Just One Night Together by Deborah Cooke

Seven

Haley was earlyfor her shift, although she told herself it wasn’t because it was Friday night. No. It was because it was snowing like crazy and there would be people coming to work late and others wanting to get home. The worst of the storm was supposed to hit during the night.

The tom had checked out the apartment thoroughly when she brought him home. Contrary to prediction, he had yet to set his claws on her furniture. He wasn’t much for eating and he tended to sit on the sill, either watching her or looking out the window. He seemed aloof and hadn’t wanted to snuggle or even let himself be stroked.

Haley was pretty sure he didn’t think he was staying. She’d broiled fish that night for herself and given him a piece. He’d gobbled it up then watched her more closely, still wary, still considering her merit.

When she left, she’d looked up from the street and seen his silhouette in the window. Impulsively, she’d waved.

Megan was on the desk in the cardiac ward. Haley nodded to her and went to put her stuff in her locker, wondering what the cat would do in her absence.

She still hadn’t decided on a name for him, although she had sent a picture to her mom.

“Hey,” Megan said, peeking around the corner. “There’s a message for you.”

“For me?”

A bell sounded and Megan swore under her breath, then hurried to the desk. Haley changed and closed her locker, then followed Megan to the desk. The other nurse was on the phone but she held up a finger, motioning for Haley to wait.

“What’s up?” Haley asked when Megan ended the call.

“Oncology called. They asked if you were in, then when you would be in, then left a message.” Megan rummaged on the desk and came up with a pink slip of paper. “Here! They asked if you could come to Mrs. Perez.”

Because Damon wasn’t coming.

“Does that mean anything to you?” Megan asked when Haley didn’t say anything.

“It does,” Haley said. “Thanks. She’s a patient who responds really well to massage. I guess she’s hurting.”

“Wait a minute. Is she the one with the hot son?”

“Well, she has a son. He let me try massage on his mom and she responded well, so I said I could do it again if she needed me. Sounds like she does.” Haley shrugged, trying to sound casual about it. “Do you need me early?”

“Nope. All quiet.” Megan crossed her fingers and smiled.

“Okay. I’ll be back for eight.”

The phone rang again and Megan nodded at Haley before she answered it.

Haley fought her disappointment all the way down to the oncology ward. The message made her realize how much she’d been hoping to see Damon—if only to tell him off for not confiding in his friends and partners. But Oncology wouldn’t have called if he was there. Maybe he wasn’t even coming in tonight. She wasn’t sure whether she should be pleased that she could help his mom, or annoyed that she was just useful.

Then she got to the oncology ward and Khadija greeted her with a smile. “Hey! You did get the message.”

“Absolutely. How’s Mrs. Perez?”

“Not good. Poor thing. Even the opiates aren’t helping tonight.”

Haley felt a wave of compassion. “Getting close?”

Khadija winced. “I think so. They’ve stopped treatment because it’s not helping.”

Haley’s heart squeezed in compassion for Damon again. She walked down the corridor to Natasha’s room with Khadija. “Doesn’t her son usually come in on Friday nights?”

“He called and said he had to work late. He’s the one who asked for you.” Khadija winced. “He sounded pretty upset about work, actually.”

“Really? I expect he worries about his mom, but he doesn’t seem like the type to show his emotions.”

Khadija laughed. “No, his heart’s not on his sleeve. I meant that he was really terse. Jake’s like that when he’s upset,” she said, referring to her husband. “He bites off his words and gets even quieter than usual. Most people miss it when he gets upset, but I’ve learned to look for the signs.”

“Survival instinct,” Haley teased and Khadija smiled.

“You’ve got it.” She tapped gently on the door. “Hello, Mrs. Perez. Are you feeling any better?” There was a weak moan of reply. “She’s had some pain meds,” Khadija murmured. “But that’s her allotment for today and it’s not cutting it. I’ve got a call in to her doc requesting some more morphine.”

Haley nodded. It wouldn’t matter now if Natasha had too much. She bit her lip when she saw that Natasha had curled up on her side. She looked even smaller and more fragile than she had the other night. It was easy to believe that she’d been a ballerina, because she was so tiny. She seemed to be all bones beneath the sheet.

