The dresser was actually a sleek, contemporary gray table with drawers that sat lower to the ground than most normal dressers.

  My rear end was almost even with my shoulders by the time my palms hit the surface.

  I let out an audible sigh as his hands moved over my ass, up my back, and then underneath me until he was cupping my breasts through the material of my dress.

  I bit back a moan as he found my nipples and pinched just enough to send a needy jolt through my entire body.

  “Chase,” I whispered desperately.

  “Do you know how long it took for my cock to get hard when I saw you come out of that bathroom?” he asked in a graveled voice.

  “No,” I squeaked as he began to pluck the hardened peaks over and over again.

  “A millisecond,” he informed me before stopping his sensual assault and moving his hands to right above my knees where the hem of my dress rested. “That’s exactly how long it takes for my dick to get hard whenever I see you.”

  The small amount of spandex in my dress stretched as he lifted it slowly up my thighs and over my ass.

  At that moment, I was vulnerable, but completely unafraid.

  Chase cared about nothing but my satisfaction, and I already knew he’d take care of that…after he had me so worked up I was begging.

  “That’s really…fast,” I finally answered.

  He slipped a finger under the elastic in the leg of my black bikinis, and I shivered as that finger caressed the full length of my damp slit.

  “You’re wet, baby,” Chase informed me in a low voice dripping with lust. “But not wet enough.”

  Oh, God. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was hell-bent on making me crazy.

  I let my head drop, and my body tensed as I waited…

  And waited…

  And waited…

  Anticipating his stroking touch over my clit.

  I needed that…right now.

  “Tell me what you want, Vanna,” he insisted as a few more fingers invaded my slick heat.

  “Touch! Me!” I panted, my body strung tightly.

  “Like this?” he questioned as he finally found the hard nub.

  “Oh, God, yes,” I whined, my hips starting to move involuntarily. “Make me come, Chase. Please.”

  That was exactly what I needed.

  “Not yet,” he said patiently as he slapped my ass firm enough to send a jolt of fire through my pussy. “I need you to want me as much as I want you right now before I fuck you, Vanna.”

  “I’m there, Chase. I’m there, dammit!” I told him, my voice needy. “Please.”

  In my desperation, I started to rise up, but Chase quickly covered my body, putting his hands next to mine as he bent over me.

  “Don’t move. Spread your legs wider,” he ordered.

  I complied, my entire body on fire.

  “Hope these aren’t your favorites,” he growled. “If they are, I’ll buy you a truckload of them tomorrow.”

  He gave my panties a hard yank, and they separated from my body, giving under his strength.

  Now that he had better access, those talented fingers were everywhere, and I was so ready for him that I rocked back against him.

  “Easy,” he growled into my ear. He kept a persistent, light, teasing pressure on my clit as he stroked back and forth. Over and over. Until I was ready to lose my mind.

  “I can’t take much more,” I moaned, my body screaming for satisfaction. “Please, fuck me.”

  He slid a finger inside my channel as he asked roughly, “You want my cock, Vanna?”

  I nodded, my breath sawing in and out of my lungs and my heart pounding like it was going to escape my chest. “Yes,” I hissed.

  He buried his face in my neck, and licked upward until he reached my ear.

  He nipped, and then traced my earlobe with his tongue, his breath heavy, warm, and aroused as it wafted over my ear.

  I quivered, barely able to keep my arms from giving out from under me.

  “You’re fucking mine, Vanna. Say it!” he instructed hoarsely.

  “I’m yours, Chase,” I whimpered. “Now fuck me and prove it. Take me if I’m yours, dammit!”

  “Whatever you need, baby,” he said in a low, carnal voice as he gave my clit one last stroke before he straightened.

  I knew that he sensed that I was on the edge.

  In a matter of seconds, I felt the velvety tip of his hard cock poised at my entrance.

  “Now, Chase!” I mewled, my core throbbing with need.

  I gasped as he buried himself to the hilt with a tormented groan. “Christ, Vanna. You feel so fucking good.”

  “Yes!” I cried out, my body shuddering with relief, and stretching hard to accommodate him at this particular angle.

  He was so damn big and hard, but I was so far gone that I didn’t feel the very brief discomfort that I normally did.

  There was just him.

  Everywhere.

  Surrounding me.

  Insisting on everything I could give.

  Playing my body like an instrument.

  I didn’t care because I knew he was starting to come apart at the seams, too.

  He was coming undone, and he didn’t give two shits if I knew that.

  He grasped my hips and started to move.

  There was no slow start, no savoring this time. We were both desperate and greedy, wanting and primal.

  I moaned helplessly as Chase pummeled into me, every muscle in my body tight. Something fierce was building with every stroke, and I made no attempt to stop it.

  It was like this between us every single time he touched me.

  Untamed.

  Wild.

  And so powerful that all I could do was ride the waves of pleasure.

  “Time to come, sweetheart,” Chase said huskily as he moved his hand in front of my body and found my clit.

  I imploded almost immediately.

  My climax sent me reeling, and my legs began to shake as the overwhelming climax reached its peak.

  I put my head back as I screamed his name, “Chase!”

