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He waited for a defensive comment, or for her to step back and retreat. Instead, she moved closer, and the air shimmered with anticipation and electricity. “All of it. But mostly because I was with you.”

“We were together last year at the soup kitchen.”

A sigh spilled from her lips. “It was different then. I hadn’t allowed myself to fall for you yet.”

His heart slammed against his chest, and his nerves stretched thin, wondering what she was trying to say. “I promised you’d be safe here,” he ground out. “From me. But God help me, Alyssa, tonight I’m just a man, and I want you. Go back to your warm bed, close the door, and tomorrow morning, we’ll be back to what you want. We’ll just be boss and employee. We’ll be friends who respect and care about each other.”

Her lower lip trembled but she didn’t budge. “I’ve been thinking lately. About us, and all the reasons I’ve been scared to jump off the cliff with you. And I’ve realized it’s more about me than you or the election. I’m scared of things I can’t control. I always have been.”

He fisted his hands to stop from reaching out and touching her. “We all are, sweetheart.” The endearment slipped past his lips. “I don’t blame you for not wanting this type of life. I want you to be happy.”

“I know. Thing is, I’m beginning to realize I’m happiest with you. Ever since you opened the door and showed me more, I can’t go back.”

He stilled, his gaze delving deep. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’m tired of being a coward. Of being safe. Of having an orderly, controlled, sterile life. I’m saying I want you.”

A shudder wracked him. “And the election?”

A tiny shrug. “Mia’s a master at her job for a reason. I’m willing to risk it if you are.”

The admission crumpled him and the rest of his defenses. The primitive inside of him roared with satisfaction, desperate to get his hands on her body, imprint himself on her so deeply she’d never regret taking the chance. A growl rose from his chest, low and guttural.

“Then you need to come to me, Alyssa. I swore to keep my distance and not pressure you. This has to be about you and your choice.”

Her eyes widened with recognition. His breath stalled out, and he wondered if she’d change her mind. If she’d step back and run from the intensity and mess before her, the choice to involve herself with a man endlessly in the public eye, who’d change her life forever.

She took the final steps. Slowly reached up and looped her arms around his neck. Her fingers cupped the back of his head and pressed it down so his lips hovered an inch from hers. He savored the sweet rush of her breath, the plump curve of her mouth, the slight tremble of her body as her breasts crushed his chest, and her hips arched up.

“I choose you,” she whispered.

Then she pressed her lips to his.

The taste of her made him crazed. He took the kiss deep, plunging his tongue inside her mouth to conquer and pleasure and claim. She gave it all back, the sting of her nails in his back, the wildness stirring between them, hinting at the storm to come. He drank from her lips with greed, his hands cupping her face to hold her still, then nipped at her bottom lip.

“There are cameras out here,” he said. “We can go back to the inn.”

She shook her head, clinging tight. “No, can’t wait. Plus, our rooms are too close together. Here.”

He blistered out a curse. “Come with me.” She gripped his hand, and he led her to one of the barns Chloe had shown him was used for storage. This one wasn’t locked, and he slid the door shut behind him. The musty scent of hay and feed filled the air, and the space was stuffed with equipment and bags, dark except for the moonlight flooding through the lone window. He led her to the back where an old table sat beneath the windowsill and quickly stripped off her jacket, tugging off his clothes in a rushed frenzy, their fingers awkward in their zeal to finally be skin-to-skin.

“You deserve a bed,” he ground out, bending his head to suck on a tight nipple, savoring the hoarse moans emitting from her throat. “You deserve hours of me worshipping you. You deserve a thousand orgasms.”

She ripped off her glasses, wriggled her jeans down over her hips, and opened herself up for him, reaching to cup his throbbing erection. “Right now, the only thing I want is you inside of me—on this table—right here and right now⁠—”

He groaned, thrusting into her greedy fingers, savoring the sleek feel of her soft skin and the spicy scent of her arousal. He moved her panties aside and inserted one finger into her dripping heat. She whispered his name urgently, and he added another digit, stretching her while one thumb tapped gently at her swollen clit, making sure she was ready.

He fumbled for the condom, sheathing himself with clumsy movements, then lifted her onto the table. She spread her thighs, and for one endless, perfect moment, he memorized her body in the moonlight, flushed and damp, quivering for him, open to anything he wanted to do. Humbled by the gift of her body and trust, he lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Hooked his hands under her knees and lifted up.

Then plunged inside of her with one strong push.

She was dying.

Alyssa was burning up, every inch of her desperate to soothe the fire on her skin and inside her body. From the moment she’d seen him alone, gazing at the stars, she realized this man deserved a woman willing to fight for him. To stand beside him, hold his hand, and face the future with bravery. There were never guarantees, and she was exhausted from trying to fight her heart. Jonathan Lake was meant to be hers.

It was finally time to claim him.

His lips were like wispy, gossamer touches over her lips, barely giving pressure, and his dick was buried deep inside her, invading every inch of her body with a fierce demand she give him everything. She fought for breath as she adjusted to his girth, the pressure a delicious mix of pain and pleasure, and then with a sigh, she opened completely, letting him in. He sank even deeper, and she shuddered, biting the meaty muscle in his shoulder. His fingers tightened on her hips.