Haley dropped a hand upon Natasha’s knee. “Hello,” she said with a smile and saw Natasha glance at her. “Damon asked if I could visit you. Would you like a massage?”

“Isn’t he coming?” she whispered.

Later, Khadija mouthed then shrugged.

“It’s snowing,” Haley said to Natasha. “The roads are bad. It sounds like he’s been delayed, but I can try to help you now.”

“Haley.”

“That’s me,” Haley said, taking the massage lotion out of the drawer. She smiled. “Is it good or bad that you remember me?”

“Good,” Natasha said with an answering smile.

“I know I’m not as good at this as your son, but should we give it a try?”

Natasha’s eyes closed as she nodded.

“You could tell me about Russia,” Haley said, easing the older woman to her stomach. She unfastened the neck of her gown, and rubbed lotion between her hands. The lights were already dim in the room and Khadija had shut the door. The heart monitor beeped but otherwise, the room was peaceful. “What was it like?”

“Cold,” Natasha said. “Grey.” She sighed at Haley’s first touch. “But when we danced on stage, it was like another world, a beautiful world of color and possibility.” She breathed for a few moments as Haley worked on her shoulders, then sighed again. “It wasn’t an illusion. Dancing did bring possibility.”

“Because you met your husband when you danced.”

“Yes. My Marco.” Natasha smiled without opening her eyes. “And we had a son.”

“Does he look like his father?” Haley asked, because she couldn’t resist.

“They could be brothers. So much alike, but so many years apart.” She licked her lips. “I miss him so much, my Marco, but that isn’t enough to make me ever wish I hadn’t met him. He was everything to me.”

Haley nodded at the familiarity of the story. “It sounds like you lived a love story.”

“It was. It is!” Natasha’s eyes opened. “And have you lived a love story?”

Haley shook her head. “Not me. My mom and dad did, though, and my big brother.”

“And you want one, too.”

Haley frowned at this conviction that she must want the same thing as her mom and Natasha had. She ducked the question instead of replying. “Isn’t it hard, though? When it ends?”

“It never ends,” Natasha said with conviction. She raised a hand to her chest. “He’s here, in my heart, all the time, giving me strength and helping me go on without him.” She gestured to the room. “He’s here, in my dreams, talking to me, telling me that he’s waiting for me.”

Haley wondered. “Waiting for you?”

Natasha nodded. “Marco says we’ll be together again soon.” She sighed. “I know it’s true, but Damon, my boy Damon, will be alone. That’s what really breaks my heart.”

And there was nothing Haley could say to that.

* * *

Something was wrong.

Ty didn’t know what it was, not exactly, but Damon had changed. He didn’t know Damon well, so he was uncertain what to make of his partner’s impassivity. Damon had shown up for his shift at the club, as Ty had insisted, but didn’t seem to enjoy himself and didn’t interact much with the patrons. Ty had the impression that Damon was fulfilling a duty or marking time.

Ty wished he knew Damon better, but the other man had always been a bit of a mystery to him. It had been Kyle who had met Damon on his intense survey of potential competition, and it was true that Damon was an excellent coach and trainer. His artistic talent had been unexpected and his ability to completely nail a design was what had brought him into the partnership. Damon had boundaries, though, and Ty wasn’t even sure how well Kyle knew him.

Ty watched Damon surreptitiously at the club. The other man stood on the far side of the dance floor, arms folded across his chest, gaze flicking over the patrons as they danced and partied. He was pumped up and looked imposing, but not very friendly.

Did he resent taking a shift so badly? Ty had checked the schedule and Damon hadn’t worked a Friday night in the F5F club since April.

He knew he’d struck a nerve when he’d accused Damon of not pulling his weight, but wondered what was going on.

“Hey, what’s with the assassin?” one of the patrons asked, indicating Damon. He shared Kyle’s ready smile and an easy confidence, but had dark hair and striking blue eyes. Ty had noticed him dancing earlier, charming women left and right, and had wondered if Kyle had another brother he didn’t know about. “He looks like he’s ready to kill people with his bare hands.” Ty couldn’t argue with that, because it was true. “He’s totally trashing the mood.”

