Congratulations to Sasha White, author of the final weekly winner, The Devil Inside!

A final thank you to our judges for donating their time: Ann Jacobs (www.annjacobs.us), Lora Leigh (www.loraleigh.com) and Jodi Lynn Copeland (http://jodilynncopeland.com) Thank you! I couldn’t have done this without your generous help.

And thank you to everyone who entered. It was a difficult task for the judges to choose only one winner each week. All the entries were fantastic! If I had it my way, everyone would be a winner and Sue Ellen would have a lot of reading to do :0)

Finally, good luck to all of the weekly winners! Their entries will be emailed to Sue Ellen for final judging. Check back to see which entry is selected as the winner!

And now...Enjoy this week’s winning entry, The Devil Inside.

Tawny

*****************************************************************************************************************

She couldn’t look away. 

He had her wrists pinned to the bed beside her head and his eyes locked on hers.  He thrust his hips forward and slid gently into her body.  Her heart swelled and her legs wrapped around his waist, holding him tight to her.  His rhythm picked up speed and she whimpered, her insides tightening around him.  Her body trembled with the strength of her approaching orgasm.  Heavy eyelids drooped but she couldn’t let them fall, couldn’t look away from the well of emotions overflowing from his eyes. 

“I love you, Gina,” he whispered.

She cried out in joy, every muscle in her body taut, and squeezed him between her thighs.  She squeezed harder and thrust her hips again.  And felt nothing but emptiness.  He was gone, her thighs pressed only against each other.

A loud groan of frustration echoed in her empty bedroom as Gina opened her eyes.  She pressed a hand against her heated forehead. 

Another dream.  Another faceless lover with eyes that looked deep into her soul and filled her heart while he filled her body.  Flopping over onto her back in the queen sized bed she kicked at the tangled sheets and let the cool air dance across her overheated skin. 

She was used to having dreams wake her up.  When she was a little girl all her premonitions had come in the form of dreams.  The stronger the dream, the closer the event was to taking place.  And the intensity of this one told her that the time for it to become a reality was near.

Closing her eyes once more she trailed a hand over her belly and past the small patch of tight curls.  Trying to forget the familiar ache of loneliness in her heart, she concentrated on easing the ache of emptiness between her thighs.

Chapter One

Caleb Mann strode determinedly through the heavy glass doors of the coffee shop and straight to the counter.  A mug of strong, black coffee in hand, he stepped to the side of the counter and scanned the room.  A slick looking businessman stood two feet away, impatiently ordering a fluffy latte from the frowning counter girl.  An older lady, and a girl that was probably her granddaughter, sat with a coloring book in front of them.

None were who he was looking for. 

He disregarded the twenty something male engrossed in a novel nearby and briefly considered the woman by the window.  Well-dressed, with long dark hair, she sat ramrod straight watching people come and go.  Uncertain, he let his gaze slide away.  Then he saw her.   

Removing his sunglasses, he gave the woman a slow perusal.  She’d isolated herself by sitting at a small corner table, head bent over a notepad of some kind.  Yet, she still seemed approachable.  She was missing that invisible wall that emanated from people when they wanted to be left alone.

She was dressed casually in a short camouflage skirt and a tight black tank top that made it impossible to ignore her pert breasts.  If for some unknown reason he hadn’t noticed her mouth-watering cleavage, he’d certainly have given the length of tanned flesh exposed by the short skirt a second glance. It had to be her.

Caleb had expected nothing less from his little brother than to set him up with a real looker.  What he hadn’t expected was his own instant, and primal, reaction to her.  The way his blood heated and his stomach clenched when he looked at her.  Or the way her inky black hair, full of vivid red streaks, skimmed across her pale shoulders and made his fingers itch with the urge to brush it aside so he could nibble on her tender flesh. 

 

His reaction surprised him.  But for once, he didn’t try to contain, or control it.  After all, if she was a friend of his ‘work hard - play harder’ younger brother chances are she was also a party girl . . . a bad girl.  The total opposite of what he normally looked for in the fairer sex, and exactly what he needed. 

He leaned against the counter and took in the details of her.  The skimpy clothes and the bare limbs, the bright purple of her fingernails and the silver jewelry, the tattoo on the inside of her wrist.  He willed her to lift her head so he could see her face clearly, only to have his breath catch in his throat when she did so. 

