CHAPTER THREE

      SEVEN MINUTES AND maybe twenty seconds later, they were in her small apartment. Renee managed to turn on the lamp by the door and kick off her shoes before Jasper reached for her. Their lips clung even as he tugged at the hem of her T-shirt. It was impossible to pull off her shirt while kissing, but they tried before finally breaking apart.

      “Bedroom,” she said, thinking of the box of condoms she had in her dresser. A box she’d bought when she’d moved to town and never had the opportunity to open until now.

      Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned and saw Jasper had pulled off his shirt, leaving his broad chest bare. He was muscled and male and she couldn’t help moving closer and pressing her mouth to his warm skin.

      She’d barely had a chance to do more than register the slightly salty taste of him when he was unfastening her bra and reaching around to cup her breasts. The feel of his fingers against her hungry flesh was perfection. He caressed her curves before brushing against her tight, sensitive nipples. At the first stroke, her breath caught. At the second, she cried out as pleasure burned through to her center. She was already wet and swollen. In seconds she shifted to downright desperate.

      “Bedroom,” she said weakly, still thinking of that condom and him inside of her and oh, please could they get on with it.

      “You are focused on getting up there,” he said, his voice teasing.

      She managed to open her eyes and look up at him—a challenging task considering how he was playing with her nipples, rubbing them between his thumb and fingers and then squeezing just tightly enough to make her groan.

      “Unless you walk around with protection in your pocket which, I confess, will make me think less of you, we should head to the bedroom.”

      “Well, damn. You’re right.”

      Before she could say anything, he shifted, bending over and then scooping her up in his arms. She shrieked at the sudden loss of control and grabbed on to him.

      Renee couldn’t remember the last time she’d been carried. She assumed she’d been maybe eight or nine. Yes, she was small, but she was mighty and she didn’t take kindly to being—

      He lowered her onto her bed. Before she could complain that she did not enjoy being picked up like a sack of potatoes, he lowered his head and drew her left nipple deeply into his mouth. He flicked his tongue against the taut skin before sucking hard enough to make her writhe with need and delight. Heat poured through her. Wanting grew until she couldn’t think about anything else. Even as he shifted to her other breast, she was unfastening her jeans and pushing them off.

      He drew back and watched her. “That much of a hurry?”

      “It’s been decades.”

      “You’re not old enough for it to have been decades.”

      “It feels like decades.” She pointed to his jeans. “Take your clothes off.”

      He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

      He stood and quickly did as she requested. Renee gave herself a moment to study his naked body. The man looked good and was, ah, well proportioned.

      “Condoms?” he asked.

      She rolled over to get them out of the far nightstand drawer. When she shifted back, Jasper returned to the bed.

      “How would you like this to go?” he asked.

      “Fast.”

      He chuckled. “What I meant was you’re kind of small and I’m a big guy. Until we figure out what works best, do you want to be on top?”

      She had a brief image of impaling herself on his erection, sliding down until he filled her all the way.

      “Done,” she said, tossing him the box. “Hurry.”

      “You’re bossy.”

      “Yes, I know. It’s part of my charm.”

      He put on the condom, then motioned to his covered dick. “Whenever you’re ready.”

      She supposed she should spend a minute thinking about the fact that she barely knew the man, yet here she was, naked and prepared to do the deed. While she’d never been particularly prudish during sex, she wasn’t exactly wild, either. Maybe it was because there was no emotional risk, or maybe she was simply that horny, or maybe it was Jasper himself. At this point, she genuinely didn’t care.

      She straddled him and positioned herself over him, then closed her eyes as she slowly lowered herself. He was long and thick and filled every inch of her in the most delicious way possible. She shifted that last bit all the way in, then let her body remember what all this was about.

      Jasper swore. She looked at him.

      “What?”

      “You.” He swore again. “You’re naked, sexy as hell, all-in with how it feels and I’m just supposed to lie here without losing it like some kid? I’m not sure I have that much willpower.”

      Really? Really? She smiled. “So this is arousing?” She wiggled a little, then contracted her muscles.

      He inhaled sharply. “That is not a game you’re going to win. Not if you want what I think you want.”

      He had a point, but she couldn’t help teasing him with another squeeze. He groaned.

      She laughed. “Okay, I’ll stop, for now. What if I do this?”

      Without thinking, she slipped her fingers between her parted thighs and found her swollen clit. She’d only meant to tease him with a quick show of her touching herself, but the second she rubbed herself, her need climbed from desperate to unbearable. The combination of her touch and the fullness of him inside of her was too much to resist. She told herself she had to stop, that she couldn’t do that kind of thing in front of him, but the sensations building inside of her were powerful and amazing and...

      “Don’t stop,” he said quickly. “Renee, don’t stop. Please.”

      She looked at