The mere fact that Menks would pit his ratty old pickup truck against a megaton bus was scarier 'n hell. No one could accurately predict how another driver would react, but the first scenario to occur to a rational man would involve being run off the road himself.

That seemed to be the point though, didn't it? Menks wasn't rational. And now the damn tabloids had published a picture guaranteed to splash fuel on the fire if Menks read that sort of trash. It had actually been an innocent moment-just Jared giving Peej a steadying hand off the bus when her own hands were full. But the photographer had managed to shoot it in such a way that he seemed to be hovering over her like a lover. Then the paper had given it a screaming headline to ensure everyone thought the two of them were fucking like rabbits.

Imagine what they could have done with the truth. The thought made him laugh without humor.

He hoped like hell Menks didn't read the tabloids. The tenor of the notes the guy had sent P.J. suggested he was about as far from the type to do so as a person could get, which just might be the only break they'd catch in this mess. Publications of that nature were probably too secular for Menks's taste.

It was more likely, in fact, that he'd believe he had God on his side-those same notes certainly put it within the realm of possibility. But that merely upped the psycho factor and made the situation hairier yet, because it meant Menks had no brakes in place to slow himself down. And given the danger that kind of fanaticism presented to Peej, the last thing she needed was to be personally involved with her security specialist. Not only did it lack all semblance of professionalism on his part-something that used to actually mean something to him-but it put her at even greater risk than she already was.

Yet even knowing all that he still found himself saying, "Reward, huh?" and picking her up by the hips to carry her out into the bedroom.

Laughing, she wrapped her legs around his waist, hooked her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to take a bite of his bottom lip. Shuddering with arousal, he started making a mental list of all the moves he needed to put on her before he could allow himself to lose himself in her sweet body.

But when he dumped her on the bed and reached for her little yellow cotton top with every intention of stripping her bare, she slapped his hands away. Giving him a stern look, she scooted to sit against the headboard. "You first."

"Huh?"

"You. First. It's a simple concept, Hamilton. Get naked."

Was she crazy? How was he supposed to stay in command if he wasn't wearing a stitch? Because feeling her skin against his before he'd taken care of her at least once was just asking to shoot his control all to hell and gone.

Slowly unfastening the buttons she hadn't already released, he started knee-walking across the mattress. "I'm gonna get to that. But first-"

"Uh-uh." The authoritative crossing-guard palm she thrust at him from the end of her rigidly held arm stopped him in his tracks. "There's no first about it. Strip, Mister."

Damn."Okay, okay." His mind spinning through possible ways around the situation, he backed off the bed and made a slow production out of shedding his shirt, then peeling down his pants.

"Yee-haw." Fanning herself, she gave him a crooked smile. "That little bump and grind would probably earn you a ten-dollar tip at Chippendale's. Too bad my purse is clear across the room or I'd tuck one in your waistband myself. Lose the boxers, J."

He pushed them down his hips and kicked free. "What time is sound check? Look, maybe we shouldn't be starting something we don't really have time to fin-" Yeah, right. Glancing down at himself, he shut up. Like she was going to believe he couldn't find the time to squeeze in a little tussle among the sheets when his dick was pointed at her like a compass needle at magnetic north.

"Oh, trust me, we have plenty of time." Pushing away from the headboard, she rolled up onto her knees and made her way to him across the mattress. "All we have to do is cut out ninety percent of my orgasms. I think I can survive on one." She reached for him. "Just this once."

Oh, shit, she'd caught on to that? And did she also knowwhy he concentrated so fiercely on her pleasure-had she guessed that he was afraid to get lost in his own? No, wrong word-he wasn'tafraid of anything. It merely didn't pay.

All thought fled his mind at the feel of her hand wrapping around his sex, and the breath he sucked in was so sharp and sudden he damn near strangled on it. But mother of God. Her fingers clamped his hard-on, and she squeezed her fist all the way down to its root. Then slid it up. Then down again.

He couldn't look; he was not going to look. That would be the kiss of death for sure.I am a glacier peak, impreg-

"Whoa!" Breath exploded from his lungs at the hot, wet vise abruptly constricting the head of his dick and he looked down before he could stop himself.