Flawless skin smoothed over high cheekbones, tiny white teeth nibbled at a full pink lip, dark eyebrows flared over almond shaped eyes.  He couldn’t see their color from where he was, but it didn’t matter.  Her untamed beauty called to him unlike anything, or anyone ever had. 

He wanted her, instantly and unequivocally.  

Shrugging his suddenly tense shoulders, Caleb pushed off from the counter.  He wasn’t here to find his soul mate, he reminded himself.  Just someone to let loose with.

He was tired of everyone ragging on him for being a workaholic.  Hell, if he hadn’t worked so hard for the past ten years Gabe wouldn’t have been able to go to college. Someone had had to pay the bills.  Plus, his work was satisfying in a way his player of a brother would never understand, so the nagging hadn’t bothered him. 

Until his last girlfriend dumped him because he was too ‘old and settled’ for her.  Then he’d felt a bit of a sting.  He was only thirty-three for God’s sake!

Even then her comments hadn’t really hurt him, until she’d turned the sting into a downright festering burn by adding that his good looks couldn’t compensate for his lack of imagination in the romance department, let alone the bedroom.

Anger, and a twist of uncertainty, burned a hole in his gut.  That had been hitting below the belt, literally. 

Lack of imagination? He had plenty of imagination.  And the wild child girl his little brother had set him up with was going to help him prove it.

Halting next to her table he pasted a winning smile on his face and opened his mouth. 

“Excuse me, Christina?”

When Gina Devlin realized the question was directed at her she huffed out a grateful breath and tossed aside her charcoal pencil.  Normally she didn’t welcome interruptions when she was working, but her muse had deserted her.  Taking any semblance of artistic talent along with it.

Eager for a distraction she leaned back in her chair, looked over the wall of muscle standing next to her corner table with a big grin on his gorgeous face.  And immediately felt her skin begin to itch from the inside out.  He was her favorite type of distraction. . . Male.

His buttoned up shirt and pressed jeans did nothing to detract from the wide shoulders and slim hips they covered.  However, in her mind they labeled him a stickler for the rules, and totally not her type.  Only a real stick in the mud would press his jeans. 

The fact that he wasn’t her type didn’t stop her eyes from continuing to skim appreciatively over his trim hips, the impressive package between them, and down his muscled thighs before rising back up to meet his steady gaze. 

A gaze that was vaguely familiar.

Shaking off that thought she realized that he’d called her Christina. 

The little devil residing on her left shoulder strained at the leash she’d kept him on for the last six months and poked her with his pointy tail screaming, “Do it! Do it!” 

Before she could think twice her lips parted, and the words tumbled out.  “I prefer Tina.”

“I’m Caleb.  Gabe’s brother.”  The stranger held out a large hand to her.

His voice was smooth and deep, making shivers skip down her spine.  She leaned forward, slipping her hand into his.  Long fingers wrapped gently around her hand, the heat of him soaked through her skin, inching it’s way up her arm.  Her palm tingled and images of open mouths, sweaty bodies and tangled sheets filled her mind.

Whoa!

She pulled her hand away in surprise.  To cover up her sudden disquiet she waved the hand blithely at the empty seat across from her.  “Have a seat, Caleb.”   

What was she thinking?  Or better yet, what was she doing?  She had a deadline; she didn’t have any time to waste on a man, no matter how good-looking he was.

Gina eyed Caleb from under her lashes as he settled into the chair across from her.  He set his coffee mug gently on the table and settled his large body into the tiny metal chair.  This guy was here to meet someone else.  Despite his good looks and awesome body, he wasn’t exactly her type.  Maybe she should’ve reined in the devil inside and let him move on.

Then again, there’s no such thing as a coincidence.  Right? 

Therefore, he was meant to meet her.  She’d been struggling with her new collection of sketches anyway.  Her muse had given up on her and run away to have some fun.  Maybe she should do the same. She couldn’t remember the last time she forgot about everything but having a good time. And if the vision of hot sweaty bodies rolling around together she’d had when they shook had was any indication, this man could show her a really good time.    

With a mental shrug she looked up, and smiled flirtatiously at her tablemate.  The hunk smiled back, his blue eyes twinkling playfully.  There was a brief silence while they openly checked one another out. Then they both spoke at once.

“How do you-”

“So what do you-”

They laughed together and the tension eased.  Caleb settled back in his chair, spreading his hands wide.  “Ladies first,” he said with a crooked smile.