“We had to change the schedule around, no big deal.”

“So Cassie could have a night off,” the younger man said with a nod. “She’s been here pretty much every night since Kyle went to San Francisco.” He indicated Damon. “He’s not here often, but I’ve never seen him looking like that.”

Ty refrained from comment on Damon’s mood. “You come here often, then?”

“Every night you’re open,” the guy said with a nod. “It’s the best place to dance in town. The most beautiful women around.” He watched one do a solo on the dance floor, admiration in his expression. “My home away from home.” He sighed. “I’d live here if I could.”

Ty saw the opportunity to plug their new venture. “You will be able to, soon. We’ll be selling condos in the tower above F5F.”

The younger man laughed. “Like I could afford that! Great idea, though.”

“I’m thinking that you and Kyle must get along well.”

He laughed again. “He calls us twins tragically separated at birth.” He turned and offered his hand. “Hunter Tate,” he said. “You’ve got to be Tyler McKay, the money guy.”

“Do I?”

“Oh yeah, I can smell it on you.” Hunter took a deep breath and grinned. “Too bad none of it will stick to me.”

Ty chuckled because he knew he was supposed to.

“This isn’t your idea of a good time any more than it’s his.” Hunter backed into the wall beside Ty when Ty didn’t reply. “You should hire someone to work the club,” he said. “I mean, with Kyle and Theo out west so much, someone needs to take the lead here and keep it happening. That’s not going to change when you open F5F West. You need someone who loves it here.”

It was such an obvious pitch that Ty couldn’t keep himself from smiling. “Let me guess. You have the perfect candidate in mind.”

Hunter laughed, not in the least bit troubled that Ty had seen through him. “You’ve got that right. I do love this club. I pay to be here all the time. I belong to the gym, too. To be paid to be here would be like heaven on earth.” He grinned. “You could throw in one of those condos as part of my compensation.”

Ty was amused that the younger man was so forthright. “Well, send us a résumé and we’ll think about it,” he said, not wanting to give too much encouragement. It was a good idea, but he wanted to find out what Kyle knew about Hunter.

“No problem.” Hunter pulled out his phone. “I just happen to have my résumé all ready. Why don’t you give me your email and I’ll send it to you?” He looked up and met Ty’s gaze, confidence in his eyes.

“What a coincidence you had a chance to talk to me.”

“I don’t believe in coincidence any more than I believe in luck,” Hunter said. “Luck is made. I want to work at F5F. How would any of you know that unless I told you?”

That was true enough. Ty gave Hunter the email for the club and told him they’d think about it.

He considered Damon, unable to dismiss his sense that his partner was taut with tension, and knew Hunter practically had the job already.

* * *

Damon hatedthat he was so late.

It was past four in the morning by the time he got to the hospital. It hadn’t helped that Ty had tried to talk to him when the dance club closed. The last thing Damon was going to do was confide in his partners and let them decide he shouldn’t be a part of F5F anymore because he had too much on his plate. The best course was to shoulder through the challenge and get to the other side.

Somehow.

The hospital lobby was deserted. The nurse at the desk of the oncology ward glanced up when the elevator doors opened and she waved to him with her fingertips.

He took that as a sign that his mom was more or less okay.

Damon strode down the hall, not having it in him to make conversation. He didn’t like letting anyone down. He didn’t like that he couldn’t fix everything for his mom. He didn’t like that Ty and the others had no idea what was going on in his life, but he didn’t want to confide in them either. His mom’s illness was private.

An ordeal he had to survive alone.

His throat was tight when he reached her room but he was reassured by the sound of the heart monitor within. He opened the door just a little, not wanting to disturb her, and caught his breath at how vulnerable she looked.

How much longer would it be?

He walked toward the bed, moving as quietly as he could. She didn’t awaken, which was unusual. His mom had always been a light sleeper.

But then, they’d probably given her something for the pain.

Damon balled his hands in his pockets and looked down at her, wondering what he’d do when this came to its inevitable end, hating that he couldn’t change any of it.

Then he saw the bottle of massage lotion on the end table. It wasn’t where he had left it.

Haley had been with her.

She’d come.

