ROBBY SIGHED AND STARED up at the ceiling, still deliciously naked but in that somber mood that left me chilled to the bone.

Thick tension settled between us, increasing my unease. I curled up on my side, swallowing hard. This was it. This was the rejection I expected.

“But I needed it,” he finally said and glanced sideways at me. “And it pisses me off that you figured out exactly what I needed before I did.”

“You needed a blow job?” I blinked at him, unable to follow his logic.

A dimple briefly appeared. “No. Well, yeah, but that’s not the point. What I needed was to feel like I was in control of something. You completely surrendered to me. I didn’t know I needed that.” He spoke in a broken flow, like it was difficult to admit. “But it broke through whatever...” He pressed his lips together and then ran his hand into his hair.

I waited for him to say more. He met my gaze.

“Up until tonight, every time I reached for you, I flashed back to the moment your spine shattered in my hands.” He stared at me with those soulful eyes of his. “You just replaced that with something incredible.” The corner of his lips tilted into a playful smile.

It took me by surprise, swinging my emotions back to center, and the heat of desire filled my skin.

Dimples appeared in his cheeks. “You’re slinging those pheromones, honey.”

I lifted my shoulder, allowing my lips to move into a Mona Lisa smirk. I wanted a release bad, and I knew if I said anything, it would crush the possibility of him making a move.

“I’m exhausted.” He rolled onto his side to face me. He cupped my cheek and pulled me in for a soft kiss. Then he pulled away and snuggled into his pillow like he was getting ready to go to sleep.

He had lost blood, but not enough to suck the wind out of his sails. At least, not in my mind. Especially with how he responded the first time we crossed the line at my house after I drained him of just about double the blood he lost today. He just didn’t want the ghosts to come back.

If he wasn’t going to take care of my needs, I most certainly would, because tonight, I was not going to sleep frustrated. I moved my hand between my legs and began to stimulate my clit through my underwear with small, circular strokes of my fingers.

His gaze moved to where my hand was and shot back to my face. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” I cocked an eyebrow. “I need the same kind of release you had. And you’re obviously too exhausted to do anything about it.” I didn’t mean for the bitterness to seep into my words, but it did, which made it nearly impossible to feel the pleasure I was trying to create on my own. But I was going to have an orgasm tonight. Period. He had one. I needed one.

His lips tilted into a traitorous smile. “Did you do this often before?” His eyes sparkled with interest.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Although we had been partners for fifteen years, we only were romantically entangled for less than a week, and it was while we were on the run. “Did you?” The heat from my fingers was starting to work its magic.

“I cannot tell you how many times I jerked off to fantasies of making love to you. It was the only way to keep my wolf in line.” He didn’t look away at the admission. “Show me what you did when you had fantasies of me.”

There was a decadence to this. A vulnerability that I did not like. Admitting I came to fantasies of him more times than I could count over the years was opening myself up for being hurt, but my hand kept manipulating that sensitive spot, sending tingles of heat to my belly. “I would much rather have your tongue on me than my fingers,” I whispered.

“Show me and maybe I’ll oblige,” he said as his hand slid down to his own shaft, slowly stroking himself.

I did not expect this keen interest, but it sparked an intense heat that went straight to my nipples, hardening them.

Robby noticed. “Take your clothes off,” he said. “I want to see everything.”

I sat up and peeled my shirt off, tossing it aside, and went back to stroking myself through my panties.

He clucked his tongue and shook his head. “Everything.”

I stripped my panties and continued to manipulate my clit.

“Face me so I can see you come,” he said, a hint of a shake in his voice.

I moved my pillow to the side of the bed and faced him, widening my legs enough so I could see his face, and began the slow manipulation again. Each time he made me stop was torture. And now that he was watching and stroking himself back to life, it was even hotter.

It didn’t take me long to get to the point of ignition; it never did. And my body tightened with the rush of heat. I moaned Robby’s name as my orgasm rang through my form. I needed him inside me, and I moved faster than he did, pushing him onto his back before I deposited myself onto his hard length, taking him all in in one quick motion. He stretched me, triggering another orgasm, and I arched into it, bowing and tilting my head back, but I had the sense not to scream.

He sat up, taking one of my breasts in his mouth and then the other before he kissed his way to my lips. His arms encircled me, and his hips thrust into me with the same ferocity as mine pounding into his. My heart nearly burst from my chest with the intensity of the emotions running through me and the echo of his in the mark on my shoulder.

His tongue played with mine in the same frantic swipes. He held me so tight I didn’t know where his heartbeat ended and mine began. He groaned in my mouth, and I felt his release, and moaned along with him as mine ripped through me right on the heels of his.

He ended the kiss and pressed his forehead to mine, his breathing as labored as mine.

“You sure know how to crush a promise.” He laughed, ran his hands into my hair, and kissed me softly. “And now I need at least twelve hours of sleep.” He met my gaze, and he did look fucking wrecked.

“I’m sorry,” I said, and in a way I felt like crap for not honoring his wishes. But I needed this the same way he needed to feel like he was in control.

He tilted his head and studied my face. “Funny. You don’t look one bit sorry.”

“Oh, I’m not sorry for the sex. I needed this more than you could imagine, but I am sorry that I made a promise I knew damn well I wouldn’t be able to keep.” I smiled and slowly moved my hips.

“I’m serious. I need sleep. Now.” His hands dropped to my hips, stilling my movement. “I don’t have the stamina.” He palmed my cheek and slowly ran his thumb over my lips. “I wish I did, but six months on the brink of death will do that to a man.”

I nodded and uncoupled from him, and he pulled me into his arms as he stretched out on the bed, spooning me. I hadn’t gotten comfortable yet and he was already snoring in my ear. I wrapped my arms around his and kissed his wrist.

It was the first time since we escaped from Cassius’s that I thought things might go our way for a change. But deep down, I knew better. We’d never live a normal life. Not with the Monster Defense Agency gunning for me.