...Small, feminine hands massaged his chest and skimmed over his nipples. She looked up at him, a little pixie in the presence of a giant, and smiled. “Have you ever heard the term waking the sleeping giant?”

“But I am awake.”

“I know.” A grin spread wide across her face as she linked her arms around his waist and leaned into him. “I can feel it.”

“It’s been a long time for me, Jax.” He buried his face in the crook of her neck and continued to kiss her, drawn further and further into her enchantment. He’d watched her and imagined how soft and warm she’d be in his arms, but thoughts didn’t compare to reality. Everything about her was better than he’d imagined.

“You’re not the only one who feels a little neglected in that department.”

Awkwardness ebbed, and he nodded in silence, grateful he wasn’t the only one who felt unsure. He’d only seen her alone, though his only glimpse into her life was through the patio window of her apartment.

“I could spend all night touching you,” he said under his breath.

Her nails trailed across his back, waves of contact that swept up and down his spine. The last time anyone had touched his back and sides it had been in a dungeon, the crack of a cudgel against flesh, of boots to ribs and hammers against fingers. The past slipped away, an unimportant time he had no desire to remember.

She teetered on the tips of her toes and kissed him again, softer than before. Together they swayed, locked in each other’s arms, their embrace more playful than urgent.

“The night’s half over. I’m not impressed.” Laughter rang in her words, and when he opened his eyes to look at her he found her smiling, daring him to meet her sensual challenge.

“What does it take to impress you?”

“You’ve done pretty good so far.” Her tongue touched his, her mouth open and inviting him to explore. She made it difficult to think and breathe as each inhale of breath drew him closer and closer to her in ways he hadn’t once imagined. He had stolen parts of her in laughter and trust, swept her into his life with gentle touches and searing kisses.

With the uncertainty of a new lover he massaged her back until she rose and met him. He cupped her ass, drew her up until his cock rubbed high on her belly. She exhaled and licked her lips, unknowingly fueling an undeniable fire.

“Jax—”

“Don’t stop,” she breathed.

They knocked over a stack of books, which crashed to the floor in a scattered heap. The mess and the noise went unnoticed as they struggled to find a path toward the bed. He silently cursed himself for living in a pack rat’s hole, but he hadn’t expected company—least of all Jacquelina.

Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he guided her onto his lap and kissed her throat, soaking up every soft moan. She ran her fingers through his hair, cupped his cheek and ran her hand down his chest. When she reached his belly, he held his breath and waited for her to search lower, to feel his painfully hard erection and bring him long-awaited relief.

She shifted, her legs parting wider, draped over his knee. He lifted his head and watched her sit on his lap with her eyes closed and head tilted back. She breathed through her mouth and sank her hand beneath his shirt, teasing him with a barely noticeable caress.

He wanted to unravel her, to have her sprawled out and groaning for release. While he continued to watch her expression, he ran his palm over her belly and dipped his fingers past her waistband. Her hips tilted up to meet him, the heat and feminine softness of moist flesh greeting him.

It took all of his strength to keep from coming as he drew his fingers back and forth along her cleft, applying just enough pressure to sink into her before he pulled away and started again.

She leaned against him, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth as she reached into his pants and took hold of him. The unexpected feel of her hand wrapped around him startled him, stilled him. She curled her fingers just below the head of his cock and pumped him, a full, fluid motion that made his balls instantly tighten. As if she knew, she reached down farther and caressed his sac, ran her fingers through the thick, dark hair between his legs.

He tried to suppress the tremble he felt growing within him, the pathetic reaction of a man who hadn’t enjoyed a woman’s company in far too long.

“You are a giant,” she murmured, finding his lips again.

Her words made him chuckle. “You didn’t believe me?”

“Let’s just say I needed proof.”

“I’m more than willing to provide further proof of my species.”