He smiled with her. "Bean soup and ham with corn bread was one of my favorites. I could finish off half the corn bread all on my own. Rissy would have a fit when she wanted seconds and it was gone."

"When do she and her roommate get home, by the way?"

He went still, making Yvette shake her head.

"What, you thought I wasn't paying attention? I realize you wanted to be here, so here you are. But you did have options."

"True enough." He watched her take a bite, then moan with pleasure. His eyes darkened. "Glad you like it."

"It's amazing."

As casually as he'd stroked her rear, he said, "You'll like me touching you, too."

Her turn to go still-only that didn't slow Cannon down at all.

"But if there's anything you don't like, I want you to tell me. Or if there's something you especially enjoy-"

Already overheated, she interrupted him. "We were talking about your sister."

"Safer subject, huh? Okay, I can work with that." Watching her intently, he ate another big bite before answering. "I could have gone to Rissy's, true, but it is her place now, not mine. I respect her privacy and with her and her roommate out of town it didn't seem right to just make myself at home."

"She wouldn't welcome you there?"

"Course she would."

"What about her roommate?"

"Cherry Peyton. I don't know her well, but she seems nice enough. Denver might be interested, remember?"

"Yes." Denver was definitely interested, from what she could tell.

Moving right on past that, Cannon added, "There's always the Colonial. I've stayed there before."

She gave a tight smile. "Mary expected to find you at a hotel." And if Yvette hadn't shown up at the bar that night, he'd have taken Mary back to his room with him.

"Forget Mary," he said. "Forget Mindi. I wanted to be here. With you."

Petty jealousy had never been her way. Because he was so special to her, Cannon deserved the truth. "I'm glad it worked out this way."

He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Now, if that's settled, let's eat. The sooner we get done, the sooner I can get my hands on you."

With the fork halfway to her mouth, she paused.

He glanced at the clock. "It's early. We'll have hours to play before bedtime. I'm already half-hard just thinking about it." He forked up another big bite of pasta.

l.u.s.t, apparently, didn't dent his appet.i.te. But then, he stayed more active than any person she knew.

For her part, Yvette wanted to melt right off her seat. "You know I can't-"

"Climax?" More gently, he said, "It's okay. Touching, that's all we're going to do, remember?"

But why? Surely he'd want more than that. Just because she couldn't didn't mean he- Then he finished by saying, "Tonight anyway. Eventually I'm going to want all of you."

Thinking about it, him over her, in her, sent a sweet clench of desire into every muscle. "Okay," she whispered.

Gaze playfully stern, he said, "But not tonight. Tonight is for touching only. Touching and kissing and going a little nuts." He drew in a slow breath. "So finish up. I've tortured myself enough already."

Yvette had been quiet through the rest of dinner and the cleanup afterward.

Maybe feeling nervous, as soon as the last dish was put away she'd gathered up dirty laundry and disappeared into the bas.e.m.e.nt for an hour. Unwilling to rush her, he'd used the time to do other cleaning. When she'd heard the vacuum, she'd charged back up the steps.

It was kind of funny how she'd reacted. Even after he'd told her he was a neat freak and could d.a.m.n well handle housework, she'd seemed put out. Reluctantly she'd put away the laundry and taken a seat, mostly so that he would sit, too.

As he joined her, her gaze went watchful and wary. Did she expect him to jump her? To strip off her shirt and start pawing her? If so, he'd disappoint her by going so slow, she'd be the one asking him to take the shirt off her.

Eventually she'd ask for everything.

But as he'd told her, tonight would be a sweet torment. They'd both end up frustrated, but she'd get comfortable with him.

Eventually comfortable enough to let herself go.

She'd put her cell phone on the coffee table, so he did the same, then put his wallet and keys there, as well.

She went wide-eyed, maybe thinking he was going to stop. h.e.l.l of an idea, because he'd love to have her hands all over him, but not yet. His iron control, strong as it might be, had limits.

Facing her as he sat, one arm along the back of the couch so he could toy with her long hair, Cannon did his utmost to sound casual instead of primed. "Did I tell you that Rowdy and I agreed for me to work the bar on Sat.u.r.day? He advertised it all week. Should be a big crush."

"Sat.u.r.day?"

"Yeah." Twining his fingers in her hair, he used it to tug her closer. "You'll be there, right?"

Her lips parted and she breathed deeper. "I don't know."

Well, he did. She'd go with him, and they'd have a blast. It was important for her to understand the chemistry between them wasn't just s.e.xual.

As he leaned down toward her, her thick, dark lashes lowered over her eyes. Big, beautiful, green eyes.

But then he found everything about her appealing.

Taking her mouth gently, he kissed her lower lip, then her upper before aligning their mouths perfectly in a soft, hungry kiss.

