The scent of her lust made him dizzy and he didn’t even bother to try to stop her when she began to tug him down for that kiss. Even worse, he wasn’t sure he could control his own reactions. He wanted to slam her against the table and take her hard. But then he saw her black eye and he knew he couldn’t do that. Or, at the very least, he shouldn’t do that. He shouldn’t. Right?

“Are you going to kiss me,” she asked when their faces were inches apart, “or just keep staring at me like I might break apart at any second?”

“What if you do?”

“What if I do what?”

“Break apart? You’ve already been bear-handled once tonight.”

She was silent for a long moment. “Are you telling me you’re worried about giving it to me too rough?”

“Yeah. A little. You drive me crazy, Malone. I’m thinking all my gentlemanly ways might hit the skids.”

Her smile was small, pretty. “God,” she whispered, “now I’ve gotta fuck you. You’re making me all squirmy.”

“I’m not trying to—”

“Too late. You did.”

She leaned in, took his mouth with her own. And it was like she was draining all common sense right out of him. He could barely breathe. Knew he could no longer think. Especially when he realized she was actually squirming. Something about knowing he was making her wet made him even crazier. He wasn’t used to feeling crazy, feeling like he had no control.

He knew he had one chance to pull away, to tell her to stop this and when she felt better, they could consider doing this sort of thing properly. He had one chance—and he let it fly right by.

As soon as his arms wrapped around her waist, Cella knew she had him. The way he was gripping the back of her T-shirt, hands twisting in the material. God, and his mouth. When he kissed a girl, he really kissed her. Standing a little taller, making Cella come up with him, his mouth desperately moving against hers, his tongue exploring.

She’d had good kisses before, but never like this one.

And even better was how he felt under her hands. All that hard but smooth skin, bunched-up muscles playing under her fingers.

Yeah, if he really thought she was willing to wait until she was all healed and one hundred percent, he was nuts. Besides, what could she say? She was always horny after a tough night fighting guys who started attacking her for no apparent reason.

Cella moved her hands down to Crush’s waist and pulled him between her legs.

“Wait,” he said, taking his mouth away from hers.

“What?”

“Your leg. I don’t want to hurt it.”

He had a point, but she had to ask, “Because of me or because I’ve got a game coming up?”

He gave a small shrug, his eyes downcast like a little kid’s. “Can’t it beboth?”

Too much in lust to feel the need to be angry with the big idiot, she stretched out her good leg and hooked her foot through one of the slats of the kitchen chair. She pulled it closer.

“Sit,” she ordered him.

He tugged the chair closer and sat down. She was, in a word, overjoyed, to see the hard-on the bear was struggling with. Although she was usually a big fan of foreplay, they could do that later. She had one need at the moment and she, like most felines, demanded instant gratification.

Cella grabbed her backpack and unzipped it. “Get your pants off.”

“Uh ... okay.”

While the bear got off his pants and thankfully without her telling him, his boxers, Cella dug deep into her bag until she found the strip of condoms Jai always made sure to shove in any and all bags Cella had.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” Jai would say when Cella would find the condoms at the most inopportune times, “it’s just that I’m making sure there are no surprises. We’re both too old for surprises.”

Cella yanked one off and tossed it to the bear. “Put it on.”

“You sure are bossy.”

“Yes. I am.” She wiggled off her panties, maneuvering them around the ice pack, and tossing them in her bag. By then the bear had the condom on.

She motioned with her hands. “Move a little to the left. A little more. Good. Stay there.”

Using her arms, Cella pushed herself off the table and onto the bear’s lap. She smiled when she landed. “Now put me on your cock and let’s get to work.”

And that was around the time Crush started laughing.

“I’m serious!”

“I know you are. That’s what makes it so damn funny.”

“Look, you wanted to protect my precious game legs. This does the trick. I’m all about making things happen.”

“You are such a Marine.”

“I know. Or would you rather I was all lost and confused, the heat of the moment making me an irrational mess?”

“No. That seems to be my job this time around.”

“I really make you crazy, huh?”

“Yeah. You really do.”

“Then stop making me wait. Because we both know I’m one of the few women who can really handle you.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. You know it, too. At least your body does. Your cock keeps getting harder the longer we sit here. It’s actually pointing at the ceiling. I’d climb up on it myself but, you know ... game coming up.”

“Shut up.”

Snorting, Cella took his hands and placed them on her waist. “All ya gotta do is pick me up and put me down on it. Trust me when I say, the rest of it will work itself out.”