“Trust me, baby. I know what you want. If I keep this up, you’ll come just standing there. You like orders.”

“So do you.”

He smiled. “Then we’re good. I give the orders, you take them, and you’ll climax all night long. Tomorrow too, although—” There was time enough to mention San Francisco when they were on the way to the airport. Right now, he had more important things on his mind. He was about to explode; self-control had its limits.

“What about tomorrow?”

“I’m going to be fucking you tomorrow. Did I not say that?”

“Finally,” she said. “I won’t have to beg for your dick.”

His gaze was laser sharp. “You still don’t have any goddamn patience,” he said coolly.

“And you still know how to be a prick,” she said in a voice that would have cut glass.

The distance between them was suddenly acrid with spleen.

The silence equally caustic.

Five seconds later, Dominic’s small sigh barely rippled the air. Sliding upright in a silken flow of bronzed muscle, he raked his fingers through his hair, dropped his hands, and flicked a finger in Kate’s direction. “Have it your way then. There’re condoms in the drawer behind you. If you don’t care about your latex allergy, I don’t see why I should.”

When she turned, her gasp brought him to his feet in a flash, and a second later he was holding her upright, two of his fingers deep inside her, pulling out the ben wa balls. Tossing them on the bed, he dipped his head and whispered in her ear, “I warn you, I’m doing this only once with a condom. I have long-range plans and they don’t include you being out of commission with some latex allergy. So no argument. Agreed?” Lifting her, he seated her on the edge of the bed and frowned. “I need an answer.”

“Do I have a choice?”

“You always have a choice,” he said, clipped and curt.

She gave in to his cool stare and nodded.

“Christ, dealing with you is like rewriting the fucking Art of War,” he grumbled, leaning over and pulling open the drawer on the bedside table. Grabbing a foil-wrapped condom, he ripped it open.

“Don’t use that. Okay?”

About to toss away the foil, he shot her a startled look.

“I don’t mean to be difficult.”

“You could’ve fooled me.”

She was all huge, pleading eyes. “Just don’t. Please?”

He stared at her. “You’re killing me, babe.” His jaw twitched, he swallowed hard—twice—the silence between them suffocating. Then he swore softly and tossed the packet and condom back in the drawer. “I suppose if this is makeup sex, you get to make the rules,” he said gruffly.

“Thank you.”

He rolled his eyes. “Hold the thanks. This might not take more than thirty seconds the way I’m feeling.”

“I hope not. Sorry,” she quickly added.

“You better be. You’re the girl who never even came with Andrew or what’s-his-name. Don’t expect me to be on a time clock.”

“Sorry. Really. You’re always wonderful.”

He finally smiled. “Polite humility? I’m impressed.”

“And I’m grateful.”

“You’re just grateful I’m better than Andrew.”

“In a thousand different ways,” she said sweetly. “Although speaking of Andrew, I have a question.”

“Could it wait?” If he was actually participating in a game of Russian roulette, he’d prefer a quick orgasm to compensate for the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. Shoving her into the middle of the bed, he pushed her down.

“Andy tells me he’s in Greenland,” Kate said, ignoring Dominic’s question, gazing up at him with a lift of her brows. “Did you do that?”

“Maybe.” Placing his hands, palms down, on either side of her arms, Dominic leaned over, swung his legs up, and settled between her thighs in a smooth reverse push-up that showcased his swelling biceps. He nudged her legs wider.

“He has a girlfriend there. Did you do that too?”

Guiding his erection to her slick, glossy sex, he stopped and looked up. “Shit. I wish I’d thought of that.”

“So you really are managing my life?”

Intent on getting off, he eased the head of his dick forward just far enough to make his point. “What happens if I say yes?” His deep voice was silken, assured. “Are you going to cut me off?”

“Damn you,” she whispered, stirring her hips faintly, so he slipped in deeper, so the delicious flesh-to-flesh friction burned away minor resentments. “As if I could.”

“Okay then, yes.” After which he effectively ended the conversation by plunging hilt deep into Kate’s ripe, welcoming body with a businesslike combination of finesse, authority, and a seriously spectacular hard-on.

Dominic’s carnal groan was gut-deep and brute; Kate whimpered at the head-banger hysteria electrifying her senses.

A long simmering silence fell.

“You’re sure you don’t mind my insisting… on no condom?” Kate’s voice, softly apologetic, broke the stillness.

Discarding a number of rude replies, Dominic reminded himself that he was currently snugly engulfed in paradise and capable of a few seconds of politeness. “Of course I mind.” Like he minded this conversation. “But my dick has trouble saying no to you.”