real world. Not only did he feel calmer, but he also felt physical changes.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, stroking his chest.

He swallowed, knowing he’d have to tell her about his time in the military one day. “I’m good. Just needed a minute to calm down so I didn’t hurt you.”

Her smile brightened his cold heart. “Well, I don’t think one part of you is all that calm.”

Her pussy rocked on his cock. The only thing separating them was a thin scrap of material. “Have no fear, woman. That thing will always be hard if you’re near. Panties off, or I’m liable to rip them in half.”

She scrunched up her nose. “Do it. These are past their wear date.”

Heat flared up his neck at her words. He grabbed the flimsy piece of material on one side of her hips and pulled, watching her face as the material ripped. Grabbing the other side, he repeated the steps and then pulled the fabric from between her thighs. He held the material between them. “I’m saving these for our memory box.”

Her laughter filled the room as he grabbed her hips and swept his fingers through her folds. She shuddered and ripped her top off.

“I love it when you touch me, Jeter.”

“Do you want me to finger fuck your tight little pussy or would you rather I fuck you with my dick?” he asked her, locking their eyes as he spoke.

Tori’s mouth opened in a surprised gasp. “Oh, my god. That. All that. Wait, I want your cock. Please,” she begged.

He brought his fingers back, licked them because he loved her taste, and then he pushed inside while pulling her down.