Pretty sure my smile is of the stupid-in-love variety too.

  “Holy shit. Did that just happen?” He shoves a hand through his hair.

  I grab the neck of his T-shirt. “Are you backing out?”

  Stone shakes his head. “No way. You’re stuck with me. I’m just feeling like this is a dream.”

  “Does this feel like a dream?” I slide my hands down his sweaty shirt then under it, trailing over his abs, his pecs. He shivers as I touch him.

  “I’m not going to lie. That is kind of all my dreams,” he says. He clasps my face. Looks in my eyes. Grins. “Jackson Pearce, I love you something fierce.”

  I laugh. “Are you trying to rhyme?”

  “Yeah. Or write another song. But I do. I love you something fierce.”

  My heart thunders. It gallops away, and I let it because it belongs to him. “I am so in love with you,” I tell Stone. And nothing has ever sounded better to say, nothing in the whole world.

  He quirks a brow, grabbing my waist. “But what the hell? What are you going to do? You quit?”

  I shrug, maybe a little impishly. “I’ve got a plan. A brilliant one.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I’ll tell you later. I think you should do your VIP thing, and do it fast because . . .” I brush my cheek to his, my stubble rubbing against his skin. “If memory serves, I’m pretty sure we had a deal about the next time we fucked.”

  He groans low in his throat, his eyes darkening. “Now I’m going to be sporting a flagpole the whole time I do the VIP event.”

  I slide a hand over his erection, squeeze him, and drop my lips to his.

  I kiss him hard at first, deep and possessive. My head goes hazy; my body heats. The kiss is both familiar and wonderfully new. It’s long and slow, and it tastes like forever.

  As we kiss, his words from the stage float through my mind and all I can think and feel is love.

  Deep, passionate love.

  Then the kiss shifts to teasing and sensual as I nip on his bottom lip, tracing his lips with my tongue.

  This, too, feels like a promise of our future. A long and amazing future. “We were never going to be one time only,” I say when I break the kiss.

  Stone gives me a lopsided grin. “I know.”

  I run a hand over his cheek, stroking that stubble that drives me crazy. “Ever since I met you, I’ve been falling for you. And ever since we first kissed, I was done for.”

  Stone presses his forehead to mine, curling his hands on my shoulders. “You changed me. You changed everything. I can’t believe I’m thirty-four and never knew what it was like to be in love.”

  “Get used to it, babe. I’m going to show you every single day what it’s like,” I say, joy filling every cell.

  “Who would have thought? My bodyguard is such a romantic.”

  I shrug, an admission. “Can you blame me? That I want to show you love every day?”

  He shakes his head. “It’s the only thing I want now.”

  “Good. Because you’re going to get it.” Then I smack his ass, narrow my eyes, and growl—go all bossy, since he likes that. “Now go. I need some good hard fucking from a rock star when you’re done.”

  He grips my hip. “Did you ever hear the story about the rock star who fell for his bodyguard?”

  I smile. “I hear it has a very happy ending.”

  We walk through the casino together. I’m still on duty, so I don’t stray from the job.

  I scan left and right, looking around, on alert. My hand is on his arm, but I don’t worry if it’s professional or not.

  It is what it is—my hand on my guy’s arm.

  Somewhere near an Avengers slot machine, Stone leans over, giving me a peck on the cheek.

  “You sneak,” I say.

  He shrugs. “No guilt. I feel no guilt.”

  We reach the elevator and punch in the key code.

  A voice calls out. “Jackstone!”

  I wheel around. Two twentysomething women flap their arms in the air as they dash toward us.

  They’re a couple, both sporting sashes that read “The Bride.” One points to the other and vice versa, and the taller of the two says, “We got married today. Before your show. We love you so much.”

  Stone holds his arms out wide. “Bring it in. Want a picture?”

  Both of them squeal. I step aside, but they shake their heads. The taller one points to me. “You better get in the picture. We want a photo with Jackstone.”