And damn near lost it on the spot.

P.J. held his cock in a two-fisted grip, choking up on it like a batter getting ready to make a grand slam. But it was her mouth and her eyes that riveted his attention. That sweet, sweet mouth that belted out soaring, electrifying music night after night was wrapped around him, her lips a pretty suctioning seal holding his dick hostage. Her eyes were all dark feathery lashes, clear whites and caramel-brown irises, watching him up the length of his body.

"Jeezzzus!"His hands came down to grip her head and his hips drove forward, pumping himself deeper into the hot, slick depths. He pulled back, then pressed forward again.

And her lips clung and her cheeks hollowed and those beautiful almond-shaped, slanted cat eyes continued to stare up at him.

Panic bloomed. He was minutes, probably seconds if he were to be honest, from losing it entirely and using her like some back-alley hooker.

So what?whispered the devil sitting on his shoulder.Does she look reluctant to you?

Man, that is so not the point,his better self argued.This is Peej, for God's sake. The little girl who thought sex sounded like one great big ick factor.

Oh, buddy,the devil cackled.That's no little girl down there sucking your-

He pulled himself free. Took a hasty, mother-may-I-worthy giant step backward.

For a second her mouth retained its openmouthed oval. Then, closing it, she blinked up at him. Her tongue came out to slick over her lips and it was all he could do not to groan.

"What?" she demanded, looking up at him all sleepy-eyed. "Why did we stop?"

"I, uh." His mind blanked out for a minute. Then he gave himself a mental shake. "I don't want to get off all by myself. It's time for a little togetherness."

"Ooh." She wiggled in place. "I can work with that." Flopping back onto the pillows, she crooked a finger at him. "C'mere, big boy."

He dropped down over her, but immediately pushed up onto his palms and toes on the mattress when he felt her skin, all silky and warm against his own. Still his erection brushed the cleft between her legs and even with her shorts as a protective barrier he knew he had to do something fast or lose what tiny vestige of authority he had left over the situation. Pushing back to kneel between her sprawled legs, he reached down to unzip her Bermudas. She raised her hips to help facilitate their removal. She helped again when he stripped off her little sleeveless blouse and removed her panties.

But when he ignored her invitation to come lie in her arms, and bent instead to bestow a gentle kiss against her inner thigh, she moved restively and said, "Don't."

He raised his head. "Huh?"

"You said you were ready for some togetherness. Well, let's have it." She held up her arms. "Lay on me. I want to feel you inside me."

"I'm gonna get to that," he agreed, a too-familiar alarm itching along his nerve endings. "In one second." As soon as he took the edge off for her. Just one little orgasm-he didn't plan to go overboard here-and then he'd do whatever she asked. His hands sliding up the juncture of her thighs until he could part her slick, dewy folds with his thumbs, he lowered his head again.

The next thing he knew the sole of her foot had slapped against the ball of his shoulder and she'd straightened her leg with a snap. He flew over onto his back. Shaking his hair out of his eyes, he pushed up on his elbow. "What the hell, Peej?"

"I said,don't." She scrambled to sit up, grabbing a pillow that she hugged to her chest. "I'm so tired of this shit, J."

"Huh?"he demanded as if he didn't understand. But his heart thundered in his chest.

"I don't need my tank topped off half a dozen times before we get to the down and dirty, you-inside-of-me good stuff. I don't want ten perfect orgasms from Johnny Stud, I want one goddamn real one with the real you-a you who justonce it would be nice to see as out of control as I am."

His blood roared in his ears, his breath stopped up in his lungs and his heart tried to pound its way out of his chest. He feared if he looked down at his hands he'd see them shaking.

Well, to hell with that. He was damned if he'd let her reduce him to the messed-up teenager he'd worked so hard to leave behind. "Let me get this straight-me wanting to get you off is abad thing?"

"It is when it's all about you being in control!"

His gut churning out enough acid to dissolve a navy tanker, he sat up. "What are you, a shrink now? Where do you get this shit?" He forced a laugh. "Control, my ass. You take a course in Psychobabble 101 or something?"