Relishing the jump in her pulse at his smile she leaned forward, giving him a clear view of her cleavage, and arched an eyebrow at him.  “I was just going to ask what you liked to do for fun?”

Heat warmed his gaze, but Gina was pleased to see that while he glanced at the offered view, he didn’t stare crudely.  Instead he locked eyes with her and showed off perfectly white teeth in a sardonic smile before he answered softly. 

“I haven’t made much time for fun lately.  In fact, just the other day I was accused of being old and stodgy.”

“You?”  She chuckled softly.  “You look like you might be a little uptight.  But definitely not old, and well. . . stodgy we can fix.”

He looked at little taken aback by her bluntness, but he didn’t run away.  “That’s good to hear.  While I will admit I’ve let business, and various responsibilities take over a large chunk of my life in the past.  My construction company is doing well now and I’ve decided it’s time for a change.  Time to stop making work the focus of my life.”  He stared at her with earnest blue eyes.  “That’s why I agreed to this blind date.  It’s time to try new things, and remember how to have a good time.” 

Gina understood the demands of starting, and running one’s own business.  Her artwork was a business for her, a part-time one, but still a business.  But she also knew that sometimes a body just had to ignore business, and concentrate on pleasure. 

She scanned the room and didn’t notice a single woman alone anywhere.  Deciding that Caleb’s date had either missed him, or pulled a no-show, she locked eyes with him and kicked things up a notch.  “Do you have anything specific in mind for fun, or are you open to pretty much anything?” 

The flickering flames in his eyes burned hotter at her challenge and his smile turned wolfish when he answered firmly.  “I’m ready for anything.”

She fought the urge to crow in delight.  He wasn’t as uptight as she'd thought.  So what if he put his younger brother through school and ran his own business?  The man definitely had bad-boy potential.  She could feel it.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins and her inner bad girl roared to life, ready and willing to face all challengers.  She felt alive.  Fully energized for the first time in longer than she could remember.  

She grinned at Caleb.  It was time to play. 

“I think I can help you out,” she said with cocky confidence. Giving her sketchpad one last look, she shoved it into her canvas tote bag and gestured towards the door.  “Let’s go somewhere with a bit more action and see what happens.”

She’d surprised him. 

Not many people could do that. 

Caleb wasn’t sure what he expected when they left the coffee shop.  But this wasn’t it.  When he watched her swing a lithe leg over the seat of a sexy little crotch-rocket of a motorcycle, leaving her thighs almost completely bare, it had never entered his mind that they would end up in a gay bar.

Not that he minded.  He didn’t judge people by their sexual preference.  It just wasn’t somewhere he would’ve thought to take a woman he hoped to get intimate with.  

A quick glance around the dark room made him reconsider.  It was early and bar wasn’t full, but it was busy enough.  Yet no one bothered them, or even gave them a second look. 

There were same sex couples lounging on various sofa’s surrounding the rooms perimeter, a small group of young men stationed in front of the bar, and a male couple on the dance floor swaying back and forth in each other’s arms. 

When he really thought about it, it was the perfect place to get to know someone.  Everyone there was intent on doing his or her own thing.  No one would bother them.

With his back to the wall he had a clear view of the room, and of Tina’s antics.  They’d been playing pool for almost two hours, and despite the fact that he’d been in a constant state of semi-arousal through it all, he’d learned some pretty interesting things about her. 

In fact, she fascinated him. 

“You mean to tell me that you work at the coffee shop, making sandwiches and latte’s for people every day, when you could easily support yourself with your illustrations?”

A lush breast brushed against arm as she reached past him for the cube of chalk on the edge of the table.  He wondered if she was deliberately trying to drive him insane with lust, but the innocent look on her face as she chalked her stick made it hard to tell.

“My artwork pays nicely, but if I devoted myself to it entirely I could easily become a hermit.  Working in the coffee shop let’s me deal with real people without getting to close to them.”

“You don’t like getting close to people?”  He watched as she strolled to the end of the table, and lined up her shot. 

She bent over at the waist and he got an eyeful of plump womanly flesh cupped lovingly in fire engine red satin. “I love getting close to the right people,” she said in a husky voice.

Swallowing hard he dragged his gaze from her cleavage to her delicate face.  The devilish glint in her dark eyes left no doubt in his mind that he could be one of the lucky ones.  One of the people she might get real close to. 

