Second, too much time had passed for her to hold a grudge. Mac loved her. He took care of her. Yes, his grip sometimes suffocated her, but his intentions were never anything but good. He wanted the best for her. Always.

  “You still didn’t answer my question,” Felicity said. “I know you and Mac are still close. Like brothers. What’s different between us?”

  “I’m past the point in my life where I want or need to please anyone else,” Royce told her. “I have the experience and confidence to be my own man. Yes, Mac is my friend. He won’t be happy when he finds out I crossed the line he unwittingly drew between us.”

  “When he finds out? Not if?” Felicity asked. “I don’t plan to tell him. Do you?”

  “I won’t send out a formal announcement if that’s what you want to know.”

  Felicity laughed garnering a pleased smile from Royce.

  “However, if he asks, I won’t lie.” He brushed his lips against hers. “Would you want me to deny that anything is going on between us?”

  Yes! Felicity wanted to shout. Deny, deny, deny. Like your life depended on it.

  Felicity didn’t believe Mac would kill anyone. He wasn’t the homicidal type. However, he might come out swinging. Hard. And often. The last thing she wanted was to see Royce’s pretty face beaten and battered because of her.

  More important, Felicity didn’t want to be the reason Royce and Mac’s friendship ended.

  “You’re worth a punch in the mouth,” Royce said, reading her mind. He kissed her again, lingering with sweet passion. “If he insists, this time, I pick you over Mac.”

  Felicity wondered if she would do the same. Again, Royce seemed to know how her mind worked.

  “Mac won’t make you choose,” he said. “Neither will I.”

  “You need to get out of my brain,” Felicity told him, disconcerted by his ability to understand how she thought.

  At the same time, Felicity felt the beginning of a connection between them. Slight. Tenuous. But she sensed the potential was there for something stronger than anything she’d known before.

  The idea that Royce could become a vital part of her life both excited Felicity and frightened the hell out of her.

  “You’re welcome to crawl inside my head,” Royce chuckled. “I’m an open book.”

  “I don’t want or need to know your every thought. Just be as truthful with me as possible,” Felicity said, remembering his words. “And I’ll try to do the same.”

  “Have I told you how much I like your dress?” Royce asked as the tip of one finger traced the edge of the neckline ending at the swell of her breasts. “Very nice.”

  “My doctor helped me pick just the right one for tonight,” Felicity told him.

  “Seems like above and beyond the Hippocratic oath,” he said, finding the lace of her bra. “But tell her I approve. Your doctor is a woman?”

  “Mm.” Felicity's eyes followed the path of Royce’s touch with approval. “Also, my friend.”

  Royce cupped Felicity’s breast. The warmth of his hand passed easily through silk and lace, heating her skin and her blood.

  “Should we be friends?” he asked before answering his own question with a nod. “Friends. Lovers. I like the combination.”

  “Do you plan to get me revved up then leave?” Felicity wanted to know. Her hand clutched his, stopping him from moving. “Will you sleep with me tonight?”

  “Sleep. And much more,” Royce assured her.

  “You said you didn’t have sex on the first date,” she reminded him.

  “What happened tonight wasn’t our first date,” he insisted. “Merely an extension of what we started as teenagers.”

  Felicity released Royce’s hand. When he pressed forward, his touch sure and true, she made a sound of approval deep in her throat.

  “Saved by a technicality,” she whispered.

  “Take me to your bed, Felicity.” Royce’s eyes blazed a fiery blue. “I’m not too old to have sex in a car but I’d hate to shock your neighbors.”

  “I do have my reputation to think about.” Felicity laughed at her joke. Royce didn’t.

  “One day we’ll have a long talk about why you have a misguided idea about what makes a good person and what doesn’t. Not tonight.”

  Royce placed a quick kiss on the slope of Felicity’s breast. With a roguish wink, he jogged around the car and opened the passenger door.

  “My lady,” he said as he took her hand.

