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  Over and over, he drove into me, his fingers digging into my hips. Every inch of me was on fire, pleasure and pain coming together until I knew I wouldn't survive the explosion. There was no finesse in this, no S&M games. It was sheer domination and submission in its purest form. One person handing over control to the other with the sort of trust that rarely existed between two people.

  When I came, I managed to stay upright only through sheer will and the grip of Arik's hands on my hips. Then he followed, curling his body over mine, lips pressed to my shoulder. He stayed there for a minute, not putting his full weight on me, but enough that I felt...safe. Protected.

  I tried to get to my feet as he straightened, but my legs were still quivering too much to hold me. A few seconds later, I no longer needed to worry about it because he picked me up and carried me over to the bed.

  Closing my eyes, I waited to hear the door close. But it didn't. Instead, I felt the dip of the bed, and then the warmth of him as he wrapped his arm around me, tucking me against his chest as he pulled a blanket over us. I tried not to think about how perfectly my body fit with his.

  “What’s your phone number?” he asked, his voice drowsy. “I was careless last time and forgot the paper.”

  “Maybe it just wasn't that important to you,” I countered. “Since you were so careless.”

  “Tell me.”

  His tone didn't leave much room for argument, and I didn't really have the strength to push back anymore.

  I told him and he recited it back.

  But I didn’t ask him for his number.

  Not yet. I wasn’t sure if I was ready.

  Chapter 9

  Arik

  I’d lost track of time.

  I knew it was late, and I knew both of us had slept off and on. And I knew Dena was still asleep now.

  I also knew that if I was smart, I’d wake her up, because we both had a job to do in the morning and even if she was friends with the owner, I doubted they'd want us spending the whole night here. Besides, it wasn't like we could wear club clothes to work.

  My stomach tightened at the thought of seeing Dena in a court room, arguing a case, while wearing those tight jeans and that shirt. I doubted a single straight man in the room would hear a word she said.

  All I could care about, though, was that Dena felt amazing in my arms and I was more at peace now than I had been in a very long time. Since moving here for sure. I wasn't certain I'd ever felt this way even back in Chicago.

  She made a grumbling sound under her breath, an odd noise that made me smile. I thought about maybe rolling her onto her back, spreading her thighs and licking a path down her belly to her pussy. I’d bring her close to the edge, and then bury myself inside to trigger her orgasm.

  Dena closed her hand around my half-hard cock.

  My breath hissed out from between my teeth as I arched up into her touch. She fisted me tight, dragging her hand up, then down. As I watched, she sat up and stared down at me, eyes heavy-lidded, hair mussed. Her bottom lip was slightly swollen and I wanted to bite it again.

  “I was...” I paused, trying to gather my thoughts as she twisted her wrist just near the head and tightened her grip to just this side of painful. “Hmmmm...do that again.”

  She did and whatever I'd been thinking scattered. It took me a moment to regain it.

  “I was thinking about waking you up.”

  “You missed your chance.” Her voice was lower than normal, full of something deep and sexual, of something that was purely her.

  I started to sit, but she pushed me down with a hand on my chest and threw her leg over my hips. I caught her waist, but didn't move her. I watched as she straddled me, waited to see what she was going to do next.

  “I’m not in the mood for master may I,” she said, staring at me, a defiant look in her pale eyes.

  She slid against me, her cunt slick and hot.

  “I...” I supported her weight as she lifted up. “I have no problem with that.”

  A moment later, she sank down on me, and I groaned. She was so tight, her body so small that I had to wonder how I managed to fit inside her. Then she began to move, leaning forward to give herself the leverage she wanted.

  The view was mesmerizing.

  There’s nothing like having a woman straddle you, the way her breasts lift and move, feeling her pussy gripping your cock. And a woman like Dena...with her delicate features and pale skin, she looked like some sort of ethereal creature.

  A faint half-smile curled her lips as she rode me, her breath catching when I arched up into her. Her fingers flexed on my chest, nails biting into my skin, sending the sweetest pricks of pain through me. She was going to leave a mark on me.

  As if she hadn't already.

  She panted my name and my eyes met hers. Our rhythm sped up and, all too soon, we took each other straight over the edge, ending the best damn ride of my life.

  As she collapsed against my chest, I curled my arms around her and wondered if maybe I hadn’t found the most perfect woman in the world.

  ***

  We stood on the curb outside the club, the chilly October air waking me up more than anything else had. I’d already flagged her down a cab and it sat idling at the curb. A part of me didn't want to let her go.

  As she climbed inside, I leaned down after her. She gave me a sober look and I whispered her number into her ear.

  Instead of the smile I'd been hoping for, I got a blank face that told me she was already pulling away.

  “I’ll be impressed if you actually use it,” she said.

  If. She said if rather than when. I couldn’t be offended, though, not after the way I’d acted. But, still, there was something I wanted to know.

  “You didn’t ask for mine.”

  That blank look didn't change. “I’m not going to. Not until I know you’re not being an ass again.”

  She shrugged and looked away.

  I kissed her cheek and then pulled back, resisting the urge to take her mouth...or climb in the back with her and go back to my place where I could take more than her mouth.

