He chuckled as he kept her close and reached to take her bag. He lowered his head until his mouth was hovering just above hers, his breath coasting over her lips and face. “There’s only one way to find out,” he said invitingly.

“Let’s go,” she said a bit breathlessly.

Rafe didn’t hesitate. He stepped away from her, took her hand in his free one, and led her out of the brownstone.

—

A short time later Renee was standing in the middle of Rafe’s plush apartment completely in awe. Seeing that much square footage in New York City was stunning all on its own, but add to it the fine furnishings and rugs over expansive wooden floors and it was absolutely breathtaking.

Renee walked over to the floor-to-ceiling glass wall that looked out onto an awe-inspiring view of the city. It was dark and it was snowing again, little flakes bouncing off of the cold glass. She shivered a little even though she was perfectly warm.

Rafe watched her as she took in his home and all of her surroundings. She looked as though she belonged there—she seemed like the sort of person who could make a home anywhere she stayed. Even if it was someone else’s apartment for only a night.

Rafe had put her bag down on a coffee table and now walked up behind her. He grabbed hold of her hips, pulling her into him, her back meeting his chest and her rear end nestling against his thighs. She instinctively rose up onto her toes and that brought her bottom snugly into the lee of his hips, erasing the disparity in their heights.

He enjoyed the sensation of holding her for a moment, enjoyed the intimacy of their spooned bodies. Then he stepped back and turned her around. He touched a hand to her face, tracing the line of her jaw with his thumb. He tipped her head back and lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her gently. Slowly. Savoring every moment of it. He put aside his upset with her and simply enjoyed her. They would talk more about this insane plan of hers to get close to Killean, but right now he just wanted to spend time with her. To hold her. To feel her.

“Are you hungry?” he asked her.

“Not for food,” she said breathlessly.

The response pleased and inflamed him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her up off her feet against him. She laughed, her arms going about his neck and her legs wrapping around his hips.

He kissed her again, savoring the flavor of her. Their tongues dueled hotly and one of her hands crept into his hair, mussing it thoroughly. He stepped forward and her back hit the cold glass window. She gasped and surged forward into him. He chuckled and placed a hand on the glass. She leaned back against it, using his hand as a buffer between her and the glass. He continued to devour her mouth, his breath coming fast and deep. He could smell her, the scent of her day clinging to her. Coffee, something with garlic, the perfume she wore. He could smell and taste her cherry lip gloss, which he had seen her apply in the car on the way to meeting with the committee, and her hairspray that helped tame her curly hair. All of these little details added up to equal her, and he wouldn’t change a single one of them.

Renee could feel the hunger and desire radiating from him. It was like a fast-burning sun, scorching her every nerve ending. Add to it the tingles and sparks that came every time she kissed him or was touched by him and she was easily overwhelmed. She broke away from his mouth, gasping for breath as he immediately began to kiss down her jaw and the side of her neck. He sucked and kissed and licked her as if he was still engaged with her mouth. Renee squirmed at the heat and intensity of his mouth and the sparking sensation as his hand pulled her blouse free from her jeans and slid beneath the silk.

“Mmm, no,” she murmured, reaching to place her hand over his through her blouse, the silk a flimsy barrier between their contrary desires.

“No?” he asked, his head lifting from where he’d been pleasantly attacking her collarbone.

She could hear both the surprise and the consternation in his voice and it was all she could do to not laugh aloud…or torment him. But she quickly put him out of his misery.

“Not here. Not like this. You haven’t a single curtain on these walls of glass, and I don’t feel like putting on a show for all of New York City.”

“No one can see in here. That’s why there are no curtains. We face out over the city and this part of the building is above all of the others.”

“There are things like telescopes,” she persisted.

“There are no curtains in the bedroom either,” he said, chuckling as he burst her bubble.

“Oh. I see.” She ruffled her fingers through his hair and then slid them down the side of his neck. He really had an excellent neck. It was long and strong, muscles and tendons flexing tightly, leading into the strength of his shoulders which bunched up as they supported her weight.

“Fuck it,” she relented in a rush of heat, then began to rapidly undo the buttons on her blouse as she caught up his mouth. He groaned, his excitement growing exponentially as she released herself into the moment. Now, without any other sign of demureness, she stripped open her shirt and unclasped her bra. She took his hand in hers and brought it to her breast. She squeezed her hand around his, massaging her breast with his hand. With her free hand she began to deftly unbutton his shirt.

This time he pulled away slightly. “Easy,” he breathed. “We have all night.”

“I don’t want to take it easy,” she countered. “Not right now. We can save easy for later. Right now I want you hot and hard. I want to know you can’t keep your hands off me. I want to know you can’t breathe unless I breathe for you.”

Rafe groaned and attacked her mouth with renewed vigor. He launched them away from the wall of glass and staggered over to the nearest piece of furniture, a plush couch. They fell onto it, Renee beneath him as he got his knees under him and loomed up over her. He stripped back her blouse and bra and took a long moment to look down on her as his hands slid all over her skin. She was pale and freckled and he was dark, the contrast significant in their skin tones as they both watched him touch her. His fingers came up and clasped her breast, kneading her intensely. His fingers caught at her nipple and it became a hard, excited point. Then he moved his hand aside and framed her breast as he leaned forward and put his mouth on her. He tongued her nipple in a flat sweep, taking her onto his taste buds, savoring the sweet salt of her skin. Then he caught her with his teeth, making her gasp and her back arch. He felt how she was breathing so desperately hard and it excited him to feel her so out of control for him. His free hand went to work on the button and zipper of her jeans even as both of hers finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it from his broad shoulders. He lifted away from her only long enough to unbutton his cuffs and strip himself free of the fabric completely.