  Felicity almost informed him that she was no lady. But the words caught in her throat. Royce was right. Too often she made a joke at her own expense—a defense mechanism. She decided long ago that it was better to laugh at herself before someone beat her to the punch.

  Habits were hard to break, as she knew too well. But if Felicity wanted to start on the path to liking herself, the first step was to stop putting herself down at every turn.

  Starting now.

  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

  AS HE HAD when they left for their date, Royce held Felicity’s hand as they walked toward the apartment building. A sweet gesture she wouldn’t mind getting used to experiencing. In the elevator, his gaze told her that there was nothing sweet about what he would do once they were behind closed doors.

  “I need to brush my teeth first,” Felicity told Royce as she opened the door.

  “We ate the same thing for dinner,” he pointed out. “Hell, we spent a good portion of the last hour with our tongues down each other’s throat.”

  “You paint such a charming image.” Felicity laughed. “And I can’t argue with your reasoning. But I want what I want.”

  “Then I won’t argue,” Royce nodded. “Do you have an extra toothbrush handy?”

  “Plenty,” Felicity said, pleased with his response. “What color do you prefer?”

  They stood at the sink, side by side, like an old married couple. As Felicity watched Royce there was nothing old or familiar about how she felt. She could have waited to brush her teeth. She wasn’t obsessive.

  But the routine of doing something familiar, something Felicity did every day, morning and night, without fail, gave her a much-needed moment to gather her jittery thoughts.

  Felicity was nervous. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in longer than she could remember. Sex had always been simple and fun. Not exactly meaningless—she didn’t share her body indiscriminately nor without consideration for the possible consequences.

  However, Felicity understood that what was about to happen with Royce was different. He was a significant part of her past. He was her present. Possibly, her future. At least for a little while.

  The ins and outs of sex—so to speak—weren’t what worried her. She expected Royce to be a good lover. But what if he found her lacking?

  “I have no technique,” Felicity said in a rush.

  Meeting her gaze in the mirror, Royce took a mouthful of water, rinsed, and spit. He wiped his mouth, giving her a puzzled frown.

  “You lost me,” he said. “Is there a specific kind of technique you’re talking about?”

  “Sexual.”

  Royce struggled to keep his lips from twitching.

  “Ah,” he said, nodding. Coughing back a snort. “Sexual.”

  “Don’t laugh.” Felicity punched him in the arm. Shaking her hand, she winced. “What are you made of? Granite.”

  Taking her hand, Royce kissed the knuckles one by one before placing her palm flat on his chest.

  “What do you feel?” he asked.

  “More granite,” Felicity answered. She slid her hand lower, lower. She stopped when she found the ridges of a definite six-pack. “Hot, sexy, and chiseled.”

  “Thank you,” Royce said with a pleased smile. “But the truth is, I’m merely flesh, bone, and blood. I’m human.”

  Royce felt superhuman to Felicity, but she would take his word on the subject.

  “If I do something you don’t like…” She took a deep breath. “If I’m not good enough—”

  “I’m nervous,” Royce said.

  Felicity was certain she heard wrong. Royce Patterson? Nervous? Impossible. The man was the definition of a walking, talking sex god.

  “Why,” she asked.

  “I want you. For a long, long time,” he explained. “More than you could ever know. I don’t want to screw up what could turn out to be my only chance at getting the one person who matters.”

  “I can be pretty particular about what I like and don’t like,” Felicity told him. Suddenly, she felt more relaxed. “Think you’re up to the task?”

  Royce grinned. His ploy worked. Felicity didn’t care that he’d played her. She understood why. He’d settled her nerves. That was what mattered.

  “Why don’t we find out,” he said.

  In one fluid motion, Royce lifted Felicity into his arms.

  “The bed is maybe twenty steps away,” she laughed, her arms falling naturally around his neck. “Less for someone with freakishly long legs.”

  “Nothing freakish about me,” Royce said. He proved himself wrong by reaching the bed in five strides. “I’m just a normal man in every way.”