  After they’d pulled off into the night, I turned and started to walk. It wasn’t that far to my apartment, and I needed to think.

  I never should have left her number behind to begin with, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to neglect calling her this time. I ran through the number again just to make sure I still had it. I’d never been with a woman who made me feel what Dena did. I couldn’t even describe it, but it was...something.

  Something different.

  Something amazing.

  Something...real.

  It was time, I decided. Time to stop chasing one woman after another, time to stop bouncing around, hoping I could find more than one Sub I clicked with. Time for something more than just sex.

  Although, it was funny. If I’d been looking for a woman, I never would have chosen her. I wouldn’t have thought I’d be happy with a switch, somebody who had their own dominant streak, who made me work for every inch. But that was one of the things I found myself drawn to, something I wanted in a partner. A person who automatically did everything I said to do without a word had once been appealing, but I now realized that desire had stopped when I'd stopped caring only about sex and started looking for something outside the bedroom.

  I wanted Dena.

  Chapter 10

  Dena

  Face down in the pillows, I tried to ignore the world a little longer.

  It was raining, which wasn't strange for New York in October. I could hear the persistent drops pelting my window, and the dim light that had managed to filter in through the edges of the blinds was that thin watery gray that only came with an autumn rain.

  It would've been the perfect day for sleeping in, then laying around and doing nothing but reading a book, maybe watching some TV before ordering in Chinese. It was too bad I hadn’t been born independently wealthy. Then I could call Bethany and tell her to kiss my ass.

  I cou
ld find a hundred other ways to help people.

  But I didn’t have that option.

  When my phone chirped, signaling a text, I flopped over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling.

  It wasn’t quite six which made it an awful time for anybody to be texting. It could be one of the girls, though. And if it was Krissy, that meant something was wrong.

  Or she hadn't gone to bed yet and was drunk-dialing me. If that was the case, I was going to kick her ass the next time I saw her.

  If it was someone else...

  Sighing, I picked up my phone.

  I didn’t recognize the number and the first few words creeped me the hell out. I bolted upright, pulling my blankets more tightly around me.

  Then I processed the name.

  Arik.

  He’d signed the dirty little text.

  Are you naked? If not, you should be, because I’ve been thinking about you naked all night. –Arik

  My breath hitched a little. Shifting under the blankets, I considered the camisole and brief boy shorts I'd pulled on after my shower a few hours ago. Stretching a little, I took my time in composing a reply.

  I only sleep naked if somebody is around to help me stay warm.

  The clock kicked over to six, and right on time, my alarm went off. I turned it off as Arik’s reply came up.

  I was thinking that maybe you and I could hook up soon, maybe take some time and go away somewhere. I’ve got a cabin right on the edge of Lake Michigan. We could take a week up there, and I can keep you warm all night. Interested?

  There was a funny, painful little twist in the vicinity of my heart. I couldn't believe how much I wanted to immediately accept the offer. The thought of an entire week with only the two of us was enough to make me even wetter than I already was.

  Still, I wasn’t so certain what he proposed was smart. Actually, I was pretty damn certain that it was stupid. It didn't make me want it any less, didn't make me want him any less.

  I needed to stop. He was a defense attorney and I worked for the prosecution. Maybe he didn’t seem too concerned about it, but I had to be. I was still trying to build my career, and the ugly truth of it was that women always came out of anything looking worse than a guy did. Especially in a career like law. And especially for a prosecutor.

  Refusing to let myself even consider what he was suggesting, I tapped out a brief answer.

  It wouldn't be smart, Arik. You know that. None of this is smart.

  I swung my legs over the side of the bed and waited for him to answer.

  He did, and surprisingly, his answer was laid back.

  I find myself not caring about smart when it comes to you. We don’t have to do it now. After this case is over, we can talk about it then.

  Rolling my eyes, I blew out a breath. He made it seem like this case would end in the next few weeks, the next month or so. And that we would still want this then.

  It’s a murder trial, Arik. It could take months, longer.

  A moment later, my phone rang, and I wasn’t all that surprised to see it was Arik calling.

  “It won’t take months,” he said matter-of-factly, not even bothering with a greeting. “It would be nice if you had a boss who cared about the truth, but all she cares about is winning. You strike me as a woman who does care, though. My client is innocent, Dena. I’m going to find a way to prove it, and if Bethany doesn’t listen, I’ll go over her head.”

  Which is exactly what I planned on doing if she tried to screw with things in the police report.

  “I know Bethany's not going to listen to me or to you, but if you know that Leayna's innocent, I know you won't stop trying. Maybe if you find something...”

  My gut twisted. Pressing my hand to my forehead, I whispered, “Arik, stop. I’ve got a job to do.”

  “Yeah. Part of that job is searching out the truth.” His voice softened. “Bethany doesn’t get that, but you do.”

  Quiet fell, an awkward, uncomfortable lack of sound, and I pushed up from the bed, moving over to the window to stare outside at the slowly falling rain. I was about ready to tell him that I needed to go when he broke the silence.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to turn this into something about the case. I’ve spent most the night thinking about you...about us.”

