Then they were moving as he half carried, half pushed her onto the bed. Still lost in her release, she barely noticed him shove down his jeans and briefs. She caught a glimpse of his impressive erection, then he knelt between her thighs and pushed inside.

He filled her as if they’d been made for each other. She had to stretch to take him, but not so much that it hurt. He braced himself on the mattress, his eyes locked on hers, their bodies moving together.

It didn’t take long for his steady pumping to arouse her again. She wrapped her legs around his hips to pull him in deeper with each thrust. Faster, she thought, giving herself over to the feel of him sliding in and out of her. Faster and harder.

“More,” she whispered. “Don’t hold back.”

He hesitated for a second, then pushed in with more force.

He hit exactly the right spot. That one place that only he had found so many years ago. Tingling tension spiraled, promising another release-this one even better than the one before. She reached for him, grabbing him, wanting to feel it again.

He pressed in and she pushed down.

Then he pulled out and she nearly wept. He couldn’t stop now.

But before she could protest, he was on his back and she was on top of him. He guided her onto his arousal. She slid down and found herself exactly where she wanted to be.

She rode him up and down, bringing herself closer and closer. He had his hands on her hips, guiding her. She closed her eyes, not wanting to watch him watch her. She supposed she should worry about how she looked, what she was doing. Only it felt too good. Then she was coming, and he groaned and the pleasure went on and on until she knew it didn’t matter if she died right that moment. Nothing could ever be better than this.

LEXI TOOK LONGER than she needed in the bathroom. She was more than a little embarrassed about how un-inhibited the lovemaking had been. No ice princess here, she thought as she washed her face, then reached for a towel.

But instead of touching soft terry cloth, she felt warm skin. Cruz handed her the towel. She dried her face, then looked at him.

He had taken off his clothes and changed into a plain, white robe. He managed to look both satisfied and predatory, which was an impressive combination.

“You were taking a while,” he said. “I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

“I’m fine.” Which was almost true.

He moved closer, then touched her cheek. “I’ve been giving you time, Lexi. Wasn’t it enough?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. “Giving me…”

“Time,” he repeated. “I knew you were putting me off and I figured out why.”

She didn’t know if she should be appreciative or hit him in the arm. “You could have said something.”

“Why? It wouldn’t have changed anything.”

Meaning what? That he was so damned confident she would just fall into his bed? Which she had. Or did he know that she wouldn’t back out of their deal? Did it matter?

“I had enough time,” she said, staring at the center of his chest. How was she supposed to explain that she wasn’t usually so wild? That other men had complained about her coolness?

He drew her against him and kissed her. “Then come back to bed. I want you again.”

Her insides tightened in anticipation. “Don’t you want to get some sleep?”

“Not when you’re the alternative.”

He led her into the bedroom. They climbed into bed together where he spent the next hour shattering her over and over again.

In the morning, she felt as if her bones had turned to liquid. She didn’t want to move, let alone get up and work. Cruz was amazing. With skills like his, he could start his own cult. Maybe he had.

He walked into the bedroom, carrying the kitten. The sight of the big strong man carrying the tiny ball of fur made her heart do a little shimmy. She told herself to ignore the quiver. It didn’t mean anything.

“Someone was looking for you,” he said, putting C.C. on the bed. “I heard him crying.”

“He’s probably hungry.” She stroked the cat. “Do you want your breakfast?”

C.C. rubbed against her and purred.

“I have a business dinner tonight,” Cruz said. “I’d like to show you off. Will you come with me?”

“Yes.” At this point she would do anything to be with him, so long as the evening ended in bed, which she knew it would.

Cruz bent down and kissed her. “Last night was great,” he whispered in her ear.

“I’m glad.” She’d been so caught up in the passion that she’d forgotten to be nervous and hold back. She’d been able to let herself go. The second thoughts had come later.

Cruz kissed her again and straightened. “This weekend we should talk about who else you’re going to introduce me to.”

She looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“Your blue-blooded friends. I’ll need to get to know them. Especially the women. For later. When our engagement is over.”

Reality could be colder than absolute zero, she thought, forcing herself to keep smiling, to nod and pretend that she hadn’t felt the slap all the way down to her heart.

“Sure,” she said, hoping her voice sounded normal. “We’ll talk about it.”

“Good. I’ll be by about six to pick you up.”

He left.

Lexi waited until she couldn’t hear his footsteps, then stood, grabbed her robe and crossed to the bathroom, where she retched into the sink. After rinsing out her mouth, she went into her office and gave C.C. breakfast.

While the kitten scarfed down food, she sank onto the floor next to him and rested her head on her knees.

She’d been a fool, she told herself. More than a fool. She’d forgotten the entire point of her being in Cruz’s house. They had a deal. Nothing more. He was a man on a mission and she was a means to an end.

She wasn’t in his bed because he liked her or cared about her. She was in his bed because he’d bought her. She was his type-and if she thought she was more, she was stupid beyond words.

LEXI DRESSED for the business dinner with an attention to detail normally reserved for a bride on her wedding day. A business dinner meant business attire, so she wore a black suit and a red silk blouse. The wow factor came when she slipped off the jacket because the blouse was little more than two strips of fabric held together by a couple of buttons. If Cruz was going to show her off, she was going to give the world an eyeful.

After curling her hair, she finger-combed it into a stylish disarray, then used half a bottle of hairspray to keep it in place. Diamond earrings and her favorite perfume followed and she completed the outfit with a pair of come-get-me pumps.

But no matter how many times she applied lip gloss or told herself everything was fine, she still felt crappy. Cruz’s words had stayed with her all day, reminding her exactly how little she meant to him.

It wasn’t as if she was in love with him-she wasn’t. It was that she’d known having sex with him would change everything and it had. She’d given in to her wild side, and exposing that part of her had made her feel vulnerable and connected. A girl thing, she told herself. Biology, not reality, but it felt real to her.

How could he have done those things with her and then asked about other women? How could she have given herself with such abandon?

Not questions that were going to get answered anytime soon, she told herself. She checked on C.C., who was sound asleep in his bed, then closed the door behind her and went downstairs to wait for Cruz.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was surprised to find him waiting for her in the foyer. Despite everything, her nerve endings did a little happy dance when she spotted him and her knees started to give way.

He looked good in his dark suit-all sex and power. He was the kind of man women wanted, and a man she had to be careful around. She’d been smart to resist making love with him. Now that she had, she knew she was at risk on several different levels.

He crossed to her, then handed her a single white rose.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “My timing really sucked this morning. I shouldn’t have asked about our business arrangement after we’d spent the night together. Most days I can avoid being a real bastard, but every now and then it happens.”

She’d expected a lot of things, but not an apology. The unexpected words touched her far more than they should have. Another reason to be wary around Cruz.

Still, she liked that he’d seen what he’d done and wanted to make up for it.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the rose and inhaling the delicate scent. “We do have a deal, but that wasn’t when I needed to hear about it.”

“I know.”

They looked at each other. She felt a slight pressure in her chest. As if a door long closed had cracked open a little. Warning sirens went off in her head, but she ignored them. She was smart enough not to fall for Cruz. She was going to be fine.

THE COCKTAILS before dinner were the usual crush of people trying to network and drink at the same time. As always, at this type of event, Lexi ordered club soda with a lime. No one could tell she wasn’t drinking a cocktail and she got to keep a clear head.

Cruz led her around the room, introducing her to those she didn’t know. He kept a hand on the small of her back, both claiming and guiding. She would have thought she might resent the implied connection, but found herself enjoying having him close.

They moved to another group. Lexi smiled and greeted a few of the people she knew, then studied a tall, dark-haired man who almost looked familiar.

He noticed her and moved to introduce himself.

“Garth Duncan,” he said. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

She stiffened and was instantly grateful Cruz was with her. The pressure of his fingers, the heat of his touch, provided support against the unexpected.