“In one motion, Connor shrugged off his jacket, flung it aside, and went to her. "Where's the bedroom?" he asked in a heated voice.She tipped her head toward the rear of the apartment. "Back there.""Too far. I'm not sure I can last." He kissed her, a blatantly carnal kiss that reawakened all their earlier urgency, brought it screaming back to life."There's a couch in the living room," Julia managed, pointing to their left and shivering as Connor began unbuttoning her blouse. "That's a lot closer." His lips burned a path from her collarbone to her throat. "Which is bigger, the couch or the bed?""The bed.""Then I’ll last." Connor was pulling her down the hall. "Barely.”

“Adne walked over to Connor, stretched up on her tiptoes, and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "You're a good man after all." She smiled sadly, beginning to turn away, but Connor slid his arms around her waist, lifting her off her feet. The kiss he crushed onto her mouth was anything but chaste and lasted so long that soon we all turned away, blushing. When he finally set her down, his voice was thick. "I give up. I love you, Adne. I am crazy in love with you.”

“Decision time. It's too dark for you to see your surroundings. So I'll describe. You choose." He pulled the pins out of her hair, tunneling his fingers through it as it tumbled to her shoulders. "The fireplace is across the hall. There's a shag rug in front of it. The living room's to our right. It has a wide, cushy sectional sofa. The den's to our left. It has a leather recliner that tilts way, way back. Upstairs, there are two bedrooms. The guest room's got a queen-size bed and a huge area rug. The master's got a king-size bed and extra pillows. What's your pleasure?""Where are the condoms?""In the master.""Sold.”

“Only Ren wasn't smiling. He was eyeing Connor suspiciously.“What?” Connor asked, frowning at the alpha.“That's my sister,” Ren growled.Connor stared at him. “I know. And I love her.”“Great,” Ren said. “But what are your intentions?”“My intentions?” Connor looked from Ren to Adne, frowning.Ren grinned, showing Connor his sharp canines. “When all this is over, you and I have a lot to talk about, too.”

“What?" Connor asked, frowning at the alpha."That's my sister," Ren growled.Connor stared at him. "I know. And I love her.""Great," Ren said. "But what are your intentions?""My intentions?" Connor looked from Ren to Ande, frowning. Ren grinned, showing Connor his sharp canines. "When all this is over, you and I have a lot to talk about too.”

“Connor laid her down on his bed and pulled the covers up over her. He warred with himself, but the struggle was in vain; he gave in and kissed her gently on the lips, saying, “Rest now, for tomorrow we may have a war on our hands,” and he sat down in the chair she’d previously occupied.”

“Did you take me here so we'd relax, or so we'd be on safe ground because we're among lots and lots of people?"He set down his glass, folding his hands on the table and leaning forward. "I took you here because the food and the sangria are great, and because it's far away from offices and hospitals. As for safe ground, I told you, there is none."His voice lowered, took on a rough, provocative quality that sent shivers up her spine. "The crowd's irrelevant. The setting's irrelevant. I want you no matter where we are and no matter who we're with. I think you know that. What I want to do with you can't be done in a restaurant—any restaurant, busy or quiet. It requires total privacy, long uninterrupted hours, and a very big bed." He paused. "Actually, the bed is optional. I could improvise.”