"Leese didn't know it."

"Leese was just...a few dances, some laughs." It scared her, sharing so much of herself while Denver remained remote. But it was important for him to know. He wanted honesty, and so she'd give him what she could. "Cover."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose as if pained, he said, "I don't know what that means, honey."

"It means I used the poor guy because I didn't want anyone, including you, to know that I wanted to go home and cry."

They stared at each other, both breathing hard.

Denver's expression faded from annoyance to something else, something more acute than mere apology even though he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"You should be."

Coming up on one elbow, he fixed his attention on her breasts. "Damn, you're hot when you're pissed."

She thought her head might explode.

"Or maybe it's knowing you were never really into anyone else that's making me so horny." And with that, he snagged her waist and pulled her down to sprawl over him.

"Wha-"

His mouth met hers, warm and firm. She reared back, "You-"

"Want you." He took her mouth again, moving until her lips opened and his wicked tongue could lick in, then do even more wicked things that made her unable to think straight.

The leap from anger to lust left her heartbeat galloping. She didn't know if she should give in or toss him out.

"I'm sorry, baby." His hands went to her backside and rocked her against his powerful erection. "So damned sorry."

"Mmmm..." Okay, so lust won out. Cherry sank against him, knotted her hands in his hair and held on.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

AS SOON AS she stopped resisting, Denver cupped one hand around her head, the other over her ass, and turned her under him, fitting his body to hers but keeping most of his weight off her. He kissed her again, deeper and hotter, wanting to consume her.

He'd hurt her. Damn, that tore him up.

But more devastating than that was her insistence that she'd never really been into any of the other guys...he couldn't bend his brain around it. He had so much resentment built around nothing.

Knowing she'd been as obsessed as him from the day they met started a slow burn that quickly grew hotter until all he could think about was getting inside her.

He'd wasted so much time steering clear of her, protecting himself because he thought she'd be like his stepmother... No. He didn't want Pamela intruding into his thoughts. Not now, not with Cherry kissing him like she needed him more than her next breath.

The reality of how he'd hurt her made him determined to show her how much she mattered to him.

It also filled him with a savage need to keep her safe. She was his, period. He would never hurt her again-and he damn sure wouldn't let anyone else hurt her, either.

All the reasons he'd given her for waiting-her illness, their early days-were still there. They just didn't matter enough for him to resist her.

Leaving her mouth, he kissed her slim throat and her narrow shoulder on a path to her lush breasts. God love the girl, she had a great rack, full and firm with nipples already drawn tight.

When he played a thumb over one sensitive tip, she arched up, encouraging him. He put an arm behind her to keep her like that, offered up to him. "I should let you sleep," he growled before closing his teeth around that small, taut tip.

Her gasping sound of pleasure vibrated in the air between them, sweet and anxious. Gently, Denver tugged.

Catching fistfuls of his hair, Cherry kept him close and bent one knee up alongside his hip. The adjustment left his boner nestled against her hot sex with only their underwear as barriers.

His heart thundered against his ribs. He grew even harder, hurting with this sudden, crushing need to consume her.

Carefully, he nipped at her other nipple, then tugged on it, too, until she cried out. "Denver."

He sucked her deep, stroking with his tongue and rocking against her while using care to untangle her fingers, one by one, from his hair.

To keep her from rushing him, he pressed her hands up alongside her head. "Patience."

Lips parted, gaze smoky, she nodded. "I'll try."

Grateful that she'd turned on the light, he rose up the length of his arms to see her, to soak up the sight of her in nothing more than itty-bitty panties, her breasts flushed and her hair tangled.

So much temptation. He wanted to be sliding deep right now. He wanted to kiss every inch of her.

And oddly enough, he wanted to just hold her.

She shifted her feet for leverage, then writhed against him. "I need you, Denver."

Her enthusiasm scorched him. "So hot." And all his. "Let me grab a rubber." He was already so far gone that if he didn't take care of it now, he might not get around to it. That would leave them open to one consequence neither of them needed.

Giving him a heated look, she whispered, "Hurry."

Lust darkened her face, left her brown eyes smoky. Her nipples were tight points, her belly hollowed out, and she couldn't keep still, shifting in ways that looked sexy as hell. "You really are in a bad way, aren't you, girl."

"I'm in bed with you, Denver." Stark emotion sounded in every word. "You always make me this way."

Sitting up, he snagged his jeans off the chair and fished in a pocket for his wallet to retrieve his lone condom. As he fumbled with that-literally fumbled, with shaking hands and heavy breathing-Cherry came up behind him, moving against him. He felt her nipples on his back, then she reached beyond him and dropped her panties to the floor.

Damn.

Her hot little tongue came out to lick his ear. "Soon," she whispered, "we're going to have time enough for me to explore every inch of your big body."

He closed his eyes and fought for control, but he knew it'd be a very close thing. "Damn right." He could barely keep himself in check. "But tonight isn't it."

Naked, the condom in place, he turned and kissed her. Together they dropped back to the mattress, his hands on her everywhere, her hands just as busy.

He needed her ready. Now.

With openmouthed kisses, he made his way down her throat to her breasts where he spent a few minutes suckling her again. He loved the ragged catch in her breathing, her lusty sighs and soft, high gasps.