  “Jackstone,” Stone whispers. “The internet likes us.”

  “So do I.”

  We gather in, and one of the brides snaps a selfie.

  When they leave, we step into the elevator. As the door closes, I reach for his hand.

  Let the world see.

  In the lift, we’re surrounded by half a dozen people. A young family, an older couple. Some look at us; some don’t. But I don’t let go of his hand.

  We are together.

  When we reach his floor, we leave the elevator hand in hand, and this, right now, feels like everything I’ve ever wanted with him.

  When the forbidden becomes free.

  When you move a love affair from after dark into the light.

  When you take it out of hotel rooms and declare yourself to each other in front of everyone. When you say that this love matters more than anything else and you make it happen.

  But right now, I’d like to be in a hotel room with my man. And that’s where we go.

  37

  Jackson

  Inside his suite, the first thing I do is grab my wallet from my pocket. I flip it open, fishing around for a piece of paper.

  “Stone,” I say, broaching a topic that’s important. No reason to beat around the bush or to be embarrassed. This is the necessary next step. “Since we’re kind of a thing now, do you want to talk about going bare? Because I’ve been tested, and I’m clean.”

  I unfold the sheet of paper and show him my test results.

  Stone grins wickedly. “Did you think all I did to prep for you was buy a ton of dildos? I got checked too.” He lunges for the coffee table at lightning speed, grabbing his wallet, then he opens it and snags a sheet of paper to show me. “What can I say? I’m an optimist. I was hoping we’d get to this.” His expression turns more serious, his brow creasing, and he lifts a finger. “But I do take issue with one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  He lowers his voice, imitating me. “Kind of a thing? We’re not kind of a thing, Jackson. We are a thing. A big thing.”

  My gaze darts to his crotch. “Why don’t you give me some of that big thing?”

  “I’m going to give you all of it.”

  My dick jumps to attention as I grab his face and haul him in for a kiss, my tongue sliding into his mouth.

  Our hands fly over each other while I walk us backward to the couch, flop down on my back, and pull him on top of me.

  He grinds against me, and I wrap my legs around him, positioning him so our hard-ons rub ruthlessly against each other. We kiss endlessly, and adrenaline spins through me, a potent mix of love and lust.

  My mind slides into a sex-drunk haze as we grind. But my need to get closer skyrockets, so I break apart and clasp his face. “Like this? Want me like this? Missionary?”

  Stone trembles, breathing hard. “Any way. I want you any way.” He takes a beat, looking me in the eyes. “But when did you last bottom? Was it, like, ten years ago?”

  I laugh. “I top most of the time, but I can handle switching if that’s what you’re asking. I’ve done it before.” I leave it at that, letting him fill in the dots—it hasn’t been years, just about two.

  “Are you sure about this? You don’t have to.”

  “I want you inside me,” I say, and it’s like my mind is naked before him, raw and vulnerable but truthful. “I told you—I want to feel everything with you. Do you want to fuck me?”

  He lets out a low groan. “Of course I want to. I’m going to fuck you, but I’ll be making love to you the whole time because that’s what this is with us.”

  “It absolutely is,” I say.

  His eyes flicker with mischief. “Good. Now, I’m going to have so much fun playing with your perfect ass and getting you ready,” he says, sliding off me, then reaching for my hand and tugging me up. We head to the bedroom, where we strip down to nothing, and I lie on the bed as we change roles. He grabs the lube, nudges my legs apart, and settles between them.

  He looks like I just gave him the keys to a new sports car and he’s going to take it for a ride. He’s smitten with the shining set of wheels and stares shamelessly at my erection. “Have I told you I love your dick?”

  I laugh. “Why don’t you show me how much?”

  He licks a long stripe up my shaft, swirling his wicked tongue over the crown.

  “That’s good,” I groan.

  He smiles as he sucks the head between his gorgeous lips then draws back, locking eyes with me. “Your dick is my dream cock. I can’t believe this is the dick I get to play with every day.”

