“I guess I had a nightmare about Colton and then the creaking of the door and the noise downstairs scared me. You just took me by surprise,” she said, catching her breath, as she rose from her seat.

“I think that answers my question,” he said cryptically from the doorway.

He was a welcome sight, handsome and sexy, in his dark jeans and black shirt.

“What question?” she asked, confused.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to eat something here and hang out downstairs at the club for a while, but I don’t think the crowd and the noise is a good idea. We’ll order something in back at my apartment.” He strode up to her, joining her behind the desk.

“But your partners–” She shook her head. She didn’t want the men to resent her more than they already did. Or at least, more than Tanner seemed to.

“Shh.” Jason touched a finger to her mouth, then removed it, leaned in, and replaced it with his mouth, gliding his lips over hers.

She blinked in surprise, then leaned into the kiss, softening against him. He licked the seam of her lips and she parted, letting him in. At the touch of his tongue to hers, she forgot everything but the warmth and feel of him, the butterflies in her stomach, and the excitement suddenly racing through her veins. Desire replaced her earlier fear and she lost herself in his thorough, devouring kiss.

He raised a hand to her hair, tangling his palm in her ponytail, using the pull to tug her head to the side so he could deepen their connection. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a long, leisurely, arousing kiss that seemingly had no end. She let everything go but the pure enjoyment of being so close to this man she’d wanted for so long.

The long nights of sleeping in a room near his, wondering if he slid naked beneath the sheets, of running into him in the family room in his boxer briefs, his state of arousal upon looking at her clear, finally caught up with her. She braced her hands on his cheeks and kissed him for all she was worth, dropping her walls and her guard for this one moment in time. When he finally released her kiss-swollen lips, she was dazed.

“Good,” he said in a desire-laden voice. “You’re relaxed now.”

She narrowed her gaze. “Is that why you kissed me? Because I was worked up and frightened?”

His eyes darkened. “I kissed you because I’ve been wanting to do that for days. But the end result? Yeah, that’s what I was aiming for. Ready to go home?” He slid his fingers into hers and she curled her fingers around his bigger hand.

“Ready.”

“Then let’s go.”

She glanced away from his potent stare, her gaze coming to rest on the bulge in his pants. The erection he couldn’t hide.

She slid her tongue over her lips, well aware of the pulsing deep inside her core.