But then her father whirled around to face the men in masks. He shouted something at them, words that drifted through the open window.
“I’ll never tell you. No matter what you do. I’ll never tell.”
Boom! That time, she knew the sound wasn’t thunder. She saw her father’s body jerk. Ava watched in horror as he fell, and she was screaming, screaming—
“Wake up, Ava.” Warm, strong hands wrapped around her shoulders and shook her once, gently. “It’s okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
Her eyes flew open. She saw that the lights were all on—and so bright—in that guest room. Mark was on the bed with her, his body curled protectively over hers.
“It’s just a dream,” he told her, his deep voice rumbling. “Dreams can’t hurt you.”
No, it was the men in black ski masks who did that. Those were the men who appeared and wrecked your world.
Ever since that stalker had started playing games with her life a month ago, she’d been having the dreams—every single night. Before that, she’d been doing so much better. She’d even been able to go a few months without the nightmares.
But since the first time she’d noticed her pictures rearranged...it was as if the past had come rushing back to her.
His thumbs traced little soothing circles on her arms. “I didn’t know you still—”
“Still woke up screaming.” Her voice sounded raspy. How long had she been screaming before he’d rushed in? “That’s why I could never have a roommate in college.” Why she’d gotten the little rental house close to the campus. Her brothers had put in a security system there to keep her safe...and she’d really thought everything would be fine.
But someone still got in.
“The stalker, he brought it all back.” She sat up in bed, but Mark didn’t let her go. “I was getting better.”
He didn’t speak. His hands were so warm around her.
He’d come to her before, comforting her in the middle of the night. But she’d been a scared sixteen-year-old then.
She was still scared, but she wasn’t sixteen.
And Mark...he wasn’t leaving. Instead, he was watching her with an intense, turbulent gaze. She wished she could read his mind right then.
Wished—
His gaze fell to her body. She was wearing her bra and panties—she’d ditched everything else before she climbed into bed. Since his room was on the other side of the house, she’d hoped that he wouldn’t hear her cries when the nightmare came.
He had.
His hands tightened on her. She could feel the calluses along the edge of his fingertips. Mark wasn’t just some figurehead at the Montgomery ranch. He worked day in and day out. She knew he was the lifeblood of that place.
She also knew that she should feel embarrassed to be with him this way. She should probably reach out and pull up the covers. She didn’t.
“Do you remember,” Ava asked him, “when we kissed?”
Maybe he didn’t remember. He’d been drinking that night. She had, too, or else she probably would never have gotten up the courage to kiss him. She’d just finished her undergraduate degree, and she’d been celebrating the holidays with her brothers—and with Mark. She and Mark had been alone for just a moment. The mistletoe had been right above them. She’d stood up on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
Then something had happened. He’d taken over that kiss. It hadn’t been quick. It had been deep and hot.
“I wish I could forget.”
His words hurt, and she sucked in a sharp breath. “I—”
“Because if I could forget, then I wouldn’t spend so much time wanting to taste you again.” His right hand rose and sank into her hair, tipping back her head. “Like this...”
His lips pressed to hers softly at first, carefully.
But she didn’t want careful. Not from him. Everyone else in her life treated her as if she’d break apart at any moment. Not Mark, too.
Her hands curled around his shoulders. Her mouth opened beneath his, and her tongue slid out to caress his lower lip.
His body stiffened, and she heard him groan. She loved that sound. Loved it even more when he stopped being so careful. She could feel his passion taking control. One minute he was holding her as if she were fine china, and the next he’d crushed her back into the bedding. He was on top of her, kissing her deep and hard, and she loved it.
For just a moment, the ghosts and fears from her past were gone. All she knew was the need she felt for Mark. The desire that was burning hot inside her, singeing her to her core. Her nails bit into his shoulders. Her breasts tightened, ached, and her nipples thrust against his bare chest.
Her hips were arching up. The covers were tangled around her legs, though, keeping her from feeling all of his body. She wanted those covers gone. She didn’t want anything between them.
Her hands slid over his back. There were some scars there, faint ridges that rose beneath her fingers. She wondered how he’d gotten those marks, but then her hands kept moving because she wanted to explore every inch of him.
Ava knew plenty about nightmares. But because of Mark, she also knew a bit about dreams. And since he’d kissed her two years ago, she’d dreamed of being like this with him.
Only him.
His mouth pulled from hers and, for a moment, she thought he was going to back away. He didn’t. He started kissing a scorching path down her neck. She arched up against him as she moaned. She loved it when he kissed her at the base of her throat, and when he lightly sucked the skin, then scored it with his teeth... “Mark!”
“Want to taste all of you...everything...”
She wanted to taste all of him.
He was still moving down her body, only now he’d just jerked the covers out of the way. She thought she might have heard the sheet rip, but Ava couldn’t be certain of that. Her mind was focused on other things.
On him.
On the way he made her feel.
On the desire that was making her body ache.
His fingers slid under the edge of her bra. “Stop me,” he said.
Was he crazy? Stopping him was the last thing she wanted. “Touch me,” Ava said instead.
Because she was looking at his eyes, she saw his control break away. Saw his pupils swell as the darkness swallowed the blue of his gaze. Then he was shoving her bra out of the way. His fingers curled over her breasts, stroked her nipples and a ragged gasp tore from her. Yes, yes,