  “Please,” Felicity scoffed as Royce lay her on top of the covers. Her eyes widened when he removed his shirt. He was spectacular. She swallowed—hard. “Yes, please.”

  “Like what you see?” Royce asked. He tossed aside his pants and stood before her in nothing but a pair of tight briefs that left little to Felicity’s imagination.

  “I like everything,” she said. Lifting her arms, she beckoned him to join her. “What are you waiting for?”

  Royce divested himself of the briefs, took one step, then stopped.

  “Condoms.”

  “In the drawer next to my bed.” Felicity rose to her knees. Reaching back, she tried to lower her zipper. She let out a growl of frustration. “Help.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Royce lowered the fastening—slowly. Felicity would have protested, urging him to hurry if he hadn’t kissed each inch of her newly exposed flesh as he went along.

  “Anything else you need me to remove?” Royce asked when her dress landed at the foot of the bed.

  “Well,” Felicity toyed with the lacy strap of her bra. “Now that you mention it. I can think of one or two things.”

  “If you don’t mind? I’d rather watch.” Royce settled himself with his back against the headboard. “Proceed.”

  Royce was good at giving orders. Conversely, Felicity wasn’t good at taking them. Two stubborn people used to the people around them acquiescing to their wishes did not make for an ideal situation. In bed or out.

  Considering her options, just this once, Felicity decided to give him his way. A little give and take couldn’t be a bad thing. Not when they were poised to benefit equally.

  “Slow?” Felicity asked as she undid the front closure of her bra. Holding his gaze, her heart racing, she peeled back one cup, stopping before she revealed too much. “I can go faster if you prefer.”

  “Where you’re concerned everything is good.” Royce cleared his throat when she continued to tease. When he spoke, his voice held a husky note of desire. “A little faster wouldn’t hurt.”

  With a nod, Felicity bared herself to him. Her breasts weren’t large. But they were firm and rode high on her chest. The nipples were the colors of ripe cherries. Currently, each was hard and ached for his touch.

  “Wow,” Royce said, shaking his head. “You are lovely.”

  Felicity raised his hand to her chest. She sighed, closing her eyes as his slightly calloused palm cupped her bare flesh. Royce’s mouth followed and her insides turned liquid.

  “How can you taste even sweeter than I imagined?” he asked as he licked and nibbled the tips as if feasting on the finest meal.

  “Should I talk dirty?” Feeling ridiculous, Felicity wanted to call back the words. She laughed. “Sorry.”

  “You can talk all you want,” Royce told her. “But anything remotely dirty at a time like this always sounds fake and forced.”

  “Thank you.” Felicity breathed a sigh of relief. “I have no idea what made me ask. But I do feel like talking. Though I never have in the past.”

  “What do you want to say?” Royce inquired. He kissed the side of her breast. “I’ll try to respond but after a few minutes, you might not get more than a grunt or two.”

  “Blood flow problems,” Felicity nodded. “Men can’t think and have sex or their erections fade?”

  “Fading isn’t a problem for me.” To prove his point, Royce placed her hand on his penis. “Well? What’s the verdict?”

  Felicity took her time as she familiarized herself with Royce’s length and width.

  “Impressive,” she said, licking her lips. “Smooth. Firm. I guess some men can do more than one thing in bed at the same time.”

  “Some men? As in more than one?” Royce scoffed. “Sweetheart, I’m the only man you need to worry about from this point forward. Understood?”

  “Are you ready to take me on?” Felicity asked, only half teasing. “I can be a handful.”

  “As long as you’re my handful and no one else’s, I don’t mind,” Royce assured her.

  “Exclusivity works both ways,” she warned him. “I don’t like to share.”

  “Then we’re agreed? Only me. Only you,” Royce said.

  “Only us,” Felicity nodded. “For as long as we last.”

  “You couldn’t resist adding a caveat,” Royce sighed. “I see a long future with us together.”