  “Play with me, babe. I’m all yours,” I say, and I can’t stop grinning—or moaning when he takes me to the back of his throat, swallowing me in one impressive move.

  Pleasure whirls through me. As he sucks, he reaches for the lube, clicks it open, and pours some on his fingers. Pushes one against me.

  I let out a loud moan. He presses in, and I tense for a second at the intrusion. But he sucks me harder into his mouth, his tongue doing wicked things to my cock as he slides his finger deeper into my ass, coaxing me open for him.

  I love this like crazy, but I want to watch him.

  “Stone, let me see your face.”

  He lets go of my dick and rises up on his knees, pouring more lube on his fingers. “Better?”

  “Yeah,” I say, as he works his fingers in deeper, his eyes on mine the whole time. I breathe in, out, in, adjusting as he plays with me, pressing, crooking.

  Then he gets me right there.

  He hits my P-spot. My vision blurs.

  “Oh, fuck me,” I moan as everything turns white-hot inside me. “I nearly forgot how good that is . . . fuck, fuck, fuck.”

  “I’ll help you remember anytime,” he says, and adds another finger. Lust ripples through me, a blinding wave as he bends that magic finger in just the right way.

  “Is that good?” he asks.

  I nod savagely. “So good.”

  “I bet it’d be even better if we could get some cock action,” he says, adding more lube to his palm then wrapping a fist around my shaft. He strokes my cock while he fucks my ass with his fingers.

  My cells light up, lust careening through me everywhere. I push up onto my elbows, raise one arm, and reach for his face so I can cup his jaw. “Fuck me now.”

  “Hell to the yes.”

  He lets go of my dick, pours some more lube onto his shaft, then settles between my legs, nudging them apart.

  For a few seconds, vulnerability tears through me. This is not my MO, not the position I’m usually in.

  But when I look at him, all I see is a man who wants to make it good for me.

  I whisper, “Stone.”

  As he presses against me, he looks up. “Yeah, J?”

  “Look at me,” I say, because I do feel vulnerable, but I want to experience every second of this with him and me connected.

  Our eyes lock. “No place else I’d rather look. Ever.”

  With his gaze holding mine, I let a big breath fill my entire body, spreading relaxation and desire at the same time. He pushes a little deeper then lets go of his dick, wraps his hand around my length, and strokes up with a nice, tight grip that makes me shudder.

  The pressure is intense. I burn as he goes deeper. I grit my teeth for a second.

  “You okay, J? Do you need me to stop?”

  I shake my head. “Don’t you dare.”

  I slide my knees up higher, giving him more room. That does the trick. He sinks deeper into me, stroking me as he goes.

  I breathe in and out, taking him. When he bottoms out, his eyes go glossy with desire.

  He shudders—a full-body tremble that seems to move in a wave through him.

  It’s gorgeous and breathtaking at the same time.

  His shoulders shake. He mutters, “So good,” over and over.

  I grip his ass, pull him tighter, and let all of these new sensations fill me at once—the physical that’s so much more.

  That’s become everything I’ve longed for. Everything I’ve wanted.

  And now I get to have that kind of love.

  Big and true and passionate.

  38

  Stone

  I am in heaven.

  Officially in dirty, filthy heaven.

  That’s how it feels to slide deep into my man’s beautiful, carved body.

  To look at Jackson and move inside him.

  He’s hot and tight as he clenches around me. I unleash a feral groan because it feels spectacular to fuck him, and to fuck him bare. It’s so damn good that I tremble, shaking all over as I go deeper.

  He breathes out hard, his lips parting beautifully. A bead of sweat slides down his chest. He lets out a long, delicious murmur. “Mmmmm . . .”

  That sound alone gets me going. I push a little farther, pump a little harder. “Fucking you is amazing, J,” I rasp out.

  He grabs my ass harder, pulling me deeper into him. I love that he wants it like this. That he wants me as hard and deep as he gives it to me.

