I wrap one arm around her waist, the other hand tangling in her hair as I pull her into a kiss that's all teeth and tongue and desperate need. Our bodies move together in perfect sync, her breasts pressed against my chest, her clit grinding against my pubic bone with each thrust.
"I'm still close," she whispers against my mouth. "So close."
"Come for me again," I growl, nipping at her lower lip. "I want to feel you come on my cock."
My words push her over the edge. She throws her head back, her body convulsing around mine as she comes with a cry that she muffles against my shoulder. The sight of her lost in pleasure, the feel of her pussy gripping me like a vise, the knowledge that I'm the one making her feel this way, it's all too much.
With a final thrust, I bury myself as deep as possible, my release hitting me with an intensity that has me seeing stars. I hold her tightly against me as I empty myself into the condom, my hips jerking with aftershocks, her name stuttering from my lips.
We collapse together onto the bed, a tangle of sweaty limbs and ragged breathing. I manage to dispose of the condom before pulling her against my chest, her head tucked under my chin, our heartbeats gradually slowing in unison.
"So," she says after a moment, her voice slightly hoarse, "does this mean you're done pretending there's nothing between us?"
I laugh despite myself, the sound rumbling through my chest. "I think that ship has sailed."
She props herself up on one elbow, looking down at me with those too-perceptive eyes. "No regrets?"
I reach up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, allowing myself the simple intimacy of the gesture. "The only thing I regret is not locking that door sooner."
Her smile is radiant, genuine in a way that makes my chest tight. I pull her down for another kiss, this one gentle, almost reverent.
The reality of our situation hasn't changed. She's still in danger. I'm still responsible for her safety. My brother is still downstairs, probably wondering what's taking so long. But for this moment, none of that matters.
For this moment, there's only Nova and me, and whatever this is between us that feels terrifyingly like something I've spent years avoiding.
Something that feels dangerously like falling.
A sound from downstairs breaks the moment. Cade, moving through the main room.
"We should get dressed," I say reluctantly, running my hand down the smooth curve of her spine. "Cade will be wondering where we are."
"Do you think he'll know?" She bites her lip, looking both mischievous and slightly embarrassed.
"My brother was Delta Force. He notices everything." I press a kiss to her forehead. "But he's also discreet."
She sighs, reluctantly pulling away from me to gather her scattered clothing. I watch her move around the room, struck by how comfortable she seems in her own skin, how unselfconscious in her nudity.
"What?" she asks, catching me staring.
"Nothing. Just..." I pause, searching for words that won't sound ridiculous. "You're beautiful."
A flush spreads across her cheeks, and she ducks her head. "Thank you."
It's such an unexpected reaction from a woman who makes her living being admired that it catches me off guard. As if my simple compliment means more than the thousands she must receive regularly.
As we dress in companionable silence, I try to process what just happened between us. Not just the physical act, but the connection that feels deeper than it has any right to be after only a few days.
I've never been one for casual sex, especially not with clients. But there was nothing casual about what just happened with Nova. Nothing simple or straightforward about the way she looked at me, the way she said my name, the way she trusted me with her body and her pleasure.
Nothing simple about the way I already want her again, even as we're still putting our clothes back on.
"What happens now?" she asks, as if reading my thoughts.
I finish buckling my belt, buying time to consider my answer. "Now we go downstairs and face my brother. Then we continue doing what we've been doing, keeping you safe until the FBI catches this bastard."
She gestures between us. "And what we just did?"
"That complicates things," I admit. "But it doesn't change the mission."
