She did like her control, his Lizzy, and knowing how hot she was only made him all the hotter, and he thrust up again, until she let out a soft whisper of pleasure as his jeans rubbed at her.

“More,” she whispered, and dipped down, taking her mouth on a little tour over the middle of his rib cage, nibbling at his abs…and then her fingers went to the waistband of his jeans.

And he held his breath.

“Are you comfortable?” she asked softly.

“Are you kidding? I have the woman of my dreams naked on top of me, her fingers in my pants.”

“Before last night, I hadn’t done this in a long time.” She popped open the buttons on his jeans. “I don’t know why.”

“Because you didn’t have a pair of handcuffs-God,” he exploded on a rough breath when she freed him, wrapped her hands around him and stroked.

“I didn’t mean the cuffs. That’s completely new. I mean…the sex. I think it’s because I forgot how to let someone in.”

Over the expanse of his chest and stomach, her gaze eyes met his, hers more open and honest than he’d seen yet from her and he reached to touch her, needing to touch her, but once again was thwarted by the cuffs. “Let me loose, Lizzy,” he said hoarsely. “I want to touch you.”

“Ja-”

“You’re still in the driver’s seat,” he promised as she rose up and leaned over him with the key. “It’s all you. I just want to-” When his hands came free, he ran them down her back, and because she was still leaning over him, her breasts an inch from his face, he indulged himself there, too, drawing the hardened tip into his mouth to suck.

Her response was to melt against him with a soft moan, her hands going to the back of his head, her fingers sinking into his hair to hold him against her.

As if he was going anywhere. He licked, nibbled and sucked, while she held him in her hands and drove him out of his mind with her strokes. He cupped her sweet ass, shifting her a little closer so that she could-oh, God yeah-run the hottest, wettest part of her over the hottest, hardest part of him. “God, Liz-”

She tugged at his shirt and he obligingly lifted his arms. Before yesterday it’d been a long time for him too, way too long. She could have no idea how he was barely holding on to his control here, but before he could mention it, before he could change their positions and lay her back on the couch to cover her body with his, she’d lifted up on her knees and guided him home.

When she sank down on him, she gasped out in pleasure, a sound that co-mingled with his low, helpless groan. “Lizzy,” he murmured, hands going to her hips. “Let me-”

She rocked her hips and he saw stars. He’d wanted this to last forever, but he didn’t have forever, not with her silken wet heat clamped around him and her breath soughing in and out in his ear, not with her hips pumping restlessly, with an air of desperation, as if she needed him so badly she could hardly stand it. With his hand in her hair, holding her head for his kiss, he shifted her leg, opening her a little more for him, so that her body was completely flush to his now, and just like that, everything in his world began to come together.

Or explode.

Depending on how he looked at it. He pushed up into her, a long, hard slide of slick, heated flesh that had her crying out in shocked pleasure as her arms went around him tight, holding on as if for dear life. “Jason-God, Jason…”

Yeah, the way she panted his name just about did him in. He tried to hold back, tried to hold still and just let it ride over him, the feel of his own body sliding in and out of hers, her soft, sweet body plastered up against him, but then she tightened, shuddered and, with a small cry, burst. Unable to hold it together in the face of her gorgeousness as she fell apart for him, all over him, he followed her over.

For what might have been forever, they remained wrapped up like pretzels, breathing like lunatics. He let himself absorb it all, her soft breath in his ear, her hands clasping him close, the feel of her little aftertremors.

Finally she pushed off him and rolled over to flop on the couch at his side. “Not a bad way to go out.”

He rolled to face her and pulled her in. “That wasn’t our last time.”

“Yes, it was.”

“Lizzy,” he said very gently. “It’s not going away.”

“What isn’t?”

“Us. Even though you want it to.”

She swallowed and closed her eyes. “Don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re in transition. It’s a bad time for this.”

“Really? That’s all you’ve got?”

“Okay, then it’s because I’m going to LosAngeles.”

“Which, luckily, is still on Planet Earth. I even know how to get there, imagine that.” He dipped his head close. “This thing isn’t going to go away, just like my feelings for you aren’t going to. And pretend otherwise all you want, I’m going to bet it’s the same for you.” Because he knew his words needed a moment to sink in, he got up and went into the kitchen for water.