Wanting to eat her up, he took a gentle love bite of her midriff, her flat belly, the tender inside of her thigh.

"Denver."

"Shhh." He opened her, looked at her, breathed her in-and tasted her. Her hips rose against the stroke of his tongue, letting him know how much she liked that. No problem, because he loved it. The taste of her, the feel of her sleek, swollen flesh, her scent and the provoking sounds she made deep in her throat.

He ate her gently, forcing himself to be patient until he knew she was close. He levered up to see her, pleased that she had her head back, her bottom lip caught in her teeth, her hands held tight in the sheets.

Needing her, now, he pressed two fingers deep, then groaned. "You're wet, girl. But so tight." Moving over her, he opened her legs and positioned his straining boner against her. He was met by silky wetness and heat and it nearly destroyed his determination. "I'm going to work in slow and easy. Just relax for me."

Instead she hooked one leg around his hips while running her hands over his chest and shoulders. "Now, Denver."

As he rocked in she winced, causing him to slow even more. "Relax," he told her again.

Her eyes opened, big and dark and dazed with need. She looked at him with love, leveling him.

"Cherry..."

"I need you. All of you." She braced herself, and whispered, "Now."

"Fuck." He tried to hold off, tried to temper the raw explosion of emotions, but she broke him. Gathering her closer, holding her tight, he gave one hard thrust that sank him deep.

On a cry, her sharp little teeth closed on his shoulder and her sex squeezed him even tighter. The bite turned into a hot, wet kiss; the cry into a hungry purr.

She squirmed as she adjusted to him, each small movement urging him on.

The things she made him feel, disturbing in their intensity, encouraged him to ride her hard while also cherishing her.

He settled for a deep but steady rhythm and she kept pace, her pleasure building, her low cries growing sharper, higher. He kissed her even as he felt her tightening, her fingertips digging into his back, her body lifting-she freed her mouth as she came, keening sharply, and that turned him on, too, enough that he immediately joined her.

Little by little the blinding pleasure receded, taking with it all his tension. He rested over her on his forearms, careful not to give her all his weight.

Softly, sweetly, Cherry kissed his shoulder.

"Now," she whispered, "wasn't that better than sleeping?"

His laugh turned into a groan as he moved to the side of her.

Laying his hand on her thigh, he tried to come to grips with his feelings for her. He had a lot on his plate, including the big fight coming up. He needed to refocus on that, and he would. But he'd also make time for this, for being with her, being there for her, enjoying the way she ramped up his lust only to numb him with mind-blowing pleasure.

Turning into him, Cherry glided her hand over his biceps and let out a satisfied breath. "I hope Merissa didn't hear us."

Oh shit. His breath stalled, his eyes widening.

He'd totally forgotten that they weren't alone. Looking at the ceiling, he wondered how soundproof the house might be.

He turned his head to look at Cherry, and crushing emotion struck him again. Damn, she was so beautiful, and right now she looked like a satisfied, well-laid woman.

Curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "Have you ever heard Merissa having sex?"

Eyes closed, Cherry smiled in that womanly, secretive way. "No. Not ever. Rissy doesn't really bring guys here." Her lashes lifted. "I think she's in love with Armie."

"Yeah."

Her brows lifted. "You knew?"

"I think about everyone does except him."

She let that go and instead concentrated on his torso, her fingers drifting through his chest hair, following that down to his abs. "You're going to destroy that guy when you fight."

"You think so?" He knew he would, but he wondered at Cherry's level of understanding of the sport.

Giving him an impish smile and wrinkling her nose, she said, "He waxes everything. His chest, his legs. Even his underarms."

Denver grinned. "And that somehow means I can beat him?"

"Yes. While you're working out, staying so fit and strong, he's off grooming. He's a wuss. You'll annihilate him."

"You're nuts." He dipped his head to kiss her nose. "Guys get rid of the hair so it doesn't snag or pull when they're grappling."

"You don't." Crawling up and over him, she shifted her ministrations to his overlong hair, loosely tangling her small hands in it. "God, you are such a hunk."

Settling both hands over her ass, he smiled. "It was a really long day away from you, Cherry girl."

Her expression changed, going serious, even grim. "Denver." She moved to the side of him to sit-leaving the sheet rumpled beneath her. "I have to call him."

They both knew who she meant. "Yeah." He'd been thinking about it, and he wanted it behind them. "I know it's bothering you. Best to get it out of the way."

Hopeful, she asked, "You understand?"

He nodded. "As long as you understand that I won't let him hurt you."

Her smile looked so sad it bothered him. "It's not your responsibility-"

"Hush with that, okay? If you want to be with me, then you need to know who I am. And, girl, I'm not a guy who'd let you be scared or worried. Not ever."

She wanted to argue the point, he could tell, the same way he knew she was holding back when she said, "I'll call him tomorrow."

"I want to be there with you when you do." If the bastard threatened her in any way, he wanted to know about it. And damn it, he couldn't trust Cherry to tell him. "Okay?"

Rather than agree, she evaded. "The longer I wait, the more annoyed he's going to be."

"Am I supposed to give a shit if he's annoyed?"

"You should." She chewed her bottom lip in indecision, but then must have come to a conclusion. "He's dangerous, Denver."