  I wanted to tell him I loved him, and that instinct was so acute that I had to bite on my bottom lip to keep from blurting it out.

  The hand gripping my hip squeezed my flesh harder, and Chase surged one last time as he found his own release.

  My legs gave out, but he caught me as I went, picked me up, and held me as he moved into a sitting position on the dresser.

  I straddled him as he held me tightly, stroking my back, his heated breath on my temple as he rested his lips there.

  We stayed just like that, wrapped up in each other as we recovered our breath.

  He threaded a gentle hand in my hair and pulled me down for a kiss a few moments later, an embrace that made me blink back tears because it was so full of reverence and devotion.

  “I think we’re definitely going to be late,” Chase said in a lazy baritone after he released my mouth.

  “That’s what you get for being so bossy,” I said with a snicker.

  “Had to,” he said with feigned defensiveness. “You and that ass-hugging dress almost destroyed me. If you had touched me, it would have been over.”

  I smiled softly as I ran my fingers through his hair, savoring every second of that raw intimacy before we finally had to get up to salvage dinner.

  Chase

  “That was probably the most incredible dinner I’ve ever eaten,” Vanna said with a sigh as she pushed away her empty dessert plate. “Thank you for the beautiful flowers you gave me earlier, and for this gastronomic delight this evening. I think I’ve been to every really nice restaurant in San Diego now. Is there any eatery in this city that you haven’t been in yet?”

  She’d suggested dinner at home because we were going to be late for our reservation, but I wasn’t having it.

  Maybe I couldn’t keep my damn hands off her, but I wasn’t missing a dinner this important.

  I was so damn proud of Vanna, and I wanted her to know that I supported every aspect of her career.

  It was a big deal for her to sell her first independent piece of work, and I wasn’t going to let my horny ass spoil it.

  I’d read that story on the Darien Gap several times, and it was so incredible that I wasn’t surprised that she’d sold it almost immediately with multiple offers.

  In the end, I’d called for a later reservation, and since I knew the guy who owned the restaurant, it hadn’t been an issue.

  Vanna loved every restaurant we’d been to so far. Because she’d been traveling for years, she usually asked me to choose, so I’d taken her to most of my favorites.

  “Probably not,” I admitted. “From fast food and cafés to Michelin star, there’s not many I haven’t tried.” I liked my food, and since I was unattached, I’d eaten out a lot. Wyatt and I also ordered out for lunch most of the time, too. “I’m glad you liked this place. That’s probably high praise since you’ve been all over the globe.”

  She shook her head slowly. “I’ve never really gotten to see the sights or experience the cuisine during a lot of the assignments I’ve done. Either the location was too remote, or we were on a tight time schedule because of the budget. We arrived, we worked, and then we left. We usually ate whatever was available. I would have gladly spent my own money if I’d had time to explore some of the countries I’ve visited, but we were usually due at another location right after the previous one. It never stopped, really. That’s why I rarely got home to San Diego.”

  I really hated the fact that they’d pushed Vanna so hard that she’d never gotten a chance to enjoy the places that she could. Cheap bastards!

  “We can go anywhere you want just for fun,” I told her. “Make a list, and we’ll make sure we find time for those vacations. Even though we relocated our headquarters back to the States, there will be occasions when I’ll need to go to France, too. I’d be happy to introduce you to my second home.”

  Her face lit up, which automatically made my damn chest ache. It was humbling how open she was with me now, and how eager she was to do almost anything if it involved the two of us together. Vanna had the same amount of enthusiasm, whether I suggested a trip for ice cream or an excursion to Paris. It didn’t matter to her.

  “I’d love that. I’ve been to Paris, but I never even got to visit the Louvre, much less the Eiffel Tower,” she said with regret.

  I had no fucking idea how someone could send an employee to Paris and not give them a little time to enjoy the City of Lights. It seemed downright criminal to me. However, that did mean that I’d get to see her face when she saw all of those places for the first time. “I’ll take you all over the country,” I promised. “I love Paris, but there’s other places that you should see in France, too.”

  She swallowed the last sip of her wine and put her empty glass beside her discarded dinner plate. “You do realize that you’re going to spoil me, right?” she asked teasingly. “Actually, you already have.”

  Spoil her? Hell, I planned on ruining her to the point where she wouldn’t ever consider being with any man but me for the rest of her life.

  Vanna was a woman who deserved to be treasured wholeheartedly, and I was the perfect man for that job.

  “It’s about time that someone does,” I grumbled after I’d drained my own wine glass.

  I wondered how I’d gotten lucky enough to capture and keep Vanna’s attention, but I wasn’t going to question the best damn gift I’d ever been given. All of those other idiots who had dated her before me and let her go had to have a screw loose somewhere.

  Miracle or not, Vanna was mine now, and there was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep it that way.

  “I hope Axel is okay at home by himself,” Vanna fretted. “I’ve never left him alone this long before.”

  “He’s fine. He’s a trained protection dog, Vanna,” I reminded her, secretly pleased that she cared about the canine so much since she’d gotten Axel to appease my concerns.

  “But he’s still a dog that’s being left alone for the first time in a new home,” she protested.

  I grinned. “I think you’ve fallen in love with a dog.”

