He supposed she was referring to the hard-on currently straining his jeans. "I want a lot of things. To play for the Lakers, a Bahamas cruise, world peace-"

"Me," she said. "You want me."

"Maybe I'd like to get to know you first."

She put her hands on her hips as if this was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard. "What?"

"You heard me. Favorite color, obnoxious siblings, high school… I'd like to hear it."

Still naked, she stared at him. "You have got to be joking."

"Nope. Talk to me."

"You want to talk? Right now?" She spread out her arms. "While I'm naked?"

"I want to know you, Mia. You."

She looked at him as if he'd grown a second head, and for some odd reason this got to him. Had no one ever said such a thing to her before? Had no one ever worked their way beneath her tough-as-shit exterior? And who was under there anyway? He knew she worked hard, that she'd let Hope stay to be kind, that she had a Southern accent when she was upset. But he wanted more.

"You really want me to talk to you," she repeated, sounding stunned.

"Yes."

"And if I talk, you'll get naked?"

"Talk, and we'll see."

She narrowed her eyes but didn't get dressed. "Okay. I'm… a Leo."

"Big surprise," he murmured, trying not to swallow his tongue at how magnificent she was, standing there.

She actually laughed, telling him she did have a sense of humor to go with all that sharp wit. "Yeah. Um… what else?"

"You tell me."

She shook her head, still baffled. "Uh… I like big, open, clean spaces."

"What don't you like?"

"Talking when I could be having sex."

Now he laughed. "Tell me something about your past."

She looked down at her nude body and shook her head again, displaying disbelief that he wasn't ravishing her. "I went to UCLA-"

"Before UCLA. Tell me about your parents. Your childhood."

Her face closed up. "I didn't come here for that."

No kidding. He raced for something to say rather than reach for her. "How do you even know we're alone?"

"Because your brother took out Tess. And I'll tell you right now, Ace." She pointed a finger in his face, utterly unconcerned with her nudity. "He'd better not mess with her head. She's sweet and warm and nice. Special. She falls easily and hard, and she's been hurt. There. Now I've talked." She slapped the condom on the counter, slid a hand around the nape of his neck, and pulled him down for another brain-destroying kiss, which he returned. God, the feel of her bared body against his clothed one. Why was he wearing clothes? "Mmm" rumbled helplessly from his chest as she spread hot open-mouthed kisses along his throat, across a pec, a nipple, which she licked, then bit.

God. He entangled his fingers in her hair. "Wait," he managed.

" 'Wait' isn't in my vocabulary." She dropped to her knees and put her mouth low on his belly while tugging on the buttons of his Levi's.

"Mia-"

Pop, pop. "Right here," she said and yanked down his jeans, leaving him dangling in the wind, so to speak. Because his knees were wobbling, he sank to them, not easy with his jeans hampering his descent. She reached for his erection.

"Stop."

"Damn it."

"Yeah, you know that word," he said grimly, and panting a little, he put his forehead to hers.

"I know you want me," she said, the proof in her hands.

"Yeah- Jesus," he choked out when she stroked him slow and long, exactly the way she'd already learned he liked it. "I need you to listen."

Obediently she tipped back her head and looked into his eyes.

He cupped her face. "Really listen."

"Go."

"I don't want another quick tumble on the floor. I want a bed. I want you to stay afterward."

"What, and cuddle?" Her laugh might have cut into him, but his brain wasn't functioning much with her hands working their magic.

"Nothing wrong with taking our time."

"I don't have time." Before he could so much as draw a trembly breath, she'd pulled them both upright, covered him with the condom, and hopped up to the counter.

"Come on home, big guy," she murmured and pulled him in.

And as always, when he sank into her body and hugged her close, he did feel like he'd come home.

Only in the dim recesses of his mind, as he began to move within her, he knew he was the only one who felt that way.


***

Yeah, that was just what she'd needed. Mia slipped her dress back on. Feeling incredibly good now- funny how a couple orgasms put everything into perspective-she moved toward Kevin's back door, thinking she'd leave now while Kevin was off disposing of the condom.

