As her orgasm thundered through her, she bit down hard on Tucker's chest, his T-shirt soaking up the moisture in her mouth. He groaned from the pinch of her teeth and leaned into her. She released her bite, and then his mouth clamped down on hers. One hand cupped her ass with command, lifted her, and pulled her tight against him. Her legs closed around him, claimed him.

A knock sounded. But Kat couldn't pull her head from the heavy fog of lust to tell where the intrusion had come from. She hoped down the hall. The second knock came harder, louder, reverberated against her back.

"Kat! You home? I hear somebody in there." Footsteps shuffled away. "I see shadows under the door too. Kat, is everything all right?" She and Tucker froze, the heat fizzling. "Come on. Open up! I want to see you. I've missed you."

Tucker's expression turned leery. He dropped her hands like he'd been burnt, then backed away. She shook her head, grabbed his T-shirt, and yanked him back against her.

"I'm fine, Kyle. This is just a bad time. I'm busy," she said over her shoulder. Her lips pressed together in a mischievous smile. Tucker relaxed at the mention of her brother's name. She winked at him. "I'll call you later."

"Come on, kitten!" He snickered.

Oh, he loved to torment her, knew she hated it when he called her kitten. And now even more so with Tucker's lips curled in a devilish grin.

"Yeah, well, your timing sucks. I'll call you tomorrow."

Tucker whispered next to her ear. "Sure you don't want to let him in?"

Now with her hands free, she dipped one inside his black trunks. Oh yeah, still nice and hard. Rock hard. He pressed his forehead against hers, lids shut, as she stroked him.

"I'm sure." Her breathy answer elicited a growl from him and he picked her up, flung her over his shoulder.

"Don't have to tell me twice." He landed a quick smack to her ass. Kat squealed and giggled in delight.

"Hey! That sounded like a guy's voice."

"It is. Name's Tucker. I'm sure we'll meet real soon, Kyle, just not today."

Kat pointed in the direction of her bedroom.

"See ya, Kyle!" Her voice bubbled with laughter as her hands snaked inside Tucker's pants to squeeze his perfect ass.

"Okay, kitten, but you've got some 'splaining to do!" Kyle's chuckles trailed down the hallway.

Tucker couldn't believe Kat had sent her brother away. The whole thing jacked him up even more knowing she wanted him as much as he wanted her. For six months he'd thought about little else than this woman, this moment. And after the past month with her, he was determined to make her his, determined to make her forget about every man who'd come before him.

As soon as he crossed the threshold into her bedroom, a powerful lightning strike bathed the space in a flash of smoky blue light and shook everything around them. He parked himself at the foot of the bed with Kat still dangled over his shoulder, her hands down the back of his pants.

"You know, if you're done playin' with my ass, I'd like to throw you down on the bed."

She gave him a pinch and giggled. "Sure thing, cowboy. Do your worst to me. Please."

They tumbled onto the bed in a tangled heap of fired-up hormones and grabby hands.

The rain tapped its staccato beat against the window and another deep rumble of thunder rattled the panes.

As his hands claimed her curves, a jolt of possessiveness gripped him, startled him. He interlaced their fingers and pressed her hands above her. Then he issued an ultimatum. "This is it, Kat. The point of no return."

Her brows scrunched in confusion above her desire-filled eyes, and her tongue swept across her red, kiss-swollen lips.

"What're you talking about?" she said, breathy and impatient.

"I want you, Kat. I want you like I've never wanted anything, and I'm not walkin' away again. So, if we do this now, I'm in-all the way. You understand? Fuck your list, your rules. I'm. In. You're gonna introduce me to your friends, your family. I won't be some secret you keep in the shadows and only take out when you feel like playin' with me." He brushed a quick kiss to her lips. "I know we're different, Kat, but I also know we're the same in all the ways that matter."

Bursts of lightning illuminated the pensive shadows on her face. She laid so still, so quiet, he worried she might send him away.

"You really think I'm embarrassed by you? You think you haven't met my friends or family because I'm worried about what they'll think of you?"

"Isn't it?"

She shook her head, wriggled out from underneath him, and scooted up the bed to rest against the tufted headboard. She seemed to be weighing her words.

"When Cassie and I started our business, I convinced her we shouldn't take seed money from our families. I needed my freedom, especially from them. It made things harder for us, we had a slower start, but we did it-on our own." She paused. "I live my life exactly the way I want, and for that reason I've been at odds with my family most of my life." Her attention shifted to some distant point.

