As usual, the front door swung open before she even reached it. She didn’t know who jumped whom first, but they clung to each other without an inch of space between their bodies.

“Tara,” Seth sighed into her hair, embracing her even more tightly.

“I didn’t mean it.” She couldn’t breathe, but it didn’t matter. She was in his arms … she was home. “We’re worth fighting for. I want to be with you every minute we have left.”

“I believed you for a split second, but I couldn’t give you up that easily.” He inhaled deeply. “I know you care about me. Just as I care about you.”

“I do.” She pulled back far enough to caress his cheek. “I care about you, Seth. More than you know.”

Seth opened his mouth on the verge of saying something then closed it. Tara held her breath searching his face. What was she hoping for?

In the end, he just said, “Let’s go inside.”

He led her inside with his arm wrapped around her waist as if he couldn’t stand being apart from her. Without stopping, they walked to his bedroom and closed the door behind them. Seth glanced at her with a question in his eyes.

“Yes. I need you,” she answered.

He turned to her and held her face in his hands, and looked and looked at her as though he couldn’t get enough. He smoothed his thumbs over her lips, then leaned down to touch his lips on hers—feather-light and tentative. She kissed him back, letting him know they were okay. And they kissed like that—sweetly and tenderly—for as long as they could before passion swelled over them.

When his hand fisted in her hair and he tilted her head back, she parted her lips with a long sigh. His tongue swept the inside of her mouth, lapping up the sound like a prize he was claiming. She could go on kissing him like this forever. Making out with him was better than sex. Well, the sex she knew before she met him. Sex with him was actually even better than making out with him.

So she decided to move things along toward that end. She leaned back despite his growly protest and pulled off her shirt. Then her bra. The protests stopped instantly.

“If you’re trying to kill me, you might be succeeding,” he said with a groan.

“You’re such a boob man,” she teased, biting her lip when he cupped her breasts and slowly massaged them.

“Aren’t you glad I am?” He brushed his thumbs across the peaks, making her head fall back.

“Yes,” she hissed when he gave one a hard pinch. “That hurts so good.”

“God, Tara. What are you doing to me?”

“Making you desperate for me.” She grabbed him by the hair and brought his lips a breath away from hers, caressing him with each whispered word. “Because I want you completely out of control—your soul bared and naked—when I take you.”