I look toward Lucia, who’s beaming at me, her smile wide and utterly breathtaking. Her eyes are filled with pride as she makes her way toward us. Unable to resist, I turn my head and take one last furtive glance at Carmen only to find her staring daggers at me, her scowl morphing into a scheming smirk when she catches Lucia closing in. Nodding dismissively at the two of us, she spins on her heels and walks away. After the verbal slaying she just encountered, any normal person would be scuttling off with their tail between their legs.

Making my way offstage, I only have a second to brace myself before Lucia launches herself into my arms, her lips seeking out mine as she slams her mouth against my mouth and kisses me. Buoyed by what just happened and not giving a shit who’s watching, I wrap my arms around her waist and return the kiss with enthusiasm. I pour everything I’m feeling into the contact: pride, exhilaration, the buzz of adrenaline from my verbal smackdown with the overzealous reporter, all of it.

Grant clears his throat, snapping me out of my haze, but not in time to stop the serendipitous throng of camera flashes and catcalls as the lingering photographers see their chance and run with it, snapping as many shots as they can while the going is good.

Lucia’s eyes grow wide as she realizes what she’s subconsciously forgotten about. “I’m so sorry, Cal. I didn’t—”

Not wanting to hear her apologize again because in my mind, she has absolutely nothing to be sorry about, I crush her body to mine and slam my mouth against hers. Taking my time, I delve my tongue into her mouth, rolling against hers in a well-practiced dance that has never been as good as it is when I’m with her. I hear a hum of noise all around us, but it’s nothing compared to the roaring in my ears and the thumping of my heart in my chest as my feelings for the woman in my arms make themselves known to me in blinding clarity.

I want her in my arms. I want the world to know she’s with me, that she’s mine.

But right now, what I really want to do is take her somewhere private, strip her bare and bury my cock deep inside of her. I want to get so lost in her that I can never find my way back again.

The minute I get Lucia through my front door, I give up holding back the swirling emotions coursing through me. Sensing my mood, she reciprocates immediately. I tug on her hand, pulling her body hard into mine. I wrap one hand around her waist, the other around her ponytail. The only response available to her is to wrap her arms around my shoulders and hold on.

My mouth slams against hers, the answering gasp giving my tongue its desperately wanted opportunity to delve inside and take what it wants. I move her backwards, only stopping when her back hits the wall. The force shakes the apartment, sending a hanging mirror careening to the floor and shards of glass shattering around our feet.

Lucia moans loudly, which just drives me higher. I push my thigh between her legs, hard against her core, the hand at her back moving down to her ass and pushing her pelvis hard against me. Hips rocking out of their own volition, I drag my mouth along her jaw, nipping and kissing, then running my tongue down her neck and sucking hard against the soft, supple skin.

“Fuck me, Callum. Fuck me right here.”

“I need to feel you around my cock.”

“Do it,” she says on a moan as I press my pelvis hard against her. Moving my leg aside, I reach the hand at her ass down under her dress then up to her underwear, fisting them and tearing them off her. I drop the offending scrap of silk to the floor, running two fingers over her clit and continuing down until they’re pressing inside of her.

“God, that feels good. Been aching for this all day.”

I nip her earlobe before sucking it into my mouth. “Been wanting me deep inside?” I ask, my voice rough with lust.

“Need you, Cal.” She moans. Her hands grip my biceps, her fingernails biting into my skin through my shirt. The flash of pain is a welcome distraction from the roaring in my ears calling for me to take her there, taking her hard and fast right against the wall.

Running her hands down my torso, she scrambles to tug my shirt out of my suit pants, then pulls my belt loose, flicking the button free and lowering my zipper.

She gains purchase the moment her hand reaches inside. The first squeeze makes my breath stutter, my mouth meeting hers greedily as we both drive each other crazy with need.

“Take me, Cal,” she breathes.

“So damn angry,” I mutter against her lips, groaning when she flexes her fingers around me.

“Now?”

“Then. You were so angry for me. You wanted to go for her.”

“She goaded you.”

“I watched you. Could barely think straight.”

“Show me how hot you were,” she murmurs then turns the tables on me, catching me off guard and flipping me around so my back is against the wall. Dipping her lips to the hollow of my throat, she lifts her fingers to the buttons of my shirt, opening it at a painfully slow pace.

I slam my head back when her tongue leaves a wet, hot trail over my abs. Her hands glide inside my waistband, dragging down my pants and boxer briefs together and exposing my straining length. Before I have a chance to regain control, she takes me to the hilt inside her warm, wet mouth. “Fuck,” I grate out, my hand dropping to rest on the back of her head.

She hums around me the next time she takes me to the back of her mouth, causing my knees to buckle. “Fuck, Luce. Give a man some warning,” I growl out as I pull her ponytail holder out of her hair and toss it down onto the floor before returning my fingers to the back of her head.

“I want you to fuck my mouth, Cal. Use me.”

“Fuuuuucccck,” I say when she cups my balls with her other hand, gently tugging and rolling them in her palm and scrambling any rational thoughts I was still capable of having in that moment.

Then I snap, my hips taking on a mind of their own and pushing between her lips before pulling back, repeating the motion with deeper strokes every pass.

“Your mouth, shit . . .”

“Hmmm.” Her muffled moan resonates through my entire body, starting at my cock and working its way upward. When her hand drops from my balls, a second later the wet sounds of her fingers gliding between her legs is almost my undoing.

Unable to think clear, I take a step back and meet her lidded, heat-filled eyes before my gaze lowers to the hand thrusting beneath her dress.

“Fuck, I need you on my cock right now.” I growl as I drop my knees to the hardwood floor, grabbing Lucia as I go. Swinging her body to the side then beneath me, I have the forethought to ease her to the floor away from the glass, cushioning her fall with my arm wrapped behind her back.

Then we lose control. She lifts her dress clean over her head as I palm her breasts through her bra before hooking my fingers beneath the lace and covering one of her nipples with my mouth. Her arms wrap around my shoulders, dragging their way down to my ass. Parting her legs, she pulls me against her, my cock gliding against her clit with every thrust of my hips.

“I want to feel you, Cal. I’m covered; we’re safe. I trust you.”

Bracing my hands on either side of her, I push up to look at her. “Luce . . .” Her name is a plea escaping my lips.

“I need you. Trust me, Cal.”

“Fuck,” I growl, as I reach a hand down to position my cock at her entrance then drive deep inside of her. Her scream as I fill her to the hilt spurs me on.

“Cal, fuck me. Show me.”

So I do. With my hands framing her head, forearms to the floor in the middle of my entryway, I give her everything. Every thrust, every kiss, every push and pull—it’s all us. It’s rough, it’s raw, and it’s everything we represent when we’re together. No one else exists in this moment. Every feeling she’s awakened inside of me since the moment we met is heightened by the freedom of just being able to be me.