Until she stopped trying and a force greater than she was drove her forward.

Coming into full contact with his body caused an explosion of sensation—the taste of his mouth, his hard muscles sliding against hers, his heat, his scent, my God, those big hands roaming over her with such shaking greed.

Tearing her mouth away, she rubbed her face against the crisp hair of his chest and gasped, “I’m still leaving.”

Aggressively, he walked her back until her shoulders hit the wall. “You’re still leaving,” he agreed roughly. “I’m not. We both know what this is.”

Do we? What is it?

She was glad at least one of them was clear about where things stood. The only thing she knew for sure was that she couldn’t stand to have a single piece of clothing between them, and she yanked the T-shirt off again. While she struggled to get free of the soft cotton material, he put his arms around her to search for her bra clasp.

He found it, her bra fell away, and he stopped, chest heaving as he stared down at her. When his gaze came back up, his expression had turned molten.

It stabbed her, that look, somewhere deep where she had been bruised and hurt. She had needed somebody to look at her as if she were the only thing he had ever wanted—even if it was just for this moment.

“You can change your mind and walk away,” she whispered, testing the threads of desire that tied them to each other.

“Like hell I can,” he growled, pressing her against the wall with his bigger, harder body. But then he paused as he sank a fist into the hair at the nape of her neck. He muttered, with difficulty, “I understand if you’re not ready for this, but you’d better say something now.”

That was… thoughtful. Winding her arms around his neck, she whispered against his lips, “I’m so ready for this.”

Grabbing her hips, he ground against her and hissed, “Birth control.”

“On the pill.” She brushed his hands aside and yanked open the fastening of her jeans.

He pulled out his wallet and withdrew a foil-wrapped package. “Condom.”

“Safe sex and protection. We’re good.” Coping with wall sex and a condom seemed like more than what she could handle. She slid away and walked into the bedroom, then wiggled out of her jeans.

When she turned, she wore only her lacy panties. He had opened the fastening of his slacks. Underneath, his large erection strained against the confinement of sleek, black shorts. The unruly wave of dark hair had fallen on his forehead, and his Power radiated like a furnace.