“You don’t let anyone tell you how to live your life,” he said. It wasn’t very sexy talk between two very naked, very eager people, but like those dogs he admired, he kept going anyway. “You don’t take no for an answer. You set your sights on a thing and then you go after it with a determination unlike any I’ve ever seen.”

“Um, thank you?”

His laugh came out in a whoosh of relieved air. His fumbled attempts at a compliment hadn’t caused her to run screaming from the room yet, so he must be on the right track.

“I admire the hell out of you, Ruby,” he said, finally drawing close enough to touch her. He didn’t reach for the jutting breasts or the curve of her waist, and he avoided her thighs like they might burn him. Instead, he cupped the side of her face, allowing his thumb to trace the pattern of her softly parted lips. “That’s all I’m trying to say.”

She took his thumb inside her mouth at the exact same moment she took hold of his erection. One of those things would have been enough to drive him out of his mind, which meant the simultaneous sensation rendered him all but useless.

Since he hadn’t been kidding about how short a time he had before he lost all sense of self-restraint, he lowered himself to the bed. He would have been happy to stand forever, with Ruby stroking him inside and out, but he really did want to do things properly.

In this instance, proper was anything but. The moment his body stretched out along the length of hers, Spencer was reduced to nothing but sensation. Everywhere he touched was soft skin and undulating waves of appreciation. She opened her mouth to kiss him, opened her arms to embrace him, widened her legs to entrap him. She never stopped moving or moaning. Even when she did slow down enough to allow him to trace the outline of her nipple or dip a finger between her legs, her body provided more than enough response for her.

“If you know about this secret sex room, I don’t suppose you also know if Eva and Maury keep condoms anywhere, do you?” Ruby asked. Her breath was coming in short, panting bursts by this time, which was a lot better than Spencer was doing, since he was so light-headed that he was pretty sure he hadn’t drawn any oxygen into his lungs at all.

It took him a moment to recall his surroundings.

Guest bedroom. Eva’s house. Condoms.

“I do, actually.” He lingered over a particularly nice kiss, Ruby’s breath mingling with his own. As much as he’d have liked to stay there forever, she was right. The sooner he had protection, the better. Every touch of her skin on his erection was sending him closer to the edge.