“You carry me around a lot.”

He paused and nodded. “I like the way you feel in my arms.”

Okay then. It wasn’t like she minded. It was sort of awesome that he was that strong. And hot.

“So.” He circled her, leaning in to pull the headband from her hair. He dug his fingers in, massaging her scalp until she groaned. Those fingers tightened and he yanked her head to the side, exposing her neck.

Her breath caught, but not from fear. Desire raced through her, sharp and dark.

He bit and then licked her ear. “Your nipples just got hard.”

She shook her head.

“No?” His free hand skimmed up her belly and over her left nipple. “Liar.”

“They’ve been hard. I liked what you did with the hair. You came to the Ditch tonight to see me.” She had to hear it from him.

“Yes.” He bit her neck.

“To wallow in all those women to taunt me?”

He spun her and she threw her arms around his neck. His mouth crushed hers, his tongue demanding entrance as she gave over right away. He left her dizzy and breathless.

He was like a really fantastic roller coaster. She wanted more and more.

The kiss ended when he wrenched away. “To see you. I came to see you. The women were there already.”

She bit his lip hard enough to make him yelp.

One hand on her hip, PJ glared his way and used the other finger to point. She stepped close enough to touch, poking him in the chest over and over. “Don’t you be flip. You came to my bar and then let women rub all over you and you wanted me to see you and get jealous. And what? To chase you? I’ve been chasing you, Asa. From day one.”

He took her hand in his and kissed her fingertip. “You’ve got a temper. I can respect a woman with a temper. Also, you make it look really good.”

Oh, this man. She was in so much trouble. But she wasn’t ready to give in just yet. “I’ve had enough. Just in general. I like you. I think we have great chemistry and you are fantastic in bed. I’m young, but I’m not dumb. Got me?”

He nodded. “I came to your bar and then let women rub all over me to get your attention. But then you were there and I saw other guys around you and it sucked and my crafty plan went to hell because it was me who was jealous.”

“Come here.” She beckoned with a crooked finger.

He stepped to her again. “Am I safe?”

She tiptoed up, shaking her head. “Not at all.”

“Good.”

She licked over his bottom lip before pulling her shirt free from her pants.

He took over, unbuttoning, bending to kiss the skin he exposed and then undoing another button and driving her crazy once again.

His beard tickled against the curve of her breast where the edge of her bra met her flesh. “Back at the Ditch you saw me way before I came over, didn’t you?” he asked.

Her breath caught as he dragged the edge of his teeth over the nipple he’d exposed as he pulled her bra down.

“Yes.”

He hummed, sliding his lips across to her other breast as he also managed to get the rest of the shirt unbuttoned and off.

“It made me crazy.” He dropped to his knees, hugging her around her waist before he rid her of her bra and then kissed down her ribs. “I don’t much like to share.”

She yanked his hair to tip his face to hers. “Keep that in mind the next time you’re in a bar surrounded by women who aren’t me.”

He kissed his way over her belly as he pushed her pants down and off, along with her socks and panties.

“Yes indeed. Makes a man proud to be alive.” He looked her up and down as he stood.

“What does? Also, you’re still wearing clothes.”

“Your fucking spectacular body. And yes, I’m wearing clothes because I want it that way.”

Oh. God, that was sort of hot. Okay, really hot. Was it bad that she found it hot? Who the hell knew? She found it hot and went with that.

He took her hand, tugging her across the beautiful hardwood floor. “Did you do this yourself? The flooring?” she asked.

“When I ripped out the carpet that had been here, this was beneath it.”

“It’s beautiful.” The room was very much Asa. Gray and chocolate bedding on a big platform bed. The art on his walls was distinctively modern. She skidded to a halt and then turned to look at the painting on the far wall.

“This is fantastic. Who is this artist?”

Asa joined her. “Nathan Altman. This is a reproduction; the original is in a museum, where it belongs. This one is Self-Portrait. I also have The Watchmaker downstairs.”

She loved the way he talked about art. Loved the passion and awe in his tone.

“I like waking up to see it every morning.”

“I can’t believe I’ve never seen this painting before. I’m totally ignorant about art, apparently.”

He turned her, leading her to a giant set of dressers. He opened a top drawer and pulled something out.

This was better than Christmas morning. She couldn’t wait to see what he had in there.

He turned. “This came in the mail yesterday.” He gripped the handle of a black-and-wine-colored crop so hard it creaked, and then looked up at her.

All the spit in her mouth dried up when he stepped back, drawing the flared end of the crop over her nipples as he did.

A flick of his wrist and the snap of the leather sounded over her nipple. Shock urged her to move back but she held on, and the pleasure of it seemed to drown her.