Relief flooded through Damon and he knew he had to do something to thank her.

He could think of one thing he was more than ready to do.

She might not be interested, though. He had called an end to it.

Damon lifted the blanket and tucked it over his mom, smelling the familiar scent of the lotion as he did so. His mom smiled and reached for his hand without opening her eyes. She gave his fingers a little squeeze, as if he was the one who needed comfort, then her hand slid away as she slept more deeply again.

He watched her sleeping for a while, then went back to the nurses’ station. He learned that Haley hadn’t just given his mom a massage: her touch had meant that his mom hadn’t needed the extra morphine to get to sleep. The nurse enthused about the effect upon his mom’s vitals and Damon was more than glad to hear it.

Haley had gone above and beyond.

And now he owed her.

He was sufficiently honest with himself to be glad.

* * *

Haley tooka chance at the end of her shift and went back to the oncology ward. It was quiet, the nurses all answering calls and she was glad that there was no one to see her visit Natasha’s room. The door was almost closed and she listened for a moment, noting the slow and steady sound of the monitor. She smiled, assuming that Damon’s presence was responsible, then eased open the door just a little bit.

But Natasha was alone, sound asleep.

He’d either left or never been.

Haley bit her lip, unable to keep herself from wondering why. There were lots of possibilities. He had a date. He was having sex with someone else. He’d moved on to another willing partner and she was still thinking about him. Pathetic, but she supposed she was still useful to him.

Even that would end too soon.

Haley pivoted to leave and ran into an obstacle.

A man-sized obstacle, one that smelled of perfume and cigarettes. Damon was wearing a black T-shirt that fit like his second skin with the F5F logo over his heart, jeans, and a leather jacket. The smell told her that he’d been at a party and she was disgusted that he could go out and enjoy himself as if his mom hadn’t been waiting for him. Haley spared one upward glance to let him see her opinion, then pushed past him with annoyance. She marched down the corridor, not wanting to talk to him.

She heard Damon striding after her but didn’t stop. The elevator was there so she hurried into it and jabbed at the button, but the doors didn’t close quickly enough to stop Damon. He got in, looking determined and formidable. The doors closed, and the elevator started to descend. Haley folded her arms across her chest and tried to ignore him, which wasn’t easy since he practically filled the space.

Damon hit the stop button and Haley glared at him. She reached to start the elevator’s descent again but he caught her hand in his.

It wasn’t fair that his skin was so warm and his touch so gentle.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, his voice dangerously low.

“You. Start the elevator again, please.”

“Answer me first.”

Haley took a shaking breath. “How dare you ask me to visit your mom because you decided to go to a party?” she demanded and his eyes flashed. “I thought you cared about something more than yourself...”

His fingertip landed across her lips. “I had to work.”

Haley took a step back and found herself in the corner of the elevator, with Damon still looming over her. “Well, they’ve changed gyms a lot if dancing and drinking is work...”

“I wasn’t dancing. And I wasn’t drinking.”

“Why should I believe you? You smell like you’ve been to a party.”

His lips tightened and for a moment, he looked exasperated. Then he was impassive again. The man of stone. “We have a dance club at F5F,” he admitted. “I hate bars. I hate that social scene, but I was reminded today that I haven’t been doing my part in taking Friday night shifts at the club.” His voice hardened and his eyes narrowed. “No one tells me that I’m not playing for the team.”

“You can’t smoke in bars.”

“But you can smoke outside of them and people do. The cloud is incredible and it’s inescapable.”

“They shouldn’t smoke near the doors.”

He almost smiled. “It’s winter. They do.”

She considered him, knowing that his partners’ accusation had stung. “They accused you of not doing your share?”

He nodded once.

“But it’s because you come to visit your mom.”

“Yes.” Damon bit off the word, which made Haley remember Khadija’s comment. He poked the button to set the elevator in motion again and his eyes glittered when he glanced at her. “So, I did my part tonight and no one has cause for complaint. End of story.”

“I don’t think so.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Haley folded her arms across her chest. “How can you be playing for the team if you haven’t told them about your mom?”

“It’s none of their business.”

“They think she’s your date.”

“I know.” His eyes narrowed. “How do you know?”