  “There isn’t an us,” I said automatically.

  “You and I both know that’s a lie.” His tone changed, now gruff, low and heated. He sounded the way he did when he was inside me. “There is an us. There’s something between us, and you know it.” A moment of silence, and then he continued, “I want there to be even more between us.” He paused again, then asked softly, “Do you want that?”

  I closed my eyes, tried to ignore everything that his words made me feel. “Arik...”

  “Don’t think about our jobs, the case, any of that. We can figure that out, Dena. Just answer the question. Do you want it or not?”

  I wanted it so badly that I hurt. And I was tired of denying it.

  “Yes.”

  “Then we'll figure this out,” he said. The tension in his voice told me just how much that single word meant to him. “Go to work. I'll talk to you later.” A beat of silence. “And I'll think about you all day.”

  The call ended even while I was still shivering from that last sentence. It was strange, how freeing it had been to admit that. I let that feeling soak into me as I showered and got ready for work.

  Yes, I wanted to find out what was going on between Arik and me. I wanted to see where it was going, and what might come of it. He'd been right to tell me to focus on that and not the job before I answered. My dream job that was turning into my nightmare, a fact I had to accept now as my steps slowed to a halt outside the all-too familiar building.

  Staring up at the imposing structure, I could feel the bagel I’d eaten turning to a stone in my belly, the coffee becoming acid.

  I was going to end up with an ulcer.

  “Six months,” I told myself. I’d have an ulcer within six months if things didn't change.

  I thought about all the times I tried to talk to Bethany about things I’d noticed about this case, about the report Dunne had filed, and how she’d just brushed it off.

  What would happen if Arik found evidence of Leayna's innocence? What would happen then? Would Bethany have a way of making it disappear just so she didn't have to admit that she'd indicted the wrong person?

  A burning sensation settled mid-center of my chest and I had to force myself to take the first stair. After that, it got easier. As I ascended, I gave myself a mental pep talk. The one good thing about this mess with Pierce was that I wouldn’t have to deal with the two of them as much. The paralegals were easier to get along with. Maybe I could do some more digging into Leayna with my time too. If Arik was that convinced of her innocence, there had to be something to prove it, right?

  Walking down the hallway, though, it took only one minute to have my mood go from cautiously optimistic to straight down into the bowels of hell. I couldn’t even call what I was feeling now pessimistic.

  I was feeling downright nauseated and it took everything I had not to throw up as Bethany continued to speak.

  Pierce was cleaning out his desk, not looking at me, although the back of his neck was red. Under his designer suit, his broad shoulders were rigid and he moved in jerky motions. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him erupt at any second.

  Bethany continued to talk in cool, concise tones as I stared at Pierce, unable to believe what I was hearing, unable to believe he was putting up with this shit.

  Finally, Bethany stopped speaking and lifted an eyebrow, a pleased expression on her face. “You’ve been awfully quiet, Dena. Don’t you have anything to say?”

  I opened my mouth, then closed it. I wasn't sure it was smart to say what was going through my head at the moment. I needed time to think things through. She started to smirk. Slowly, I angled my gaze back to her.

  “Yes, Bethany. As a
matter of fact, there is something I'd like to say.”

  Pierce tensed, his hands tightening on the files he held. Bethany’s features froze.

  I ignored her, focusing completely on the man who had yet to speak a single word in his defense. “Are you really going to let her do this, Pierce?”

  I stared at him hard, and his cheeks flushed. Finally, he shot a look up at me, and I couldn’t have imagined that glint of temper in his eyes. Anger burned there, but it wasn’t directed at me.

  Bethany cut in, “Perhaps if you hadn’t done something stupid, and filed a report–”

  “I'm done with playing, Bethany.” The cold, sharp bite of my voice surprised even me. “We all know I didn't make a move on Pierce, and that I haven't acted unprofessionally with him. There was no way I’d let that go on my record, so yes, I filed a counter-complaint. If you think I should have let it go, then you haven’t been paying attention to the kind of person I am.”

  She started to tap her foot, a small foot shod in pink Prada. A predator in Prada. Arik had called that right.

  “You might be able to throw your weight around with him.” I jerked my chin toward Pierce. He’d stopped gathering up his personal belongings and stood there, rigid and unblinking. “But that won’t work with me.”

  Her eyes were cold, assessing. Deciding to ignore her, I gave her my back and focused on Pierce.

  “You did good work when we were putting those briefs together, Pierce. I’ve seen some of the others you’ve drafted for her. I think you’re probably a good lawyer. She’s got no right doing this to you.” I shook my head. “Is she really that good in bed?”

  A weird choking noise escaped him, and I wondered if he was trying not to laugh.

  Bethany took a step toward me. “That’s quite enough.”

  “Well, you’ve already complained that I'm unprofessional.” Giving her a saccharine smile, I offered, “You want to write me up on that, go ahead, but you might want to consider that I'll make sure any inquiries specifically state why I made that statement.”

  Pierce was no longer the only one in the room with a flushed, angry face. Bethany’s shoulders were rigid, her mouth pinched into a tight, small line as she closed the distance between us.