Unsure of how to handle such blatant flirting he focused his attention on the pool table, and mentioned his love for his own work.  She let the conversation move on. And continued to kick his ass at pool. 

It wasn’t surprising she was winning.  Watching her bend and stretch over the green felt, that somehow reminded him of his bed sheets, was much more distracting than playing with one of the guys.  Yet, he felt like he was getting to know her better than he ever could while sitting across from her at a dinner table. 

“So you enjoy working with your hands then?” She asked in reference to his comment about preferring to work with his crew instead of just supervising.  The comment itself wasn’t sexual.  But to his fogged brain, everything she said and did had sexual connotations. He was having a hard time being the gentleman he prided himself on being. 

Thoughts of getting to know her better in any but the physical sense disappeared as she stretched a bit further to line up another shot and her skirt rose another inch.  Half an inch more and he’d know what color her panties were. Or if she even had any on.  Which he didn’t think she did.

In his minds eye he undid the zipper of his jeans and stepped up behind her. Lifting her skirt that final bit he’d thrust into her from behind.  She would grip the edge of the pool table and push back against him.  No one would even notice if they were quiet.

Ungluing his eyes from her legs, and the temptation they represented, he shifted his stance.  He glanced around the bar in an effort to distract his mind and keep his cock from bursting through his zipper. 

What’s going on?  He’d never had had a problem with control before. 

Somehow, Tina’s body called out to the caveman in him, and his baser urges were fast erasing his common sense.  Along with his ability to hold a decent conversation.  What had they been talking about? 

He watched the cue stick slid through her purple tipped fingers and bit back a groan.  Hands, she’d asked if he liked to work with his hands.

“Yeah,” he tried desperately to get his mind back on topic.  “There are few things as satisfying as looking at a completed project, and knowing you built it with your own two hands.”

He’d never fantasized about sex in public before.  Hell, he’d never even had sex anywhere other than a bed.  Him and his brother had been raised to treat women like ladies.  He wined and dined them if he wanted to get to know them.  And unlike Gabriel, he always got to know them before going to bed with them. 

A lightning bolt hit him between the eyes he groaned softly.  His head fell back, thunking against the wall, and his eyes slid closed in misery.   

He was a boring lover.

“What’s wrong?”

Her small hand burned through his shirt, leaving an imprint right over his pounding heart.  He opened his eyes, praying that she couldn’t read him mind, and looked down at the sex kitten standing in front of him.  A party girl his wild younger brother had set him up with.  Did he really think he could please her?

She cocked her head to the side and studied him for a minute.  A flame flickered to life in the depths of her dark eyes.  Her full lips slowly titled into a naughty smile.  Without another word she stepped closer, brushing her body against his, her breath dancing across his chin. 

Regret fought with desire as her hand slid around his neck and she pulled his head closer to hers.  She didn’t know what sort of a letdown she was setting herself up for.  Her tongue darted out, and he watched it teasingly wet her lips before they pressed softly against his. 

All thoughts ceased.  She leaned her body against him fully and nudged his lips apart with the tip of her tongue.  Determined to shake his insecurities he dove into the kiss.  Thrusting his hands into her silky hair he gave into his lust. 

He needed this.  Needed to feel the hot eagerness of a woman against him, sighing in pleasure and wanting only him.  Tongues tangled and heat burned through veins.   

 

A deep groan rumbled up from his belly and he tore his mouth away from her as she boldly rubbed against him.  Burying his face in the curve of her neck he nipped at the soft skin there.  He tasted her flavor and let his hands roam greedily over her curves. 

He spread his thighs, pulled her tight against him and felt her press against the ache of his confined cock.  Unfortunately, the eager gyrating of her hips only encouraged him lose control.

The abundance of her rounded ass filled his hands while he held her still and thrust against her soft warmth.  Her sharp teeth nipped his earlobe just before he trailed his lips across her collarbone and down to the swell of her breasts.  He couldn’t get enough. 

Closer, he needed to get closer.  Her clothing was in the way.  He inhaled deeply of her sweet scent before nudging aside the cloth of her shirt in search of bare flesh.

 

A distinct pain bit into his skull and his head was pulled back sharply. 

“Down boy, we don’t want to get arrested now do we?” 

