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I t was killing him to not touch her.

Con gave her a slow once-over, to be certain what he’d seen earlier in the lecture hall had been accurate. She looked great. Her skin had a healthy glow and he couldn’t see evidence of any bruises. It looked like she might have put on a few pounds, but she’d needed them. By the end of their ordeal with Akbar, she’d been underweight.

“Max said the stem cells they used to treat your anemia worked.”

She smiled and it damn near made him kneel. “Yes, my bone marrow seems to be functioning very well now. This is a new treatment.”

“No more bruises or nosebleeds?” He couldn’t see any bruises, but that didn’t mean anything.

“Nope.”

Her hair was down. He’d never seen it down, clean, and brushed out since that very first night he saw her. It had come out of its bun during their skirmish with Akbar, but she’d been covered in sand, sweat, bruises, and blood. Now she looked...whole and happy.

Beautiful.

He couldn’t stop staring, couldn’t believe she was in front of him, healthy and apparently excited to see him after three months apart.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t contact you,” he said with a wince. “Max swore he explained it all to you, but that doesn’t mean the same thing as hearing you say you were okay with it.”

“Ha,” she snorted. “I may not have been able to talk to you, but Max kept me up to date on your status during our daily consultations. You really impressed him,” she said with a proud tilt of her chin. “You found out more about the biological weapons black market in Syria in three months than we’d managed in all of the previous year.”

“Thanks, but you taught me a lot about what to look for.”

“We make an excellent team.” She said it like they were about to win a Nobel Prize.

“Yeah.” He blew out a breath. He had so much to say, but didn’t know how to tell her what had been on his mind, and in his heart, for most of those three months. Where to start.

“Con?” she asked, looking a little uncertain. “Are you all right?”

“I’m good.” What an understatement. “I’m better than good. Just seeing you looking so...” He swallowed hard. “Healthy and...gorgeous.”

She smiled at him and it hit him in the chest with the power to stop his breathing altogether. “I missed you too.” She held out her hand.

He took it and her touch calmed something in him that had been wounded by her absence.

“Are you hungry?” she asked. “I could make you something—”

“No,” he told her, pulling her slowly closer. “The only thing I’m hungry for is you.”

“Oh,” she said, a blush coloring her cheeks. “Good.”

“We need to talk before anything else happens.”

She gave him a frustrated huff. “Why?”

Yep, Sophia hadn’t changed a bit. A little too honest, too direct. Thank God.

He was going to follow her lead. “This is not a one-night stand.”

“You promised to teach me how to have sex,” she reminded him. He didn’t need the reminder, he’d been dreaming of all the ways he could have her every night since she’d left Bahrain. “To achieve a complete understanding will take some time.”

He had to chuckle. “God, I love how your mind works.” He cupped her face and brought her even closer. “But let me be clear. It’s going to take the rest of our lives.”

His statement caught her attention and she blinked at him. “It will?”

“Do you want me to have sex with another woman?”

She frowned. “No.”

“Good, because I don’t want you to have sex with anyone else either.”

“Oh. Good.”

“I love you.”

She blinked. “You...I...” She took a couple of deep breaths, put her free hand on his shoulder and clutched at him. “I never believed I’d have time to fall in love until I met you. I love you so much it hurts my heart.”

“No more pain, for either of us.” He gathered her up, enfolded her in his arms and hugged her. She smelled of home. He kissed her neck, a string of tiny kisses on her soft skin.

She made a distressed noise and he pulled back far enough to see her face. “What’s wrong?”

“I want to touch you. I want to hold you and sleep with you. I feel like I’ve been starving my entire life.”

“Touch starved,” he whispered. “We can fix that.”

She nodded and pulled away, taking his hand to lead him down a short hall into a bedroom.

He closed the door behind them then pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor.

Her wide gaze made him smile. “I intend to love you until you’re drunk on your own pleasure, and I refuse to rush.”

She lifted a hand and reached toward him, but didn’t move, so he closed the distance between them until her palm was resting over his heart.

“I missed this,” she whispered. “Your heat and strength.” She put her other hand on his chest too and stroked him. “I feel like I’m petting a wild animal.”

He couldn’t stop touching her. His hands swept up her back and pulled her in to his body. He nuzzled her hair. “I missed you.”

She kissed his chin, the corner of his mouth, her hands exploring his back and shoulders. “I wake up sometimes, cold and alone. I’ve taken to sleeping with extra pillows.”

“If it’s heat you want, sweetheart, you can have all of mine.”

She kissed him on the lips and he couldn’t hold back his own need any longer. He deepened the kiss, loving her taste, the touch of her tongue, the moans she made as his hands moved, stroked her body, palmed her breasts.