  “But it’s better if we kiss,” he growls, grabbing my face, yanking me close.

  He smashes his lips to mine, and holy hell. Magic sparks in my body as he kisses me like he owns me.

  He does own me. He owns my pleasure.

  He owns my heart. He owns my soul.

  As we kiss, my hand slides down his chest, over his abs, on a tantalizing track for his cock. I take it in my fist.

  He groans louder, grunting, thrusting up against me. “Why don’t you fuck me harder and jerk me off?”

  I heed the call, swiveling my hips, working my man the way he works me.

  Deeply, relentlessly, ruthlessly.

  And hell, does it work.

  Jackson is a hot mess.

  He is a moaning, groaning mass of muscle and sweat and sin breaking apart beneath me.

  He arches, bowing his back, grappling at my arms. “Gonna come any second. Gonna come so hard.”

  Pleasure coils in me, gathers in my balls, then intensifies as he shoots all over my hand and his chest. It’s gorgeous and filthy. And it sets me off. I fuck him so hard I lose my mind and come too, in a spiral of bliss.

  As I lie there on him, panting, his release smearing my chest, his arms wrap tighter around me, pulling me close. “I’m going to make you so happy every day,” he says in a beautiful bedroom promise that I have no doubt he’ll keep.

  “You already do,” I say.

  In the morning, neither one of us sneaks out. We leave and get breakfast downstairs like two lovers in Las Vegas do after a night of epic passion.

  Our love is no longer a secret. It’s no longer one time only. It’s every time, and this morning feels like it’s going to be the start of every day for the rest of my life.

  Ever since I felt the first flicker of attraction to another person, I was open to both men and women. Now, I feel wild attraction for one person. One person who happens to be a guy.

  A guy I love with my heart, mind, and body.

  When our food arrives, I thank the waiter then take another sip of my chai and give Jackson a pointed look.

  “So, are you finally going to tell me?”

  His brow furrows as he drinks his coffee. “Tell you what?”

  I roll my eyes. “Your plans? Job plans? Hello? You did quit last night, you sneak.”

  He laughs and sets down his coffee. “I had a moment yesterday with Cruz where everything became crystal clear. And I talked to the guys. Cruz and Terrence,” he says, gesturing to the front of the restaurant where Terrence stands guard.

  “And the moment was discussing how awesome it is to work with me?”

  He doesn’t laugh. Instead, Jackson blows out a long stream of air, like he’s about to tell me something hard. He scrubs a hand over his chin. “Yeah, about that . . .”

  Nerves prick across my shoulders. “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “You might be needing an entirely new group of bodyguards.”

  My eyes bug out. “What? You’re all defecting? Like, en masse?” I rub my ear in case I didn’t hear him right.

  “We are. We’re starting a company in Los Angeles. A bodyguard training company. We want to teach new men and women how to do the job, and we want to do it in LA. Terrence wants to see his wife more, and Cruz is missing out on his little girl growing up. It’s hard for them on the road, Stone.”

  My shoulders sag. “Those guys are awesome. All of you are.”

  He gives me a small smile. “They’re giving notice today, but they told me I could tell you. We’ll help and make sure you have detail as you transition, but I think this is going to be great for all of us. And for you and me, since I can do what I love and be free to be with you.”

  I snap out of my momentary funk.

  Jackson is right. This is great news. I am happy for all three of them. For me, and for them.

  But right now, this isn’t about me. It’s about three good men doing right by their loved ones.

  I slide out of the booth, move to Jackson’s side, drape an arm around him, and drop a kiss on his cheek. “I’m happy for you, J. That’s awesome.”

  A smile curves his lips, and his cheeks flush. He speaks softly. “You’re so affectionate.”

  I squeeze his shoulder. “Does that surprise you?”

  “No. Just getting used to it.”

  “Get used to it, J. You quit your job for me, and I told the world I loved you for you.”

  He quirks a brow. “Well, that was kind of for you too.”