An empty cupcake wrapper lay on the coffee table beside the half-finished cup of hot chocolate. She was warm, sated and drifting closer and closer to the veil of sleep.

“This is nice,” she murmured sleepily.

He didn’t answer but pressed a kiss to her hair in response.

“If I fall asleep, will you carry me up to bed again?”

She smiled as she awaited his response.

“You don’t have to be asleep for me to carry you up to bed.”

“Mmm.” She snuggled deeper into his chest and rubbed her cheek against the solid wall of muscle. “I kind of like you carrying me around. Makes me feel small and dainty.”

Connor snorted. “You are small and dainty. You don’t even come to my chin. I could probably stick you in my pocket and carry you around.”

“So what do we do now?”

He tipped her chin up so she looked at him. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged. “I mean now that the show is over. There never was a real threat to me. Whatever reason R.J. and Trent had for leaving those notes, I don’t believe for a minute they were going to hurt me. So that’s resolved.”

“Well, if I remember correctly, the point of this whole venture was for you to do your show, take some down time and lay low. So I guess the answer to your question is, you can do whatever you want.”

“And you?” she asked hesitantly.

He cocked his head. “Lyric, if there’s something you want to say, say it. I’m not a mind reader.”

“I just wondered if you’d want to do stuff with me. I mean just us. Not job related.”

His eyes gleamed in the low light. His thumb ran over her jaw and then to her lips, rubbing softly over her mouth.

“I’d like nothing more than to spend some time with you.”

He followed his hand with his mouth, turning her face up to meet his lips. Warm and melting, his heat invaded her, moving sluggishly through her veins like a narcotic.

He was dangerous to her. He did things to her heart and mind she couldn’t explain. He made her want things she’d always been afraid of. But now she wanted to try. She wanted a normal relationship, but how was such a thing ever possible for her?

“In fact, what I’d really like to do right now is take you upstairs and make love to you and for you to sleep in my arms afterward.”

She swallowed and nodded. She’d try. God, for him she’d try.

He pushed himself from the couch and then reached down to curl her into his arms. He lifted her effortlessly from the couch and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom.

She curled her arms around his neck and tucked her head under his chin. If she could stop time, she’d live in this moment forever. The entire past week had been nothing short of . . . life changing. It sounded corny and melodramatic, but it was absolutely true.

Maybe she’d finally found purpose. Or maybe she was finally growing and stretching beyond the past. She’d simply existed for so long but now she wanted to live. She wanted to grab on and enjoy every moment and take nothing for granted.

He laid her gently on the bed and tonight she didn’t play coy. She wanted him. Wanted him skin to skin, his body on hers. She got up on her knees and circled his neck, pulling him into her kiss.

He tasted like chocolate and he smelled of wood and smoke from the fire. It was a heady, intoxicating blend that she savored.

Her hands drifted over his shoulders and then to his chest, rubbing and caressing his tight body. Lean and hard and so damn delicious.

“Take your shirt off,” she said huskily. “Take it all off. Right there while I’m watching, and then come back to me.”

His gaze never leaving hers, he shucked his shirt and pants, and his underwear quickly followed. She sucked in all her breath as he stood naked, a thing of beauty, all hers to do with what she wanted. Oh damn. It would take a week to do everything she wanted with him.

“If you don’t stop looking at me like that, it’s going to be all over before it begins,” he growled.

“What am I looking at you like?” she asked innocently.

“Like I’m dessert and you’re about to eat me.”

“Mmm, but that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” she purred.

She leaned over and pressed her lips to his shoulder and then bared her teeth and nipped. He flinched and let out a low groan. She let her tongue slide sensuously up to the column of his neck and then she took another nip, right below his ear.

His big body shuddered and his hands curled into tight fists at his side.

She leaned back and placed her palms to his chest and ran her fingers through the light smattering of hair at the hollow, then followed the line down to his belly and lower to the crisp, light brown hairs at his groin.

His cock stiffened and jutted upward, directly into her hands. She wrapped her fingers around his length and traced his erection downward until she cupped his sac in one hand and fondled while she stroked up and down with her other hand.

“May I say you have very impressive equipment, Connor Malone.”

He made a sound of frustration and leaned closer to her.

“More impressive that you know precisely what to do with it.”

“You’re killing me,” he rasped.

She blinked up at him with pretended dismay. “I find I have no idea what to do with such a wealth of manhood. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Get down on your knees and wrap that pretty mouth around it.”

“Mmmm, kneeling has such a submissive overtone, don’t you agree?”

“Honey, there is nothing submissive about you. Hell, I don’t care if you stand on your head. I just want to get inside that sweet, lush mouth and drown.”

She grinned. “Well, since you asked so prettily.”

She quickly undressed and then lay down on the bed, positioning herself so that her head hung over the edge, directly in line with his cock.

She stared up at him and then reached to caress his length. “Fuck me, Connor. Just like that. Fuck me hard.”

His hands trembled on her face. His fingers stroked over her mouth and her cheekbones and then one hand left her to grasp his cock and guide it toward her waiting mouth.

“Open up, baby. Take me. Take all of me.”

She licked her lips and then parted them just as the broad head of his penis bumped against her mouth. Her tongue flicked over the crown and he flinched and then pushed in, sliding over her tongue.

His taste burst through her senses. Musky and exotic. Warm and spicy with a hint of soap. He slid deeper, checking himself at intervals, but when she offered no protest he sank to the back of her throat.

His balls brushed across her nose and then pressed inward as he strained forward. His hands tightened on the sides of her head and then he began thrusting back and forth.

He delved his fingers into her hair, separating and brushing through the strands. His movements were slow and measured. He never overwhelmed her. He seemed to know just how far to push and when to pull back.

She wanted to give him something back. She wanted to give him all the pleasure he’d given to her.

She reached behind and slid her hands over his hips to his taut buttocks. They flexed and rippled with each thrust, hard beneath her touch. She dug her fingers into his flesh and pulled him to her even as she swallowed him deeper.

Connor moved his hands from her face and then leaned over her to kiss her belly. She shivered and danced beneath his mouth and then his hands glided down her hips to part her legs.

He pulled them back until they were double and her pussy was exposed to his touch. His hips continued to pump against her mouth as his fingers dipped between her folds to the damp, sensitive flesh underneath.

She moaned around his cock and twisted restlessly as his fingers slipped inside her, stroking gently as his thumb toyed with her clit.

Then he withdrew and pulled back and knelt behind her. Gently he stroked his hands through her hair and closed his mouth over hers, smooching softly, her mouth, her cheeks, her eyes and then her forehead.