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Breathless, I shook my head. “Never.”

He sighed. “Christ, you’re so fucking sexy.”

Oh god.“Johnny…”

“And your skin is so smooth—” Reaching for the hem of my nightie, he sat up and slowly dragged it over my head. “Tell me if you don’t want this,” he whispered, his bare chest brushing against mine. “And we’ll stop.”

“D-do you remember that night in your room?” I asked, heart racing violently in my chest. “Before your mother came in?”

Johnny nodded slowly.

“That’s what I want,” I whispered when words found me again. “That’s what I need from you.”

“Are you sure?” he asked in a raspy tone of voice.

I nodded. “Hundred percent.” We hadn’t slept together since that first time, and knowing he was leaving soon made the pressure in my chest too much to take. “I want to be with you before you leave,” I told him, surprising myself with my bravery. Pulling back, I looked him in the eyes and said, “I want us to betogetherbefore you go away. In every possible way.”

“Shannon, I’m coming back to you,” Johnny replied, eyes burning with heat. “There’s no rush.”

“I know,” I replied.

“And I don’t want to pressure you,” he added. “Not after everything you’ve been through—”

“Ineedthis connection with you, Johnny,” I told him. “I do. I need it.”

“Yeah.” He blew out a shaky breath. “I need that with you, too, Shan.”

My heart fluttered. “Really?”

“Fucking always.” He rolled me onto my back and teased my mouth with his. “Are you going to ruin me, Shannonlike the river?” He pressed a hot kiss to my lips. “Hmm?” His lips trailed to my neck and then my bare breast. Flicking his tongue over my nipple, he asked, “Are you going to break me?”

“No.” My spine jackknifed off the mattress when he spread kisses up the inside of my thighs. His lips were soft, his jaw scratchy and ticklish against the apex of my thighs, causing every muscle south of my belly button to contract. Exhaling a ragged breath, I buried my fingers in his hair and moaned. “I would never break you.”

“Then you better plan on keeping me,” he warned, settling between my legs. “Because I’m all fucking yours.” Hooking his fingers into the waistband of my knickers, he slid them off before settling my legs on his shoulders. “Keep your eyes on that door,” he ordered before dipping his head between my legs.

“Oh my god.” Closing my eyes, I rocked into his touch, fingers knotting in his hair. “Johnny…”

“Shh,” he coaxed, teasing me with his fingers and tongue. “Keep your eyes on that door and don’t make a sound.”

“Oh, Jesus,” I cried out, heart fluttering wildly in my chest. “Okay, okay…” Moaning into my hand, I pulled on his hair, hips bucking frantically against his face. “Oh…I’m… Johnny, I—”

“You’re not watching out,” he growled, raising himself up on his elbows and breaking the contact. “You need to keep your eyes on that bleeding door, Shan. She’s like a fucking sniffer hound—and that brother of yours is worse! Keep moaning my name and I’m a dead man.”

“I don’t care,” I practically hissed, flopping back on the pillow. “It doesn’t even matter. Just keep going…please!”

“Believe me, it matters.” Pressing a kiss to the curve of my thigh, he grumbled, “And you will care if she kills me.”

“Fine—” Nodding frantically, I forced myself to strangle out the words, “Eyes…door…got it.”

“Thank you,” Johnny replied before getting back down to business.

“Johnny!” I cried out, eyes rolling back in my head. “What are you… Oh my god,yes—”

“Fuck, you’re going to get me killed,” he groaned. With an impatient growl, he removed my legs from his shoulders and reached forward to hook me under my arms. “If I’m going out tonight”—he paused to lift me up and toss me further up the bed—“then I’m going out inside you.” Lowering himself back down on top of me, he kissed my lips, smothering my moans with skillful thrusts of his tongue.

Reaching down, I pushed at the waistband of his boxers, desperate to feel skin on skin. “Take them off,” I begged against his lips. “Please.”

“I will,” he said. “Justrelax.”

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