"I play by my rules, not theirs. And I live within my own means." She seemed to take inventory of the room. "I live in a small but nice apartment, even though I could live in something much bigger, better. I haven't touched my trust fund, even though I've been pressured to. I never worked in the family business, even though I was expected to. And I'm single, by choice, even though my mother has paraded me in front of every rich, eligible bachelor she could find since I was eighteen."

They locked eyes.

"It's not about them, Tucker. It's about me." Her eyes dipped to his lips. "I've always known what I wanted. And I've always wanted to be independent. I have goals, ambitions, and a future planned out for myself. I don't waste time on things I think won't work; my life is too busy. And that same strict standard has always applied to my relationships too." She took a breath, ambivalence in her eyes. "Until now ..."

He flinched from the blow.

"You don't think this can work? You think it's a waste of time?" He pushed up onto his knees, dropped back on his heels, disappointment clawing at his chest.

Kat tucked her legs inside the circle of her arms.

"I don't see how it can work, Tucker. We're separated by thousands of miles and different lifestyles. It's a problem." Her shoulders lifted in apology. "And yet, here we are. And we wouldn't be here right now if I didn't want you, if I wasn't willing to move forward, even though I don't know what the hell to do about you. How to realistically make this work."

He turned her words over in his head, reconciled them against the woman he'd come to know. Then he pushed through the thorny maze in his mind until he found a way out. He had to. There was no other option for him.

Air returned to his lungs as the ache in his chest lessened, and hope waved him forward.

"I know you like things mapped out. You want to know how to get from point A to point B before you even start, so you don't make a wrong turn, waste your time. It makes you feel like you're in control." He inched closer, held her eyes with his. "It's an illusion, Kat. There are so many variables, so many unknowns. We don't have nearly as much control as we convince ourselves we do. And the only wasted time is lost time. You need to stop wasting time worrying about how this is going to work, and just let it work. We'll figure it out as we go. You need to trust yourself, and me, to do that."

He stretched her long legs back out on the bed. "I know you work hard. You've earned everything you have, on your own. And you should be proud. You should keep doing it." He settled next to her and softened his voice. "But I get the feeling there was a time when you played every bit as hard as you worked, maybe even harder." The back of his fingers grazed her cheek. "You need to play again, Kat. Otherwise, what's all that work for?" He leaned in, pressed a kiss to her temple.

"You think I need a distraction, is that it?"

"Is this distracting ..." His hand slid over her belly, slipped between her legs.

Her lids lowered, lips parted. "Very."

"Do you need a distraction, Kat? Is that all I am? A distraction?"

Her eyes filled with longing. The internal struggle between letting him in and holding on to her independence played out on her face.

"I wish that's all you were. It'd make everything so much easier."

He gently bumped her nose with his.

"Ah, but we both know anything worth havin' is never easy." He brushed his lips across hers. "You don't need a distraction, Kat. What you need is balance. And I'm just the man for the job."

Her head dropped back against the headboard, doubt in her expression.

"Your staggering humility is impressive, Tucker."

"Nah, but this is ..."

He guided her hand down until she held him full in her hand, squeezed him, caressed him. Their breathing deepened, foreheads pressed together. Then she released him and forced him to his back, locking him between her legs. She loved to top him and looked mighty happy with her current position.

"So, do I get the job, sweetheart?"

She pretended to think long and hard, rolled her eyes to the ceiling, while her hips ground against him. Oh, he was going to give her the ride of her life tonight.

Their eyes met, her hands pushed down on his chest. "As long as you don't mind long hours and a bitchy boss, it's yours." Her finger tapped his nose. "For a probationary period." She winked and looked pleased with herself. Oh, it was almost time to turn the table.

"Then it's a done deal. From this point on, think of me as the thorn in your side."

She snorted and folded her arms across her chest.

"More like the pain in my ass."

That's it! He flipped her onto her belly and covered her wiggling, squirming body with his own.

He growled next to her ear. "That sounds like an invitation, darlin', and I accept."

The laughter and squeals drowned out the peel of thunder from above.

He grinned like a goofball at the pictures of them taped to the fridge. Then he opened the shiny steel door and dug around inside. Kat had eggs, peppers, deli meat, and tomatoes. He could work with that. Yeah, omelets sounded real good. Tucker continued to snoop in drawers and cupboards for everything he needed so he could surprise her with breakfast in bed. They both needed refueling after last night's marathon.

He shook his head in amazement. He'd met his match in Kat James in every way possible. If he died right now, he'd have a permanent smile on his face. He zoned out as images and sounds replayed in his head. Jesus, he hadn't had a night like that since ... Well, since the last time he'd spent a night with Kat. The two of them naked together was like pouring gasoline on a fireworks stand, then lighting it up with a flamethrower. He tried to clear his head, needed to concentrate, but it was damned difficult to do knowing she was warm and naked a short distance away. He drew in a deep breath, shook the ideas away, and cracked some eggs into a bowl.