  Lucky. Fucking. Dog.

  She smiled sheepishly. “Maybe. He’s such a good boy, Chase. All he really wants is to play, be near his people, and get a bunch of cookies every day.”

  “Sounds like the perfect life to me,” I said wryly as I signed the receipt the waiter had brought me and put my card away. “Do you want anything else before we go, sweetheart?”

  Actually, the mutt and I had similar goals and needs, so I guess I could sympathize with him if he was missing Vanna right now. Hell, I missed her, too, when we weren’t together.

  Axel and I both wanted to protect Vanna and keep her safe.

  We’d never turn down treats if she offered them.

  And we both wanted her to pet us, albeit in far different ways.

  “No thanks,” she replied.

  I waved the waiter away before I asked, “So I’m forgiven for insisting that we get Axel?”

  I had to admit that I really liked the mutt, too, but my main purpose in getting him had been to add an extra layer of protection to Vanna.

  The way she adored him was just a huge bonus.

  “Of course,” she said softly. “I’m perfectly willing to compromise, but I can’t do the human bodyguard thing, Chase. Ever. It would drive me completely crazy.”

  Honestly, I couldn’t blame her. I wouldn’t be able to tolerate it, and Vanna had her own life. Normally, I wouldn’t have given this much credence to an obvious lunatic, but something in my gut was nagging me about this one.

  This person was excessive and obsessive. They wanted Wyatt and me to pay because, in their twisted mind, we were responsible for their father’s death. That meant the people we cared about could be in more danger than we were.

  Something didn’t feel right, and even Wyatt agreed with me.

  Cooper was taking every precaution possible with Torie.

  Which pretty much just left…Vanna.

  Fuck! I couldn’t stand the thought of her being vulnerable.

  I had no problem admitting that both Vanna and Torie were my Achilles’ heel.

  Now I just had to make sure they were safe until this psycho wasn’t a possible danger anymore.

  “I understand, Vanna, and I don’t want to stifle you,” I answered truthfully. “Just be careful right now. Don’t let your guard down.”

  Christ! I wasn’t even willing to consider what my life would be like without Vanna in it anymore.

  It was highly likely that nothing would ever happen. I’d tried to remind myself of that every single day since those letters had started to arrive, but then the apprehension would inevitably show up.

  What if something happened to Vanna?

  What if this person was serious?

  What if I couldn’t protect her?

  “Are you ready?” Vanna asked as she stood.

  “Yeah,” I said distractedly as I rose from my seat. “Let’s go home.”

  I took Vanna’s hand as we exited the restaurant and headed for the parking lot, my eyes scanning the area to look for anyone hanging around outside.

  It was actually pretty quiet since we’d had a late dinner just before the restaurant had closed.

  Still, I couldn’t shake off that damn gut feeling…

  What happened next occurred so fast that I never had a chance to draw my weapon.

  A dark figure came out of the bushes next to the sidewalk, tore Vanna away from me and snarled, “Make a move and I’ll slit her throat right now.”

  Suddenly and without warning, Vanna was put in a position that made my blood run cold.

  She was pulled against a madman with a very large knife to her throat.

  Knowing the guy was certifiable, I kept my hands to my sides.

  Stay calm! Don’t lose your shit! That’s not going to help Vanna right now.

  Vanna was only about six feet away from me, but if this asshole decided he was going to use that knife, I’d never get there in time to save her.

  He could cut her throat in less than a heartbeat.

  “Your beef isn’t with her. It’s with me,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm when all I really wanted to do was tear the bastard’s head off. “Let her go.”

  The man was big and unkempt. His dark hair was dirty, and his eyes were bloodshot and devoid of any emotion except madness.

  Christ! I’d seen dead eyes like his, and it never turned out good.

  “Do you have any idea what it’s like to watch someone you love die?” the man barked. “My father shot himself right in front of me. The only thing I could do was watch as the life in his eyes just drained away. He was all I had. He took care of me. I think you should know how it feels to watch someone you care about die right in front of you.”

  I was honestly terrified at the thought, but I couldn’t take my mind off of my goal, which was to get that goddamn knife away from Vanna’s throat.

  Obviously, his father hadn’t taken good care of his son if he’d blown his own brains out right in front of him.

  The man was mental, and there was nothing left in his eyes but vengeance and wrath.

  I locked my gaze with Vanna’s as I quickly contemplated my options, knowing I had only seconds to decide, and that her life was probably going to depend on that decision.

  I saw terror in her tumultuous gaze, but there was also something else…

  Fucking resignation.

  She knew this maniac was going to kill her.

  We both knew it.

  I also had a feeling that she had decided that she wanted to go down fighting.

  She made her move quickly, and I was ready for it.

  Bam! Bam! Bam!

  One right after the other, she slammed her head back and hit him in the face, then the solar plexus with her elbow, and finally she slammed her heel down onto his foot and ground down before letting her body drop.

  I flew across the space as he howled with pain and I coldcocked him, adding a few extra punches as he fell—just in case.

  I didn’t bother giving him another glance once he hit the ground and was out cold.

  Immediately, I crouched by Vanna’s side where she lay on the sidewalk.