Instead she let out a breath and turned her head to look at him. “Don’t do it again.”

“I won’t.”

“Cause next time I won’t be so nice.”

He flinched, wondering what her “mean” must be like. Then Brendon decided he didn’t want to know and he hoped he never stupidly found out.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Do.”

He nuzzled her chin. “So you forgive me?”

“If I must.”

“You must.” He kissed her forehead, her cheek. “I like having you around, Ronnie. I don’t want you mad at me.”

“Then don’t piss me off,” she said with a smile.

“I promise to try really hard to keep the pissing off to a minimum.”

She snorted. “At least you’re realistic.”

“I like doable goals.”

She pushed back against him, her ass rubbing against his hard cock. “You still have that condom we were going to use if we made it to the Guggenheim?”

“As a matter of fact…” Brendon dug into his back pocket and slapped the condom down on the counter.

Ronnie reached one hand back and gripped his cock through his jeans. “I say we find out how sturdy this fancy counter is.”

Brendon pulled her hand away before she made him come in his pants. The female had wicked fingers. Grabbing both her hands, he slapped them on the counter and held them down with his own.

“All the way over, Ronnie.”

She looked back at him and nipped his chin. “I will, but you better make it worth my while.”

Ronnie bent forward, resting her cheek against the cool marble counter. Shaw released her hands and ran his fingers up her arms, over her shoulders, and across her back.

“Keep your hands on the counter,” he ordered while reaching around her waist and undoing her cutoff shorts. The ragged denim dropped to the floor, and he groaned while his hands palmed her bare ass.

“No underwear? You’re a horny little thing, aren’t you, Ronnie Lee?”

“Never been a big fan of wasting time. Besides. You’re a ripper. Girl could lose her best underwear with a guy like you ripping them off all the time.”

Shaw ran his hands over her ass, and her back arched. The man had the best hands. Rough and insistent most of the time, but he knew how to back off when she wanted him to.

“Good point,” he muttered, and she heard him unzip his jeans. His cock came out so fast, she knew he hadn’t bothered to drop his pants. The condom wrapper crinkled and then his knee pushed her legs farther apart.

Ronnie braced herself for it, knowing the first time with Shaw always had enough edge of pain to make it interesting. Two big fingers slid between her legs, and she gasped as theypushed inside her pussy.

“Christ, Ronnie. You’re already so wet.” She didn’t respond, only grunted while his fingers pulled out and shoved back in. “And hot,” he whispered against her hair. “So goddamn hot.”

She pushed back against his hand, loving the way his body tensed when she made it clear what she wanted.

His hand suddenly withdrew and Ronnie whimpered, feeling the loss until his cock replaced those fingers and Shaw’s hips slammed her forward, thrusting into her in one long, hard stroke.

Flush against her back, his cock seated firmly inside her, Shaw rested against her, the two of them panting into his marble counter. Hands resting on top of hers, his fingers scratching the skin.

He waited and she didn’t know why. She didn’t want him to wait. She wanted him moving.

Ronnie leaned her head back, rubbing against his cheek, her nose nuzzling his chin. Then she nipped his jaw, hard, and Shaw bared his fangs, snapping at her.

His left hand slid into her hair, pulling her head back and leaving her neck exposed while his body rocked into hers. Closing her eyes, Ronnie let the feel of his cock forcing its way into her over and over again take her where she wanted to be. Lost among the sensations only Shaw seemed able to give her. His face buried against her neck, harsh breaths panting across her flesh as he rode her hard. His fingers only releasing her hair long enough to get another good grip and hold her tighter.

Letting her instincts take over, Ronnie risked losing some hair to lean back a bit and snap at Shaw again. She didn’t even realize she had her fangs out until they grazed her lip.

With a short, powerful roar Shaw pushed her farther forward and pulled her head to the side, gripping her shoulder with his teeth. A typical predator move to keep a dangerous lover from causing permanent, life-ending damage.

But Ronnie winced when she felt Shaw’s fangs dig past her T-shirt and into her skin. Her eyes snapped open when she realized, too late, what he was doing.

“Wait—”

He either didn’t hear her or didn’t care because those fangs tore through flesh and muscle, sinking deep into her shoulder and holding her steady as he fucked her brutally hard and with absolutely no mercy.

Her heart soared while her stomach dropped, and Ronnie barked, trying to get loose. Shaw dug in deeper, a short warning growl making it clear he wouldn’t let her go. The She-wolf inside her stopped fighting, smart enough to know its mate even if Ronnie wasn’t.

Shaw’s free hand slid between her legs and held steady, letting his thrusts push her clit into his fingers. Even as she fought it, even as she tried not to let it happen because she knew it would be the final nail in her coffin, the orgasm ripped through her system with a vengeance.