And then she was free. Flying and free on a wild ride that made the real world seem so blissfully far away. It was just what she needed, an explosive shattering that took her out of herself and the too-structured life she led and the powerful mind that had gotten her so far and yet trapped her, too.

As she began to come down, Isaac’s thrusts got shorter and faster, his arms going all around her and tightening up hard. She was crushed against him but she didn’t care—and she was glad she’d gone over the edge first so she could concentrate fully on what was happening to him.

Except . . . he slowed.

And then stopped altogether.

Lifting his head, he braced his torso up on his arms, but didn’t look at her.

Just as she was going to ask him what was wrong, he pulled out of her, still fully erect, and got off the bed. The air that rushed in to fill his place was like an arctic blast across her naked skin—and the deep freeze only got worse as he strode into the bathroom and closed the door.

Left alone, she lay in the dark, every muscle tensed up and her whole body flushed with a very different kind of heat.

She waited, and when she didn’t hear water turn on or the toilet run, the idea that it might have just been an equipment malfunction of some sort dwindled. And it couldn’t be embarrassment over some kind of performance thing because God knew he’d satisfied her and been erect.

Her hands shook as she covered her face, and damn it if reality didn’t come rushing back. This should never have happened.

Perfect fit? More like a perfect fix: She’d been in a reckless frame of mind ever since she’d looked into Isaac Rothe’s frosty eyes, and just as it had been with her brother, she’d had to take a hit of something very dangerous.

Where had her brain gone? Having sex with some man she didn’t know—No, worse than that: a client of hers—who was up for assault? With no protection—even though she was on the pill and she did know he wasn’t HIV positive, it was still risky as hell.

In the heat of the moment, she’d made a choice that was hard to defend, much less comprehend.