It wasn’t enough.

She needed more.

More something.

She lifted her head and sat up, locking gazes with him. Somehow, the rest of the world was being held outside the door. She could feel it waiting for them, just waiting to suck him away.

“You’re mine right now.”

He lifted an eyebrow at her statement. Kate swung over him. His cock was hard, jutting up from his lean abs. All she had to do was lower herself. He reached down, making sure her aim was true, thumbing her clit gently as she lowered herself.

“The rest of the damned world can stay the hell on the other side of that door.”

“I like the sound of that.” He grasped her hips, guiding her, helping her set the rhythm. “I like the feel of it even more.”

She rode him, desire building slowly. They were bound together this time, their breathing increasing at the same rate. He sat up, and she twisted her legs around his waist.

“You want control.”

He grasped her hair, sealing her lips beneath his in a hard, deep kiss. “With you, I crave it.”

He turned her over, putting her on her back again. “I need to know”—his pace was increasing, the bed rocking as he pumped her harder—“need to know I do things to you that no one else ever has…or ever will…”

She gasped, moaning as words began to lose their meaning again. He ground himself deeply into her, their bodies straining toward each other.

“Or ever can.”

“You do.”

Her voice was only a hoarse rattle. Need had become a desperate thing, beating its wings inside her. They were covered in sweat, their bodies striving to feed their passions. It was a struggle, a hard meeting of flesh that reached a blinding pinnacle. She spun out of control, clinging to the only stable thing in her universe.

Him.

He wasn’t just a person. He was the foundation of her existence. The center of her being.

And it scared the absolute shit out of her.

* * *

“Chow’s here.”

Kate was still rubbing her hair with a towel but poked her head out of the bathroom. Ramsey had shown up as usual, but today, he was tapping on some of the metal covers keeping the food warm. For the first time, two of her dresses were hanging on the back of the bathroom door. She took a moment to snap on a bra and underwear and pull on one of the dresses before she walked out into the suite. Taz and Drake were also there, rummaging through the spread room service had delivered. They all looked at her, their expressions set.

“I haven’t had enough coffee for an ambush,” she informed Syon. He was leaning against the breakfast bar.

Ramsey offered her a mug of coffee, along with a smirk that sent a warning through her.

“We like having you on the team, Kate,” Ramsey began and offered her some half-and-half.

The members of Toxsin were spread out, making it impossible to keep an eye on all of them.

“Yeah, a lot,” Drake said before shoveling steaming scrambled eggs covered in Tabasco sauce into his mouth.

“Great.” Kate tried to shut them down.

“We can’t watch you when we’re performing,” Syon said. “You need a bodyguard.”

He said “bodyguard,” but she heard “babysitter.”

“No thanks.”

“I have a cousin.” Taz rolled right on without letting her denial land. “Taekwondo master. Total badass. He’s not bad on a bass either.”

“I said thanks but no thanks.” She started to turn around.

“You say no, and you have to call Percy,” Syon said.

Kate turned on Syon, trying to decide what he was up to, but he was holding out her cell phone like a challenge. “For what reason?”

Syon lifted his hands in mock surrender. “He made some very clear threats…and I think he means business. If we don’t take better care of you, he’s coming for us. Locked and loaded.”

“Yeah, I’m…scared,” Ramsey added. Kate shot him a “get real” look. He shrugged and poured syrup onto a mountain of pancakes.

“Good thing he’s got a man, because I think Syon might be jealous. That dude has some serious passion for you,” Drake added. “He threatened to kick all our asses if we let anything happen to you again.”

“Somehow, I don’t think that’s what scared any of you,” Kate replied. “You guys thrive on drama.”

There was a flash of smiles before they closed ranks again.

“He did say he was taking the position himself if we didn’t get someone for you,” Ramsey admitted. “Besides, we don’t know who doped you.”

“So until we discover the source, you need a pair of eyes on you,” Syon finished.

“I’ll look out for myself, now that I know there is a problem.” And that was going to be the end of it. She picked up a plate and started filling it. The topic changed, turning to something lighter as they teased one another. But suspicion tingled on her neck, because she caught glances among them from time to time.

* * *

“Are you tired?”

Kate looked up to find Syon leaning against the sliding glass door’s frame. The door was open, letting the breeze in. The sun was starting to set.

“No.”

He looked at her skeptically.

“My internal clock is flipped. Besides, I slept most of the day,” she said. “I need my shop set up. I know you’re behind the crew not doing it.”

The crew had been holding her shop hostage, and none of the polo-shirted guys were willing to give her a straight answer when she asked to have it set up. Syon offered her only a shrug. “The doctor said rest.”

“I’m full up on resting,” she assured him. “We’re talking stir-crazy time.”

“Then get dressed. It’s date night.”

Kate sat up. “Really? Cid’s going to have something to say about that.”

Syon’s expression hardened. “Yeah. We all sort of came to that conclusion too. Get dressed.”

Kate disappeared into the bathroom, trying to decide what vibe was dancing through the air. She was no closer to pinpointing it when she finished dressing.

When she finished, Ramsey was lounging on the sofa, wearing a pair of black jeans for a change. He jumped up when she emerged.

Taz and Drake fell in with them on the way down the hall. Drake was grinning from ear to ear. “Pub night,” he exclaimed. “I need to hear English spoken correctly.” His voice had taken on a very British accent.

“Just to be clear,” Ramsey said to Drake, “I am not putting anything into my mouth called ‘spotted dick.’”

“This from the man who encouraged me to have octopus?” she asked.

Ramsey grinned at her as they started to pile into an SUV. “Octopus is good for you. Spotted dick, not so sure.”

“It’s custard,” Drake stated like a schoolmaster. “And I’ve seen some of the things you put your mouth on.”

“Only because you were behind me in line,” Ramsey answered.

Taz hooted.

Syon sat beside Kate, massaging her nape as they wove through the streets. She could tell when they were nearing the section of town were the restaurants were. The sidewalks were better lit, and more people were about. Their driver edged up in front of a place that had a mock shake-shingle roof and a red police call box outside it. Their driver paid no mind to the red curb, but pulled right up to let them unload in front of the door.

The pub was darker inside than most restaurants. A huge wooden bar stretched along half of it and people were sitting up at it as well as occupying small, round tables.

“We’ve got to grab a spot. Trivia night is popular,” Drake said. He dove into the section with the tables, managing to convince a pair of older guys to hop over a table so they could all sit together.

“Trivia night?” Kate asked.

Syon looked up from the beer menu and nodded. “Drake likes to think he’s brighter than the rest of us.”

“Sometimes, we even let him win,” Ramsey added, “’cause we hate to see him pout.”

A waitress with a Scottish accent came by, taking down their orders. A man stood up and got everyone’s attention. Somehow, Kate had never realized that trivia could be such an intense competition. The air in the bar became thick with tension. Teams hunkered down over their answer sheets, guarding their knowledge. It seemed that bragging rights were indeed coveted. The topics ranged from science to mythology.