He still couldn't wrap his head around her early morning admission that she hadn't been with anyone since him. He wouldn't have judged her if she had; he wasn't that kind of man. Of course, the arrogant part of his ego loved hearing hit. Happy to think he'd rocked her world so thoroughly. But, he was no idiot. He knew the real reason had a whole lot more to do with the fact that he'd hurt her. His stomach knotted. He'd make up for it. He'd make her forget about it somehow, or at least laugh about it someday.

As he poured the mixture into a hot skillet, Kat's cell phone skittered across the counter. Tucker leaned over and grinned at the image and name displayed on the screen. He glanced toward the bedroom. Through the cracked open door, Kat lay sprawled and asleep, tangled in the sheets. An immediate flash of heat flooded his groin. But the vibrating phone yanked him from the fantasy.

Time to start making introductions.

"Mornin', Kyle," he said with cheer, while tending to the omelet in the skillet.

Silence.

"You dialed the right number. Your sister's asleep right now, didn't wanna wake her."

An unimpressed sigh traveled the airwaves. "Is this Tucker from the other side of the door last night?" He sounded mildly amused.

"Yep, that's me."

Kyle mumbled and the tapping sound in the background stopped.

"Well, Tucker, I'm actually glad you answered my sister's phone. I have some things to say and I don't want her butting in."

Tucker grinned expectantly as he plated the first tasty omelet, then poured the second batch into the skillet. "Shoot."

"My sister and I are close, always have been, always will be. I love to tease the hell out of her. Never mistake that for me not caring about what happens to her, not caring about who hurts her."

Tucker sensed Kyle pointing his finger squarely at him.

"I've heard all about you, Tucker Williams. Cassie called me a while back worried about Kat. I've read about you on the Internet too. Let's just say, you've got a mountain to climb with me. But unlike other members of my family, I trust my little sister's judgment. If she thinks there's something worthwhile about you, then I'm willing to give you a chance. But understand this: I'm the only one who will."

Tucker already liked Kyle James-a straight shooter.

"I'm aware it's gonna be an uphill battle. It'll hardly be my first." He jerked the skillet across the grate a few times.

"You had damned well better be with my sister for the right reasons. If I find out you're not, I'll come after you, Williams. Hard. Got it?"

"Loud and clear, Kyle. I'd just ask you to remember you can't believe everything you read. Comin' from a family like yours, I'm sure you know what I'm talkin' about."

Kyle exhaled loudly through the phone.

"Will you be at the family dinner this week?" Tucker didn't know. Kat hadn't said anything-yet.

"Yeah, I'll be there," he said with confidence, sliding the second omelet onto its white plate.

Kyle chuckled. "Oh, this is one family dinner I actually don't want to miss. I can hardly wait to meet you in person, and then stand back to watch." He cleared his throat, and then his tone became serious. "Listen, I admire the hell out of my sister for breaking away and doing what she wants with her life. Don't you dare break her winning streak, Williams."

The line went dead.

Tucker sighed, turned off the stove, and plugged Kat's phone back into its charger. When he looked up, he took a double take at Kat strolling toward the bedroom wrapped in a thick white bath towel, blotting her hair with another. He hadn't noticed her get out of bed, and hadn't heard the shower running, either.

She pivoted at the doorway. Her gorgeous eyes raked across his bare chest and abs before her hungry gaze locked onto his. All the blood in his body rushed below deck, leaving him cocked and loaded, just from that one look.

"What'd you make for breakfast?" she said, low and sexy.

He couldn't speak, only stare at her damp, glistening skin.

"Omelets." He no longer felt hungry for anything other than what he had fixed in his sights.

"Stick them in the fridge. We'll heat them up, later." Her smile was full of wicked promises. His erection throbbed in reply. He did as asked. Didn't have to tell him twice.

"You can tell me who you were talking to later. Right now, I just want to do you, Williams."

Both towels dropped at her feet.

His vision tunneled, mouth like cotton, and the world fell away. Then she turned and bent at her hips to pick up the discarded towels. He huffed at the view of Kat's long, lithe legs, stretched and rising up to balance her deliciously round ass. She remained like that for a few tantalizing seconds, on purpose he knew, so he could zero in on her soft, pink center, peeking out at him.

She rose, slowly, stepped into her bedroom, and tossed the towels on a hook behind the door. She sauntered to her bed, positioned her sexy ass on the edge, and reclined in a casual pose. "What're you waiting for, Williams? Get your perfect ass in here-now."