“Fuck.” With a muffled groan, Devlin Russo rolled off the sweaty, soft body he’d just pounded into the mattress. What the hell was his cock trying to do to him? Kill him? He was forty years old for Christ’s sake. Too old for this shit. His lips twitched. Although…as deaths went, dying because of sexual exhaustion wasn’t a bad way to go.
Madeline huffed out a breath, the muted sound full of satisfied amusement. “I believe we already took care of that. Multiple times, I might add.”
The low hum of the air conditioner across the room accompanied their heavy breathing as they lay side by side. The room smelled like air freshener and sex—an odd combination, but probably standard for motel rooms.
Satisfaction swelled as he listened to her ragged breathing. There was no doubt she’d found her release. All six times. He’d made sure of it. Made sure she was flying before letting himself go. But then, it wasn’t hard pushing her up to the cliff and over the edge.
Hell, she was the most responsive lover he’d ever had. Open, without shields in bed. There was something damn addictive about that, about the way she quivered at his touch, the way her flesh heated and twitched beneath his lips, the way her head would arch back and her eyes would close, like she was focused fiercely on what he was doing to her.
The woman was dynamite in bed.
Of course, he reacted just as explosively to her. Six times for fuck’s sakes, in 24 hours. Three times alone in the last three or four. He couldn’t remember ever being so hungry for a woman. Not even back in the horny days of his adolescence. Sure as hell not with Sharon. Pain threatened at the thought of his ex—and everything they’d lost. But he didn’t let it grab hold of him. Didn’t let the memories sweep him from the here and now.
Another first.
His reaction to Madeline in bed shouldn’t have surprised him. There’d been clues after all. Like how she’d fractured his concentration as soon as he caught sight of her in that parking lot three days ago. Even back then, when he should have been solely focused on keeping Tag alive long enough for the EMTs to arrive, he’d been aware of her—of the way she’d filled out that red lacy bra she’d been wearing while she’d used her shirt to staunch Tag’s bleeding. Of the subtle fresh scent drifting from her. She’d smelled like rain after a long drought. Hell, the fact he’d even been able to smell her over the metallic stench of fresh blood had stunned him.
“I’m thinking a shower and some dinner. It’s only eight. There must be some places in town that will still deliver.” She paused a beat before adding casually, “You want to join me?”
“For the shower, or dinner?” His sweaty skin cooling beneath the chilly air of Madeline’s suite, Devlin shifted onto his elbows to stare down at her face. Her eyes were closed, a faint smile curving her lips, flags of red still painting her cheeks and forehead. His chest tightened. Christ, she was beautiful with her tangled, brownish-black hair spread across the ivory white pillow like that.
“Both.” Her smile broadened. With a flutter of dark lashes her eyes slowly opened.
“I could be persuaded,” he said absently, his breath catching at the dazed look still glazing her eyes. Fuck, she was so damn…gorgeous…like this. Replete. Relaxed. Vulnerable. He ran a hand up the curve of her belly to cup her tit. The nipple instantly tightened, poking into his palm.
Responsive.
His cock stirred, mimicking her reaction.
You’d think after two days of fucking like a pair of horny rabbits, they would have satiated the hunger by now. But apparently not.
A shadow of unease drifted through him. This ramped up horniness wasn’t normal. Not for him. And this weird sexual insatiability wasn’t the only abnormal thing about his reaction to her. There was his inexplicable possessiveness too.
Last night at dinner, when he’d caught the appreciative look their waiter had turned her way, he’d wanted to rip the bastard’s eyes right out of his head.
His reaction had blindsided him. He’d never been a jealous man.
Hell, when Jess, his last casual hookup, had started flirting with every man in sight trying to inspire jealousy and force a commitment from him, he’d shrugged and walked away.
“What’s wrong?” Madeline asked, the hazy look in her eyes sharpening.
That was another thing he liked about her. How upfront she was. The way she