We’d been apart only a few days but it felt like a lifetime. We latched on to each other with a fierceness that was almost violent. I was mad at him for shutting me out, and I’m sure he was furious with me for meddling in his life. None of that mattered at the moment.

We kissed hard and hot with teeth and tongue. My entire body broke out in a sweat, and I yanked his shirt off and tossed it aside. I let my hands glide over his shoulders—my gosh, his muscles had muscles—and down his arms. When I would have reached for his waist to pull off his tank top, he brushed my hands aside and in one ferocious tug he unsnapped my dress from top to bottom. So hot!

A soft meow sounded and Nick glanced over his shoulder to see Sir, lying across the top of the couch watching us, the end of his tail flicking as if he couldn’t decide if this was a game or something that required an intervention. Nick chuckled and then turned and tugged me toward the bedroom. We fell on the bed in a tangle of limbs and half-undone clothes.

It felt so good, so right, to be with him again. I wanted to touch and taste him everywhere, but he was ahead of me. He tugged off my dress, unfastened my bra, and pulled off my undies before I’d even gotten my bearings.

When I glanced down, I realized I still had my leopard print boots on. When I would have kicked them off, he shook his head. “Those stay.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled me into his lap, positioning me so that I straddled him. The feel of his jeans beneath my bare thighs was incredibly erotic, and my head started to buzz with lust.

From this vantage point, his hands could reach every part of my naked person and he took full advantage while I dug my fingers into his hair and kissed him as if he were offering me the breath of life.

His wicked fingers pinched my nipples and then he lowered his head, forcing me to arch my back while he soothed the ache with his tongue. His hands moved to my thighs, and he gently nudged my legs farther apart. His thumb stroked the very center of me, and I almost leapt right out of his lap, so sensitive was my body to his touch.