She pulled away to work on her shirt. “I want to feel your hands on me.”

“Excellent idea.” He removed his pants, but left his boxers on.

She got her shirt off, then unhooked her bra and slid it off as well.

He damn near came in his pants again.

He did let one hand cup a breast, his thumb stroking the nipple. “You’re so gorgeous.” He walked her backward, both of his hands on her breasts now, until she hit the bed and sat down on it.

He went to his knees and began kissing her again.

She went for his boxers, pushing them down and off. His cock bounced and curved up toward his navel.

“Wow,” she said, running one finger up the sensitive skin. “I forgot how big you are.”

“We’ll go slow,” he told her.

“I’m not afraid.” She smiled at him, and for that smile, he’d conquer the world. “I’m considering all the pleasure spots you’ll hit when you’re inside me. Multiple orgasms are definitely possible.”

He laughed. “I love that brain of yours. Now turn it off and just feel.”

Her jaw dropped open like he’d said something completely alien. “Oh.”

He kissed her before she could say anything else. He shifted her until they were both lying on the bed, then he lifted her up so he could suck a nipple into his mouth.

She cried out, her hands grasping at his freshly cut hair.

He laid her down on the bed, stripped her of her pants and panties, a naughty red thong he was going to have to take a second look at later, and crawled over her until he reached her breasts again.

He went after her other nipple this time, while one hand plucked at the wet one and his other hand teased her clit.

She bucked and moaned and wrapped one leg around him like she was afraid he was going to run away.

He left her breast to kiss her mouth and took himself in hand to tease her clit and the entrance to her body with the head of his cock. Around and around, a little dip inside and around again. Over and over, until he thrust his middle finger inside her hard and fast.

It pushed her into an orgasm and he kept thrusting until she began to calm a little.

“You’re so wet,” he whispered. “So tight and silky, I can’t wait to feel you all around me.”

“Yes, I want to feel you,” she moaned. She looked so luscious it was killing him to take things slow.

“I’ve got to get a condom,” he said, pulling away.

“I bought some.” She smiled. “I didn’t know when I’d see you, so I thought I’d better get some so we wouldn’t have to waste time purchasing any.” She reached over to the side table, opened a drawer and pulled out an unopened box.

Her hands were shaking, so he took it from her and got a condom out, got the package open and rolled it over his cock.

He kissed her and petted her until she was moaning again, then he teased her until she demanded, “Con, please, make love to me.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“It hurts now.”

They were lying on their sides, so he rolled them until she was on her back and began entering her.

“ Holy fuck .” He shook with the need to bury himself, but he kept it slow and steady until he felt some resistance. Shaking, he rested his forehead on hers. “Love you.”

“Love you,” she whispered back.

He retreated and thrust again, one smooth unhurried move, until he was buried up to his balls. “God, you’re so tight.”

She wiggled and panted. “I need you to move.”

“You’re killing me, gorgeous. Just hold still a minute.”

She sucked on his earlobe and said, “Now where would the fun be in that?” She wiggled again, then lifted her hips, changing the angle a little, and he lost it.

He pulled out and pushed back in and it felt so fucking fantastic he did it again and again. “Sophia,” he growled. “Are you with me?”

“Ohmygod,” she whimpered. “ Ohmygod . Go faster.”

When he didn’t immediately follow her order, she smacked his ass. “Faster!”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck .” He couldn’t stop himself, digging in and picking up the pace.

She shattered, screaming, and her internal muscles milking him sent him into outer space.

He came down from the high to discover she was crying.

“Fuck, did I hurt you, darlin’?” He searched her face, then moved to pull out, but she put a hand around his back.

“No,” she cried. “Don’t leave me yet.”

“I hurt you.” He was going to beat himself up for doing it.

“Maybe a little, but then it was so beautiful.” She sniffed. “I don’t know why I’m crying.”

Her tears made him feel like beating the crap out of the guy who’d hurt her, but that guy was him. He stroked her face and gathered her close. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

She nodded and held him tighter.

He hugged her right back.

“Thank you,” she said with a lick at his ear. “That was even better than I expected.”

The ball of worry in his gut relaxed a little. “I’m glad.”

They held each other for a few minutes until she cleared her voice and asked, “So...when can we do it again?”

He laughed, happiness a bright light inside him. “Just as soon as you agree to marry me.”

She froze. “You want me to marry you?”

“Yup.”

She stared at him for a long moment before saying, “I’d have to be an idiot to turn that down.” She gave him a brilliant smile. “Yes.”

Con tucked her in safe next to him and kissed her long and slow. “That’s my girl.”