only saying them because it was the right thing to do, she realized.
“We’re two intelligent, mature adults who know how to control our urges.” Her fingers traced a design on his thigh, reveling in the corded muscles she could feel, even through the heavy cotton of his pants. Slowly, as if she was sneaking up on it, her fingers trailed closer and closer to the ridge of his impressive erection.
His gaze narrowed, eyes calculating. As if he was figuring out just how to turn this to their advantage. Their naked advantage.
“Just because there’s this thing with us,” he said, waving his fingers back and forth between them as if there were an electric field there, “that doesn’t mean we have to give in to it.”
“Of course not,” she agreed with a strained laugh, her nipples aching and heavy as every breath brushed them against the thermal fabric of her shirt. “We’re not animals, after all.”
“Nope. Not animals,” he agreed, his eyes locking on her sweater-covered breasts, heating. Making her nipples tighten even more. “We know better than to get into something that we’ve both clearly accepted is bad for us.”
“So bad,” she breathed, her eyes lifting from his crotch to meet his slumberous gaze. “So, so bad.”
“So we’re having wild, uncontrolled animal sex, right?” he asked, his hand reaching out to hover over—but not quite touch, dammit—her aching nipple.
“Oh, yeah. Hurry and get your pants off,” she ordered, saving time by yanking two sweaters at once over her head. When her face cleared the fabric, she saw that Blake had pulled off his long-sleeved T-shirt and was unlacing his boots. What was with military footwear? she wondered, wanting to cuss at how long it took. Clearly, whoever designed it didn’t have fast sex in mind.
For the first time since they’d met, Blake showed a lack of grace as he hopped on one foot, trying to untangle the mile-long laces on his snow boots.
Wanting to hurry him along, Alexia took a deep breath and yanked her thermal undershirt over her head. Braless, since she’d thrown out everything she’d been wearing in that hellhole, her torso was instantly covered in goose bumps.
Until Blake’s gaze, hot and intense, warmed her like a caress.
“Damn, you’re gorgeous,” he breathed.
Then he lost his balance and toppled onto the other cot.
The crash was deafening.
She paused, her pants unzipped and her hands on her hips to shove them down, and met his eyes.
Desperation turned to laughter. Her gaze still locked on his, Alexia clapped her hand to her mouth to try to contain the chortles. But when he grinned, she couldn’t hold back.
Giggling, she pulled the blanket over her nudity and shifted into a sitting position to peer at Blake. Already on his feet—gotta love that physical conditioning—he was pulling the cot back into an upright position.
“Are you okay?” she asked as soon as she got control of herself.
“Yeah, but the cot’s a little worse for wear.” He kicked at one of the legs with his stocking-clad foot to indicate the bent metal.
“Oops.” Alexia wrinkled her nose at the damage.
“Can’t say I don’t know how to show you romance,” he told her, still smiling.
“Well, one of us was definitely swept off their feet.” Then she hesitated. Without the haze of his sweet rescue of her from her nightmare, or the reckless desperation that had pushed them toward fast-and-furious sex, they were left with... What?
A choice.
Alexia’s gaze fell to the plain black wool blanket she’d wrapped herself in, her fingers twisting then untwisting the hem.
She felt, rather than saw, Blake drop to his haunches next to her cot. Slowly, after taking a fortifying breath, she lifted her gaze to his.
He was so damn gorgeous. Blue eyes so warm, so inviting, and a mouth that was sexy whether he was smiling or frowning. Sexiest on hers, though. She could see the patience in his gaze. The comfortable acceptance that this was her choice.
It’d been so hard to get over him last time. She’d shoved her feelings about him, her wishes and regrets and longings, all into a box in the back corner of her mind. Then she’d pretended it didn’t exist. All but the anger. That, she’d held on to. Used as a weapon to beat down any thoughts she had of maybe peeking into that box.
This time, though, she wouldn’t have that anger. This time, she couldn’t blame him for anything that wasn’t his fault, as she had before.
This time, she was accepting him exactly as he was, completely aware of his loyalties. If they had sex, this time she was one hundred percent responsible for her choice. For her feelings. For whatever happened next.
Alexia’s fingers shook a little as she stared into his eyes. There, she saw acceptance, appreciation and a heat that went deeper than passion. A heat she couldn’t resist. Terrified, but unable to do otherwise, she dropped the blanket and opened her arms.
Blake gave an appreciative moan, traced his finger around one areola, then the other. Looking as if he was about to partake in the Fountain of Youth, he leaned forward to sip delicately.
Alexia’s own moan was high and breathless.
Then he moved. Rising to his feet, he stood like a warrior god of old, his broad shoulders tapering in a golden line down to his slender waist. His cock jutted proudly over thick, muscled thighs. Unable to resist, Alexia lifted herself to one elbow and leaned forward to blow lightly on the straining tip of his erection.
It jumped, as if coming to attention.
She slanted him a wicked look, then leaned closer to run her tongue around the velvety head. His fists clenched at his hips, but he didn’t move. Didn’t try to take control.
“Yum,” she murmured before taking him into her mouth, sliding her lips on and down the hard length of him. His fingers splayed, as if he was going to grab her, then he fisted them again. As a reward, she sucked, hard, just the tip, and made him groan out loud.
“My turn,” he insisted, lowering himself to the cot and sliding over her body. “Otherwise you might not get yours.”
“Oh, I’ll get mine,” she guaranteed, her bare feet skimming up the back of his hard thighs before she dug her heels into his butt and pressed her aching core to his erection. “You’re going to give it to me.”
“Yeah. I’m going to give it to you all right.” His teasing smile was the last thing she saw before his mouth covered hers. All it took was the touch of his tongue against hers and Alexia went crazy. She needed him. All of him.
“Now,” she demanded.
“I’m not done,” he said with a strained laugh as his fingers slipped between their bodies and down her belly to cup her curls.
As soon as he touched her swollen clitoris, she shattered. Stars burst, heat exploded. Her entire body