Tina’s husky voice brought him back to reality with a shudder.  She was breathing as heavily as he was, and her fingers stroked soothingly through the hair at the nape of his neck.  The hair she’d pulled to get him to back off.  

A groan escaped from him and he closed his eyes against the truth of it. If she hadn’t stopped him he didn’t think he would’ve stopped.  How was he ever going to make her pant and beg and call out his name, if he couldn’t even control himself in public?

Gina saw the confusion in Caleb’s eyes before they slid away from her, and her heart dropped into her stomach.  She wasn’t sure when it had happened, or how it happened so fast.  But Caleb had managed to get past her defenses.  Not only was she attracted to him, she liked him. 

It was obvious from the start that they were total opposites.  Him with his settled life, career and family, her with a life she could easily pack up into her backpack, and move on a whim just as she always had.  Yet, he hadn’t made any snide comments about her colored hair or tattoos like most straight-laced guys would.  And even though he’d hesitated for a minute before climbing into his truck and following her on her motorcycle, without knowing where she would lead him, he’d still followed.

They’d laughed and chatted about anything and everything.  She’d flirted like crazy and he’d loved every minute of it.  She’d been having such a great time, that when she’d caught a glimpse of vulnerability in his eyes earlier, when she’d felt his spirit plummet for some unknown reason, she hadn’t even tried to squelch the urge to reach out to him.

What had started as a teasing kiss, a way to distract him from thoughts that had obviously been serious, had quickly burned out of control.  The feel of his mouth on hers, his lips devouring hers greedily, his hands running over body hungrily.  Her blood raced through her veins at the memory of his taste.  Liquid heat pooled between her thighs and her heart felt like it was about to burst from her chest. 

He had tasted like home. 

 

He was as turned on as she was, the evidence of that was still hard and undeniable between them.  But the regret, and the hint of anger brimming from the bright blueness of his eyes, tainted her newfound revelation. 

It also reminded her of just how different they were.

Pulling away from him she tried to keep her expression playful, but gave up that idea almost immediately.  She wasn’t one to hide her feelings normally, and she wasn’t going to change now just to make things easy on him. 

Besides that, she liked him. 

And even though she wouldn’t admit to anyone, least of all herself, the vision she’d had earlier had planted the seed in the back of her mind that he could be The One.  She’d never had a vision like that before.  Only dreams, and the dreams had been getting super intense lately.

“Ok, Caleb.  What’s going on?” 

Taking a stand she planted her hands on her hips and waited for illumination.

He straightened up from the wall.  “What do you mean what’s going on?  You’re the one that started that.”

Men.  She huffed out a frustrated breath.  And they say women are incapable of giving a straight answer. 

“I’m not talking about that little bit of petting.  I know your hiding something, something that concerns me, or at least this attraction between us.  I’m asking what it is.”

“I’m not hiding anything.”

Her silence was louder than any words could be.

“You’re imagining things.”  His lips tilted in a halfhearted smile.

Gina relaxed her stance, not wanting to seem antagonistic.  “Caleb, sometimes I just know things.  And I know your hiding something from me.  Something that concerns why you wanted to go out with me specifically tonight.”

His eyebrows rose a fraction. “What do you mean ‘you just know things’?”

Not wanting to get distracted Gina waved a dismissive hand.  “It’s a gift, forget about it.  We’re talking about you here.  What are you hiding from me?”

“It’s nothing,” he stated firmly. 

The words sounded good, but he still wouldn’t meet her gaze.  An ugly idea popped into her head and her insides churned.

Wrapping her arms across her stomach she took another step back, bracing herself.  “Are you married?”

“What? No!”  His eyes shot straight to hers, completely open now.  “I’m not married.  How could you even think that?”

“Your energy is all. . . wacky.”  Good work Gina, now he’s going to think you’re all wacky. 

“Look, I know you’re attracted to me,” she dropped her eyes to his groin meaningfully.  “But the vibes your putting off are all mixed up.  It’s clear your body wants me but the look in your eyes says that you don’t.  So until you ‘fess up this is where the evening ends.”

“You tell him, Sugar.” 

Unaware that they’d had an audience Gina glanced over her shoulder.  Two men were openly eavesdropping from the other side of the pool table.  They were obviously a couple, the taller of the two draped over the smaller, more effeminate one with a “You go Girl!” look on his handsome face. 

