‘Aboutthis morning.’Dani finally broached the subject. ‘Yes?’

Dani glanced sideways at Alex, a touch apprehensive. He looked uncharacteristically stern, had been quiet on the drive home. ‘I’m not sure we should repeat it.’

‘Dani, be honest.’ He served up something from the slow cooker his housekeeper had filled while they were at work. ‘It was mind-blowing and you want to do it again as much as I do.’

‘I don’t want to screw up this situation even more.’ She quoted his words back at him.

‘Sleeping together isn’t going to do that.’ He reached for another plate and ladled food onto that too. ‘You’ve made it clear you don’t want a relationship. Well, neither do I. This is just sex. Just fun. Just for now.’

Bed buddies? That was all he wanted, wasn’t it? The scenario she’d used to tease him with was the exact one he wanted from her—nothing more. While she’d known that, hearing him say it aloud made her heart thud horribly—skipping beats here and there.

He put the plate down, and the spoon, moved around the bench—and all the while didn’t take his eyes off her.

‘You don’t want to eat?’ Her pulse hammered in her ears.

‘Not food.’

He was going to prove a point again, wasn’t he? ‘Alex—’

He leant close, touching her only with his lips. It was all he needed to do. Her lashes lowered as she felt the sensations wash over her. He was right—mind-blowing.She stepped forward, melted into his arms. Without breaking the kiss he lifted her, carried her up the stairs. And she was happy to let him carry her wherever so long as he kept on kissing her like that. The desire to be with him dominated everything.

He set her on her feet in his bedroom. ‘Sweetheart.’ He smiled as he set about stripping her, muttering more beneath his breath as her body was exposed to him.

She was as keen to see him—grappled with the buttons on his shirt until he growled and got rid of it himself. When they were finally naked they stared at each other. His smile faded as he raked her body with his hot gaze. She shivered as she took in his beauty—the sculpted shoulders, defined muscles, the fine scattering of hair on his chest that arrowed down below his belly button, drawing her attention to his straining erection—his physique was sheer perfection and deep inside her a primal readying was occurring. She wanted him absolutely.

Their eyes met. His were fiery. Dani instinctively dampened her lips with her tongue and saw him tense even more. It was going to be explosive again. Good.

And with a suddenness that stole her breath he moved, tumbling her back onto the bed, lunging after her. As his body collided with hers there was instant friction, instant heat. He was so strong. She kissed him hungrily, those last little doubts in her head toppling like sandcastles in the tide. Sure it could be simple. It could just be sex.

His kiss was hot, his body strong. His lips and tongue probed, his hands swept over her shoulders, down her arms until his fingers clasped hers. He broke the kiss and smiled at her. He lifted her arms, placing one then the other above her head. He gazed into her eyes, at her lips, at her breasts. He shook his head slightly.

‘So beautiful, Dani.’ He shifted his hold on her, freeing one of his hands but keeping her wrists pinioned above her head by the other. He moved onto his side, one thigh still weighting hers but baring her body to his view.

He smiled as he gazed down her length again. And then his fingers followed his sightline. Coasting lightly down her body, caressing, teasing down her neck, her breasts, circling her belly button and then lower over her stomach, lower still...

Dani shifted restlessly, breathing faster.

‘What?’ he murmured in her ear. ‘What do you want?’

She arched her spine in response, aching to feel all of him against her again. His fingers teased, twirling in her hot, wet space. She was so close to tipping over the edge—but it wasn’t what she wanted. It wasn’t all she wanted. She moaned, unable to stop the sound of pure frustration.

‘Isn’t this enough?’ His words tickled her ear. ‘Don’t I just let my fingers do the walking, hmm? Isn’t that what you do? Isn’t this all you need? Better than a man, more reliable? Satisfying?’

She was sounsatisfied.‘Alex.’ Even as she complained she tried to snuggle closer, wanting more of his body against her.

‘So tell me, then, what you really want.’ His fingers didn’t stop teasing and she was beside herself. The ache widened inside; her body yearned to cushion his. To have him imprinted on her.Insideher.

But he didn’t alter the slow, teasing touches—just kept them the same—keeping her right on the edge and not letting her go over.

She moved again, grinding into his hand, trying to force a harder, faster stroke, but he just chuckled and kept it the same maddening torture.

The heat overwhelmed her. ‘You want me to spell it out for you?’

‘Yes.’

She whispered it in his ear—the same words she’d used this morning. The ones that had made him move so wickedly.

He rolled right on top of her, his knees pushing her legs further apart, and she nearly fainted with the blissful anticipation of it. His thighs were heavy, strong. She hooked her feet back over his calves. Tangling with him was irresistible. And he was so close, she could feel the head of his erection pressing against her. She only had to lift her hips the slightest and she’d have him. But he looked down at her, his eyes dark, and lifted his hips away—just enough.