.

Uncta was going into shape-shifting mode, and Eskeilay was hopping through the grass in her earth-womb.

      “Don’t stop,” she said.

      As if he could. He was on autopilot, moving like a sex machine, desperate to come.

      So was Carol apparently. She met him stroke for stroke, maneuvering her body in ways that maximized the pleasure. Only, she seemed to be doing it naturally, unaware that she was so sexy. Jake actually envied the Goody Two-shoes who married her, simply because the lucky stiff would get to be with her every night.

      “You’re a hellcat in bed,” he said.

      Her voice went husky. “I’m not, not usually...”

      “So I just bring it out in you?”

      “I don’t know.” She clawed the crap out of him again. “Probably.”

      He gazed into her glowing green eyes. Was this how she would behave on her wedding night? Sweet and sensual and animalistic? “Your future husband can thank me later.”

      She writhed beneath him. “You’re cocky, Jake.”

      He glanced down at where their bodies were joined. “So I am.”

      She followed his line of sight. “That isn’t what I meant.”

      “Then why are you enjoying the view?”

      “For the same reason you are.”

      Because being together was exciting. Because they both wanted to remember how it felt. How it looked.

      Jake shifted his hips, making the moment hotter.

      In. Out. Deep. Deeper.

      Carol gasped, and a haze of hunger enveloped him, his body jerking, his erection pulsing, his vision glazing till he could barely see at all. She was falling, too, his orgasm triggering hers. Or maybe hers had jump-started his? He was too far gone to know.

      Sensations slammed between them, and she clung to him, making breathy sounds in his ear. His personal assistant.

      His very personal assistant, he amended.

      When it was over Jake was beaded with sweat. He withdrew and dropped down on top of Carol, needing to drag as much air into his lungs as he could get. But what he got was the scent of sex, mingled with her citrus perfume.

      She skimmed her fingers down his spine. Gone were her claws. There was just softness now.

      “Am I hurting you?” he asked.

      She nuzzled his shoulder. “Isn’t it a little late to be asking me that?”

      He grinned in spite of himself. “I meant, am I too heavy?”

      “No, you’re good.” She traced his tailbone. “I’m not an itty-bitty breakable thing. I can take it.”

      He could have stayed there all night, luxuriating in her curves, except that he needed to get rid of the condom. “I’ll be right back.”

      Jake got up and went into the bathroom to do his thing. When he returned, she was sitting forward in bed, with the sheet partially covering her.

      “I should take a picture of you,” he said. Beside her, the ghostly curtains were billowing again.

      She tugged the sheet closer. “You better not.”

      It was tempting, to say the least. “You just look so pretty, that’s all.” Mussed up and wearing the jewelry he’d given her.

      “Thank you, but we don’t need that kind of evidence from this night.” She patted the space next to her. “Now, come back to bed.”

      “Yes, ma’am.” He hopped into the spot she offered. “So what kind do we need?”

      “What kind of what?”

      “Evidence from this night?”

      She butted her shoulder against his. “Smart aleck.”

      He shrugged, smiled, got closer to her. For the heck of it, he gave her a noisy kiss, and they slid down onto the pillows together.

      “I’m not much of a cuddler,” he said.

      “Then you’re doing a good job, considering.”

      He was trying. “You seem like the type who would like it.”

      She sighed. “I am. I do.”

      I do. He frowned at her choice of words, feeling the weight of them. Someday, she was going to find a nice, proper guy. Someday, she would become someone’s honeymoon bride.

      But for now she was in bed with Jake, snuggling against him, all warm and cozy, where they both knew she didn’t belong.

       Six

      Carol awakened early. The room was bathed in soft morning hues. She noticed that the window was still open, but there was less of a breeze.

      She’d slept soundly beside her lover. Too soundly, she decided. And now she was anything but calm.

      She glanced over at Jake. Sometime during the night, he must have shifted onto his side because they weren’t facing each other anymore. His back was turned and he was sprawled out, one leg inside the covers, the other one exposed, along with a portion of his naked butt.

      Heaven almighty. What had she done?

      A foolish question, if there ever was one. She knew darn well what she’d done. She’d gone into this with her eyes wide open.

      She sat up and steadied her breath. She needed coffee, but first she was going to wash the remnants of makeup off her face, tame her hair and brush her teeth. Rather than trudge off to her bathroom without any clothes, she located her sarong and wrapped it around herself.

      Just as she was preparing to slip away, Jake rolled over, nearly giving her a heart attack. She’d assumed he was dead asleep.

      “Hey,” he said with a graveled voice and a half smile.

      “Hi.” Did he have to look so good, so handsome and wild, with a bit of overnight beard stubble? “I’m going to freshen up, then make coffee. Want some?”

      “Sure.” He sat forward, dragged a hand through his hair and squinted into the hazy patch of sunlight that spilled over him. “I need to hit the head, too.”

      “Okay. I’ll see you in a few.”

      As he climbed out of bed, Carol darted off and practically stumbled over her body veil. She picked it up, but she didn’t take the time to look for her panties. Uncertain of what Jake had done with them after he’d peeled them off her, she would search for them later.

      She continued to her room, and once she was standing at her bathroom mirror, she removed her bracelet. She’d actually slept in it. The earrings, too, so she took those off, as well.

      Then, after she was fresh and somewhat tidy, with her sarong tied a little tighter, she prepared the coffee in the single-serve machine in her room, making each cup separately. She added sugar to Jake’s, the way he liked it. This wasn’t the first time she’d sweetened his coffee and it probably wouldn’t be the last. But it felt different from before.

      Everything did.

      Because she’d had sex with her boss. Wild, delicious, sheet-tumbling, tongue-kissing, body-scorching sex.

      She brought the coffee to his room, trying to keep her hands from shaking. Jake was back in bed, looking as if he’d splashed a bit of water on his face, too. He certainly seemed more awake. She handed him his cup, and he thanked her.

      Instead of joining him in bed, Carol opted for a nearby chair. He was still naked, except that he had a pillow on his lap, to protect himself from the hot beverage, she assumed.

      Struggling