  “I don’t like to look too far ahead.” Felicity shrugged. “Tends to make me dizzy.”

  “Fine,” he said. “The path may get a little bumpy. Don’t worry, I’ll be there to hold your hand.”

  Felicity didn’t want to argue. She didn’t want to talk. Or think. All she wanted was Royce.

  Finished teasing, she found his mouth with hers. Royce’s hands tightened on her waist as her fingers slid into his hair and pulled him as close as humanly possible.

  Blindly, Royce found the box in the nearby drawer. With a spare, expert motion, he sheathed his length with a condom.

  “Ready?” he asked, his voice strained.

  “Yes,” Felicity sighed as his mouth captured hers once more.

  Whatever worries she brought into the bedroom vanished in a heartbeat. Their bodies seemed made for each other. In one smooth motion, Royce entered her. He threw his head back and groaned.

  “Slow?” he asked, his voice tight with strain.

  “Fast,” she urged. “Now!”

  Felicity didn’t see stars, but there were fireworks. Royce lit the fuse, pushed the buttons, and carried her to heights she never dreamed existed. She came in a rush of a glorious kaleidoscope of color. A moment later, he joined her, holding her to him, he cried out her name.

  Lying on her back, Royce’s arm flung across her stomach, Felicity kept her eyes closed as she savored the warm, floaty feeling. She realized the only time she felt a similar sensation was when she indulged in her little white pills.

  Drugs didn’t compare to the way Royce made her feel. Instead of vague and fuzzy, her mind was clear. Sharp. The world seemed bright and vivid instead of cloaked in a shadowy fog.

  “So, this is what they call a natural high,” Felicity whispered.

  “Hm?” Royce lifted his head, blinking his blue eyes. “Did you say something?”

  Felicity shook her head. She didn’t want to break the mood by bringing up an unpleasant subject even if the story ended well. At least for today. She felt too good. Too right.

  Turning into his arms, Felicity snuggled close. She was always cold inside. But not now. Not with Royce by her side.

  “I did say something.”

  “Tell me,” Royce urged. He placed a kiss on her forehead and pulled the covers over them. “I’m listening.”

  “A lot of things are running through my head,” Felicity said. “But to paraphrase? Holy crap, you’re good pretty much sums it up.”

  “I like the way you think,” Royce chuckled. “May I return the compliment?”

  “You may.”

  “Thank you for letting me be the one to christen your bed.” Royce covered her shoulders and let out a sigh of contentment. “Mind if we go again?”

  “Now?” Felicity lifted the sheet and peeked. “The wind seems to be out of your sails.”

  “Give me a few minutes,” Royce snorted. “Then, look again.”

  “How many minutes is a few?” Felicity asked. “Five? Ten?”

  “You truly can be exhausting,” he sighed.

  “Told you.” Felicity wasn’t worried. Royce sounded more amused than tired. “You didn’t answer.”

  “Ten minutes. Spent in each other’s arms. Not talking.”

  “What should I do with my mouth?” Felicity inquired, knowing she’d asked a loaded question.

  “For now, kiss me,” Royce told her.

  Felicity did as he demanded. With enthusiasm. Maybe she was better at taking orders than she thought? Or, she amended as she took charge, maybe not.

  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

  ONE MONTH WENT by. Then another. And another.

  With what seemed like a blink of the eye, Royce realized he and Felicity had been together for almost four months. He’d never doubted what happiness was. But with a woman he loved in his life, by his side, in his bed, the word took on a whole new meaning.

  If love gave women a certain glow, Royce wondered what special thing men could claim for their own. Certainly not peace of mind. As Felicity liked to say, she was not a restful person to be around.

  Stepping from the shower, Royce took a towel from the rack and dried himself off. He used another to take most of the water from his hair before wrapping the damp cloth around his waist.

  Felicity was the problem. For every two steps they took forward, she seemed to take one back. The math was easy. Instead of finding themselves moving toward something, they were mired in the same place where they started.

 

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