"Maybe I should just give you a key."

She nearly jerked out of her skin at that low, incredibly erotic voice that only a few minutes ago had been whispering hot, sexy nothings in her ear as he'd glided in and out of her body. "A key?"

He leaned against the kitchen entry, tall, dark, and attitude-ridden. "Yeah, you know, so you don't have to sneak around."

Definitely attitude-ridden. And not nearly as friendly as he was a minute ago. He'd pulled on a pair of sweats and nothing else. His hair stood straight up-from her own fingers, no doubt. "I don't do keys," she said.

"And I don't do this-this just-sex thing."

She stared at him, her throat suddenly incredibly thick, and she had no idea why. In fact, she had no idea why she kept coming back…

He stepped closer, then closer still. Before she knew what he meant to do, he took her hand and brought her up against his warm, hard body.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh," he said when she tried to pull back, holding her still. "Relax, it's just a hug."

Relax? She was going to have trouble with that, eased up against him as she was. Her body gravitated toward his as if they belonged plastered together, and he held her there, his mouth nuzzling her neck, his hand stroking up and down her spine in a touch that felt so good she wanted to melt. Her heart was beating so loud she thought for sure he would say something about it, but he didn't. "See now, isn't this nice?"

She actually swayed with him and slammed her eyes tight in denial, but that didn't work, either, because with her eyes closed, her other senses took over. The scent of him, all warm male. The feel of his soft breath brushing her skin. The firmness of his body. The heat that came off him, warming her chilled limbs as his fingers stroked the small of her back. His legs brushing hers…

He felt so good that she couldn't move, couldn't do anything but hold on. Her hand slid up his chest and then around his neck. At that came a low rumble of approval from deep in his throat, and he tugged her a Utile closer still. He wanted her again, every bit as much as she wanted him, but she had a feeling his want was different than hers, and she pulled back.

His eyes were enigmatic and intelligent, the eyes of a man who cared and cared deeply about things, things like this. He was the type of man she'd always stayed away from, the type who finished what he started, the type who didn't quit at something just because it got difficult. He was strong, reliable. Solid.

Oh, no doubt, if she'd been the relationship type, she'd want him for keeps.

But she wasn't, and she couldn't be. "I've got to go," she whispered. Stepping back, she averted her face so he couldn't see the need that was surely written all over it. It embarrassed her, this knot of hunger in her belly, made her feel weak to still feel that all-consuming hunger for a man she'd just had.

"Don't do this to me again, Mia," he said quietly.

"I have to."

"Then don't come back."

At that unexpected sharp knife to the gut, she nodded and let herself out into the night.

Chapter 12

Kevin woke up reaching for a woman who wasn't there, and the day didn't improve much after that.

Mia arrived at the teen center with Hope, both career woman and goth kid sticking out like a sore thumb, but at least Hope smiled at him and appeared happy to see him.

He couldn't say the same about Mia, who signed Hope in, then headed back toward her car with only a single long look.

Because he'd already established he was an idiot, he followed her, then blocked her way when she would have slid into her car and driven off without a word, without a smile. Reaching out, he touched the small, nearly healed burn over her missing eyebrow.

She closed her eyes, then opened them. "Kevin-"

"Humor me. How are you doing?"

"Fine."

She certainly looked it, with her perfect makeup, her hair shiny and tamed, her sundress cut in a way that screamed I am woman, hear me roar. She even let out a tight smile, though it didn't come close to reaching her eyes. See, he knew the difference now. He'd gotten a real smile last night, for instance, when he'd been buried deep within her, her legs wrapped around his waist.


"What do you want from me?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"Tell you, and you'll comply?" When she only glared at him, he sighed. "All right. Let's start with a thank-you for last night."

"Thank you for the orgasm. Okay, two. Two orgasms. Thank you very much for both of those. Can I have my A plus and be excused now, Mr. McKnight?"

At her mocking tone, he scrubbed his hands over his face. "I have no idea what I was thinking coming out here after you. Forget it." He started to walk away, then whirled back. He grabbed her, just hauled her up against him and covered her mouth with his.