“EVERYTHING all right?” Jack asks when I join him again.

I nod. “Yeah, I think.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” I look toward the entrance, wondering how long it will be before Landon arrives.

“You sure you don’t want another drink?”

I shake my head. If Landon is coming here, I’m going to need all my senses intact.

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” Jack is saying. He starts to tell me about his travel plans, but I’m not really listening. I have one eye on the door, waiting for Landon to appear. The tension in my stomach is as much eagerness to see him as it is anxiety about his reasons for coming, and what his reaction will be when he sees me with Jack.

Will he be jealous?

The idea is oddly appealing, but I dismiss it almost instantly. Why would he care who I hang out with?

Jack is waiting for me to say something, and I realize I have no idea what he’s been telling me. He leans across the table and put his hand over mine. “You’re not listening,” he says, smiling. “Where’s your mind?”

Before I can answer, my eyes skip past him to the entrance again, and Landon is just walking into the room. As always, seeing him, seeing all that strength and power encased in a body that’s almost too raw in its beauty—it takes my breath away. He’s wearing one of his magnificent suits with no tie, and the top buttons of his shirt are undone.

As I admire him, his eyes skim over the other people in the lounge and land on me. He takes in Jack, whose hand is still over mine on the table, and as I watch, his eyes grow a few degrees colder.

Still, he walks toward our table, his eyes never leaving mine. I don’t even feel Jack pull his hand away or see him as he follows my gaze to see Landon. All my attention, my whole being is focused on the insanely sexy man walking toward me.

When he reaches me, he surprises me by taking my face in his hands and giving me a deep toe-curling kiss that leaves me flushed and breathless.

He releases me, and I sway on my seat. Then he straightens and turns to Jack—who’s looking at me as if I’ve committed some huge betrayal—and stretches out a hand. “Landon Court,” he says.

Jack rises to his feet and takes the proffered hand. “Jack Weyland.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Landon says, though there’s no trace of the stated pleasure in his voice or face. “You write for Gilt as well, don’t you? Are you here for work?”

Jack looks at me, then back at Landon. “No, I’m here to see Rachel.”

The challenge in his voice is not lost on me, and Landon notices it too, I’m sure. He just chooses to ignore it. He turns to me. “You ready?”

“You’re leaving?” If I didn’t know better, I would say Jack sounds hurt.

“Yes,” I reply, getting up without looking at him. I’m still reeling from Landon’s kiss. “I had a great time.”

“Yeah,” Jack says woodenly. “Me too.”

Jack doesn’t follow us outside, for which I’m grateful. I can’t even imagine how awkward it would have been for the three of us, especially with Landon’s arm positioned possessively around my waist.

I don’t complain, not only because Landon fried my brain when he kissed me, but because I felt a little pleasure from seeing the expression on Jack’s face as I left with Landon. It’s an inadequate revenge for the two years I spent pining for him, but nevertheless, it makes me feel good.

I follow Landon to the elevator. His hand is still around my waist, building a slow heat on the surface of my skin. As soon as the doors slide closed, I turn to face him.

“What was that about?”

His face is bland. “What exactly?”

“Coming here. Kissing me in front of Jack. Acting as if I did something wrong by going out—”

“I wasn’t aware my actions were so out of place.” His eyes are fixed on my face. “I came here because I wanted to see you and I was tired of waiting. I kissed you because I wanted to.” He stops. “What exactly is the problem? That I interrupted your reunion with your boyfriend?”

Before I can answer, the elevator stops and the doors slide open. I follow him across the lobby to the street and a few seconds later, a car parks in front of us.

“I came in one of the Rosemont cars,” I tell Landon.

“Your driver has already returned,” he replies, pulling open the door of the car.

I get in with a sigh, waiting for him to join me. “First of all,” I say calmly, “Jack’s not my boyfriend. Secondly, I don’t think it was necessary for you to flaunt our…arrangement in his face like that.”

“Why do you care so much?” Landon asks. “What is he to you?”

“It’s not about him,” I retort.

“Isn’t it?” he challenges. “I seem to recall that exclusivity was one of your conditions for agreeing to this arrangement. Did that particular condition apply only to me? Am I supposed to sit back and accept the fact that you went out with him, the same man with whom you had a fight in my hotel the day we met? He’s the reason you were crying in the elevator, and he came all the way here to see you. Talk about a grand gesture.”

My planned response freezes on my tongue. How had he known about my fight with Jack in the Swanson Court, and about me crying in the elevator?

He takes in my puzzled expression. “Security cameras, Rachel. How do you think I found you? I had dinner with my brother that night. He was trying to convince me that hookers were a better deal than relationships, and he offered to send me one. I refused. When you appeared in the elevator, I thought he’d ignored me, as usual. You didn’t leave your number, and I couldn’t get you out of my mind. So, I called him, and it turned out he had no idea what I was talking about. I had the security team at the hotel review the tapes to find out who you were, and I saw them too. I saw your argument with Jack Weyland, and I saw how distressed you were afterward.”

I’d wondered how he found me. Now I knew, and I couldn’t stop wondering how many other things he knew about me. With the resources he had at his disposal, he could probably find out anything he wanted—not that I had much to hide, but still.

“Did he come here to apologize?” he continues. “Am I standing in the way of some romantic reunion?”

“Would you care?” I mutter.

“No.” He utters the words so carelessly it pisses me off. “Let’s just be clear, for as long as this arrangement lasts, I have every right to be extremely selfish when it comes to you. I don’t give a fuck about what he wants, because right now, you belong to me.”

Why do those possessive words start a sweet ache in my belly, one that grows and spreads until every inch of my skin is waiting impatiently for his touch?

I shake my head. “I don’t belong to anyone,” I say stubbornly. “I sure as hell don’t belong to you.”

