Scarlett opened her mouth, but not a single word came out, the images his words evoked winding her even tighter. But her expression must have been sufficient, because his mouth curved with satisfaction.

‘Is that a yes?’ he asked, dropping his voice a few notes lower.

She swallowed audibly. Nodded. Forced real words out of her mouth. ‘That’s a yes.’

His eyes closed, his erection becoming even harder when she hadn’t thought it possible. Without warning, he palmed her breast and she cried out in stunned pleasure, hardly even aware that he was pushing up her shirt and her bra along with it until she felt his hot, moist mouth close over her bare nipple. A low moan rumbled from her throat as he sucked hard, making everything inside her go taut as a bow. ‘Oh God.’

He released her breast and she grasped the back of his neck, urging him back down. ‘More. Please. Don’t stop.’

‘Scarlett.’ No longer smooth, his voice sounded raw. Nearly a growl. ‘Look at me.’

She did, and instantly felt her inner muscles contract, her body responding to the urgency in his eyes. His hand slid between them, his fingers tugging on the button of her slacks. ‘Yes or no?’ he whispered hoarsely.

She bucked her hips up against his hand, looking him square in the eye so that there would be no doubt for either of them. ‘Yes.’

Lincoln Park, Michigan

Tuesday 4 August, 4.30 P.M.

Drake Connor sat in his sister’s car, glaring at the gas gauge and its fucking ‘E’. The ads lied. Belle’s Civic didn’t get nearly the miles per gallon they promised. He should have been able to make it into Detroit. Instead he was sitting on the side of the road with an empty tank, his buddy wasn’t answering his cell phone, and his bitch sister had reported her credit card as stolen.

Just because I borrowed it. She didn’t have to get her nose all out of joint.

He hadn’t been able to get gas a few exits back because the card had been declined. He was lucky he hadn’t been caught. He didn’t dare try again and he’d already spent the cash he’d taken from her purse on another box of bullets and a greasy burger. The burger had been hours ago and he was starting to get hungry. When he got hungry, he got mean.

So he tried to never get hungry. Thanks to his bitch-face sister, it looked like hunger was going to be unavoidable.

Cursing, he tucked the Ruger he’d stolen from Stephanie’s father at his back, in the waistband of his jeans, and untucked his shirt to cover it up. He was going to have to walk.

It was probably for the best. If Belle had reported her credit card stolen, she may have reported the car stolen too. He’d look for food and another car. Then he’d hunt down his buddy and figure out how to sneak over the border.

He set out on foot, wondering where Stephanie was and if she’d given him up to whoever had broken into her house and dragged her family away. If she was even still alive.

He hoped not. If she was dead, she couldn’t squeal.

Cincinnati, Ohio

Tuesday 4 August, 4.45 P.M.

Yes. She said yes.

Marcus didn’t wait. Couldn’t wait. He yanked at the button on her pants then jerked the zipper down, rearing back to kneel on the sofa. She lifted her hips so that he could pull the slacks off her long, long legs while she struggled to get her shirt and bra over her head. The garments he’d so impatiently shoved up her body now joined her pants on the floor, leaving her bare except for the tiny pair of panties cut to show off her legs and hips.

He knelt there for a long moment, staring his fill, rubbing the back of his hand over his mouth. Almost forgetting to breathe. She was all curves and lean muscle, her breasts as perfect as he’d dreamed. The panties were plain white cotton, but the damp spot so clearly visible between her legs made them sexier than the sheerest lace.

He lifted his gaze to her face, saw her watching him with a confidence that stoked him even higher. She was proud of her body, as she should be.

Not breaking her gaze, he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged out of it. He was working on easing down the zipper of his jeans when she sat up and started pulling on the Velcro straps of the Kevlar vest. His hands froze on his jeans when hers streaked up his bare chest, her fingers raking through the hairs there.

‘Do you know how much I wanted to do this in your office?’ she murmured huskily.

‘As much as I wanted you to?’ He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her hands petting him until they abruptly dropped to his jeans, still hanging on his hips. He opened his eyes to see her licking her lips.

‘Hurry, Marcus.’

His brain short-circuited and snapped. With his last vestige of sanity, he found the condom he’d stuck in his pocket, then ripped off his jeans and her panties and might still have had the control to lower himself to her gently if she hadn’t dug her fingers into his ass and pulled him down against her. He took her mouth without finesse and she kissed him back as wildly, her fingernails raking his ass a sweet hurt.

He slicked his finger between her legs and groaned into her mouth. ‘So wet. My God.’

She nipped at his lip. ‘Hurry, Marcus,’ she whispered.

Somehow he got the condom on, and seconds later plunged into the hottest, tightest, wettest . . . He shuddered violently, his hips rocking up into her of their own volition, hard and fast. He didn’t think he could have gone slowly had his life depended on it.

Finally. He slid his arms up under her back, his hands hooking over her shoulders, kissing her mouth, her neck, anything he could reach, all while he rode her hard. She threw her head back, her eyes closed, her mouth open slightly as she met him thrust for thrust.

Suddenly he needed to know she was with him. ‘Scarlett. Look at me.’

She struggled to open her eyes, but when she did, his breath froze in his chest. Staring up at him, she was straight from his fantasies, better than any of his dreams. ‘I need this,’ she said breathlessly. ‘Need you.’

He was brutally close to coming, but needed to know he’d gotten her there too. Without slowing his thrusts, he reached between them, found her slick, swollen clit and pressed down with his thumb.

Her body went rigid and her fingers scrabbled for purchase on his ass as she teetered on the edge. He sucked her nipple into his mouth and bit her, shoving her over.

With her scream echoing in his ears, he buried his face in her neck and followed her.

He surfaced to feel her stroking his hair, the hands that had clawed at his skin now gentle. ‘Oh my God,’ he murmured, and she laughed quietly.

‘That about sums it up.’

‘I’m crushing you.’

‘I don’t mind,’ she said lazily. ‘I think I took a layer of skin off your butt.’

‘I don’t mind either. It’ll grow back.’ He exhaled, knowing he had to get up, but not wanting this moment to end. ‘Thank you.’

Her hands stilled, her fingers threaded through his hair. ‘No thank yous,’ she said seriously. ‘I needed this too. I don’t think I could have concentrated if I hadn’t vented off a little of the need.’ She kissed his temple, lightening her tone. ‘I think the pressure will build up again pretty quickly, though. I got a lot of need saved up for you, mister.’

He smiled against her skin. ‘Good. I got the same for you.’

The muted ringing of a cell phone made them both groan. ‘That’s me,’ she said, blindly reaching to the floor, feeling around for her pants, retrieving her phone just as it stopped ringing. ‘Shit,’ she muttered. ‘It was Isenberg. Give me a second.’ She redialed, then grimaced when her boss answered. ‘It’s Scarlett. Sorry, I was walking the dog.’

Marcus lifted his head. ‘Lame,’ he mouthed, and grinned when she rolled her eyes at him. He dropped his gaze, taking a few moments to admire her breasts again now that his higher brain functions were returning. He’d left a few marks, he noticed, feeling possessively proud of them.