“Cassie told me when I went to the massage class.”

His eyebrows rose in surprise.

“I didn’t ask. She was venting a little. People tell me things.”

“That’s good to know,” he growled and she knew he wasn’t pleased.

But Haley wasn’t going to let him change the subject. “If they knew she was your mom and that she was in the oncology ward, no one would accuse you of not pulling your weight.”

Damon gave her a cool look. “It’s not their problem. They don’t know and they aren’t going to.”

“I thought they were your friends.”

“More or less.”

“And your partners.”

He nodded.

“Am I right in guessing that they’re the sum of your emotional support network, other than your mom?”

“I don’t have an emotional support network because I don’t need one,” he snapped.

“Everyone needs one,” Haley snapped back. “Especially when the person closest to them in the whole world is going to die.”

Then she caught her breath that she’d been so tactless as to say the truth out loud.

Damon didn’t say anything.

She wasn’t even sure he was breathing.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Haley stole a glance at him, surprised to find that he didn’t look angry at all.

He looked defeated.

Her frustration with him dissolved. Would she have done as well under a similar strain? Haley doubted it. His expression was proof positive that he needed a friend.

But when he raised his gaze to hers, he was composed and impassive again. He cleared his throat. “I don’t suppose you’d let me say thanks for giving my mom a massage tonight.”

Haley swallowed. “I thought you couldn’t do it anymore.”

“I think I might manage tonight.”

Just sex. Haley must have been tired because in that moment, she wanted a lot more from Damon Perez.

Then she recalled his stance in the elevator just a moment before. He was alone. He was hurting. He needed her energy.

Although he was trying to hide it. There was something about the combination of strength and vulnerability that made her want to take him home and love him all night long.

Haley knew she should walk away, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to be with Damon, even if it was the last time.

Especially if it was the last time.

He stood and waited in silence for her decision, and she wondered why he wasn’t trying to overwhelm her with his touch. If he kissed her, or even just slid that finger over her mouth again, she’d pretty much be a goner. He could get his way easily, but he wasn’t even trying.

“You’re not exactly using all your skills to make a persuasive argument.”

Damon’s smile was fleeting but potent. “Because I know that touch can tip the balance. I’m trying to be fair.”

Haley shook her head that he understood his power over her so well, and hefted her bag a little higher. “Good old reliable Haley Slater,” she murmured. It didn’t sound like such a good credential in the moment. She headed for the line of cabs, not caring that she didn’t know the first driver at all.

“Haley,” Damon said from behind her. “Please.” His voice caught on the single word and she glanced back, only to see desolation in his eyes for the merest heartbeat. Then his armor was back in place and he was just a stunningly attractive man standing alone, watching her with a guarded expression. “I need you tonight,” he admitted so softly that she almost didn’t hear the words.

It turned out he didn’t need to touch her to be irresistible.

“I need you, too,” she murmured, then offered her hand to him.

* * *

Damon hadno intention of letting Haley regret her choice.

He didn’t want to be alone.

He didn’t want to go home alone.

He felt a desperation that didn’t bode well for the next few hours. He knew what would happen if he went to sleep alone, and he didn’t want to have the nightmare again—or at least, he wanted to delay it as long as possible.

He hadn’t felt alive until he’d argued with her in the elevator, and then he’d known that it wasn’t going to be nearly as easy as he’d hoped to let her slip out of his life. Even pushing her away challenged his every instinct. When she chewed him out, fearless and articulate, he wanted to make love to her until she roared with pleasure.

It was past four. The sun would be rising soon. If he was making love to Haley, maybe he could elude the monster for one more night.

Maybe he could forget his powerlessness by giving her pleasure.

He wanted to feel strong and commanding, in charge of all the variables—instead of subject to their whims.

He claimed her hand in the cab and held it tightly. Her fingers were cold but she seemed a bit surprised by his touch. “Did you go to the club for the class?” he asked.

“Wednesday,” she admitted.

“Was it a good class?”

“Yes. I learned about meridians.” She turned to study him when he nodded. “I thought maybe you taught the class.”

“No. We hire experts whenever we can. I mostly do personal appointments. I step in when necessary. And I do a lot of weight-lifting programs and coaching.”