It gratified him, encouraged him, when she melted against him.

Surely a woman who reacted so easily could be taken over the edge to the big O. With the right man.

Him.

"I want you there," he told her while kissing a path to her ear.

"Okay."

"I don't mind if other women flirt-"

She started to pull away but he kept her close.

"-as long as they understand the limits." He traced her ear with the tip of his tongue and felt her shiver. "Seeing you there with me will make others understand."

Her hands fisted in his shirt as she leaned into him. "Understand what?"

"That we're together." He kissed behind her ear, down to her nape. "The guys will be there, too. But they already know how it is."

"Other fighters?"

"Mmm," he answered while opening his mouth against her skin. "About that touching..."

Her breath caught. "Yes?"

He took her hand and carried it down to his erection. He was already engorged, throbbing. But giving himself time hadn't helped with his control.

No, it had only made him more urgent.

"You can go first."

Now she inhaled sharply. Her hand was small, her touch tentative as she traced along his length.

Dying just a little, Cannon encouraged her with murmured words of pleasure. She wrapped her fingers around him as much as she could through the material of his cargo shorts-then squeezed.

"d.a.m.n." He held himself still a moment until he gained control, then took her hand away. "Hang on a sec, honey."

She watched with smoky intensity while he pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside. "Let's try this again, above the waist this time."

Without hesitation she put both hands on him, stroking over his pecs to his shoulders, then back down again to silently examine each ab muscle. When she bent toward him, he froze, his heart hammering hard.

The first touch of her mouth tested his resolve. She brushed her lips gently over each fading bruise, rubbed her cheek against his chest hair, inhaled deeply, drinking in his scent.

Knotting a hand in her hair, Cannon said, "You should know, babe, everything you do to me, I get to repay in kind."

Her heated gaze lifted to his. While they stared at each other she brought both hands over his nipples, lightly dragged her nails over him, then bent again to flick with her tongue.

Jesus. He let her play a minute more, then abruptly said, "My turn." It wasn't easy to remember his plan with his heart trying to punch through his ribs, but he got it together.

"I like touching you."

"Yeah?" He went back to kissing her neck, down to the upper swells of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

"You told me to tell you what I like. I like that."

"What about this?" Carefully, he closed his teeth over her T-shirtcovered nipple, then pressed with his tongue, leaving the thin fabric damp.

Her hands clenched in his hair, and when he moved to the other breast, she led him to her, arched into him. Right before he kissed that nipple, he asked, "You like this, Yvette?"

"Yes."

"This?" he asked, sucking gently through the material, "Or this?" He plucked with his lips.

And then with his teeth.

Squirming, she gasped, "Yes."

He kept it up, using his mouth to tease one nipple, his fingers to roll the other until she whispered raggedly, "Cannon..."

"Tell me."

Instead she leaned away and nearly leveled him when she pulled off her shirt.

G.o.d almighty, she was so hot he didn't know how much more he could take.

Her soft, pink nipples were pulled tight, her pale b.r.e.a.s.t.s full and flushed. She breathed quickly, watching him, anxious.

Savoring the moment, Cannon put a hand to her narrow waist. Her skin was so silky, and incredibly warm. Those sinful shorts rode low on her hips. They barely covered more than panties would.

He stroked two fingers over her hip bone to her navel, getting hotter still when she wiggled. "Ticklish?"

"Yes."

He couldn't wait to see how she reacted when he stroked those same two fingers deep inside her.

"Come here." Sitting back, he lifted her over him so that she straddled his lap, facing him. Without their shorts, he could enter her like this. That thought tested his resolve, especially now that her open thighs rested directly over the ridge of his erection.

She moved against him, rolling her hips until he clasped them to keep her still.

Given the difficulty she'd admitted to, he'd expected her to be more reserved.

Instead she seemed starved for release, and that, too, fired his blood.

Covering both b.r.e.a.s.t.s with his hands, he kissed her again, long and deep, light and easy, using his tongue, his teeth, until they were both panting. At every second, he was aware of her, her reactions, gauging what she liked, what she loved, what turned her on the most.

"Cannon," she groaned. "My shirt is off now."

A hint? "Believe me, baby, I know." He played with her nipples the same way he teased her mouth, first lightly brushing, then insistently tugging.

Would she tell him what she wanted?

Hopeful, he took her mouth again in a deep eating kiss, all the while his hands moved over her, up and down the toned length of her narrow back, down to the gentle swell of her hips, from the top of her silken thighs to her knees and back up again.

Hooking one arm around her waist, the other under her hips, he arched her forward and trailed wet, hot kisses down her throat to the tops of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

With his tongue, he taunted her, getting close to her nipple, but never quite touching no matter how she shifted, trying to direct him.