LIZZY WATCHED his sexy butt go into her kitchen, watched him grab a glass and turn on the tap while her breath caught in her throat, threatening to choke her. Standing up, she went into her bedroom and grabbed her bathrobe, and on second thought, her spare one, as well, since Jason’s clothes were damp. She put on one and entered the kitchen to find Jason finishing a glass of water.

In the buff.

He set down the glass and looked at her.

“I’ve thought about what you said,” she told him. “And I think you’re confusing love with…”

He stroked a finger down her jaw. “Love?”

She gulped. Yeah. That. The one emotion she’d never been able to tame, control or make work for her without pain.

Him being gloriously naked didn’t help. She tossed him the robe. He held up the pink silk and, with a small smile, slipped into it. He looked ridiculous.

And hot as hell.

“I’m not confused, Lizzy. In fact, I’ve never been more clear. This isn’t lust.”

“It’s been twenty-four hours.”

“It’s been over ten years. And here’s the thing I’ve known since high school, but never had the balls to follow up on-you’re it for me.”

“Oh my God.”

“I want this to work.”

“This?” She spread her hands. “This is merely adrenaline, and okay a lot of affection and heat, but that’s all in-the-moment stuff. I’m going off to get the life that’s always been within my grasp, and you…you don’t even know for sure what you’re doing.”

“So what? I still haven’t heard a reason for us to throw this away.” He crossed his arms and waited. In pink silk.

She gulped, torn between hysterical laughter and a horrible vulnerability. “Okay, it’s not you. It’s me.” She paused, then admitted the truth. “It’s all me. I…I don’t get love. I don’t trust it. I don’t want it.”

“That’s because love’s always cost you.” He stepped close, dipped down to meet her eyes. “It’s always been a burden, holding you back. It doesn’t have to be like that, Lizzy, not with us.”

“Stop.” Shakily, she lifted a hand to hold him off as she shook her head and backed up. “I can’t take you seriously in that thing. I’m sorry.”

“Fine.” He dropped it, smiling as silkily as the material of the robe. “Better?”

Was he kidding? “Okay, listen. I know what you’re saying. Hell, any shrink out there would have a field day with this, my textbook fear of commitment. I lost my parents young, had to raise my sister, always had to be in control and now I can’t give that up to share my life, blah, blah, blah…” She let out a breath. “Listen, you said you’re screwed up, but the truth is, I’m the screwed-up one. Let’s just leave it at that, okay?”

“No.” He shook his head. “No, not okay.”

From somewhere in the depths of the bathroom where she’d left her clothes, her cell phone went off. Grateful for the interruption, she whirled toward it.

“Lizzy.”

She kept going.

16

LIZZY RAN INTO the bathroom for her cell phone. “Please,” she whispered as she yanked it out of her pocket. “Be Cece…”

But the incoming number was unfamiliar to her, and she sagged in disappointment. “Hello?”

“Lizzy?”

It was Cece. Her throat swelled. “Oh, thank God. Are you okay? Where are you?”

“Well, I was halfway between my place and yours, in a Hummer, but now-”

“Are you okay?”

“I am now. Lizzy, this phone’s going to die. Can you come?”

“Yes, of course, I’ll come help you.”

“That’s the thing. I don’t need help, I managed. On my own. Well-” She laughed. “Not on my own, not at all. Hunter was there with me.”

“Who? And where are you?”

“We’re…Hunter, where are we again?” Cece’s voice broke off and then there was some rustling.

“Cece?” Lizzy said. “Cece? Who’s Hunter-”

“That would be me,” said a deep, masculine voice in her ear. “We’re at the San Luis Memorial.”

And that was it, the cell died. “San Luis Memorial,” she said to herself, whirling to get dressed only to plow into Jason. He tossed her clothes at her as he hopped into his jeans.

“Come on,” he said, and grabbed her hand.

She spared the split second to stare at him in eternal gratitude. “Jason. You don’t have to-”

He didn’t even slow, just sent her an annoyed glance over his shoulder. “Really, Lizzy? You’re going to dump me and argue with me?”

No. No, she wasn’t. “She’s with some guy.”

“Okay.”

“No, you don’t understand. She gave up men. We both did.”

“Beg to disagree on that one.”

She sighed. “I had a momentary slip. You sneaked in past my defenses.”

“Right back at ya, babe.”

CECE LOOKED UP at Hunter as he replaced the hospital phone by her bed, then leaned in closer and stroked her hair from her face. “How are you feeling?”