“Is that your area of expertise?”

“Kind of.” Damon knew the cab driver was listening and also understood that Haley needed him to surrender more personal information to her. “I specialized in personal weight training before I joined F5F. I met Kyle at a gym where I used to coach.”

“Did you compete? Is that why you coach?”

He shook his head. “No, I needed a job, and training was something I understood. I had to prove myself at that gym, but that didn’t worry me. Training is all about persistence and consistency, keeping your stance, pushing a little bit harder every time. You have to make a commitment to succeed and there are no overnight successes.”

“Why’d you understand training so well?”

“I always lifted weights.”

Haley nodded. “Oh. I thought maybe you’d learned that in the service.”

Damon turned to stare at her, but she had leaned forward to direct the driver to her building. He pulled out his wallet, but she’d already paid the fare and gotten out of the cab. The driver was watching him in the mirror, so Damon got out, wondering what she had planned.

Was she changing her mind?

And how had she known that he’d served?

The cab pulled away and he strode to the curb, fighting the sense that she’d snuck through one of his checkpoints. “Changing your mind?” he asked gruffly.

“No, but I thought you might be.” She smiled up at him. “I think I found a secret.”

“It’s not a secret.” He felt defensive, though, and exposed. Surprised.

“Just one of those things you don’t tell anybody. Do your partners know you served?”

“I don’t know. I never told them I did.”

“Why not? Aren’t you proud of it?”

Proud didn’t begin to describe how Damon felt of his years of active service. He gave her a hostile look. “It’s over and it has nothing to do with F5F.”

“But it has a lot to do with you, and why you are the way you are,” she said. She unlocked the security door. “And really, if you want it to be that big of a secret, you should slouch.”

He was left staring after Haley as she walked into the building. He admired the bounce in her step and the confidence in her claim—and her conviction that he’d follow right behind. She could have led him just about anywhere and Damon would have followed. That was a warning and he took note of it. There could never be more between them than there was now, so this had to really be the last time with Haley.

Damon would make it count.

He’d give her a night to remember.

* * *

Damon didn’t sayanything more until they were inside Haley’s apartment. He didn’t even speak then and she wondered if she’d really shaken him by making one good guess. She turned on the light and was closing the blinds when she heard his coat drop to the chair.

She glanced over her shoulder to find him close behind her, intent hot in his eyes. He caught her in his arms and spun her around, his grip gentle but resolute, then bent to kiss her.

And the tom jumped him from behind.

She’d actually forgotten about the cat, particularly as he hadn’t been in sight when they entered the apartment. He moved quickly, lunging out the shadows, and she was amazed by how high he could leap. He was on Damon’s shoulders, digging his claws into the skin, teeth bared as he hissed.

“What the...?” Damon cried as the cat clawed his ear. He seized the cat by the scruff of his neck and tossed him to the floor. The tom landed on his feet, then hunkered down and hissed. There was venom in that sound and his tail lashed.

Well. She had a protector. Apparently, fish was the way to the tom’s heart.

“New roommate,” she said lightly as the pair glared at each other, each poised to thrash the other. “He’s still learning his manners.”

“I’ll say.” Damon eyed the cat with suspicion.

The cat glared at Damon with even more.

“It should be illegal for there to be so much testosterone in the air,” she said and Damon flicked a glance at her.

“Does it attack everyone?”

“Him, not it. I don’t know. I’ve only had him since Thursday. He doesn’t even have a name yet.”

“Ninja,” Damon said through his teeth.

Haley stifled the urge to laugh. “Maybe.” She bent and, for the first time, the tom came to her, winding around her ankles, then sitting on her foot. He continued to glare at Damon, his tail flicking and his ears folded back.

“You can’t have chosen him for his looks.”

“I think he’s beautiful. Look at how sleek and black he is. Like a little panther.”

Damon snorted. “He looks pretty beat up.”

The cat hissed at him.

“They said he was in a fight and they had to patch him up. I think it’s his attitude that kept him from being adopted for so long.”

“He’s not exactly a charmer.”

“He defended me.”

