“Li—” I heard before I disconnected, hit the button at the side to turn the ringer off and tossed the phone to the bed.

I was about to lunge at Nick when something moved over his face.

No.

More than one something. It looked like he was at war with himself.

One side won, leaving his expression sharp.

“You know what I do,” he said quietly.

I held my breath and nodded.

“Have a care, Olivia.”

More honesty.

I’d mentioned David’s name. And Dad.

There were things he could read in that but David was the legitimate side of the business. No one would have interest in that.

But still, what Nick said was the first indication he gave that he wasn’t just out for a fuck or whatever else he could get from me.

But that he was looking out for me.

I stared into his eyes.

Then I lunged.

I did not need years of visits with a psychologist to explain to me that I had zero control in my life so that was why I liked control in bed.

The partners I’d chosen, none of them had seemed to mind. All of them had seemed to like it. They had provided varying degrees of pleasure depending on their talents. They appeared to receive the same.

It wouldn’t matter if they didn’t. I never saw them again so their opinion of my performance meant nothing to me.

The battle for control with Nick was entirely different.

There weren’t varying degrees of pleasure.

There were varying degrees of dizzying pleasure.

Everything was a contest from kisses to touches to the ultimate fuck, with each contest having two opponents.

And two winners.

I’d spent the last four evenings banging Nick Sebring, and until last night, getting dressed when it was smart and getting the hell out.

But that morning, in the light of day, both of us naked, Nick talking quietly on the phone to order breakfast that included champagne, seeing his grin, our banter of the night before I knew I shouldn’t engage in but couldn’t help myself, falling asleep under him, something else I knew I shouldn’t allow but I didn’t stop—our fucking went manic.

For my part, I needed that time to turn things back. To reduce him to a tool, a length of warm, hard flesh, a stiff cock, all there simply to get me off.

This was what I always tried to achieve with Nick. Effort that was wasted because I spent every moment between being with him until being with him again thinking about being with him.