He leans forward and places a finger under my chin, bringing my face close to his. “Unless you’re telling me you want to stop this, to end this…arrangement right now, then you belong to me.” His blue eyes are almost hypnotizing. “Is that what you want?”

I want to tell him to go to hell. I can do that. I can go back to the suite and concentrate on my article while he remains in the next room. I can stay here for two more days without touching him. I can tame the craving my body has for him. I can.

I can’t.

I shake my head, too ashamed of my need for him to say the words out loud.

“Say it,” he demands.

“No,” I whisper, “that’s not what I want.”

I see the smile of triumph on his face right before he lowers his lips to mine. The kiss is soft, possessive, and sensual. He’s so skilled. He makes me forget everything but the feel of his lips over mine, the warmth as he sucks my bottom lip into his mouth before releasing it to slide his tongue into mine, licking and tasting. He’s gentle, tender, and so sweet, I immediately lose myself, moving across the seat to lean into his body.

He pulls me onto his lap, deepening the kiss as his hands move down from my arms to my waist, setting fire to every inch of my skin he touches.

I barely register it when the car stops, but I groan in protest when Landon tears his lips from mine.

“We’re here,” he says softly, smoothing my hair.

I nod, my body aroused and wanting, resenting the time it will take to make the trip up to the suite.

He starts to open the door, then stops and looks back at me. “I’m sorry I didn’t call,” he says, surprising me. “I wasn’t sure…” He stops. “I was very busy, but I should have called.”

“Okay.” I watch him leave the car, barely having time to wonder what he’d been about to say before he’s opening the door at my side. As soon as I step out, his hand closes around my waist, and he doesn’t let go even as we cross the spacious lobby.

Once in the elevator, he starts to kiss me again, pressing my hips against the wall with his, giving me no doubt as to his desire for me.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” His voice is a rasp against my ear. “Every single minute I had you in my head.”

I respond by pressing my hips forward and rubbing against the bulge in his trousers. He groans. “If you don’t stop that, we’re going to end up fucking in here.”

I want to tell him I don’t care, but the elevator stops just in time and he lifts me in his arms, carrying me all the way inside the suite to his room. He lays me on the bed then starts to remove his clothes. Rising up to my knees, I pull my dress over my head, eager to be naked by the time he’s done undressing. I remove my bra and pull off my panties just as he pulls down his briefs, letting his glorious erection spring free. At the sight of the thick, hard length and the veins bulging under the silky skin, heat spreads from below my stomach to pool between my thighs.

He joins me on the bed, gently pushing me to lie on my back. He lowers his head to lick along the seam of my lips, making me shiver in pleasure. Then he starts to trace a path from my lips, over my throat, down to my breasts. I squirm as he takes one nipple in his mouth while he rubs the other one between his finger and thumb. He moves his lips to the other nipple, licking and sucking it before moving downward over my stomach, kissing the mound at the juncture of my thighs before he nudges my legs apart and lowers his lips to my sex.

I groan at the first contact of his tongue, my hips bucking as he licks my clit. He grips my thighs and spreads them a little more, sucking me greedily before moving down to rim the pulsing slit of my sex. I moan loudly, my fingers threading through his hair as he drives me to the point of madness.

I moan his name, unable to bear the heat and pleasure coursing through me.

“Hmm.” The sound vibrates through my body as he moves his mouth back to my clit, teasing me to the point of climax before moving back to my wet aching slit. My hips start to move of their own volition, matching the licking movements of his tongue. I feel his fingers teasing at the entrance to my body, hovering there for a moment before sliding inside.

I squirm, my insides tightening and demanding more. He moves his fingers without stopping the teasing of his tongue, rubbing them against the tight bundle of nerves inside me. I cry out and jerk off the bed, my whole body exploding in a shattering climax.

He removes his fingers and I draw my legs up, wanting to turn on my side and press my legs together to still the trembling all over my body, but he doesn’t let me. He kneels between my legs and positions himself, rubbing the wide head of his cock over my sensitive clit and down over my slick folds. I spread my legs wider, inviting him in.

Slowly, he slides into me, drawing out the pleasure as he fills me. I moan softly, rubbing my hands over the muscles of his chest as he surges forward with a groan. His muscles tighten, and he expels a slow breath before he pulls out almost entirely then pushes in again. I wrap my legs around his waist, tightening my inner muscles as I urge him deeper inside.

“Fuck,” he groans, his hands moving feverishly along my thighs, his hips grinding as he thrusts into me again and again. My soft cries blend with the sound of his groans as pleasure builds uncontrollably inside me, but still I want more. My hands find the tight muscles of his buttocks, and I press my fingers against them, urging him deeper. He starts to move faster, his body covered with sweat, his eyes shut, his face tightened in an expression of primal male lust.

My body seizes, unable to bear the pleasure anymore. I come with a loud, helpless cry, and Landon moans my name as he thrusts hard into me. Then he stiffens too, his hips jerking as he comes.

A moment later, he leans down to lay kisses on the sensitive tips of both my breasts, then pulls out and lies back on the bed beside me. He draws me close to him and I relax into his body, luxuriating in the feel of his skin against mine, of his heart beating against my chest.

I fall asleep soon after. A few hours later, I wake up and find myself alone on the bed. This time, I find Landon in the library, where a temporary office has already been set up for him, same as before he left. He’s sitting in the dark, his face lit only by the glow from his computer screen as he types something really quickly. The door is open, and I watch him from the doorway, wondering if he ever sleeps.

He doesn’t see me standing there, and after a while, I go back to bed. This time, without him beside me, it’s harder to fall asleep. I finally drift off, but for the rest of the night, even in my sleep, I’m aware of his absence beside me on the bed.