“From me.” Damon shook his head and exhaled. “Of course, his attitude wouldn’t stop you.”

“What does that mean?”

“That you like to bring home strays.”

Haley chose not to be insulted. “There’s nothing wrong with helping others.” She reached down and rubbed the cat’s ear and he actually purred a little. “I thought he needed somebody.”

“And so you stepped up to be that person.” Damon frowned. “What about what you want, Haley? What about what you need, as opposed to what everyone else needs from you?”

“Oh, that’s why I brought you home,” she said. “You were going to give me an orgasm. I could use that.”

Damon gave her a look that reminded her so perfectly of the tom’s expression at the shelter that she laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“I thought he reminded me of you. I promise I won’t call him Damon, though.”

“What?”

“Oh, come on. You both have attitude. You’re both grumpy and uncooperative. You’re both spoiling for a fight.” Her voice faltered but she continued anyway. “And you’re both beautiful, powerful, honorable males.”

Damon met her gaze. “Beautiful?”

Haley nodded, her mouth dry. “Gorgeous.”

He smiled and closed the distance between them, looking like a predator on the hunt. She was more than ready to be his prey. He cupped her face in his hands and drew her to her toes, his gaze searching hers. “No one’s called me that before.”

“Maybe you need more perceptive friends.”

His smile was as quick and seductive as ever, then he bent and touched his lips to hers. The cat yowled, but Haley ignored him. She loved that Damon was asking permission, though her answer wasn’t in any doubt. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to him, welcoming him, inviting him, surrendering to him.

He made a little growl in the back of his throat, then slanted his mouth over hers. It was a masterful and hungry kiss, a conquering kiss, a kiss that left no doubt about his intentions for the foreseeable future. It was a kiss that ensured Haley’s short-term goals were exactly the same as his. It set her blood on fire and left her panties wet.

The cat slipped away and she heard him land on the end of the kitchen counter. Haley didn’t care where he went.

Damon’s hands were on her, nudging her coat and her sweater aside, working beneath her clothes to touch her skin. She couldn’t get naked fast enough and found her own hands diving beneath his shirt, pushing it up to his shoulders, unfastening his jeans. It was a fever with Damon, a need to get as close as possible as soon as possible. She’d never felt such urgency with anyone else, and he seemed to feel it as well. He groaned when her bare breasts touched his chest, then deepened his kiss. They shed clothes in every direction, then he abruptly broke their kiss and reached to pull out the bed. Haley took the opportunity to remove the rest of her clothes and steal a good long look of him naked.

Then he turned and smiled at her, beckoning with a single finger. Haley could see that he was huge and hard. “How do you like it best?” he murmured against her throat, his hands sliding over her skin.

“I want to mix it up for 2018. Out with the old and in with the new.”

His eyes gleamed. “So, you’ve been on top, and I’ve been on top.” His finger eased between her thighs and she gasped when he caressed her. “From behind? Against the wall again? Caveman style?” His fingers slid inside her, his thumb doing wicked things to her clitoris, Haley found herself squirming on his hand. “Should I eat you first? Tell me what you want, Haley.”

She shook her head, incoherent from his expert touch.

He smiled. “You have to tell me. You have to say it out loud or there’s no reward.”

“You can’t make the rules!”

“Yes, I can. I’m making one now. Because here’s something I’ve noticed about you. You don’t like to ask for anything for yourself. You don’t like to wish for anything out loud. So, you’re going to demand what you want from me, or you’ll go without.”

Haley moaned as he pinched her and pulled his head down for a kiss. His tongue teased hers and he bent her back over the couch, his heat pressed against her, his hand making her as crazy as his mouth did. Then he broke the kiss and held her gaze. She was panting, and had already dug her nails into his shoulders.

“What’ll it be, Haley?”

“You’re not a gigolo,” she managed to say.

He chuckled. “No, but I want to please you. I’ll do anything to you that you want.” She met his gaze and her heart leaped at the intensity in his eyes. “I’ll make your most wicked dream come true, but you have to tell me what it is.”

“I don’t have wicked dreams.”

“Everybody does.”

“What’s your wicked dream?”

