On a soft groan she closed her eyes.

He paused. “Your arm is okay?”

“Yes, yes.” She nodded hard. “Absolutely fine. Just don’t stop.”

“Please.”

It took her three breaths, and she said, “What?”

Very gently, he told her, “You forgot to say please.”

He looked so serious, watching her as he added more pressure to her nipples again. She licked her lips and whispered, “Please.”

He didn’t smile, but she saw the pleasure in his dark eyes. “That one word sounds so pretty coming from you.” He bent his head. “Let me see if you taste as good as you look.”

That was all the warning she got before he closed his mouth around her right nipple and started gently sucking.

“Ah, God...Dash...”

“What?” He moved to the other nipple, nipped with his teeth, tugged, then sucked her in. She felt the rasp of his velvet tongue, the heat of his moist mouth, and as he sucked the sensation went straight through to her womb.

Urgency mounting, Margo reached for the waistband of his pants...and Dash caught her wandering hand, then moved out of her reach.

While he seemed to contemplate some decision, his thumb coasted over the pulse throbbing in her wrist. “Maybe sitting in the tub will make it easier for you to stay still.” He knelt in front of her, coasted his hands over the backs of her thighs, then her bottom, before hooking his fingers in the waistband of her yoga pants. He stripped them down her legs. “Step out.”

The steamy tub kept the bathroom warm, but still her wet nipples puckered at the touch of air...and the touch of command in Dash’s tone.

She stepped out.

Staying on his knees, he eyed her lacy panties. “Such a contrast.” Using one finger, he traced tantalizing circles around the front of her underwear, dipping every so often to a spot that turned her knees to butter.

Margo was busy contemplating ways they’d be able to have sex with the clunky splint in the way when Dash said, his voice low and gravelly and sexy as hell, “I’m going to make you come.”

She wanted to say, When? Instead she held her breath.

“Twice,” he added. “That ought to help take the edge off so you can settle down and rest.”

Oh, definitely. That’d be a big help.

He eased her panties down to her knees and touched her again, oh, so gently, using only one finger. “But we’re not going to have sex.”

Wait a minute...

He brushed her panties down the rest of the way. “To ensure you don’t make your injuries worse,” he continued, helping her to lift first one foot and then the other, “you’re going to do exactly as I say, exactly when I say it.”

“But—”

Standing again, his body only a breath from hers, he cupped a hand over her sex and stared down into her eyes. “If you don’t,” he warned with enticing gravity, “I’ll stop and instead of being satisfied, you’ll have to sleep with your frustration.”

She couldn’t get enough air into her starved lungs. It was almost as if Dash knew her secret fantasies— fantasies she’d never shared with anyone, that no other man had ever picked up on, and had definitely never enacted.

But she believed him when he said he would satisfy her.

The drugs stole her edge, but she wasn’t completely without reason. When the sex games ended, Dash would need to know that they were only games—and they had a time and a place that could never infiltrate her real life.

Later she would explain it to him. Right now, she desperately wanted to see how things played out.

Her entire body warm and pulsing with need, she stared up at him, nodded and whispered ever so quietly, “Thank you.”

* * *

MARGO LOOKED SO SWEET and so fucking ready, it took all of Dash’s resolve to stick to the plan. She might not realize it, but he recognized her desire on a very basic level. He understood her, appreciated her sexuality.

She was a woman through and through.

Tough when she needed to be, strong always and incredibly intelligent. More than equal to a man in every way that counted.

But sometimes a woman enjoyed the innate contrasts of being smaller, gentler and physically weaker than a man. It worked for him because on occasion he enjoyed playing the dominant role.

With Margo, he liked it a lot.

His goal was twofold. First, he wanted to help her relax and deal with the discomfort of her injuries. Arousal blunted many things, including aches and pains. A mind-numbing orgasm could also relieve her of worries, of the many problems ahead.

Secondly, but just as important, he wanted to show her that she could be herself with him. That sexual need didn’t detract from her strong personality and capability. Taking a more submissive role in bed—with him—wouldn’t carry over into her everyday life out of bed.

Stepping back from the temptation of her nudity, her silky hair and fragrant skin, and especially her helpless anticipation, he studied her body while rubbing his mouth. She trembled with need; he couldn’t leave her like that. She would rest better after getting off.

