He pulled her back against him and loved the way she relaxed as though she trusted him not to let her fall. He moved his hands up to her breasts, cupping them and feeling the way her nipples pebbled against his hand. “I have you right where I want you now, chérie. Away from all the stress of work. I think every time you get too caught up in all the drama that town can make, we’ll come up here and eat and drink and I’ll take you back to some elegant hotel room and I’ll do this. I’ll get my hands on you and I won’t take them off until you’ve screamed my name three or four times.”

“I would never,” she said with a husky chuckle. “I’m a lady, Sheriff.”

“You’re my lady.” Desire thrummed through his system and he realized what he’d forgotten. Damn it. “Lila, baby, I’m going to need to run back downstairs.”

Or he could call downstairs and have someone bring up condoms. Surely they had condoms.

She turned and her head tilted up. Her hands went to his pecs and she ran them up to his shoulders. “Armie, I was joking about the STI tests. I know you had a full physical three months ago. It included a blood panel and testing for just about everything. By the way, we’re going to talk about your cholesterol soon. Have you had any unprotected sex since then?”

“The only person I’ve been with in years is you. My player days were over long ago.” Was she saying what he thought she was saying?

“Like I told you, I’m on the pill and I haven’t had sex with anyone but you for over a year. So don’t make some poor bellman run out and get you condoms. Make love to me, Armie.”

He didn’t need to be asked twice. He covered her mouth with his and let himself go.

•   •   •

Lila knew she should have gone back to the clinic, but when he offered to take her to dinner, she’d wanted her time with him. She’d wanted to be alone with him.

How was she in so deep with this man in so little time? He wasn’t at all the partner she’d envisioned for herself. She’d thought she needed someone successful, highly educated, motivated.

Turned out, kind and sexy and focused on her trumped all the other stuff. Armie LaVigne was a man who knew how to love, and whoever he ended up with would be one lucky woman.

Why shouldn’t that woman be her?

He kissed her like he needed her. His hands slid down her spine to cup her backside.