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Lila

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"How does anyone ever get any work done?" Lila muttered a few minutes later when she had her breath back.

Dane laughed. "Fuck work."

She sat up, moving on him where he was still hard and tender, and he jerked, but she put a hand to his brow. "Are you sick? Have you lost your mind?"

"Stop it," he growled, grabbing her hand and kissing it. Then he slumped back against the edge of the tub again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fuck, Lila that's… just… fuck."

"I prefer the term make love, but I know an oaf like you needs to hide from his feelings," she quipped, grinning. But Dane didn't smile. He brought his head up so he could meet her eyes.

"Never again, Lila. I'm not hiding anymore. Ever."

Her face softened and she leaned into kiss him. "I know. I'm sorry. I was just trying to be funny."

He kissed her again, but never closed his eyes, kept watching her. "I mean it," he said softly, stroking her face. "I know I gave you the run-around. It was never because I didn't know how to feel. It was always about being desperate to keep you safe."

"I know. Dane, I know."

"I don't want you to worry that I'm going to back away again. This is the opposite of that."

"You think?" she said, but squirmed under his scrutiny. She'd yearned to hear these things from him, waited for him to give in. Now that he was, she found herself suddenly vulnerable. Struggling to hold his direct gaze.

"Please don't be afraid I'll leave you, or push you away, Lila. I won't. Ever."

"Dane," she said firmly, one hand to his face. "I know. I'm just overwhelmed, that's all. This has been the most incredible night. I'm afraid I'll wake up and find out it's a dream."

He looked very serious. "Me too. So… let's not sleep."

She laughed and snuggled her face into his neck, inhaling the clean smell of his skin. His hands came up to her shoulders, kneading the muscles at the back of her neck and she sighed happily. "I wish we could just ignore everyone for a month."

"Don't tempt me."

They continued to talk about nothing important, always skirting around the subject of his father, allowing themselves to relax. She went to the bathroom and got cold getting out of the water, so he cuddled her again when she came back.

But after a while, the water began to cool, and Lila yawned.

"We should go to bed," Dane said, twining their fingers. She sat in the corner of the bench, her legs over his lap.

"I thought we weren't sleeping?" she snorted.

"Who said anything about sleeping?" he made a face like she was crazy, and Lila's heart swelled even as she laughed. She never saw him be goofy like that. So she sat up and pulled his chin towards her and kissed him long enough that her heart started beating faster again.

Would her appetite for him never be exhausted.

When they pulled back from the kiss his eyes told the same story. Lila shook her head. "I never knew…"

He blew out a breath. "It isn't usually like this," he said, finding her hand under the water and pulling it up. He examined the ring on her finger and smiled.

"I'm so glad it's you for me, Dane," she said in a small voice, surprised by the tears suddenly pricking her throat. "So glad."

"Me too." His voice was husky.

They got lost in another kiss and she crawled back into his lap. But the water was getting colder and soon he rubbed her arms and felt the goosebumps there that were from the cold this time.

"Let's go to bed," he breathed against her mouth, rubbing her arms.

She sighed and put a hand to the side of the bath to get off him, but he grabbed her hips and pulled her back down.

She frowned. "I thought we were getting out."

"We are," he said, then put one arm around her waist and pulled her in as he levered them both up and out of the water, until they were seated on the side of the bath, her in his lap. She shivered. "This is all very romantic, Dane, but I'm cold."

"Then let me warm you," he said, his eyes twinkling. He leaned back and down, picking up one of the towels he'd dropped there and brought it around her shoulders, rubbing it all over her body, paying special attention to her chest and hips.

She laughed and pretended to fight him off, but he wouldn't let her get out of his lap. Then he dried himself—barely—and put his arms around her again. "You ready?"

"For what?"

"To go to bed. We talked about this."

She looked around. "Well, then you'll need to let me—"

"Nope, nope, nope," he said, mock sternly. "All I need is your legs around my waist, then we'll make this happen."

She gave him a skeptical look, but brought her legs up and hooked her ankles behind him. "This I have to see."

He raised an eyebrow at her, then put one hand on her ass, gripping hard as he spun himself around on the side of the bath and brought his legs over the side.

She shrieked and giggled as she fell into his chest, but he got his legs down on the other side and, still carrying her, lifted them both off the side of the tub and started walking through the room.

"You are very impressive, Dane," she said more breathless than funny, then took advantage of her position to nibble at his neck and ear.

He groaned and shifted her while he walked. "Vixen," he hissed.

But she just smiled against his skin, then whispered, "I bet you can't make it to the bed."

"What? Why—"

She let herself slide down just a hair and rolled her hips as she lay her tongue flat on his collarbone, and kissed him.

His hands tightened on her ass. He was hard again immediately and she smiled into the kiss he planted on her then.

Her heart was racing. She could feel him under her, insistent and hot and she wanted him. Again! The kiss deepened and Dane's steps slowed. He was struggling to concentrate on where he was walking and frankly, Lila was glad it was him doing the carrying. If this was up to her, they'd already be on the floor.

Then she sucked on his tongue and he groaned, pivoting quickly and pressing her against the wall as he struggled between them to get himself positioned.

"You win," he grunted, then pushed into her before she could respond.