“You, biting my shoulder to keep yourself from screaming as you come, with me buried inside you.” He lifted a brow as she blushed. “But we did that already.”

“That can’t be your fantasy.”

“The memory has kept me warm on more than one night.” He bent to suckle her nipple, grazing it with his teeth and coaxing it to a tight peak. He flicked his tongue across it, sending shivers through her body. “Name your poison, Haley.”

“From behind,” she admitted, blushing as she did. “Over a chair, caveman style. I’ve always wondered.”

Damon grinned, apparently surprised by her choice. Then he picked her up and cast her over his shoulder. He moved the one big armchair she possessed so that the front of it was against the wall, then spun her around and placed her on her feet behind it. Haley realized it couldn’t move. He was right behind her, pressed against her from hip to knee, one arm locked around her waist and his feet bracketing hers. He cupped her jaw with his other hand, tipping her face back for a kiss, and his erection pressed against her butt. “Like this?”

“Not quite. I thought you’d be inside,” she said, just to surprise him.

He put on a condom, lifted her up, then stepped between her knees. “I’m too tall for it to work when you’re on your toes.” He lifted her from the floor and Haley wrapped her legs around his before he could suggest it. She saw the flash of his smile before he eased inside her. She arched her back to welcome him, loving how he held her before himself.

When he was buried inside her, he bent and kissed her throat at the shoulder. “Always liked enterprising women,” he murmured against her skin and Haley laughed. His arm tightened around her then and he began to move, his other hand returning to torment her clitoris. “Spread yourself wider,” he whispered in her ear, then kissed it. “Don’t hold anything back.”

Haley didn’t want to hold back. “I want to see us,” she managed to whisper.

“Is there a mirror?”

“Inside the closet door.”

He reached and opened the closet door without changing his stance, angling it until Haley could see them perfectly. She looked so pale against him, her skin almost white compared to the deep golden tan of his. His hair and eyes were so dark in contrast to her own, and that huge tattoo looked dangerous. He was a perfect male animal—a caveman who had abducted her and was taking what he wanted from her. His hand covered her breast, cupping it and squeezing it; his arm looked strong around her waist; when his other hand moved between her thighs, it was mesmerizing to watch, especially as she felt his strong fingers coaxing her pleasure.

“But I’ll scream,” she whispered, feeling the tide rise inside her. She struggled in his grip but there was no escape. He held her captive, his embrace resolute but gentle. Haley stole a glimpse of him, then wriggled even as his fingers dove inside her with increasing speed. He was flicking his fingertips across her clitoris, kissing her ear, moving inside her, driving her crazy in a thousand ways.

“I can’t bite your shoulder,” she whispered as the tremor started deep inside her. “I won’t be able to come, knowing that everyone will hear.”

“I’m not going to let you go until you orgasm,” he whispered in her ear and she shivered in delight. “I command you to come.”

“I can’t. Damon, I can’t!”

“You’re going to.”

“No,” Haley began to protest, knowing that she was on the cusp but unable to let go. Then Damon changed his grip, surging inside her as he moved to lock one hand over her mouth. His other hand swept down long enough for him to flick a fingertip across her clitoris and Haley stole a glance at their reflection. The combination was enough to send her over the edge and she came in a thunderous rush, biting into his palm as her orgasm went on and on and on.

She heard Damon swear under his breath then he tensed behind her, driving deeper inside and holding her tighter as he found his own release.

She was breathing hard when he lifted his hand away and turned her face so he could kiss her sweetly. She could feel his heart pounding against her back and she was glad that she wasn’t the only one so affected.

“Shower,” he said when he broke their kiss and she smiled at the lazy satisfaction in his tone.

“Don’t think you can be bossy all the time.”

“You seemed to like it just fine,” he muttered, easing out of her, then lifting her easily in his arms. His eyes glinted as he looked down at her. “How was that?”

“Great,” Haley admitted.

“And I’ve only just begun,” he said as he set her down in the bathroom. “Go on. Tell me another one of your fantasies.”

“So you can make it come true?”

“Pretty much. Tonight, I aim to please.”

She had a funny feeling then about the finality of his tone.

Would this be the last time they were together?

Was it his plan to leave her with a memory before he disappeared from her life?