After he got her off.

But he also couldn’t forget, not for a minute, that she was hurt. And that meant he’d just have to do without, torturous as it would be, until she was better able to reciprocate.

“You really are so fucking hot.” He was going to love touching her, hearing her moan, feeling her come with his fingers pressed deep. Knowing how it would affect her, he said, “Let’s get you in the tub so I can get started.”

He held her right arm to keep her from slipping, then arranged her to his liking.

Breath held, she let him.

“Rest your left arm on the ledge.” He helped her, ensuring she didn’t get the splint wet. “Is that comfortable?”

She drew a breath. “Yes.”

With a hand opened wide between her shoulder blades to support her, he said, “Lean back.”

She did, and the water lapped at her nape, dampening her short dark curls. Liking that, enjoying the compliant picture she made, Dash sat outside the tub and used a cupped hand to pour water over her breasts.

“You are so incredibly stacked.” He trailed a finger down her stomach. “Open your legs.”

Anticipation kept Margo silent and unmoving, on the precipice of need.

“Did you hear me, Margo?”

She licked her bottom lip and slowly widened her feet apart.

“Nice.” He studied her. “Know what I think would be even nicer, though?” He didn’t wait for her to answer, knowing that she wouldn’t. Coming up to his knees, he lifted one of her feet and rested it over the tub ledge. Yeah, he liked that. “Brace yourself. I know you have a tub mat, but I don’t want to take any chances on you sliding.”

With her uninjured right arm, she held on and nodded.

Carefully, Dash lifted her other foot to the ledge on the opposite side of the tub, leaving her exposed. “Stop tensing your knees... Yeah, that’s better.” He could see every inch of her soft pink flesh, swollen with need.

Her breasts rose with each quick inhalation.

Dash met her gaze. “Now I can really get to you.”

With a vibrating groan, she bit her lips and struggled to stay still. Steam left her face rosy. Or maybe that was sharpening desire. She did seem to be as into the sex play as he was.

Trailing a wet fingertip up the inside of her thigh, he ordered, “Leave them there.”

She closed her eyes, but only briefly. Lieutenant Margo Peterson was not a coward, ever.

Picking up the soap, Dash lathered his hands. “Since you insisted on the bath, I want to make sure you enjoy it...for a really long time.” Her nipples were still tight, and got tighter still when he put his soapy fingers to her and teased.

She squirmed and Dash, knowing it wasn’t her problem, asked, “You didn’t want to get clean?”

Turning her head to the side, she made a hungry little sound of need, the muscles in her sleek thighs clenching, her feet flexing.

“Easy now.” He paused, his slick fingers still on her breasts, but now only holding her. “Are you going to be able to stay still?”

Aroused color slashed her cheekbones. Her eyes were dazed. The bath water lapped at her breasts. “Yes.”

“Is that a promise?”

Her gaze pleaded with him, and she whispered, “Please don’t stop.”

He smiled...and rinsed her breasts. She was sensitive here, and he almost thought he could get her off with just this.

But that’d be asking too much of him. He needed to touch her. All of her.

Everywhere.

“It won’t be easy, I know.” Leaving one hand to toy with her nipples, he lowered the other into the water, between her legs. “But you’re not going to move, not until I tell you that you can.”

“All right.”

Dragging out the suspense, he slipped his fingers along her inner thighs, teased behind her knees, tickled over her hip bones and belly.

“Dash,” she whispered desperately.

“Shhh. No talking, either.” It took all his concentration to hang on, to remember that this was for her, only her.

She drew in a shuddering breath.

“All you need to do is rest there and let me have my fun.” Knowing she couldn’t, he said, “Now loosen up for me,” at the same time that he cupped his hand over her again—this time with her legs sprawled wide.

A vibrating moan escaped her.

“You just can’t keep quiet, can you?” He pressed two fingers into her, easily since she was already slippery wet and ready. With his other hand he toyed with her nipples.

She made another throaty sound of excitement, and Dash told her calmly, “You may as well get comfortable, because I’m not in any rush here.” He eased his fingers back out of her. “We have all night.”