Ducking her head Gina stifled a giggle while she waited to see how Caleb would react to the intrusion.  When he reached for her hands and pulled her back towards him, she realized he was going to ignore their audience.  Looking into his earnest eyes she couldn’t help but ignore them as well.  Heat seeped in through her fingertips and she tried to focus on what he was saying. 

“I swear I’m not married Tina.  Do you really think Gabe would have set us up if I was?” 

Shit!  She’d forgotten all about that! 

Maybe now was a good time to tell him that she didn’t know his brother, and that she wasn’t actually his date.  No.  The timing was all wrong.  If she told him now he might walk away, and she wasn’t ready for that to happen.

“You’re right Caleb.  I should know better.”  She ignored the irony of the situation and forged ahead.  “But my radar is telling me that you’re hiding something.  Something I should know.”

He glanced over her shoulder and she watched emotions flicker across his face.  His full lips firmed and he looked at her meaningfully.  Tugging her closer he leaned in until his lips brushed the shell of her ear and his husky voice made shivers skip down her spine.  “There’s a place, and a time, to talk about thing’s.  And this isn’t it.”

He was right about that.

Unable to stop herself she nipped at his neck before she pulled back.  Keeping hold of one of his hands, she turned to leave the bar with him trailing her.  Their audience of two left behind. 

When a waspish voice called out to her not to let him get away with keeping secrets, she stopped and faced the couple with a wicked grin. 

“Don’t you worry about me, honey.  I think turning him over my knee for a little spanking will go along way to making him talk.”  

They exited the club with hoots and hollers still echoing in Gina’s ears.  She was feeling pretty confident until they got to the parking lot.  Then she noticed Caleb’s silence.  

She bumped her hip against him playfully as they crossed the dark parking lot.  “Why so quiet?”

“You not really into spanking and stuff are you?” 

A laugh bubbled up from her belly and jumped loudly from her lips before she could control it. Sometimes she was embarrassed by her own lack of inhibitions.  Clamping her lips together tightly she stopped next to her bike and turned to Caleb.

“Spanking doesn’t really appeal to me, I just said that to lighten things up.” Her hands had a mind of their own and the one that wasn’t trapped in Caleb’s fist reached for his belt and pulled him against her once again.  “What about you?  What appeals to you?” 

He lifted his hand and slowly stroked a rough fingertip over her cheek, and across her bottom lip. “You appeal to me.” 

His gentleness caused her heartbeat to trip, and something akin to fear shot through her.  His touch was so tender.  Almost loving.

Gina took a steadying breath.  She could almost feel her inner walls crumbling to dust.  Walls that no one except her brother had been able to get behind since they were kids.  Yet, her gut was telling her that Caleb was special.  She’d felt an instant connection with him.  That must mean something. 

She breathed deep, and flashed a brave smile at him.  It was time to do what she did best.  Take a chance. 

“So what are you going to do about it?”

Adrenaline made her almost giddy. She was going to do it. There was a reason he approached her table, and this was it.

“What am I going to do about it?” Caleb looked at her and grinned.  “Well, while I enjoyed our little foray into exhibitionism in there, all I really want right now is to get you out of those skimpy clothes and into my bed.” 

It hurt more than it should, those words that told her she was wrong.

He hadn’t been able to see past the easy-going façade she lived behind.  Like many men, he’d approached her because she looked good.  Not because of some instinctive connection.

Taking a deep breath she forced herself to pull her hands away from his solid heat.  Stuffing them into her pockets she struggled to keep her inner balance and bury her hurt.  It seems that even the solid, good men of the world only wanted one night with her.  She should just accept it, and the night, for what it was; a brief escape from the loneliness.

Gina looked him straight in the eye and spewed out her ultimatum.  She had to get it out before she was tempted to let it slide, to just go home with him and bury her hurt in mindless sex.

“I’m attracted to you Caleb.  You’re tall, you’re gorgeous and you have a body that I would love to run my tongue all over.” She gazed at him unwaveringly.  “But that’ll never happen unless you tell me what you’re hiding.”

Caleb’s gaze dropped to her lips, and his cock twitched at the thought of that mouth all over his body.  He took in her stance, and the determination on her face. 

Stalemate.

No way was he going to tell her he sucked in bed.  If she walked away, she walked away.  There were plenty of women out there, and he was good looking enough that he could find another one to work with, to explore with.

But he wanted this one.  He wanted her with a hunger and a certainty that he didn’t understand.